Maeklong Railway and Damnoen Floating Markets - What to Expect

A visit to the Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Floating Market is one of the most popular day trips from Bangkok. While there is a way to reach those places using a combination of different public transportation options, it’s not easy to get there. So, usually, an organized tour is the most comfortable option.

We went on an organized day tour and we’ll share what it is like and what to expect so you can decide if it’s worth your time and money.

Railway Market departure of the train, Thailand — Maeklong Railway Market

Recommended reading: One-Month Thailand Itinerary

What is the Maeklong Railway Market?
What is a Floating Market?
Railway Market and Floating Market Organized Tour
Railway Market and Floating Market Organized Tour – What to Expect

Other Thailand Travel Guides:

What is the Maeklong Railway Market?

The Maeklong Railway Market is a market located literally on the railway track. When the train is approaching, the vendors fold their awnings and move their goods to clear the path for the train. After the train has passed, the market goes back to its usual operation.

This unique form of operation has attracted many tourists and nowadays, the market on the track is almost purely targeted to tourists. It’s very interesting to arrive at the Railway Market while riding on the train and then wait to see its departure. This is the experience offered by most tours.

What is a Floating Market?

Bangkok’s floating markets are one of the most popular attractions in Thailand. Vendors navigate through canals or waterways and sell their goods directly from the boat.

There are many floating markets you can visit. One of the most famous is the Damnoen Floating Market and it’s the one you’ll see more often advertised on organized tours. Since it’s the most popular, it’s usually very crowded and purely targeted to tourists.

Railway Market and Floating Market Organized Tour

We booked the highest-rated and recommended tour on GetYourGuide. It included:

pick up from our hotel and drop off at the MBK Center;
ride on the train that goes through the Railway Market;
watching the departure of the train from the Railway Market (outside the train);
half an hour paddleboat ride through the Damnoen Floating Market.

The tour that we booked included a visit to the Damnoen Floating Market, but there are other tours that go to the Amphawa Floating Market instead (not so crowded or popular, but I haven’t been there).

You can find several options to visit the railway and floating markets below. You can also buy similar tours from travel agencies in Bangkok.

Railway Market and Floating Market Organized Tour – What to Expect

Here’s a description of what our tour looked like (most tours that go to the same places will likely be similar).

We were picked up by one minivan at our hotel in Silom at the specified time. Then we went to pick up other tourists at nearby hotels. We were a group of 10 people.

Our guide said that getting out of Bangkok was easier than usual on that day because it was a prolonged weekend. If the traffic is more chaotic you may not have time to hop on the train to the railway market. So, instead, you’ll go straight to the train’s last stop by minivan to see the arrival and departure of the train from the outside.

The Railway Market

After approximately one and a half hours (with a stop at a gas station halfway), we reached a train station to catch the train. It’s an old train without air conditioning. Because we entered quite near the final stop, there were no seats available.

waiting for the maeklong railway market — Waiting for the train to the Maeklong Railway Market

maeklong railway market inside the train — Waiting for the train to the Maeklong Railway Market

It took 40 minutes and seven stops to reach the Maeklong Railway Market. It’s nice to ride this train because you get a good perspective of the market as the train goes through. It was an interesting experience for sure. You can watch my video below to see the perspective from inside the train.

The train stops at the Maeklong station. This is the final stop and it’s where the market is located. It is super crowded at that place because everyone wants to see the arrival of the train.

After reaching the final train station, the Maeklong station, our guide took us to the other end of the railway market, but we didn’t go through the actual railway market, we went via a shortcut through a true local market. Once at the end of the market, we waited to see the departure of the train. The train gets really close to the stalls, so make sure you have a nice spot where you can stand safely.

At the railway market, you’ll find a variety of goods like vegetables, seafood, and meat. But, what stands out are the numerous souvenir stalls selling everything from elephant pants, bags, and t-shirts to notebooks, almost all featuring elephant patterns.

Is it worth it to visit the Railway Market on a tour? My honest opinion about visiting the Maeklong Railway Market on an organized tour: everything was very rushed and we didn’t have much time to check the Railway Market. Nonetheless, this was quite an interesting experience that we recommend doing if you have the time.

