Sukhothai Historical Park is the site of what is regarded as the first capital of Thailand back in the 13th and 14th centuries. The name Sukhothai can be translated as “dawn of happiness”. Today, most of the walls, temples and buildings are not much more than ruins, though some of them have been renovated over the years. In 1991, the historical park, together with nearby towns of Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet, were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage sites. The largest and most impressive of the ruins is Wat Mahathat. But there are other interesting sites such as Wat Si Sawai, Wat Chang Lom, Wat Sa Si, and Wat Si Chum. The historical park is mainly flat and the best and easiest way to get around is by renting a bicycle.

RELATED LINK: Trip Planners for Exploring Thailand by Train

This is a two-night, three-day round trip from Bangkok by train and bus. There is no railway station in Sukhothai and so you have to change to a bus in Phitsanulok. The train is just over four and a half hours and the bus is about one hour. You can also visit here as part of a longer “four ancient cities” trip that includes Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Sukhothai, and Chiang Mai. That trip will take you about a week. You then have the option to come back on a sleeper or fly back.

DAY 1: Start your trip by taking Special Express No. 7 that leaves Bangkok at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Phitsanulok at 1:22 p.m. Ticket price is 479 baht for 2nd Class air-conditioning. This includes a meal. From the train station you can take a motorcycle taxi (60 Baht) to the bus station which is about 2.6 kilometres away. Here, try and avoid taking a bus or minivan to Sukhothai as that is the new town and it is 12 kilometres away from the historical park. If you do that, you will need to find a tuk tuk to take you the rest of the way. The best bus to take is one that is going to Tak as it will pass the entrance to the historical park. On the information board this is listed as Muang Kao (old city).

Get off the bus anyway near the park entrance. I would suggest that you choose a couple of hotels in advance on Google Maps and try to get off near them. I stayed at Old City Boutique House. It was a few minutes walk down a small road. It wasn’t my first choice but it was perfectly adequate at only 500 Baht a night. After you check in, I suggest that you walk into the historical park. After 6:00 p.m. it is free to enter. Go to Wat Mahathat first as you might get a good sunset. Nearby, there is a night food market from Friday to Sunday from about 5:00 p.m. onwards.

DAY 2: One of the advantages of staying near the park entrance is that you can attend the early morning alms giving in front of Wat Traphang Thong (map). Monks cross this picturesque bridge at 6:20 a.m. every day. After you have found some breakfast, walk towards the park entrance. You will find a couple of shops here renting out bicycle for only 30 Baht a day. There’s also a shop that rents out golf carts from 200 Baht per hour. I personally found bicycles perfectly fine as the area is mainly flat.

Sukhothai Historical Park is split into three zones and the ticket price to each one is 100 Baht for foreigners. Most people only visit the two main ones. Wat Mahathat is the most impressive temple which is right by the park entrance. Another favourite is Wat Si Chum which is a short distance outside the main zone. This has an impressive large Buddha image.

Other temple ruins of interest include Wat Phrapai Luang, Wat Si Sawai, Wat Chang Lom, and Wat Sa Si. You can comfortably do all of these temples in a day. Don’t forget to try some Sukhothai Noodles for lunch. Janthong Restaurant (map) is a good place to eat it. Very delicious. You could finish the day at the nearby national museum and then the night food market.

DAY 3: After breakfast, it is time to head home if your trip was only two nights. There is a shop on the other side of the road to Wat Traphang Thong (map) that sells bus tickets. They have buses stopping here for Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, and Bangkok. If you are going back by train, the bus will drop you off at Sukhothai Bus Station. Then take a minibus to Phitsanulok Bus Station. While waiting for the train you can explore the city including a visit to Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Woramahawihan. The return journey will be by Special Express No. 8 that leaves at 2:44 p.m. and arrives back in Bangkok at 7:25 p.m.