When visiting Bangkok, besides exploring temples and shopping malls in the city, joining a Thai floating markets day tour is definitely one of the best ways to experience local life. This time I joined a floating markets day trip from Bangkok with KKday.
In one day, we visited Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Maeklong Railway Market, Wat Bang Kung (the temple in the tree), and Amphawa Floating Market. The tour departs around 8:30 in the morning and returns to downtown Bangkok in the evening. The schedule is quite packed, but each stop has its own charm and is absolutely worth visiting.
Below is a full recap of the day. If you don’t feel like spending time figuring out public transport and transfer routes, you can simply book this tour and enjoy the ride!
👉 Thai floating markets day tours: KKday | Klook | Trip.com
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Meeting point for the Bangkok floating markets day tour
The meeting point for this tour is the lobby of Adagio Bangkok hotel, near exit 3 of BTS Phrom Phong station. It’s quite easy to find. Once you arrive in the lobby, you’ll see staff holding a flag and checking guests in.
If you’re not joining this KKday tour, keep in mind that each floating markets day trip may have a different meeting point, so be sure to double-check when you book.
Stop #1 | Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is about 100 kilometers from downtown Bangkok, and it takes around 1.5–2 hours to drive there. It’s a morning market, so it’s liveliest before 10:00. After noon, stalls gradually start to close. The canal was dug in the 19th century during the reign of King Rama V, and it has a history of more than 150 years. Back then, road transport was inconvenient, so locals depended on the canal for moving goods. Over time, it evolved into the unique Thai floating market you see today.
Rowboat ride & boat noodles experience
The tour includes a rowboat ride, and the boat fee is already covered in the package. The guide arranges everything for you. The boatman rows the small wooden boat along the canal, and if you want to buy something, just wave at the vendors and they’ll paddle over. When you’re done or don’t feel like buying, gently push the side of the vendor’s boat and they’ll move on.
The canal can get extremely crowded. Sometimes when the boats in front stop to shop, it causes a “boat jam” behind. Remember not to rest your hands outside the boat, or they might get bumped by passing boats. Both sides of the canal are lined with stalls selling Thai snacks, fruit, and souvenirs, creating a very lively atmosphere.
I highly recommend trying the boat noodles from the stalls along the lake. Watching them cook noodles on the boat is so much fun – and the noodles are seriously delicious!
Stop #2 | Maeklong Railway Market
A regular market isn’t anything special, but a market where vendors have to dodge a train every day is definitely something else. Whenever a train approaches, vendors quickly pull back their umbrellas and goods. The speed at which they clear the tracks is truly impressive. This is the final stop of the train line, so after arriving, the train reverses and passes through the market again. You can see the iconic Maeklong Railway Market scene both on arrival and departure.
Train schedule
The scheduled times for the train passing through the market are:
- 08:30
- 11:10
- 14:30
- 17:40
In theory, you can see the train pass through eight times a day, but Thai trains are rarely on time, so it’s better to arrive early and wait. There are many stalls near Maeklong Station where you can grab snacks while you wait – the Thai milk tea and mango sticky rice inside the station are both really good.
When it’s almost time, you can walk along the tracks into the market. The stalls on both sides sell the usual market items: vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat, and daily necessities. Don’t worry about the train suddenly rushing in – when it’s about to arrive, vendors on both sides will start packing up. That’s your cue to stop walking and find a safe spot to stand and wait for the train.
Soon you’ll hear the distant horn, and the train will slowly pass through Maeklong Railway Market. The vendors are completely used to it, while the tourists line up along the tracks, cameras ready. It’s an incredible scene. Once the train passes, everything goes back to normal in minutes – umbrellas open, goods return to the tracks, and the market is bustling again.
Stop #3 | Wat Bang Kung & St. Rosary Church
On the way from Maeklong Railway Market to Amphawa Floating Market, the tour also briefly stops at two small sights: Wat Bang Kung and St. Rosary Church.
Wat Bang Kung (Temple in the Tree)
Wat Bang Kung is an ancient temple completely wrapped in the roots of a bodhi tree. It’s said that the temple was built during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and served as both a fortress and a place where soldiers prayed for protection. Over hundreds of years, the bodhi trees planted around the temple kept growing, their roots slowly climbing over the structure until they eventually wrapped around it entirely, creating the unique sight of “a temple in a tree, and a tree around the temple.”
St. Rosary Church
This is a very distinctive church with a beautiful, well-preserved exterior. It happened to be closed when we visited, so we didn’t get to see the inside. There’s a stall outside selling fragrant coconut juice, and it was incredibly good – definitely grab one if you stop by.
Stop #4 | Jungle café
Before heading to Amphawa, since there was still some time, the tour also stopped at a very charming jungle café — Sirisompong Farm & Cafe. The setting is lovely and relaxing, making it a great place to enjoy a slow afternoon, cool down in the air-conditioning, and recharge for the rest of the day.
Stop #5 | Amphawa Floating Market
Amphawa Floating Market is a very charming spot. Compared with the more touristy Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa feels more down-to-earth and closer to everyday Thai life. There are many traditional Thai snacks, local eateries, and old-school shops. Overall, it’s quite clean, so you can eat with peace of mind. Most stalls sell things locals actually enjoy, and vendors are very friendly, making it a really pleasant place to wander around.
Firefly watching at Amphawa Floating Market
In the evening, there’s another special experience at Amphawa — a firefly boat tour, which is also included in the package. You sit on the boat as it slowly glides along the river, watching tiny flashes of light twinkle in the trees on both sides. It’s a very romantic experience. Along the way, I also noticed quite a few guesthouses by the river. Next time, I’d love to stay here for a night.
On weekdays, this KKday floating markets day tour usually returns to Bangkok around 17:00, and on weekends you get back around 21:30. It’s definitely a long day and you’ll be tired, but I had such a great time. This is 100% self-funded, not a sponsored trip at all, but I was genuinely very satisfied. If you want to tick off all the must-visit floating markets near Bangkok in one go and don’t want the hassle of planning your own transport, this tour is the perfect lazy-traveler solution.
Check some great deal for your Thailand trip:
📌 Thailand | Bangkok day tour: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market + Maeklong Railway Market + Amphawa Floating Market & firefly watching: KKday
📌 Kanchanaburi day tour: Safari park + Bridge over the River Kwai + Glass House Mountain View Café: KKday
📌 Ancient City & Erawan Museum combo ticket (Bangkok): Klook
📌 Bangkok Safari World ticket: Klook
📌 SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World ticket: Klook
📌 Private car charter for a customized Bangkok day tour (provided by TTD Global): Klook
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