Bangkok, Thailand Historical & Heritage Tourss

Visit the Ayutthaya temples on a cultural day trip from Bangkok, it's a highlight of any Thailand visit. The tour to the ancient capital of Siam includes a trip by riverboat, a must-do activity when you're in Bangkok, with close-up views of the temples and historic sites that line the Chao Phraya River.

The Unesco World Heritage site of Ayutthaya is 53 miles (85 kilometers) north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya was a thriving Siamese kingdom from 1350 until 1767, when it was captured by the Burmese. Today, Ayutthaya is know for its spectacular ruins and temples. Many of its temples are still intact, such as Wat Phra Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Panangcherng and Wat Chai Mongkol, known for its large bronze statue of the Reclining Buddha.

You will also see the summer palace of King Rama IV with its mixture of Thai, Chinese and Gothic architecture. The palace is a well-preserved 'museum', providing a glimpse into a time when Thailand was known as Siam.

On your full-day guided excursion from Bangkok you have a choice of visiting Thailand's former ancient capital by boat and returning to Bangkok by van, or vice-versa. During the boat cruise to or from Ayutthaya you will see temples such as Wat Arun lining the Chao Phraya River.

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Combine a cruise through the Floating Markets with a visit to Bridge on the River Kwai on this full-day guided tour from Bangkok. With the knowledge of your local guide, this is a wonderful way to maximize your time and delve deeper in the Thailand's Kanchanaburi region.

Your journey commences with a leisurely drive from Bangkok, passing through salt fields and rice paddies before embarking aboard your long tail speed-boat on your journey to the floating markets. The floating markets are a fascinating experience, a complete contrast to how we shop for food in the west, and are made up of Thai style canoes laden with colorful and succulent fruits, vegetables, sweets and meats - gently plying their way through the canal, selling as they go. It is one of most popular Thai sightseeing experiences and not to be missed. If you want to take a closer look your local Thai guide will help you organize a local boat ride through the markets (optional extra).

You will then board your coach for the journey west to Kanchanaburi, home to the River Kwai and it's infamous bridge. The building of the bridge in 1943 was part of a wartime project to link existing Thai and Burmese railway lines to create a direct route from Bangkok, Thailand to Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar) in an effort to support the Japanese occupation of Burma. Over 100,000 conscripted laborers and 12,000 prisoners of war died during the whole project.

Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant before visiting the bridge after visiting the JEATH war museum, which houses pictures and paintings from this period. Combining the two attractions unfortunately means there is not enough time to take a train ride, before your journey back to Bangkok and your hotel.

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Kanchanaburi's famous Bridge on the River Kwai and the beginning of the Death Railway is a poignant reminder of the thousands of POW's and forced laborers who lost their lives in the Second World War. This full day guided tour from Bangkok also includes a visit to the war museum and the opportunity to ride a local train.

Fascinating, nostalgic and memorable sums up this full day tour to Kanchanaburi, 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Bangkok. The province itself is an agricultural area with sugar cane, rice paddies and pineapple plantations all forming significant portions of the stunning Thai rural landscape. Whether a war buff or rail enthusiast, everyone has a different reason to see this symbolic bridge.

The famous bridge and the beginning of the 'Death Railway', which lies 1 mile outside the town of Kanchanaburi, is a poignant reminder of the thousands of POW's and forced laborers who lost their lives in the Second World War. The building of the bridge in 1943 was one part of a huge Japanese wartime project to link existing Thai and Burmese railway lines to create a direct route from Bangkok, Thailand to Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar) in an effort to support the Japanese occupation of Burma. Thousands of POW's and laborers died in the process. During your tour a visit will be made to one of the Allied War Grave cemeteries (often an emotional experience) before visiting the JEATH war museum, which houses pictures and paintings from this period.

An exhilarating long tailed speed boat ride will then take you down river to the famous bridge itself where you have ample time to explore at your own leisure. A ride on a local train is also included before returning to Bangkok city.

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Kickboxing has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. An evening ringside at a Muay Thai event is a must for any sporting enthusiast traveling to Thailand.

Traditional Muay Thai practiced today, varies slightly from the ancient art, and the only similarity to western boxing is that the fighters wear gloves. Muay Thai is also known as the 'science of the eight limbs' as master Muay Thai fighters are able to strike using eight different points of contact including the hands, shins, elbows and knees.

You will arrive at the arena by air-condititioned vehicle and be seated in a VIP area for good viewing. The history of Muay Thai is interwoven with the history of the Thai people. There is simply no better place to watch Thai Boxing than in Bangkok! There are fights most nights of the week in one of the two city boxing stadiums.

For centuries Thai boxing was a dangerous sport with no safety gear of any kind for the fighters. However, over the years rules have been written along the line of international boxing regulations. The atmosphere inside is electric as professionals fight, punch and kick their way to the top!

It should be noted that the tour duration might vary depending on how long each fight takes and children under 18 years of age are not permitted.

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