A bangkok floating market tour takes you out of the city to a canal market. Vendors there sell food from boats. The day trip also stops at a railway market, where stalls sit beside a working track.
The sections below cover the two main markets and other floating markets near Bangkok. They also cover getting there, tour formats, life on the water, the seasons, GetYourGuide listings and common questions. To plan trips elsewhere in the country, start from the Thailand Tours homepage.
What does a bangkok floating market tour cover?
A bangkok floating market tour is a guided day trip from Bangkok. It visits the Damnoen Saduak floating market for a long-tail boat ride. It also stops at the Maeklong railway market to watch a train pass. The day starts with a hotel pickup and ends with a return transfer.
The stops depend on the operator, so read the plan of any bangkok floating market tour before you book. The three plans we read all include both markets. They differ in the order of the stops and in the length of the day. More trips across Thailand are listed under our Thailand tours.
One common order of the day has five steps, from pickup to the return.
- Pickup: the tour collects you from your hotel in the morning.
- Drive: the group travels by road from Bangkok to the first market.
- Floating market: you take a long-tail boat along the canals at Damnoen Saduak.
- Railway market: you watch a train pass the stalls at Maeklong.
- Return: the group travels back to Bangkok and drops you at your hotel or another spot you choose downtown.
The order of the two markets changes with the operator. One operator lists a morning plan with the railway market first and Damnoen Saduak second. Its afternoon plan starts at Damnoen Saduak and ends at the railway market. Pick a bangkok floating market tour that also visits the train market if you want both stops.
The length of the day changes too. One operator lists a full-day guided tour of 7 hours 30 minutes to 10 hours. A private-tour article says you are back in Bangkok by lunch. Check the finish time of any bangkok floating market tour before you plan the rest of your day.
A floating market is a market where goods are sold from boats. Vendors cook local dishes in floating kitchens on their boats. Floating markets that still operate are chiefly found in Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
In the central plain of Thailand, floating markets were the hubs of their communities for centuries. Today they mainly serve as tourist attractions. On a bangkok floating market tour, the floating market stop in the plans we read is Damnoen Saduak. Wikipedia calls it the largest floating market among Thai and foreign tourists.
On a bangkok floating market tour, one operator lists the Maeklong stop as seeing the train pass the market. A private-tour article says to arrive just before the morning train.
Listings differ by operator, and trips in the north are no exception. Readers wanting a forest day can see which zipline tours in Chiang Mai are bookable on GetYourGuide. A Chiang Rai day trip from Chiang Mai has its own answer on drive length.
Where is the Damnoen Saduak floating market on a bangkok floating market tour?
The Damnoen Saduak floating market is in Damnoen Saduak district, Ratchaburi province. A bangkok floating market tour to this market stops at a maze of narrow canals.
Wikipedia lists three smaller markets inside the Damnoen Saduak floating market. They are Ton Khem, Hia Kui and Khun Phitak. Ton Khem is the largest and lies on Khlong Damnoen Saduak.
Hia Kui runs parallel to that canal and has souvenir shops on the banks. Khun Phitak is about 2 kilometres south of Hia Kui. It is the smallest and least crowded of the three.
King Rama IV ordered the Damnoen Saduak Canal built from eighteen sixty-six to eighteen sixty-eight. It is 32 kilometres long and links the Mae Klong and Tha Chin rivers. Villagers dug about 200 side canals off it. Itineraries differ between operators, so check that your bangkok floating market tour lists Damnoen Saduak.
The main market was called Lad Plee market and stood next to a Buddhist temple. It stayed active until nineteen sixty-seven, when roads replaced water transport. In nineteen seventy-one, the Tourism Authority of Thailand made Lad Plee market a tourist attraction for foreigners.
In nineteen eighty-one, a new road was built to Ton Canal, and private entrepreneurs established the modern market along it. Wikipedia adds that a roof was built for the market so that it can run every day and all day.
On a bangkok floating market tour, you see traders use sampans, which are small wooden boats, to sell produce. Cooks in canoes prepare and sell hot food. Another guide lists souvenirs and handmade crafts.
One guide mentions a shared paddle boat from the main pier. A Thai tourism site says the canal trip takes about one hour. Check whether your bangkok floating market tour includes the boat ride.
Published hours differ between sources. Wikipedia says the market tends to be busiest from 7 am to 9 am and stays active until noon. Two travel guides list daily hours of 7 am to 1 pm. Plan your bangkok floating market tour around the morning, since the busiest hours come early.
