Things to Do in Ayutthaya in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
High Season · Book Early
December Weather in Ayutthaya
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
88°F (31°C)
High Temp
72°F (22°C)
Low Temp
0.0 inches (0 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + December in Ayutthaya hands you postcard light on a platter: the 7 AM sun hangs low over Wat Chaiwatthanaram, firing the laterite walls to the color of dried blood while mist still clings to the Chao Phraya.
- + River cruises keep their full December timetable, no monsoon surprises, so you glide to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace by long-tail instead of squelching home from a rained-off excursion.
- + Humidity loosens its grip just enough that cycling ruin-to-ruin no longer pastes your shirt to your spine. Plan on 3-4 hours of temple loops without the Thai-summer dizziness.
- + Evenings settle at 24°C (75°F), so the night market on Bang Ian Road stays pleasant for long, slow sessions over grilled river prawns and boat noodles.
Considerations
- − December lands smack in peak domestic season, Thai families pour in for school holidays, so expect tour buses stacked three-deep at Wat Mahathat by 10 AM.
- − River levels dip, revealing muddy banks that photograph poorly and occasionally strand small-boat captains who need deeper channels.
- − Hotels jack rates 30-50% from late November to early January. The riverside guesthouses that echoed in October now demand bookings weeks ahead.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Temple Cycling Circuits
Dry December dawns make bicycles the smartest way to hit the big ruins before the crowds. The 15 km (9.3 mile) loop from Wat Phra Si Sanphet to Wat Lokayasutharam clocks in at 3-4 hours if you stop to gawp, with air at 23°C (73°F) at 7 AM and only 29°C (84°F) by 10 AM. Flat terrain and riverside bike lanes let you tick off six UNESCO sites in half a day, no traffic jams.
Booking Tip: Reserve your bike the night before, shops near Ayutthaya Railway Station usually keep better machines than the night-market cluster. Ask for front suspension if you're tackling the 25 km (15.5 mile) island circuit.
Sunrise Riverboat Photography Tours
Sunrise at 6:30 AM throws perfect gold over the Chao Phraya; Wat Phanan Choeng's 19-meter Buddha catches the first glint across the water. Two-hour cruises leaving from the pier opposite Chao Sam Phraya Museum line up shots you can't get on land, Khmer-style prang of Wat Chaiwatthanaram mirrored in still water, saffron-robed monks paddling past in teak boats.
Booking Tip: Licensed operators (see booking section) need 24-hour notice. Smaller boats give cleaner angles than the big tourist barges.
Historical Park Walking Tours
December's 31°C (88°F) peak is still hot, yet 5-hour morning walking tours feel doable, not suicidal. Four-century-old banyans at Wat Mahathat throw natural shade, and brick walkways quit radiating the furnace heat you'll feel March-May. Afternoon walks are viable too, with more cloud cover than the brutal dry season.
Booking Tip: Launch walks by 8 AM, by 11 AM even December sun turns nasty. Licensed guides carry umbrellas and know which alleys stay in shade.
Floating Market Food Crawls
Weekends in December crank Ayutthaya's floating market to full volume: 200+ vendors work from boats and stilted decks along the Pasak. Cool evenings let you linger over palm-sized river prawns without soaking your shirt. Boat-noodle crews compete hard, ladling broth rich enough to ward off the 24°C (75°F) night air.
Booking Tip: Show up by 4 PM for the best spread, most vendors shutter around 7 PM when Thai families head home.
Night Cycling and Food Tours
December's mild nights turn bicycle food crawls into pleasure instead of a mosquito siege. The 12 km (7.5 mile) loop through the old city's back lanes stops at 8-10 places you'd never spot solo, fermented-rice whiskey in a 40-year-old shophouse, grilled squid doused with sauce the owner's grandmother invented.
Booking Tip: Cap groups at 6-8; narrow lanes and family stalls can't absorb crowds. Book 2-3 days ahead, December fills fast.
Where to Stay in Ayutthaya in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
★★★★
Mid-Range
NASA BANGKOK - Airport Rail Link Ramkhamhang
From $16 / night
Check Prices on Trip.com →
★★★★★
Luxury
Divalux Resort and Spa Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport-Free Shuttle
From $40 / night
Check Prices on Trip.com →
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December
Ayutthaya World Heritage Festival
The annual festival flips the historical park into an open-air night museum, beaming light shows onto brick ruins and staging classical dance on floating pontoons. Food tents line the river. But the payoff is the torchlit procession between temples, something monsoon would drown.
Throughout December
Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Festival
Just outside the city limits, a month-long fair fills the royal arts center with living craft demos. December's dry skies keep every outdoor workshop running, you can watch silk being woven, silver hammered, and wood chiseled under open pavilions instead of cramped halls.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Ayutthaya Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Catch the 6:30 AM out of Bangkok's Hualamphong station. It rolls into Ayutthaya at 7:37 AM, just early enough to grab bikes and beat the tour-bus invasion by 90 minutes.
Ignore the touts at the pier by Wat Phanan Choeng; they'll pitch river crossings at tourist prices. Instead, stroll 200 meters (656 feet) north to the ferry point where locals pay the real fare.
The night market's best pad thai stall fires up at 7 PM sharp. Arrive at 6:45 and you'll watch the crew prep, giving you first dibs on the freshest ingredients.
In December, the river drops and sandbanks appear beside Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Locals spread blankets for sunset picnics. The spot sits just outside the historical park, and guards seldom bother to check.
Avoid These Mistakes
Reserve a room on the east side of the island and you'll ride an extra 2 km (1.2 miles) to reach the major temples, burning daylight while weaving through traffic.
Cramming every ruin into a single day is a rookie move. The 425-year-old city demands at least two full days, and December's crowds slow temple-hopping to a crawl.
After dark, skip the eateries near the train station and head to the riverside. The prawn farms along the Chao Phraya grill the sweetest river prawns you'll ever taste. Yet most visitors never make the short walk.
Explore More Activities in Ayutthaya
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Ayutthaya.
See All Ayutthaya Tours on Viator