No. 01 · Landmark
Wat Mahathat
Home of the Buddha head wrapped in tree roots
A 14th-century royal temple, sacked in 1767 — its most famous remnant is a sandstone Buddha head cradled by a bodhi tree.
Read more →Thailand
Ruined capital of the Siamese kingdom
From 1351 to 1767 the capital of Siam — once the world's largest city, now a UNESCO-listed island of red-brick stupas and headless Buddhas.
When to go
November–February — cool and dry.
Getting around
Rent a bicycle on the island; tuk-tuks for the outer ruins.
Don't miss
The top places to start with if you only have a day or two — the essentials before you go deeper.
No. 01 · Landmark
Home of the Buddha head wrapped in tree roots
A 14th-century royal temple, sacked in 1767 — its most famous remnant is a sandstone Buddha head cradled by a bodhi tree.
Read more →No. 02 · Landmark
Three Ceylonese chedis on the royal palace grounds
The grandest temple of the old kingdom — three bell-shaped stupas on the site of the former royal palace.
Read more →No. 03 · Landmark
Khmer-style temple on the riverbank
A 1630 temple modeled on Angkor, beautifully restored and arguably the most photogenic ruin in the city — especially at sunset.
Read more →4 hand-picked
A curated mix of landmarks, neighborhoods, and museums worth your time in Ayutthaya, Thailand — grouped by type below.