A bangkok floating market tour to Damnoen Saduak visits a canal that films have used. A James Bond film shot a chase scene at the market, and Bangkok Dangerous also has a scene there.
How does the Maeklong railway market work on a bangkok floating market tour?
On a bangkok floating market tour, the Maeklong railway market sits on a working track in Samut Songkhram. Trains pass through eight times a day. Each time, vendors pull back their awnings, then set the stalls up again.
The market sits at Maeklong station, where the Maeklong Railway ends. Wikipedia calls it one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand. Its Thai name, Talat Rom Hup, translates as the umbrella pulldown market. One guide says vendors sell fresh mackerel and dragonfruit right on the tracks.
The line itself is slow. It runs on one track, has no signals and averages about 30 km/h along its whole length. It began as a goods line that carried produce from fishing ports to Bangkok markets. Pick a bangkok floating market tour that also visits the train market.
Working places carry history, and Bangkok has others besides this line. For the age of the stadiums behind Bangkok muay thai tickets, see that guide. On Phuket, the Patong muay thai tickets page explains how to follow a fight.
One tourism page lists these train times at Maeklong station.
- Arrivals: 8.30 am, 11.10 am, 2.30 pm and 5.40 pm.
- Departures: 6.20 am, 9 am, 11.30 am and 3.30 pm.
A second page lists the same eight times as pass-through times. Both warn that times change. One page tells readers to check departures with Thai Railways before they travel. Check the State Railway of Thailand timetable before you go.
One guide calls the later 11.10 am arrival a hotter, busier version of the market. It warns that if your timing is off, you are just walking on hot tracks looking at closed stalls. That guide recommends a private bangkok floating market tour that syncs with the train schedule.
One page says vendors get about 30 seconds’ warning before a train arrives. Awnings fold back, baskets slide clear and the whole row resets after the carriages pass.
Another page says vendors hold the poles that support their canopy roofs as a train approaches. It says they wait until the last minute and the second horn to clear the track. As soon as the train has gone, the stalls and goods move back onto the tracks. Ask your bangkok floating market tour guide which train to watch.
One page warns that the market can be dangerous and that people have been hurt. Stand back from the platform edge when you follow your guide on a bangkok floating market tour.
One listing suggests 60 to 90 minutes at the market. Check that your bangkok floating market tour allows that long.
Which other floating markets can a bangkok floating market tour include?
Amphawa, Taling Chan, Khlong Lat Mayom and Tha Kha are four other floating markets near Bangkok. Amphawa runs Friday to Sunday, the two Thonburi markets open at weekends, and Tha Kha trades on set lunar days. Check the day before you book a bangkok floating market tour.
Amphawa floating market is in the Amphawa District of Samut Songkhram Province. Wikipedia lists its operating days as Friday to Sunday. A bangkok floating market tour that runs from Monday to Thursday cannot include it.
Amphawa trades in the afternoon and evening. One travel guide says Damnoen Saduak runs every morning and leans on tour buses. It adds that Amphawa feels more like a local weekend market. Another guide says locals go there for grilled river prawns and evening firefly tours.
A GetYourGuide search for Amphawa lists day trips that pair it with the Maeklong railway market. Operators choose their own markets, so read the itinerary of a bangkok floating market tour closely.
Taling Chan floating market runs on Khlong Chak Phra, on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. Wikipedia says it is open only on weekends. A travel guide adds public holidays. Longtail boats wait at its pier for canal tours. One guide lists routes that continue to Khlong Lat Mayom.
Khlong Lat Mayom floating market is on Bang Ramat Road in Taling Chan District. Wikipedia says it runs only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. One guide calls it closer, smaller and more local than Damnoen Saduak. It adds that the trading happens mainly on land.
One GetYourGuide listing pairs Khlong Lat Mayom with Chatuchak and runs 8 hours. Another is a private tour of the market itself. Pick a bangkok floating market tour that names this market in its title.
Tha Kha floating market is in Samut Songkhram Province. One guide puts Amphawa’s evening market six kilometres away. Wikipedia and a Thai travel guide both list trading on the 2nd, 7th and 12th lunar days. The guide adds Saturdays and Sundays.
Thailand’s water routes run well beyond the markets at Tha Kha and Amphawa. What is the Royal Barge Procession? The Chao Phraya dinner cruise guide answers it.
That guide says Tha Kha sells mainly raw produce and coconut sugar rather than ready meals. It calls the market far smaller and less commercial than Amphawa or Damnoen Saduak. On a bangkok floating market tour, your tour guide explains what the vendors sell.
