Bangkok Canal Tour by Boat and Bike
Highlights
- 15km split between boat and bike
- Portuguese quarter of Kudi Chin
- Wat Kalyanamit and Chao Phraya canals
- Thai lunch at a local spot
- Bike, helmet and English-speaking guide
Fifteen kilometres split between bicycle and longtail boat over six hours, threading through Bangkok’s older riverside districts rather than looping a single neighbourhood. The morning heads into Kudi Chin, the old Portuguese quarter, where a local bakery has made the same egg-based Portuguese cupcake for over five generations.
From there the route pedals to Wat Kalyanamit, home to Bangkok’s largest sitting Buddha image, then the chapel of Wat Hongrattanaram, the largest temple in Thonburi, where a shrine honours King Taksin, the city’s first monarch. Back lanes and tree-lined canals lead to an old wooden trading-community market before a canal-side lunch and a traditional longtail boat ride to a 200-year-old artist house, where Hoon Lek puppeteers perform alongside Khon dance and visitors can feed the resident fish.
The final leg loads bikes onto a longtail boat for the run down the ancient canals to the Chao Phraya, sailing past the Grand Palace before docking near Khao San Road and pedalling the short distance back to the Discova shop to finish around 3:30pm. Between the temples, the bakery, the puppet show and the river crossing, it’s less a single sight than a slow read of how Bangkok grew up along its waterways.
- Duration: 6 hours
- Price from: $59.80
- Rating: 4.9 from 70 reviews
- Group size: Up to 10
- Includes: Bike and helmet, canal boat, snacks, lunch, drinks, English-speaking guide
- Meeting point: Discova Day Tour Shop, 719 Mahachai Road, Phra Nakhon — meet at 9:00am, departs 9:30am sharp
- Cancellation: Full refund up to 24 hours before departure
Watch out: Hotel pickup and drop-off aren’t included, so factor in getting yourself to the Discova shop by 9:00am through Bangkok traffic — the tour leaves on time at 9:30 and won’t wait.
Insider Tip: Gratuities and any temple alms are optional extras on top of the tour price — bring small notes if you’d like to leave a donation at Wat Kalyanamit or Wat Hongrattanaram.
Itinerary
Gather at the Discova Day Tour Shop Bangkok across MRT Sam Yod station next block to Miramar hotel at 9:00 am. The tour will depart at 9:30 am sharp. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get here, taking into account the heavy Bangkok traffic. After a quick bike fitting and briefing we are off on the bikes. Cycling off the main roads we use small lanes, alleyways and canal boats to immerse you into the soul of Bangkok.
Go along the banks of the Chao Phraya River is where Bangkok first began. Stopping at the first Christian community of Santa Cruz to visit the descendants of the early Portuguese traders who have been making a Portuguese cupcake for over 5 generations.
Pedal to Chinese Thai temple of Wat Kalayanamit and the site of Bangkok's first Chinatown. Wat Kalyanamit houses Bangkok's largest sitting Buddhist image. Next stop will be at the Chapel of Wat Hongrattanaram. We will briefly see a shrine devoted to the first king of Bangkok, Taksin. This temple is the largest in Thonburi and according to some the most beautiful in Bangkok.
Here we will park our bikes briefly to see a shrine devoted to the first king of Bangkok, Taksin. The Chapel of Wat Hongrattanaram is the largest in Thonburi and, according to some, the most beautiful in Bangkok.
Cycling back lanes and pedaling along small tree-lined canals, we will arrive at an old wooden market with a historic community temple. Centuries ago, trading communities formed along the canals on the outskirts of Bangkok to buy the goods coming to market from the outlying farms and orchards. The former wealth of these trading communities can be seen in the elegant architecture of the temples they left behind.
You’ll also get to enjoy a tasty canal side lunch and a traditional canal boat ride before visiting an artist house. All the essentials – water, lunch, drinks, and snacks – are included to make your tour a meaningful experience.
A group of Artists has taken up residence in a 200-year-old traditional wooden house on the banks of Khlong Bang Luang. Marvel at a show of the most unique puppetry you may ever see, as the art is combined with traditional Khon dance by the Hoon Lek puppeteers. The modern inhabitants of the old wooden trading houses these days sell artwork and vintage crafts as well as fish food for you to feed the abundant fish in the canal.
After stowing the bikes in the back of a long tail boat, you and your guide wend your way down the ancient canals to Chao Phraya River. Sailing up the River of the Kings, you will pass the Grand Palace before docking near Khao San Road.
Once you’ve disembarked from the boat with your bike, we’ll pedal a short distance back to the Discova Day Tour Shop to finish the tour around 3:30 pm.
Included
- Use of bike and helmet
- Canal Boat
- Snacks
- Lunch
- Drinks
- English Speaking Tour Guide
Not Included
- Gratuities
- Temple alms (optional)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point & area
View larger map →Meeting point: Our Tour Guide will be waiting for you at Discova Day Tour Shop Bangkok. Address: 719 Mahachai Road, Kwaeng Wang Burapha Phirom, Khet Phranakorn, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand. Located on the next block to Miramar Hotel, the last building next to the canal. • Meeting Time: 9:00 am
Good to know
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
