Sukhothai Historical Park – Highlights & our recommended 1 & 2 day itineraries

The 13th and 14th Century ruins of the temples of the Kingdom of Sukhothai are incredibly beautiful, and some travelers will want to spend days and days soaking them in. For people like us, one to two days is enough to see the best temples, visit the best museums, and find the best food and markets. If you are interested in seeing the park but are the type of person who knows there’s only so much of this type of activity they can enjoy, this Sukhothai Historical Park itinerary will be perfect for you.

Our itinerary begins at lunch on day one and ends at lunch the next day. You could also do it all in one day by starting early and beginning with the day-two morning activity.

Sukhothai Historical Park areas and admission fees

The park is broken up into five different zones – Central, North, South, East, and West. Tickets are charged separately for the Central, North and West zones. The Fine Arts Department and TAT's Japan office publish different fees; confirm current prices and combined-ticket availability before visiting. Aside from the dual pricing, we actually liked this pricing strategy. We only visited two zones, so we only had to pay for two. The museum is separate from the zones; confirm its current admission fee with the museum.

Getting around the ruins

The best way to get around inside the historical zones is by rented bicycle. You can either get one from your guesthouse or if you drive to the park, you can rent it just outside. Ask the rental shop for current prices. We didn’t have to leave any deposit whatsoever. The bikes were fine, but check your brakes and tire pressure before you take off. The Fine Arts Department lists a 10 Baht bicycle fee for each charged zone; confirm the current surcharge at the entrance.

There are also some electric tricycle type things that can be rented which could be perfect for anyone who is less mobile. They also look like they could be quite fun. Check seating capacity and whether you can get on and off comfortably before renting. If you look around some of the shops elsewhere, there may be larger golf carts as well.

Sukhothai Tours

Sukhothai can be explored easily on your own and the itinerary we provide below is a great way to do it. What it lacks though is someone there to explain the history and cultural significance of the sites. If this is something you appreciate, we have two tours we can recommend. It can also be nice to have all of the logistics and transportation handled for you.

Both tours are run by a knowledgeable local woman named Tananya and are booked via Take Me Tour, a local platform that facilitates bookings for local tour guides. Khun Tananya speaks very good English.

The tour links below are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

She offers two similar tours that visit various historical and cultural sites. Book the basic Sukhothai tour, or this two-park tour if you also want to see the nearby Si Satchanalai Historical Park. Check the current duration and stops before booking, including whether the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum is included.

You can contact her via the site to ask about customising a tour if you want to add or remove any stops.

Sukhothai tour day one – afternoon

We began our day in nearby Phitsanulok and took our time driving in. Because this itinerary begins at lunchtime, you could even start from Bangkok and fly into Phitsanulok or Sukhothai in the morning, if your flight and onward transfer get you here in time. (For more info on getting here, check out our complete guide to Sukhothai Province).

Noon – Eat Sukhothai noodles for lunch. This city is famous for its noodles and we found some very good ones at Jae Hair Noodles. This restaurant is closer to the new city than the old, so if you don’t have your own transportation, you can try the dish at one of the restaurants nearer to the old city, which is how locals refer to the Historical Park.

1 pm – Visit the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. The museum houses artifacts excavated from the ruins. We found that the museum has some very beautiful artifacts that highlight the wonderful aesthetics of the Kingdom and that strongly influence Thai art and culture today. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of historical context provided. This is disappointing if you’re interested in history but also makes the museum lack any narrative flow. Still, it’s worth checking out. The air conditioning also makes for a nice break during the heat of midday. Check out our full guide to the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum in Sukhothai for more information on visiting.

Day one – evening

After the museum, we headed over to check out the North Zone. Based on our research and asking around, we decided to skip the South, West, and East Zones altogether. We headed first to Wat Si Chum, a nice temple featuring a large seated Buddha inside of an open-roofed chamber. From outside, you can just glimpse the Buddha through a very tall, very narrow doorway. The ruins in front with still-standing pillars make a great foreground to get some stunning photos here.

After Wat Si Chum you could check out Wat Phra Phai Luang, a Khmer-style temple whose origins are thought to predate the Sukhothai Kingdom. As there is a more impressive Khmer-era temple in the Central Zone, we decided to skip this, but it wouldn’t be a bad place to watch the sunset. We chose instead to head to Wat Mae Chon, a simple but nice temple with a newer seated Buddha statue. The sun sets behind this, and there will likely be nobody else there, which gives it a big boost in our eyes.

You could also go check out Wat Chang Lom, a nice pagoda with 32 elephant head statues around the base. It’s still a pretty nice spot though, and not crowded at all in the evening.

Day one – night

If you are able to be there when the market is running, you should absolutely check out the weekend night market that takes place amid the ruins in the Central Zone. Check out our full guide to the Sukhothai Weekend Night Market for its published schedule and advice on confirming entry arrangements.

Day two – sunrise at Wat Mahathat

TAT lists a 6:30 am opening time as of August 2026. Check the current opening hours before planning your early-morning visit.

We are not at all morning people, but this is worth waking up at dawn for. The Historical Park Central Zone is by far the most beautiful part of the whole park. That’s even more true at sunrise when the ruins are bathed in golden light. While it’s not empty, it’s much better at this time than later when the larger tour groups begin to arrive. There are a lot of great photos to be had here, and with a bit of patience, you can basically get any of them with no other people in the shot.

Begin by cycling straight over to Wat Mahathat, the most beautiful of all the Sukhothai temples. This is a large area and there’s a lot to explore. You’ll want to stay here at least half an hour, and longer if you want to really explore and find hidden details, or if you want to set up camera shots and wait for people to clear out. We weren’t lucky enough to get a proper sunrise illuminating the temple, but if you are you can get some amazing pictures.

Day two – continued

After Wat Mahathat, cycle a few minutes to Wat Si Sawai. This Khmer-influenced temple was originally a Hindu sanctuary and later became Buddhist, according to the Fine Arts Department. Wat Si Sawai is really beautiful but not very big. It’s worth 15 minutes of exploration, and there are some great photos to be had here if you take the time.

From there, cycle a few minutes to Wat Sa Si, a nice temple on an island reached by bridge. We only stayed a few minutes here as there was a pretty annoying tour group, but maybe you’ll have more luck than us. It certainly is photogenic, but by this point, your camera will be full of great shots. If the heat of the day still hasn’t kicked in yet, this is a good time to just cycle around aimlessly, enjoying the quiet, the ruins, and the endless tamarind and mango trees planted across the plain. From there, head out to find something to eat, and you can check Sukhothai off your Thailand bucket list.

What to wear in Sukhothai

Although these are historical sites, they are still considered temples and visitors should dress modestly when visiting. Choose clothing that covers your shoulders and knees.

A hat and sunscreen are a good idea as well. Check out our Thailand packing guide to make sure you’re ready for temple visits and everything else Thailand might throw at you.

What’s next

You can see this Sukhothai Historical Park itinerary leaves a lot of flexibility, and you could easily add in or subtract out anything you want. If you would like to add in another zone, you could do so at the end of this one. You could also travel around 60 km north to Si Satchanalai Historical Park, a whole other area similar to this one and from the same Kingdom and era, only with fewer visitors.

Photo gallery