One GetYourGuide listing includes the railway market and Tha Kha and runs 7 hours.
How far is a bangkok floating market tour from central Bangkok?
A bangkok floating market tour drives about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok to Damnoen Saduak. Two travel guides put the drive at about 90 minutes. The railway market lies in Samut Songkhram province, whose town is 63 kilometres from the capital.
One travel guide gives the drive as roughly 1.5 hours, by Route 35 or Route 4.
Wikipedia lists the town of Samut Songkhram at 63 kilometres from Bangkok by Rama II Road. Wikivoyage says the province takes a little more than one hour to reach. Ask which two markets your bangkok floating market tour visits, since operators set the stops.
You can also travel alone. One travel guide lists Bus No. 78 from the Southern Bus Terminal to Damnoen Saduak, a ride of about 2 hours. Wikivoyage says buses leave that terminal every 40 minutes from 06:00. It warns that a bus or taxi can drop you 1 km from the central area.
Tours add hotel pickup instead. One operator lists pickup at 8:00 in the morning from Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn and Pratunam. Another covers hotels in Bangkok, but not airport-area or out-of-city hotels. A third offers pickup from selected Bangkok areas only. Check the pickup area before you book a bangkok floating market tour.
Start times differ by operator. One offers pickup at 7:00 or 9:00 in the morning. One guide says a group tour rolls out at 8:30. The same guide warns that leaving after 7:30 means two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. Pick a bangkok floating market tour that fits that window.
Vehicles follow group size. One guide mentions a 15-passenger van for group tours and 50-passenger buses at the canal entrances. A private bangkok floating market tour uses an air-conditioned SUV with a driver, the same guide says.
One operator offers a sedan for 1 to 2 guests. It lists an MPV or SUV for 3 to 4 and a van for 5 to 9. Another operator caps its premium air-conditioned van at 9 guests. A third lists private groups of up to 15.
On GetYourGuide, a widget search for Damnoen Saduak floating market tours returns 20 listings. Eighteen carry the label Pickup available. Ten show Private option available, four are Private group and one is Small group. One listing describes a small group experience with hotel pick-up and drop-off options. Read the label before you pick a bangkok floating market tour.
Which bangkok floating market tour format fits your day?
A bangkok floating market tour runs from about 5 hours to a full day. GetYourGuide lists a 5-hour trip with an orchid farm and a 7-hour tour with the railway market. One Grand Palace combination lists 10 hours.
The shortest format is a half-day trip. One operator lists a private half-day tour with a 7:30 am pickup. The boat ride starts at 9:00 am and the vehicle leaves at 11:00 am. Drop-off is between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm.
Set pickup and drop-off times let you plan the rest of the day around them. Travellers leaving Bangkok by air can read how a Suvarnabhumi airport fast track works on departure.
That operator stops at salt fields or a coconut sugar farm on the way back, depending on the season. A second operator puts the coconut sugar farm at 10:00 am, before the boat at 10:30 am. A public bangkok floating market tour that adds a coconut farm to both markets lists 7 hours.
A private listing adds an orchard and an eco-cafe and lists 8 hours. Another listing adds a boat ride to an orchid farm and lists 5 hours.
One temple add-on is the Dragon Temple, Wat Samphran. Wikipedia places it in Nakhon Pathom province, about 40 kilometres west of Bangkok. It has a 17-storey pink tower with a red-and-green dragon curling around it. The dragon is hollow and holds a spiral staircase. Wikipedia says the stairs are in poor condition in places.
In one operator’s schedule, guests reach the temple at 1:30 pm and start the return at 3:30 pm. GetYourGuide listings with this stop run from 7 to 9 hours. Check the return time of any bangkok floating market tour that adds the temple.
The Grand Palace is a city add-on. Wikipedia places it in Phra Nakhon District, on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. One operator leaves the market at 11:30 am. It visits the palace at 2:00 pm and Wat Pho at 3:15 pm. Guests are back by 4:30 pm.
That operator picks guests up at 7:00 am. It says shoulders must be covered and flip-flops are not allowed at the palace. GetYourGuide lists 7 to 8 hours for one bangkok floating market tour with the palace and 10 hours for another.
Longer add-ons stretch the day further. GetYourGuide lists Ayutthaya combinations at 8 and 12 hours. It lists a River Kwai railway combination and a Chao Phraya cruise combination at 11 hours each. One travel blog describes a private bangkok floating market tour that ends with a stroll at Asiatique by the river.
