Samut Songkhram

Choose from either a shared group or private guided experience to see 2 iconic markets on a day trip from Bangkok. See a market located on the railway tracks, the Maeklong Railway Market, and a market that floats on the canals at the Damnoen Saduak Market. After pickup, arrive at the Maeklong Railway Market, also known as Talad Rom Hup (“Umbrella Pulldown Market”). Maeklong is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand and hugs the track of the Maeklong Railway. Gain fascinating insights into how the market is run and what products are sold here from your local guide. Marvel at how market stalls and awnings are pulled back from the tracks every time a train approaches to let the train pass through. Next, head to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, one of the most famous floating markets in Thailand. To reach the market, take a short ride in a paddleboat. Enjoy plenty of time to meander around the colorful market, where friendly vendors sell directly from their boats. Take in the sights and sounds, and try local specialties like mango sticky rice. Your guide will give you advice on what not to miss. Return to Bangkok in time for the early afternoon.

Depart from Bangkok at 7:30 am, and head to Ratchaburi Province, home of the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Along the way, make a quick stop to visit a traditional Thai house, where you can see locals making brown coconut sugar. Explore the house and its surrounding area, which is home to many different animals living on the coconut plantation. Continue your trip by boarding a paddle boat for a ride along narrow canals to the floating market. See the local houses lining the canals and take a quick glance at their way of living, while you pass by. When you arrive at the market, see the amazing array of vendors in their boats, selling fresh products, from fruits and vegetables to prepared dishes. Explore the floating market at your leisure for about an hour and take time to try some authentic Thai foods, such as Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, Boat Noodles or Coconut Ice Cream sold along the canal. Meet up with your guide to head back to the meeting point in Bangkok, where you will arrive around 1:30 - 2.00 pm. 

The day begins at the meeting point for those on the small group tour, or with hotel pickup for guests who opt for the private option. Depart Bangkok between 6:15 AM and 6:45 AM and head out on the 1.5 hour journey to Maeklong Railway Market. Upon arrival, wander around with your Spanish-speaking guide, mingle with the locals going about their day, and wait for the iconic moment when the local train passes through. Board a longtail boat next and sail to the fascinating Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Spend an hour exploring this unique location and marvel at the locals selling their produce from paddleboats. Shop for snacks, souvenirs, and more, and don’t forget to sample some authentic regional food while you’re there. Continue the tour to Ayutthaya, a UNESCO listed location, and enjoy a stop for a delicious Thai lunch. After lunch, visit a selection of iconic temples including Wat Mahathat, enshrined with Buddha relics. Explore Wat Yai Chaimongkol next, followed by Wat Chai Wattanaram, one of Ayutthaya’s most impressive temples. At the end of an unforgettable day, begin the return journey to Bangkok at 5:00 PM, arriving at around 7:00 PM.

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.

The markets of Thailand are some of the country’s most quintessential experiences; they give you a lively peek inside the more traditional culture of a country that often lives by water (or in this case, by the railroad tracks as well). On this full-day guided tour, you'll be taken to the most iconic markets on the outskirts of Bangkok, ending with a relaxing firefly boat tour to wind down from the day’s excitement. Maeklong Train Market is a fresh market situated right by a well-worn railroad. Watch the vendors expertly close and open their awnings to make room as the trains pass by. Wat Bang Kung is a striking Buddhist temple engulfed by the roots of a massive Banyan Tree. Learn about its bloody battle history and see the Golden Buddha inside. Located on the Amphawa canal, the Amphawa Floating Market is one of Thailand's more popular floating markets. Visit this riverside market and see vendors selling delicious treats like sweets and seafood, or browse some of the shophouses and restaurants. After sunset, when the lights have dimmed, you'll wind down with a relaxing river cruise. Your boat will take you a little further out where it is dark enough to see the fireflies, before heading back to your accommodations at 9:00 PM, ending a day of simple pleasures and tastes with the comforting sight of these lightning bugs.

Depart Bangkok and journey southwest for about an hour past the sea salt farms and local villages on the side of the road. Arrive at Maeklong Railway Market and learn how the stalls of fresh seafood built on the train tracks respond every time a train passes through. Continue to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, via a coconut farm if time permits. Immerse yourself in the everyday hustle and bustle as the locals buy their food and household goods. Ride through the market by boat, and try your hand at haggling for a bargain. Select the private option to also have an experience at a local farm. Learn how to harvest coconut and take a rewarding drink from it.

