We visited Ayutthaya and Saraburi in August 2013 and for some reason visited Sukhothai in November 2013. Two historic cities within the span of 4 months, I'm not entirely sure what we were thinking.
Ayutthaya and Sukhothai are not anywhere near each other but for anyone interested in visiting ancient temples in Thailand, these would probably rank amongst the top places to visit. However if you are in Asia for a limited period of time and only want to see that many temples, go to Cambodia and visit Angkor Wat, that is really the one and only temple you should see in your lifetime.
While Ayutthaya is about a 2 hour drive out of Bangkok, Sukhothai is considerably further and would take about 7-8 hours realistically speaking. Though Google maps state that it is 5 hours 42 minutes away, I feel 7-8 hours is more likely, depending on how often you stop for a break and the traffic for that day. You can also fly there via Bangkok Airways or take a bus from the Mo Chit bus terminal. We opted to drive since CS likes driving.
The drive there wasn't really anything to shout about. Highways in Thailand are not the best, but driving there means that once you reach Sukhothai you have your own transport which makes it easier to visit the various temples. Unlike Ayutthaya where the temples are kind of scattered across the cities and you need to visit each one individually, the ones in Sukhothai are all located within the Sukhothai Historical Park, there is only one entrance fee and you can also drive your own car in (this incurs additional charges). Alternatively if you have no car, you can rent a bike and cycle in, either of these options are better than walking as the grounds are quite huge.
The drive there wasn't really anything to shout about. Highways in Thailand are not the best, but driving there means that once you reach Sukhothai you have your own transport which makes it easier to visit the various temples. Unlike Ayutthaya where the temples are kind of scattered across the cities and you need to visit each one individually, the ones in Sukhothai are all located within the Sukhothai Historical Park, there is only one entrance fee and you can also drive your own car in (this incurs additional charges). Alternatively if you have no car, you can rent a bike and cycle in, either of these options are better than walking as the grounds are quite huge.
It is actually really popular to go to Sukhothai for Loy Krathong but since we don't like crowds and you need to plan way in advance, we went the week after Loy Krathong. They still had the decorations up but the place was a lot emptier. It was also ridiculously hot but it makes for good photos so I can't complain.
Here are some pictures of the various Wats within the park. It's been so long that I've actually forgotten the names of all of them except Wat Si Chum, oops
There is an audioguide for rent which explains in some details the larger and more prominent temples. The audioguide gave a pretty good picture of the history of the various temples which we felt was good enough for us as we aren't history buffs.
Outside of Sukhothai Historical Park, there are other wats as well which you may like to visit. These charge a separate fee so you may want to read up and decide which ones you would want to pay. Those are a bit further away so if there is shortage of time, perhaps just spend the day at the park. We visited Wat Si Chum and Wat Phra Phai Luang which are probably the more famous ones. We didn't have that much time and the crazy hot weather put us off from exploring more.
Overall, I prefer Sukhothai to Ayutthaya as most of the wats are concentrated within a certain area making it easier to explore. It may not be particularly accessible but the temples are impressive and in much better condition than Ayutthaya.
Here are some pictures of the various Wats within the park. It's been so long that I've actually forgotten the names of all of them except Wat Si Chum, oops
Wat Si Chum
There is an audioguide for rent which explains in some details the larger and more prominent temples. The audioguide gave a pretty good picture of the history of the various temples which we felt was good enough for us as we aren't history buffs.
Outside of Sukhothai Historical Park, there are other wats as well which you may like to visit. These charge a separate fee so you may want to read up and decide which ones you would want to pay. Those are a bit further away so if there is shortage of time, perhaps just spend the day at the park. We visited Wat Si Chum and Wat Phra Phai Luang which are probably the more famous ones. We didn't have that much time and the crazy hot weather put us off from exploring more.
Overall, I prefer Sukhothai to Ayutthaya as most of the wats are concentrated within a certain area making it easier to explore. It may not be particularly accessible but the temples are impressive and in much better condition than Ayutthaya.