One travel blog says each market needs 2 to 4 hours, depending on the boat tour and meals. Add the drive and the extra stops to that. A bangkok floating market tour with more stops needs more hours, and the listed durations show it.
What is it like on the water and at the stalls on a bangkok floating market tour?
On a bangkok floating market tour, you ride a long-tail or rowing boat and buy food from vendors afloat. Long-tail boats are fast, while rowing boats are slower and quieter. Card payments are not accepted at the stalls, so carry cash in small notes.
Two kinds of boat share the canals at Damnoen Saduak. One guide says long-tail boats cover more of the canal network, while rowing boats are better for photography. Wikipedia says a long-tail boat uses a common automotive engine, with a long metal driveshaft that positions the propeller. Check which boat your bangkok floating market tour uses.
The vendors move in two ways as well. One guide says certain vendors paddle their boats, while others run small gas-powered engines. Another describes a vendor in a straw hat who paddles alongside. The vendor hands over a coconut or a bowl of noodles. On a bangkok floating market tour, a sale can happen from boat to boat.
Food is cooked on the water. One guide says certain canal-side stalls fry pad thai in woks right on the boat. Another describes a vendor who charcoal-grills moo ping, which are pork skewers, on her boat. Fresh coconut water is chopped and served with a straw directly from the boat.
Boat-side cooking is not the only stall scene on a Thai trip. Khao Phing Kan has stalls too, and the James Bond Island tour guide names what they sell.
Try boat noodles on a bangkok floating market tour. Wikipedia says they were originally served from boats that traversed Bangkok’s canals. A merchant did everything alone, from paddling the boat to scalding the noodles. The soup is seasoned with pig or cow blood, and the bowl is small.
Khanom krok is a Thai dessert, also called coconut-rice pancakes. Wikipedia says it is cooked in a hot indented frying pan from coconut milk and rice flour. One guide lists kanom krok in the shore-side market area. For mango sticky rice, the rice goes on a plate with mango slices beside it.
Bring cash on a bangkok floating market tour. One guide says card payments are not accepted at market stalls or boat hire points. A blogger advises small change, because a vendor can struggle to give change for a large note.
Another calls bargaining normal and asks you to keep it good-natured. Ask politely for a small discount on a bangkok floating market tour.
Treat the vendors as people at work. One blogger says locals here are trying to make a living, so try not to overdo it. Be considerate when taking photos up close. One guide says a small purchase can open the door to a good portrait on a bangkok floating market tour.
Which season suits a bangkok floating market tour, and what do you bring?
Bangkok has three seasons: hot, rainy and cool, and temperatures stay fairly hot all year. Pack for the sun on any bangkok floating market tour and start early. One travel site lists November to February as the top months to visit.
Wikipedia lists monthly averages from 23.2 degrees Celsius in December to 35.7 in April. The cool season follows the rains. The northeast monsoon blows between mid-October and mid-February. A bangkok floating market tour in these weeks meets dry and cool air.
The hot season starts in mid-February and ends midway through the fifth month. One travel site lists April and the fifth month as the months to avoid for peak heat. The same site marks December and January as the busiest months for crowds.
The southwest monsoon starts the rainy season about midway through the fifth month. It lasts until October. September is the wettest month in Bangkok, with an average of 335.9 millimetres of rain.
One operator says boat tours can be affected by heavy rain or storms. Check the forecast before a bangkok floating market tour in the wet months.
Early arrival matters for comfort. One guide says morning visits are cooler and less crowded, especially at Damnoen Saduak. Another says the narrow canals become congested with tourist boats by mid-morning. Three guides tell visitors to go before 9 am.
Planning an early start also means planning what goes in your bag. What to pack for a Phi Phi island tour is answered in that guide.
Light clothing and sun protection are essential, according to one guide. Another lists a hat, an umbrella or a portable fan for the heat. One operator advises clothes you do not mind getting splashed, plus sunscreen for the open boat sections. A guide also says to leave large bags at your hotel before a bangkok floating market tour.
One tour page says life jackets are provided. It advises wearing one if you are not a confident swimmer. It tells parents to keep a close eye on children near the water and ensure they wear life jackets.
One guide calls the markets family-friendly. It adds that boat rides can be less than ideal for very young children without supervision. On a bangkok floating market tour with children, an adult stays beside them near the water.
The same tour page says the trip suits all fitness levels because you are seated for much of the time. It adds that boarding the boat needs basic mobility. Ask about boarding before you book if walking is hard.
