Floating Market Tours and Day Trips from Bangkok

Discover Bangkok's fascinating floating markets, one of the wonders of the Thai capital. Here are my favourite tours to add to your itinerary.

Nicolas Reffray

Nicolas Reffray

7 min read

Floating Market Tours and Day Trips from Bangkok

River in Bangkok|©bennychun

Bangkok's floating markets are a unique attraction in Thailand that offer an unforgettable culinary-cultural experience. These markets, also known as talat nam, are a traditional form of trading, where vendors offer their produce, both fresh and cooked, on board their boats. From fruits and vegetables to authentic Thai dishes, there is something for everyone at these markets.

In this article, I will review the best floating market tours in Bangkok, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant local culture and enjoy the most delicious food, while exploring the city's canals. There is truly a lot to see and do in Bangkok, but I assure you that the floating markets are one of the must-see gems of the city.

1. Damnoen Saduak and Mae Klong Market Tour

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market|©onas mer
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market|©onas mer

If you book this half-day tour, your local guide will take you around the Mae Klong Railway Market ("closed umbrella market"). The tour starts by taking a local train to the renowned site, after which you will visit the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, considered the most famous floating market in Thailand.

This is one of the best floating market tours in Bangkok, where you will discover the charm of Thai culture, colour and traditional food. Images of Bangkok's floating markets have travelled the world, now you can be part of the experience yourself.

Interesting details

  • Price: this tour is available from 24 euros per person.
  • Duration: Approximately 6 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: you will travel on board a bus and then on a long rowing boat.
  • Advantages of this option: you travel comfortably accompanied by an expert guide.
  • Disadvantages of this option: tastings and lunch are not included.

Book a Bangkok Market Tour

2. Full day tour of Bangkok's floating markets

Salt Farm in Samut Sakhon|©John Hallam
Salt Farm in Samut Sakhon|©John Hallam

Here is a tour of some of the most interesting places in Bangkok. You will visit the coconut sugar factory, where you can also see the beautiful wild orchids, see the salt fields of Samut Sakhon, and listen to your guide's stories about the region's past. Then, yes, the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, Thailand's most famous and picturesque market, awaits you.

The tour lasts about 6 hours in total. In the morning you will be picked up at your hotel and driven by air-conditioned bus to the Damnoen Saduak floating markets. Today, this market is one of Bangkok's main attractions, allowing you to learn about Thai culture and traditions.

Once there, you'll board a long rowing boat to cruise along the canals and marvel at the colours and aromas that fill the air as you pass by. You will be able to experience all the hustle and bustle of the market and take as many photographs as you wish. This is undoubtedly one of the best tours in Bangkok.

Interesting details

  • Price: this tour is available from 72 euros per person.
  • Duration: Approximately 6 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: You will travel aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned bus and then board an elongated rowing boat.
  • Advantages of this option: includes pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Lunch and light snacks are not included.

Book a tour of Bangkok's markets

3. Day trip to the Floating Markets and the Bridge over the River Kwai

Bridge over the river Kwai|©Geoff Challies
Bridge over the river Kwai|©Geoff Challies

This is one of the best full day tours from Bangkok. It combines culture, food, scenic spots and much more. After being picked up from your hotel, you will be driven in a comfortable air-conditioned bus (essential in Thailand) to a factory where coconut sugar is produced. This is one of the most typical Thai sweets, here you can buy some traditional sweets.

You will then visit the JEATH museum and the war cemetery, the Damnoen Saduak floating market and the bridge over the River Kwai, a real beauty. You can watch the boats come and go along the canals from the beautiful wooden bridge. This is the ideal place to take pictures.

You can combine a boat ride through the floating markets with some history, thanks to your local guide, who will tell you everything you need to know about the Kanchanaburi region of Thailand. The tour includes a lunch of traditional Thai food at one of the many street stalls.

Details of interest

  • Price: this tour is available from 68 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 10 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: You will travel in an air-conditioned bus and then aboard an elongated rowing boat.
  • Advantages of this option: Traditional Thai lunch is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is not suitable for people with reduced mobility and the guides usually speak only Thai and English.