Start the tour by meeting your small group at one of the two meeting points, or get picked up at your hotel if you upgrade to the private tour option. Leave Bangkok around 7 AM by air-conditioned van, and get to know your Spanish-speaking guide and learn some insights about Thailand on the 1.5-hour ride to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Upon arrival in Ratchaburi province, board a longtail boat and enjoy the ride to the floating market. Don't forget to take a photo or video of this unique experience. Once there, immerse yourself in the floating market for 1 hour. See locals selling their food from paddle boats, and shop for food, snacks, or souvenirs right from the boat. Spend your leisure time walking around the market with no rush and try authentic Thai food, if you like. After exploring the market, get back on the van and drive to the famous Maeklong Railway Market centered on the railway. Wander around with your guide waiting for the iconic moment when the local train comes at 11:10 AM. As the train approaches, watch the awnings and shop fronts get moved back from the rails, and then replaced once the train has passed. Make sure to have your camera ready as the train will not wait for you. Then, gather with your group and board the train to be ready to leave Mae Klong station at 11:30 AM. Take in the views of the rice fields and local way of life on the railway side. Arrive at Ban Na Kwang Railway Station at 11:57 AM and hop on the air-conditioned van for the return trip to Bangkok. Call it a day and get dropped off around 1:30 PM.

In the morning, meet your private guide at your hotel and head to Wong Wiang Yai Train Station. From this station, travel by third-class train with wooden seats. Along the way, you'll see many paddy fields and the homes of local Thai people. Once arrived in Mahachai, take a boat trip to a fishing community and ride a local tuk tuk, or rickshaw. After lunch at a local restaurant, board a boat which will bring you to Baan Leam. From there, travel by train to Maeklong where you will visit Thailand’s largest fresh seafood market. When you reach the Mae Klong Railway Train Market, watch the busy locals buying and selling their products. Enjoy the spectacle of how the market transforms when a train passes: listen out for the piercing siren which signals for the shoppers to disappear and the stallholders to whip away their produce. Marvel at how the vendors hold on to the poles supporting their awnings to make way for the train to pass. See how the train traveling at about 15mph almost touches the fruits and everything else at the market as it squeezes through. After visiting all of the sights, transfer back to your hotel in Bangkok by around 5:00 PM.

Experience Thailand's unique market culture on this unique tour. Start with a drive to the railway market, located about 2 hours from Bangkok. Watch as vendors set up their goods along active railway tracks, with fresh produce, cooking supplies and more all lined up a mere few inches from the track's edge. See what happens when the train comes through: vendors gather up their things and lower their canopies and step aside as the train travels right through the middle of the market, getting back to business as soon as it has departed. Afterwards, continue on a short drive to a palm sugar plantation, where you’ll visit the house of a villager who still makes palm sugar the traditional way. Next, board a small boat for a ride through narrow village canals, to reach the famous floating market of Damnoen Saduak. Get off the boat here and walk around to explore more of the market. Around noon, head back to Bangkok and return to the meeting point which is right next to BTS (Skytrain) station National Stadium. Your local guide will be happy to give you directions back to your accommodation or to other sites you should see.

Spend a day discovering some of the best markets and temples that Bangkok has to offer. Enjoy a combination of local culture, sightseeing, and food tastings. First, visit the Maeklong Railway Market. Called "Talat Rom Hup" which roughly means "umbrella pulldown market", watch the vendors scramble to pack up their stalls when a train goes by along the track that runs through the market. Explore and hopefully see the train pass before making way to the next stop, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Discover one of the more famous floating markets in the city, which is made up of a network of narrow canals dotted with vendors paddling their boats filled with their wares. From local produce to souvenir items, take in the organized chaos on the river before stopping for lunch in a local restaurant, at your own expense. After indulging in a variety of tasty Thai foods, set off to visit Wat Phra Kaew, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is one of the country’s most sacred temples. Take in the tranquil and spiritual environment before making your way to the Grand Palace. Marvel at the exquisite architecture and numerous images here, once home to the Thai royal family up until the early 1900s.