At the railway market, one guide says to pay attention to train schedules. It says to always stand back from the tracks when a train is passing. Follow that rule on every bangkok floating market tour that stops at Maeklong.
Which bangkok floating market tour packages are on GetYourGuide?
The main bangkok floating market tour on GetYourGuide is “Bangkok: Floating Market and Train Market Experience”. It lasts 8.5 hours and holds 4.9 stars from 13,137 reviews. Free cancellation and pickup are both labelled on it.
That listing is a day trip with a licensed, English-speaking guide. It has a private option and an optional audio guide in 28 languages. The highlights name a longtail boat ride at Damnoen Saduak and a train ride to the Train Market. You must book at least 2 hours ahead.
For a bangkok floating market tour in a small group, look at “Bangkok: Maeklong & Floating Market Small Group Experience”. At 29,656 reviews, it leads the nine listings we compared. It holds 4.6 stars and lasts 7.5 hours. Its labels show a private option, pickup and free cancellation. Book at least 6 hours ahead.
Two bangkok floating market tour listings share a length of 8 to 8.5 hours. “Bangkok: Maeklong Railway Market & Floating Market Boat Tour” holds 4.8 stars from 12,227 reviews. “Bangkok: Damnoen Saduak and Mae Klong Train Markets” holds 4.8 stars from 1,049 reviews. Both show the private option, pickup and free cancellation labels.
A bangkok floating market tour in German is also listed. “Bangkok: Floating & Train Market Tour (German Guide)” lasts 7 hours and holds 4.5 stars from 11,036 reviews. Its labels are Pickup available and Free cancellation. Book at least 3 hours ahead.
Another 7-hour listing is “From Bangkok: Railway & Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tour”. It holds 4.6 stars from 808 reviews. It shows the private option, pickup and free cancellation labels. Book it at least 10 hours before the start.
Two more listings add a stop to the title. “Bangkok: Damnoen Saduak, Train Market & Mahanakhon Day Trip” lasts 7 to 8 hours. It holds 4.7 stars from 2,199 reviews. “Bangkok: Maeklong Railway, Floating Market & Dragon Temple.” lasts 7.5 hours. It holds 4.6 stars from 1,464 reviews and shows the Small group label.
A bangkok floating market tour can also go to Amphawa. “Bangkok: Maeklong Railway & Amphawa Floating Market Day Trip” is the longest of the nine. It lasts 8.5 to 11.5 hours and holds 4.3 stars from 759 reviews. The listing names a firefly boat cruise. Book at least 14 hours ahead.
All nine listings show the Free cancellation label. Seven show Pickup available. The Mahanakhon and Dragon Temple listings do not, so read their meeting-point details first. Compare the same four points on each bangkok floating market tour: length, group type, guide language and labels. Ratings and counts come from the GetYourGuide widget as we read it.
Which extra points matter before a bangkok floating market tour?
What does the tour include?
Each bangkok floating market tour lists its own inclusions. One operator lists a Thai-style lunch, bottled water and a long-tail boat ride of about 1 hour. Another lists snacks, drinking water and travel insurance, and excludes meals. A third says the paddle boat at the market is optional and not included.
Is entry to the markets free?
One tourism page says entrance to Damnoen Saduak is free for Thai and foreign visitors. Another says entry to the Maeklong railway market is free. On a bangkok floating market tour, one operator lists all admission fees in its programme as included.
Can you cancel a bangkok floating market tour?
Terms differ by operator. One refunds the full amount when you cancel 24 hours or more before departure. Another allows free cancellation 12 hours or more before pickup and charges half inside that window. A third says all sales are final.
How do tours count children?
Child rules differ by operator. One groups ages 0 to 4 together. Its child category covers ages 5 to 11 up to 130 cm. Another uses a category for children under 120 cm. Ask for the limit before you book a bangkok floating market tour.
Is there pressure to shop on a bangkok floating market tour?
One guide describes a local near your hotel who says the market is closed. It adds that these markets are almost never closed. It also says standard tours make mandatory stops at woodcarving shops. A tourism page adds that touts around the car park sometimes steer visitors to a further, quieter pier.
Can you reach the Maeklong railway market by public train?
Yes, in three legs. Wikipedia lists seventeen trains a day in each direction between Wongwian Yai and Mahachai. The Tha Chin River splits the line, and the only link between the two sides is a boat. Four trains a day then run from Ban Laem to Maeklong.