Ancient Capitals of Thailand by Train

Day 1: Bangkok – Ayutthaya

Meet our guide at 0830 at the Hualamphong Railway Station. Please take enough time and take into account the traffic in Bangkok. Your guide will be waiting at an appointed place at the station. He has bought your tickets. We will travel 2nd class. This is our preferred class as it is not air-conditioned so the windows are open. This allows you to make pictures from the train. You will travel to Ayutthaya, the former capital of the Siamese kingdom. Expected arrival time in Ayutthaya is 0948. Our driver will be waiting for us. After we have dropped your luggage at the hotel we will start our exploration of the magnificent ruins of Ayutthaya.

We will visit Wat Sri Sanphet and Wat Sri Mongkol Bophet after which we have lunch in a restaurant on the riverside. After lunch we will move to the pier and make a boat trip around the former capital. UNESCO inscribed Ayutthaya on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1991.

Overnight at the lovely Baan Tebpitak Elegant Ayotthaya

Day 2: Ayutthaya – Phitsanulok – Sukhothai

After breakfast there is time for a visit to the fresh market of Ayutthaya: Chao Phrom. This interesting market is within walking distance of the hotel. At 0900 we will take public transfer to the railway station. Our train departs at 0948 to Phitsanulok. We board the train for a lovely ride. We pass through Lopburi. From the train you can see Prang Sam Yod, the best known landmark of Lopburi. This monument probably dates back to the late 12th/early 13th century and was part of the Khmer empire. We continue through the lowlands of the Chao Phraya River basin to Nakhon Sawan, where the origin is of the River of Kings. It is formed by three major tributaries: the Ping, Yom, and Nan Rivers.

Expected arrival at Phitsanulok is 1312. We disembark from the train and meet our driver. It’s time for lunch which we will enjoy at a local restaurant. Sukhothai Historical Park is our next destination. UNESCO inscribed Sukhothai on its list of World Heritage Sites under the name “Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns”. The historical parks of Kamphaeng Phet and Sri Satchanalai are also part of this World Heritage Site. We will spend the afternoon in the historical park of Sukhothai. In our itinerary are the Wat Mahathat, Wat Sri Chum and other highlights of this magnificent historical park.

We will spend the night at the Legendha Hotel which is very close to the historical park.

Day 3: Sukhothai – Phitsanulok – Chiang Mai

After breakfast we will continue to visit more sites of the Sukhothai Historical Park. We can rent bicycles but leave this to you. It is a great way to explore the park but cycling is not for everyone. At around 1100 we will drive back to Phitsanulok to board the train to Chiang Mai. The expected time of departure is 1322 so we will fill our stomachs before with a delicious lunch at a restaurant at the Yom River. We board the train at the railway station.

This afternoon you are in for a treat. We will pass through four railway tunnels. It is a very scenic ride. Before Den Chai we will pass the Kaeng Luang rapids. We continue to Lampang through beautiful scenery. The railway station of Lampang is one of the most beautiful of North Thailand. The train will only stop here briefly and unfortunately we can’t get off. The Lampang Railway Station features in our Classic Lampang Railway Journey.

Then the train continues to the Khuntan Mountain Range. There are six  protected areas in this mountain range. We pass through the lush forests of Doi Khuntan National Park, which is spectacular. The Khuntan tunnel is, with a length of 1362m, the longest railway tunnel of Thailand. After the tunnel we will descend to the valley and head for the famous White Bridge at Tha Chomphu. Before we arrive in Chiang Mai the train stops at Lamphun. From there it is another half hour to Chiang Mai where we will disembark at the Railway Station. Expected arrival in Chiang Mai is 1930. Your guide will arrange a typical Chiang Mai red taxi to your hotel.