Escape the chaos of Bangkok for a fun and educational ride in the ancient capital of Siam. We explore the back streets of Bang Pa in by bike and ride past one of the royal palaces. After crossing the Chao Phraya River by ferry, we cycle through the back lanes and riverside settlements up to historic Ayutthaya. Approaching from the south, the bike tour will swing around the bottom of the island, passing by several of the very early historical sites such as Wat Phutthai Sawan and St. Joseph's Church. After visiting the breathtaking Wat Chaiwatthanaram, we'll stop for a riverside lunch. After lunch, it's time to cross the river and explore the city's ancient monuments. A bike is one of the best ways to see the sites at Wat Loke, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, and Wat Mahathat and take in this cultural immersion slowly. Finally, we take a van back to Bangkok from Ayutthaya after this satisfying day of cycling exploration. Bicycle touring is the original Grasshopper style. We think getting out on a bike is one of the best ways to see a country in a slow personal way while still being able to travel reasonable distances. The great joy of this style of travel is that you can set your own pace, stopping for a photo or a chat when you feel like it. While we do visit the big-ticket destinations on these tours, highlights always include the little out of the way places that most visitors never stop at a tiny village market, a local wedding, or a village that barely makes it to a map but has a little guesthouse that we overnight in. If you want to experience a country from a very non-tourist perspective this is the way to go.

Itinerary

• Stop At: Bang Pa-In Palace, Ban Len, Bang Pa-in 13160 Thailand
• Tour Itinerary:
• Pick up from your hotel within the Bangkok center area We'll bring you to the train station and depart with bicycles in tow. Travel time to Bang Pa-in will be 1.5 hours depending on traffic.
  • Duration: 30 minutes
• Stop At: Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
• Cycle from Bang Pa-in Railway Station to Wat Chai Watanaram
• Starting in Bang Pa-in we will ride from the historic railway station through the backstreets of the town past the royal palace. A ferry will take you across the scenic expanse of the Chao Phraya River from Bang Lane to Bang Paeng. Riding north towards the island of Ayutthaya, cycle through the back lanes of the communities along the banks of the Chao Phraya River to Wat Phutthai Sawan built by King Ramathibodi I. Next bike on to French Saint Joesph's Church facing the ancient capital on the opposite bank. Then pedal on to Wat Chai Watanaram, one of Ayutthaya’s most famous sights.
  • Duration: 30 minutes
• Stop At: Phra Chedi Si Suriyothai, Pratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya Thailand
• Lunch
• Sitting on the western edge of the city, we will enjoy a delicious lunch on the banks of the Chao Phraya with a scenic view of Sri Suriyothai Park and the ruins of the royal palace.
  • Duration: 30 minutes
• Stop At: Historic City of Ayutthaya, Pratu Chai Sub-district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
• Cycle to the Island of Ayutthaya
  • Duration: 1 hour
• Stop At: Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Lokayasutharam), Phratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
• Crossing over to the island of Ayutthaya our cycling tour of the Ayutthaya Historical Park begins with our first stop at Wat Lokayasutharam's dreaming reclining Buddha.
  • Duration: 30 minutes
• Stop At: Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Pratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
• The next stop is Wat Phrasrisanphet which was the prototype temple for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
  • Duration: 30 minutes
• Stop At: Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya Historical Park Pratuchai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
• For the last stop we, cycle to Wat Mahathat. This is the temple with the famous image of the head of the Lord Buddha cradled by a strangler fig. The temple has a large gallery hall with destroyed Buddha images.
• Return to Bangkok
• From start to finish, this is an 11-hour trip for a full-day tour. Lunch is included in a full-day tour. Depending on the speed of the group more or less time will be spent at each place.
  • Duration: 30 minutes