Ayutthaya Historical Park: Temples, Entrance Fee, Opening Hours & Guide
A UNESCO World Heritage Site spread across an island surrounded by three rivers
Ayutthaya Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing 67 restored temple ruins, 4 active temples and 3 royal palace sites, spread across an island surrounded by three rivers about 80km north of Bangkok. Here's a real, complete guide.
Quick facts
67 restored temple ruins across an island setting
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| UNESCO designation | Declared 13 December 1991 |
| Managed by | Thailand's Fine Arts Department, 3rd Regional Office |
| Contains | 67 restored temple ruins, 4 active temples, 3 royal palace sites, several museums |
| Location | An island surrounded by the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi rivers |
| Distance from Bangkok | ~80km north |
| Opening hours | Daily, 8:00am to between 5:30pm and 6:30pm depending on temple |
An honest clarification on how entry actually works
Each temple manages its own separate entrance
Individual temple entrance fees
The combo pass covers the six major temples
| Temple | Entrance fee |
|---|---|
| Wat Mahathat | 50 THB |
| Wat Ratchaburana | 50 THB |
| Wat Phra Si Sanphet | 30 THB |
| Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon | 50 THB |
| Wat Chaiwatthanaram | 50 THB |
| Wat Phanan Choeng | 20 THB |
| Combo pass (covers 6 major temples) | 220 THB |
Fees apply to foreign visitors only, Thai nationals generally enter all Historical Park temples free of charge.
Museums within the park
Gold artefacts recovered from temple crypts
| Museum | Entrance fee | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Chao Sam Phraya National Museum | 150 THB | Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00am to 4:00pm |
| Chantharakasem National Museum | 100 THB | Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00am to 4:00pm |
The Chao Sam Phraya National Museum specifically houses gold artefacts and sculptures recovered from temple crypts, including items from Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Mahathat. The Chantharakasem National Museum is housed in the former Front Palace and displays Ayutthaya-period artefacts.
Sourced from theworldtravelguy.com's how to visit the Ayutthaya ruins temples and Buddha tree, voyagetips.com's Ayutthaya the definitive guide, busonlineticket.co.th's best guide of Ayutthaya Historical Park, forevervacation.com's Ayutthaya Historical Park attraction details, renown-travel.com's Ayutthaya Historical Park entrance fees and opening hours, ayutthayatemple-guide.com's Ayutthaya Temple Historical Park 2026 complete guide to the UNESCO site, Wikipedia's Wat Phanan Choeng entry, twopassportspacked.com's Ayutthaya Historical Park the ultimate guide for visitors, and ayutthayatemple-guide.com's Ayutthaya temple entrance fees 2026 every price you need to know.
Practical tips
Buy the 220 THB combo pass specifically if you plan to visit several major temples. It works out cheaper than paying the individual entrance fees separately at each gate.
Bring enough cash for the whole day. There's no online booking system and no card payment at most individual temple booths.
Book a guided tour if you want entrance fees handled for you. Most tours from Bangkok roll the temple fees into the total price so you don't need to carry cash for each stop.
Visit early in the morning, ideally right at 8am. The cooler hours make walking or cycling between the spread-out sites considerably more comfortable.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming there's a single ticket booth or main gate for the whole park, there isn't, each temple manages its own separate entrance and fee.
- Arriving without cash expecting to pay by card, most individual temple booths are cash only. There's no online booking system to pre-pay.
- Skipping the combo pass and paying individually at multiple temples, if you're visiting several major sites the 220 THB pass genuinely saves money over separate entries.
- Confusing the museums with the temples when planning your day, both the Chao Sam Phraya and Chantharakasem National Museums specifically close Monday and Tuesday, unlike most of the temples which open daily.