The Damnoen Floating Market

After visiting the Railway Market, we returned to the minivan. After a 15-minute ride, we reached the Damnoen Floating Market. Unfortunately, this part of the tour wasn’t as interesting, particularly because it’s a setup primarily catering to tourists.

To properly enjoy the tour, you cannot miss going on a paddleboat ride through the canals along the floating market. In our case, it was already included in the price of our tour. Other tours don’t include it in the price. So, you’ll have to pay for the boat when you get there.

I was aware beforehand that this was far from being authentic – it’s a market tailored for tourists. However, I wasn’t anticipating it to be so overtly ‘touristic.’ It felt more like a ride in an amusement park, complete with a photo taken by “the staff” at the beginning of the paddleboat tour through the floating market

I was expecting to encounter a greater variety of vendors selling goods directly from their boats. But, there were much fewer boats than I expected (I’m not sure if it’s always like this or if it depends on the day and time you visit). However, those we came across were mainly offering souvenirs, beverages, and some snacks, mainly coconut ice cream.

Our guide mentioned that items sold on the boats tend to be pricier compared to those at the market situated right by the riverbank (though not on the boats). I didn’t inquire about specific prices, so I can’t confirm. Nevertheless, I recall that coconut ice cream was priced at 60 baht on the boat and 50 baht outside on the adjacent market. In my opinion, it doesn’t seem significantly overpriced

Damnoen Floating Market Paddle Boat Ride

The ride on the floating market took around half an hour. At the end, they try to sell you the picture they took you on the boat at the start of the ride. I don’t remember the exact price they were asking for the picture, but I recall that it was overpriced.

After this, we were given about 45 minutes to explore the market on foot. There were several stalls selling street food, drinks, clothes, hats and souvenirs, and even some restaurants. I was not hungry, so I just ate a coconut ice cream, it was pretty good.

Getting Back to Bangkok

Around 13:30, we got back to Bangkok. It took around two hours, but our guide said that sometimes it takes longer, depending on the traffic. So, don’t plan on catching a plane on the same day, because you may not make it on time.

On our way back to Bangkok our driver accidentally rolled over a motorbike. It was not his fault and the conflict was solved in under 15 minutes. However, after this accident, the driver started driving really crazy and always speeding on the motorway. He would get really close to the other cars and brake abruptly. In the end, I was just glad that we made it to the MBK Center safely. This was the only issue with had with transportation during all our 2-month Southeast Asia trip.

Is the Day Trip to Railway Market and Damnoen Floating Market worth it?

It depends. I really liked the Maeklong Railway Market. It’s touristy, but it’s different from what we usually see. The Damnoen Floating Market was mainly set up for tourists. I heard there are better markets, like the Amphawa Floating Market. But, I haven’t been there, so I can’t say for sure.

So, to sum it up, if you’re curious, give it a try. If not, and you don’t have much time in Bangkok, you can probably skip it. I heard similar opinions to mine, but I still chose to go and had a really nice day.

Related Content: Bangkok Ultimate Travel Guide for First-Timers.

If you’re up for an adventure, you can try going there on your own. Make sure you carefully check the train schedule. At first, that was what we intended to do. But we were still tired from the jetlag, so we chose to join the tour.

Wrapping Up

In summary, one of the most popular day trips from Bangkok is a visit to the Maeklong Railway Market and to a floating market.

The Maeklong Railway Market is a famous market located right on the railway tracks. It’s very interesting and funny to see the vendors fold and unfold their awnings before and after the passage of the train. It’s an interesting experience that we recommend adding to your Bangkok itinerary if you have the time.

A visit to the Damnoen Floating Market is also included in most tours. It’s very touristy, but it’s kind of fun to shop on the river and buy things from the boats. What surprised me was seeing Thai people cooking and selling food in these small boats.

We hope this article helps you plan your time in Bangkok! You can check other ideas of Bangkok day trips below:

If you’re planning a trip to Thailand or Southeast Asia, we have other guides you may find useful:

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Table of Contents

What is the Maeklong Railway Market?

What is a Floating Market?

Railway Market and Floating Market Organized Tour