Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the East because of all the canals (khlongs). Most of the canals east of the river have been filled in to make roads. On the west side of the river though, Thonburi’s old canals are easily accessible and offer a relaxing day of exploring old Bangkok. Even kids will get a kick out of a Bangkok canal tour.
Canal tours are a big tourist draw, and you can easily hire a longtail boat at Sathorn pier. It will be noisy and smell like fuel, and you likely won’t get an English speaking guide. Instead, we hired Pandan Tour, which we heard about on Travelfish (read more about Travelfish here). The tour was terrific, our guide was excellent, and we got to see a lot more at a slower pace. I can’t recommend it enough.
Bangkok Canal Tour Highlights
Most tours will include some combination of these highlights:
- Artist House
- Temples
- Orchid Nursery
- Floating Market
Ours included two temples, one right next to the river and a more rural one out in the forest. It also included tasty snacks like miang kham and lunch from the floating market. My kids loved it.
