Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Arrive right when it opens. Around 10:00 AM, the tour groups arrive, and the three chedis in a row—the iconic image on every Ayutthaya postcard—are nearly impossible to photograph without crowds of people in the frame. This was the royal temple in the old palace, used by the kings themselves, not monks. Two of the chedis were built in 1492 for the ashes of King Borommatrailokkanat and his son Borommaracha III, and the third in 1529 for King Ramathibodi II.

What's missing tells the rest of the story. The temple's 16-meter-high Buddha statue was once covered in gold. When the Burmese army captured the city in 1767, they set it on fire and melted down the gold. The laterite walls, the broken statues, and the three towers, restored by the Arts Department in 1956, are all that remain. The site is open, level, and well-maintained, inviting a leisurely stroll. It forms the natural heart of the historic park, and most visitors incorporate it into a tour of the surrounding ruins.

Entry costs 80 baht for foreign visitors and 10 baht for Thais. Alternatively, you can visit one of the seven temples with a combination ticket for 300 baht, which includes Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Maheyong, Wat Kudi Dao, and Wat Kudi Dao. The ticket offices open at 8:00 AM, and the provincial tourism office states that closing time is 6:00 PM. During the cooler months, the Fine Arts Bureau illuminated the temple, along with five other attractions, from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM Friday through Sunday evenings. Please check if this illumination is available during your visit.

Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit, the hall with the giant bronze Buddha right next door, is free and closes earlier, at 4:30 pm on weekdays and 5:00 pm on weekends. So, if you arrive late, it's best to visit it first. There's very little shade, so bring a hat and water, and cover your shoulders and knees. The temples are farther apart than they appear on the map. Renting a bicycle for 50 to 100 baht per day is the most convenient way to explore them.