Best day trips from Bangkok: Ayutthaya, floating markets, Kanchanaburi and more

Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for four centuries, and its brick temples and Buddha statues are a UNESCO site about 80 km north. Visit Wat Mahathat (the Buddha head in the tree roots), Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Phra Si Sanphet. You can go by train, but the sites are spread out, so a tour or a tuk-tuk is easier.

Damnoen Saduak is the most famous floating market, and also the most touristy. Amphawa is better in the evening and at weekends, with food boats and fireflies after dark. The Maeklong Railway Market is where the stalls pull back as the train rolls through. Many tours combine two of them.

Damnoen Saduak

~1.5–2 hours

Amphawa

~1.5 hours

Maeklong

~1.5 hours

Best time

Early morning

Combine

Two markets

Cost

Cheap by tour

Kanchanaburi is about two hours west. It is known for the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Death Railway, which carry the history of the Second World War, and the beautiful Erawan Falls national park nearby. A long day, but one of the best in central Thailand.

• ✔History: Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi.
• ✔Food and culture: floating markets.
• ✔Beach: Pattaya, about two hours by road.
• ✔Nature: Erawan Falls.
• ✔Short on time: a half-day market trip.

Trains to Ayutthaya leave Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat or Hua Lamphong stations and take about an hour and a half to two hours. Third-class tickets are very cheap and fun if you like a local experience, though they are not air-conditioned. Once in Ayutthaya, hire a tuk-tuk for the day, rent a bicycle or join a boat tour around the island.

Tuk-tuk drivers often offer a standard route of 3 to 4 hours, with a fixed price. Agree the price and the stops before you start, and give yourself time at the main temples rather than racing around. Wear sun protection, since the ruins offer little shade.

A day trip covers the bridge and the railway, but the waterfalls and the memorial really deserve a full day. If you can, stay overnight. You will have time to enjoy the falls early in the morning when the park is quiet.

• ✔The Bridge on the River Kwai and the JEATH War Museum for history.
• ✔The Death Railway: ride a section of the original track by train.
• ✔Erawan Falls: seven-tiered waterfalls in a national park with swimming pools.
• ✔Hellfire Pass memorial, a moving site with an excellent museum.
• ✔A river raft stay for a relaxed overnight.

Damnoen Saduak is the classic image: boats loaded with fruit and noodles in narrow canals. It is very touristy, and best visited early in the morning before the coaches arrive. Amphawa is a weekend and evening market, with riverside restaurants, boat-cooked seafood and fireflies at night, and is much more local.

The Maeklong Railway Market is a quirk of a different kind, where vendors pull back awnings as a train passes through the stalls. Many tours combine it with a floating market. If you can, choose a small-group or private tour, which gives you time to wander rather than being rushed. Compare with Pattaya or Phuket for a beach break.

If you want a beach break, the nearest resort is Pattaya, and the islands are further south at Phuket and Krabi. Read our Bangkok street food guide for what to eat when you get back.