In short
Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for four centuries and one of the largest cities in the world, before the Burmese army destroyed it in 1767. What remains — brick prangs, headless Buddhas, one head held in the roots of a fig tree — is a World Heritage site.
The historical park is covered by bicycle in a day. The temples are scattered across an island formed by three rivers.
What it really costs
For most visitors this is a day trip from Bangkok: the train costs under two euros and takes an hour and a half.
Sleeping here costs little and changes the visit: the temples are floodlit in the evening and the park is empty at sunrise.
What nobody tells you
Each major temple has its own entry ticket. A combined ticket exists and pays for itself from the third site.
It is very hot and there is almost no shade in the historical park. Visits happen before ten or after four, not in between.
The Buddha head in the fig roots at Wat Mahathat is photographed crouching: the rule is never to hold your head higher than his, and it is enforced.
