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
4.5
Great service from Piya!
Piya was an excellent guide to the beautiful ancient ruins! He knew all the best photo spots and took wonderful pictures of all of us on the tour. Delightful lunch at a riverside restaurant. The monkey temple is a lot smaller than I realised (just a couple tours in the middle of the city) and we saw a lot of monkeys in the city in really dirty and trash-filled conditions which made our group less interested in touching them. But Piya knew a perfect spot where we could just play with the babies and where conditions were cleaner. I would recommend skipping right to this rather than walking around the hot streets. Also, if you wear glasses be sure to wear your contacts for the tour – it isn’t advisable to bring anything into the area with the monkeys that you aren’t willing to lose. Not wearing my glasses for that whole part of the trip was a bit tough as my eyes are not good unfortunately! Also be prepared for a lot of driving. This is of course clear when you look at the map and see how far away these places are from Bangkok but I didn’t do that in advance! But overall a really incredible experience. Piya kindly sent us all so many wonderful photos he took of us throughout the day as we were driving home. Wonderful service!
5
Day out from Bangkok
Great trip. Our guide, Piya, from wandersiam local travel experts, was great, informative and great English. Thank you
5
Great tour guide!
Amazing tour!
Had a great experience with our guide Piya. He was very kind and he took us to interesting places. He knows all the best places to take pictures and he takes amazing pictures!
Biggest tip i can give is dont wear a white shirt if you’re going to monkey temple
5
Great trip, gotta love monkeys
I really enjoyed my experience on this trip, I didn’t really know what to expect due the destinations only being suggested by my friends.
Only inconvenience was that I had to meet at there head office and no hotel pick up was offered. The company was very open about this though so I was able to plan ahead, so wasn’t a problem.
I got the guide named Joe (not sure if it’s the correct spelling). He was very friendly and new his stuff and explained the completed history of the sights. The driver they hired was also really friendly giving me free water and making me comfortable as it was so hot but the air conditioning in the vehicle was amazing and took the edge of the heat of the day.
The sights were great and I was able to get some really good pictures. Felt like I was in a Indiana Jones film. Highlight was the monkeys as they just run round you and you actually get quite close to them. U see them play and mess around. At no point did I feel in danger and got a close encounter with the monkeys.
5
Good staff and amazing day
Visited the temples today with very kind tour guide Surine and very competent driver Beer… awesome staff that made my day unforgetable… everything very well timed and punctual… so nice and beautiful!! Recommend !!!