Water activity

From Bangkok: Floating and Railway Markets Tour

4.6 / 5

51 reviews

Activity provider: Thailand Insight Travel
Water activity

From Bangkok: Floating and Railway Markets Tour

Activity provider: Thailand Insight Travel
Likely to sell out

From US$ 43.21 per person

Likely to sell out

Join a guided tour of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market by longtail boat, then watch the train arrive inside Mae Klong Railway Market. After, take mini workshops at a coconut farm and salt farm.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 7 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
Italian, German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese
Pickup included
BTS Siam is the center of the pickup service in Bangkok's Pathumwan district. Free pickup for hotels are nearby selected BTS (Skytrain) stations. Silom line: Surasak (Sathon)-Siam-National Stadium. Sukhumvit line: Phaya Thai-Siam-Asoke. Please wait in the hotel lobby 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup time to meet your guide.
Small group
Limited to 12 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Ride in a longtail boat through Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
  • Take in the atmosphere of this century-old market and taste authentic Thai foods
  • Feel the thrill as the train enters the Railway Market, lined by vendors’ stalls
  • Visit a coconut sugar farm near the market and take a hands-on mini workshop
  • Drop by a salt field and learn how a farmer produces salt from seawater
Full description

Experience the diversity of Thai life by visiting 2 vibrant markets and 2 farms in Samut Songkhram. You'll have a chance to shop by boat and visit floating stalls, then get back on land to learn hands-on coconut and salt farming skills from locals. 

Meet your guide at your hotel to set off for your first excursion of the day, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, located on Thailand’s longest canal. 

Visit vendors and sample Thai foods, such as sweet mango on sticky rice, freshly made coconut ice cream, and Thai-style boat noodles as you tour the market by longtail boat. Learn about the history of this 100-year-old tradition of selling goods on the water. 

Continue exploring, making your way to Mae Klong Railway Market, where vendors set up shop alongside the train tracks, selling everything from dried spices and durian fruit to seafood and meats.

Since 1905, the trains and vendors have co-existed: the train signals and people rush to remove their stalls, earning this spot the nickname, "umbrella pull-down market.” This vibrant activity takes place several times a day.

Next up is a quieter scene at a nearby coconut sugar farm. Learn how Thai farmers produce coconut nectar: watch a demonstration of the liquid being boiled and pasteurized. Take part in a mini-workshop where you get to stir the nectar as it pasteurizes to become a drinkable delicacy. 

Spend the last of your day trip at a field where sea salt is produced. Discover this fascinating type of saltwater farming, watching the farmer harness the strength of sunlight and wind. Join a short salt-rubbing workshop, then snap some photos before being taken back to your hotel.

Explore Thailand more after the tour, with an augmented reality (AR) app (download instructions received after booking on confirmation voucher). Use your smartphone to access this interactive experience where the real world is enhanced by technology.

Includes
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (private tour options)
  • Hotel pickup only (group tour option)
  • Licensed guide
  • Longtail boat ride
  • Coconut farm tour
  • Coconut nectar workshop
  • Salt farm tour
  • Train ticket (private tour options)
  • Travel accident insurance
  • Hotel drop-off (group tour option)
  • Train ticket (group tour option)
  • Food and drinks
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sun hat
  • Camera
  • Sunscreen
  • Comfortable clothes
  • Cash

Know before you go

  • For the group tour, a train ride or salt farm tour may not be offered depending on certain factors on the day of the tour
  • For private tours, you can select your own pickup time. The standard pickup time is 6:30 AM
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 51 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.4/5
  • Transportation
    4.7/5
  • Value for money
    4.3/5

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We did the tour with our 3 kids, aged 13, 11 and 7. They first weren’t exited about getting up early but enjoyed it in the end. The train- and boat ride made it interesting for them. So it’s a very varied tour, not just walking from sight to sight, which makes it perfect for families with kids.

March 24, 2023

Small group with a friendly tour guide (Adam) to guide us through some very fun experiences. The train ride and subsequent market stroll were awesome, as was the boat ride to the floating markets. These are iconic stops that live up to their reputation. However, we felt that the stop at the coconut farm wasn’t worthwhile and just padded out an already long morning - animals such as gibbons in rusty cages were sad to see. Starting at 6am we were back a bit after 2pm.

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March 24, 2023

Super tolle Tour Danke an Richard und den Fahrer alles super organisiert. Erste Station fahrt zum Salzfeld wo auch die Zughaltestelle ist. Frühstück haben wir gebratene Bananen mit Karamell bekommen. Super lecker. Weiter ging es mit dem Zug zum Markt tolles Erlebnis die Durchfahrt zum Markt . Kurz Zeit zum schauen gute 15min. Dann ging es weiter zur Cocosplantage. Super erklärt und vorgeführt. Weiter zu den schwimmenden Märkten. Die Bootsfahrt war toll auch weil wir uns die Nebenarme angesehen haben. Essen am Markt. Anschließend Rückfahrt. Kurzum nicht langweilig sehr informativ und nicht künstlich in die Länge gezogen. Tour sehr empfehlenswert.

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March 24, 2023

Product ID: 411501