Step into Siam’s golden age in Ayutthaya and meet the monkeys of Lopburi!
We leave Bangkok in the morning for a full-day journey through Thailand’s rich past, visiting the historic cities of Ayutthaya and Lopburi.
Our first stop is Ayutthaya, the glorious kingdom that flourished from 1350 to 1767 and was once the beating heart of Siam. For over four centuries it was a thriving centre of trade, culture, and religion, attracting merchants from across the world.
Its golden era came to an end when the Burmese army invaded in 1767, setting the city ablaze and leaving it in ruins.
Today, Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and wandering among its magnificent remains feels like stepping back in time. We will visit three of its most iconic temples: Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon with its towering chedi and serene Buddha statues, Wat Mahathat with the famous Buddha head entwined in tree roots, and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, the former royal temple of the Ayutthaya kings.
From Ayutthaya we continue to Lopburi, a city with a history stretching back more than 1,500 years. It first rose to prominence during the Dvaravati era, later becoming part of the Khmer Empire in the 10th century, which left behind impressive monuments still standing today.
In the 17th century, King Narai the Great made Lopburi the second capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Nowadays, the city is just as famous for its mischievous residents: hundreds of playful long-tailed macaques that roam the streets and temple grounds.
Our visit to Phra Prang Sam Yot, the famous monkey temple, is a chance to watch these lively creatures in action as they leap across the ancient Khmer ruins.
This day offers a perfect blend of fascinating history, stunning architecture, and unforgettable encounters with Lopburi’s cheeky monkeys.
Although there are still monkeys around Phra Prang Sam Yot in Lopburi, there are fewer than in previous years. Many monkeys have been relocated by the authorities due to overpopulation. Please keep in mind that Lopburi is not a zoo. The monkeys are wild and roam freely throughout the town, so while you will likely see some, sightings can never be guaranteed.
Pick up/Meeting point:
We provide hotel pick-up only from accommodations located on/near Khao San Road and on Siam Square.
If you are not an actual guest at one of the hotels in our pick-up area, the designated meeting point will be our office on Chao Khamrop Road in Chinatown. Our office in Chinatown is just a short 5-minute walk from Wat Mangkon MRT (metro) station.
For the exact location of our WanderSiam office on Google Maps, please click HERE.
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157 Comments
5
Best combination of culture and animals
A day led by a great guide with a lot of enthusiasm, passion and knowledge about the temples and the monkeys in Lopburi.
Very straightforward pickup from the hotel. A car ride filled with information of what we are going to see, and what other things we should do while we are in Thailand. Temple visits with a lot of background information and the best photo spots.
A nice restaurant lunch by the river. And an afternoon with lots of fun with the monkeys. The guide really knows how you should approach the monkeys and what things you should avoid.
Lopburi (and this tour) is really something that you miss out on if you just book a standard trip to
5
🐒🐒🐒
This tour is a very nice combination of culture and nature! We visited the temples before noon, then had lunch and in the afternoon had the chance to play with the monkeys. They are adorable! You can get a stick and really play with the little ones and both we and the monkeys enjoyed it a ton! Our guide knew the history of the country and the temples very well and also gave us tons of recommendations on what else there is to see in bangkok and of course he was a master of the monkeys!
5
Monkeys and premodern temples what’s not to like?
Amazing experience! Our guide Pia helped us to feed the monkeys which was great; don’t be afraid as they are very gentle and will walk on you but will do so lightly. The temples ate incredible 14th century and later structures.
3
You can do better for your money, a lot better
There are lots of tours to Ayutthaya and I regret have choose this one.
-The operator changed the hour of the tour, all the customers get there at the new hour and the guide arrived late
-Because of the delay the guide decided to eliminate one of the temples of the tour (the prettiest one) because it was “to crowded”.
-When I told the operator they said they will investigate, they just asked the guide and he lied. Neither Viator (TripAdvisor) or WanderSiam listened to me or asked the other customers
-Excluding this particular situation, the tour doesn’t include anything, you pay a considerable amount of money for Thailand standards and the lunch is not included, neither the entrances to the temples, all you get is a bottle of water
-You can hire a driver for less money and see the temples at your time and really go wherever you want. Ayutthaya is not that far from Bangkok
-The communication level of the guide and the staff is very poor, you understand very few so their presence is irrelevant
-The restaurant where they take you to eat is expensive and the food is really bad compared with Thailand standards (3.8 stars on google maps)
-As for the monkey temple, I suggest you to watch videos of the place and the surroundings before you consider to go, its very far and you may be disappointed…
As I said there’s a lot of options to visit Ayutthaya, I suggest you to take your time to chose something fare and don’t waste your money with this one (WonderSiam)
5
Great experience
Very friendly and knowledgeable guide, comfortable and pleasant transport. Truly fascinating temples and cheeky monkeys. I can recommend the tour to anyone interested.