Thailand

Bangkok Backstreet & Canal Tour

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day tour

Tour Level: Moderate

Tour Comfort: Superior

Tour Period: All day

10 hours    English, Spanish, French, Russian, German    Bangkok

tour highlights

  • Discover the rarely toured areas of small canals just outside Bangkok
  • Venture through local markets, and encounter everyday canal life
  • Admire the mosaics and ceiling of the historic Holy Rosary Church
  • Soak in the local atmosphere a boat ride to Nonthaburi Province
  • Dine on a delicious Thai lunch on the riverside

tour details

Visit places in Bangkok rarely seen by tourists and enjoy riverside life at its best. We’ll first tour through small alleys into Samphanthawong district, a densely populated section of Chinatown. Here, you’ll be able to admire historic buildings like the Holy Rosary Church. We’ll then head to Hon Wong Kung, a Chinese Shrine built on the riverbank. We’ll board a boat and enjoy the sights along the river during the 1-hour trip to Nonthaburi province where you’ll explore the local market with its array of fresh produce, seafood, goods and prepared food. We’ll then enjoy a delicious Thai lunch at a riverside restaurant before boarding a charter boat to discover the rural canal life that has remained unchanged for centuries with wooden houses on stilts, fruit orchards and glittering temples.

Why choose this tour?

Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and meandering canals are the lifeblood of the city and still show traces of the capital's historic origins. On this programme, travellers experience the local lifestyle beyond the tourist hotspots while also seeing places that attract more local visitors.

    tour description

    This unique tour takes you to places rarely visited by tourists. Meet your guide in your hotel lobby and then travel by skytrain to the Chao Phraya River and take a shuttle boat to River City Pier. From here, continue on foot to enter the small alleys of Samphanthawong district, among the most densely populated districts of Chinatown. Take a moment to admire the glass mosaics and richly decorated ceiling at the Holy Rosary Church, built by Portuguese settlers in 1786. Close by is the Art Deco style first commercial bank established in Thailand in 1904, now the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank. Continue on foot to the red and gold Hon Wong Kung, a Chinese Shrine on the banks of the river.

    In the late morning, board the public express boat and enjoy the breeze and sights along the river during the one-hour trip to Nonthaburi. Take in the atmosphere of the busy local market, which displays an array of fresh produce from nearby farms. Wander by exotic fruit and vegetables, spices, flower garlands, household goods and freshly prepared food and snacks. The market is a perfect photo opportunity. Then it's time to eat! Savour a delicious Thai lunch at a riverside restaurant.

    After lunch, continue by private boat to parts of Bangkok that are only accessible on water. Discover a world that offers glimpses into a bygone era. Stumble across wooden houses on stilts, fruit orchards and glittering temples situated under the shade of a Banyan tree. As you venture further into the canal system, the canals become narrower only allowing access to this type of boat. By mid-afternoon, you arrive and disembark at Nonthaburi Pier for your return trip to Bangkok by public express boat.

    customise the tour

    • Cruise along the river hopping on and off at different places like the Grand Palace or Kudeejeen Community
    • Make a short stop at the Siriraj Hospital to visit the macabre Forensic Museum
    • Extend the experience and visit the southern part of the river by longtail boat in the morning to see a different side of Bangkok

    includes

    Meals included: Lunch

      excludes

      Transfer included: No

        notes

        Note: This tour is not suited for people with mobility issues. Participants must be physically fit and have a good balance in order to board and disembark from the various boats. Local taxi fare from hotels NOT in walking distance to a BTS skytrain station.
          Tour code: EXBFBBWB

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