Book a tour of Bangkok's markets

4. Day tour of Damnern Saduak floating market, Bangkok Royal Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo

Damnern Saduak|©Irwin Day
Damnern Saduak|©Irwin Day

This tour combines the best of Bangkok's traditional floating markets with some of the region's most beautiful temples. Sign up for this full day tour, and let your expert local guide take you along the Thai roads to the canals of Damnern Saduak. You will enjoy a unique and different experience.

You will be picked up early in the morning from your hotel and set off in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan. Your guide will tell you all the secrets of Thai culture, traditions, Buddha worship and much more. You will tour Bangkok's most famous floating markets, taste a traditional lunch and visit the Grand Palace of Bangkok, where you will also find the temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keo).

This is one of the best palaces in Bangkok, so you can't miss it.

Details of interest

  • Price: this tour is available from 140 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 10 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: you will be taken aboard a comfortable air-conditioned minivan.
  • Advantages of this option: includes a traditional Thai lunch.
  • Disadvantages of this option: not recommended for young children, due to the length of the tour.

Book a tour of Bangkok's markets

5. Private day trip to Sampran Floating Markets and Sampran Riverside

Sampran Riverside|©Ninara
Sampran Riverside|©Ninara

Not only will you get to see the amazing floating markets of Damnoen Saduak, but you will also have the chance to wander along the canals and get lost in the picturesque village of Sampran.

This tour will take you to explore the outskirts of Bangkok, where you will learn about the history of the place and its ancient traditions. You will see how colourful fruits and vegetables are traded along the canals, and taste some of the most typical Thai dishes. Take a cruise tour in Bangkok and join a guided walk through the labyrinthine streets of Sampran, where you can learn about the silk trade.

This is an unforgettable experience, ideal for adventure lovers. At Sampran you will see a sword fighting show and traditional Thai dances. You will then be taken back to your accommodation in central Bangkok for a well-deserved rest.

Details of interest

  • Price: this tour is available from 106 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 9 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: you will be taken aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan.
  • Advantages of this option: Lunch is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Book a tour of Bangkok's markets

6. Damnoen Saduak Day Cycling Tour from Bangkok

Bike Tour Thailand|©Action Holidays Phuket Bike Tours Thailand
Bike Tour Thailand|©Action Holidays Phuket Bike Tours Thailand

This is a bike tour through the outskirts of Bangkok. With your group you will cycle through some of the highlights of the city, accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide, you will make your way to the Damnoen Saduak floating market, undoubtedly the most important market in Thailand. You will pass through the Amphawa district, where you will get a glimpse of the local culture.

Once at Damnoen Saduak, you will board a traditional long boat and cruise along the canals lined with traders. You can enjoy a Thai lunch at a local restaurant. Your guide will take you to visit various Buddhist temples, such as the Wat Bang Kung, which is more than 500 years old. You can visit the chapel that has been trapped inside the roots of a tree, called Bot Prok Po. This is one of Bangkok's finest and most curious temples.

Walk along the beautiful wooden bridges over the canals along the Mae Klong River and see the Amphawa market. As you can see, this is a very comprehensive tour and of course one of the best bike tours in Bangkok.

Interesting details

  • Price: this tour is available from 92 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 8 hours in total.
  • Means of transport: you will travel on a bicycle and then board a traditional Thai boat.
  • Advantages of this option: entrance fees to the temples are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: not suitable for people with reduced mobility and the guides usually speak only Thai and English.

Book a Bangkok bike tour

If you were interested in these tours, you might be interested in

Boating on the river|©Nigeta Yuya
Boating on the river|©Nigeta Yuya

Here are some options that are worthwhile if you are visiting the Thai capital and that make up some of the best food tours in Bangkok, a perfect experience to get in touch with the local culture and enjoy a stroll through the city centre.

  • Book a tuk tuk food tour and, accompanied by a local guide, experience some of the best street markets and restaurants where you can indulge in some of the most interesting Thai food.
  • Book a Thai cooking class and learn all the secrets to become an expert in the art of preparing Thai dishes, the use of salty, sour, sweet, sweet, bitter and, of course, spicy.

Book a gastronomic tuk tuk tour