Ayutthaya Sightseeing and Bang Pa-In Tour

Ayutthaya Sightseeing and Bang Pa-In Tour
The ancient city of Ayutthaya, The Thai capital for 417 years, is one of Thailand's major tourist attractions. Sightseeing with elephant tour guide. Ayutthaya is a former capital of Thailand (1350-1767) and offers magnificent : ruins of early splendour some of which have been restored and some of which are still under-going archaeological excavations. Ayutthaya is situated about 76 kms. north of Bangkok. The driver goes through paddy fields and orchards, the most valuable assets of Thailand.
Type : Full Day Tour Tour Time : 8:30-17:00

INITERARY
08:30 hrs	Meeting at Hotel lobby.
10:30 hrs	Visit Bang Pa-In Summer Palace was first used by the royal court as a summer retreat in the 17th century. However, the Palace was destroyed with the fall of Kingdom of Ayutthaya and was restored by King Rama IV in the mid-19th century. Most of the buildings that exist today date from the reign of King Rama V, who regularly spent his summers there. The structures represent a variety of architectural styles, set in a large park around ponds and waterways. The only royal residence open to the public is the Chiness-style Wehat Chamroon Palace, constructed entirely of materials imported from China . In addition, there is an Italian-style palace, a circular pavilion with steps leading down to a pool, the graceful Thai-style Aisawan Tippaya Asna Pavilion in the middle of a lake, and, across one of the waterways, a Buddhist chapel in the neo-Gothic style with stained-glass windows. Scattered around the extensive gardens are European statues as well as monuments ordered to be built by King Rama V in memory of members of his family, one of them a much-loved Queen who drowned in a boating accident.
13:00 hrs	Visit Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit . Phra Mongkhon Bophit, a large bronze cast Buddha image was originally enshrined in the open area outside the Grand Palace and later covered by a building in the reign of king Songtham. During the fall of Ayutthaya , the building was badly destroyed by fire. The one currently seen was reconstructed,but does not have as beautiful craftsmanship as the previous one. The open area east of the sanctuary was where the royal cremation ceremonies took place. Visit Wat Phra Si Sanphet . This is the most important temple within the Royal Palace compound and the original from which the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok has been copied. Three outstanding Ceylonese style pagodas were built during the 15th century to enshrine the ashes of three Ayutthaya kings. Visit Wat Maha That - The Heart and Soul of City From Artifacts and the style of the Pagoda, we believe that Wat Maha That was built before the Ayutthaya Period or around the 14th Century. One of the images which were excavated by the Fine Art Department was a Buddha Image in the Sitting Attitude (sitting with drop down legs). This image belonged to the Lopburi Period. The Pagodas are from the Bayon Style or Bayon Period (compared to Khmer culture) which are built with laterite.
17:00 hrs	Arrive Bangkok Hotel.