Boat trip on Bangkok’s klongs and a visit to Wat Arun Temple of Dawn

On this excursion, you will mainly experience the peaceful west Bangkok, which stands in stark contrast to the lively east Bangkok.

You make your own way to the start of the excursion at Exit 1 (Museum Siam Exit) of the Sanam Chai metro station. Your guide will be waiting for you here.

From here, you proceed to the nearby interactive museum, Museum Siam, which is located in a beautiful old building in eastern Bangkok. The exhibits provide an excellent insight into the identity and history of the Thai people.

From here, there’s a short walk down to the River of the Kings, Chao Phraya, where you board a long-tail boat. You’ll be sailed into the Thonburi district in western Bangkok via a maze of canals, which are also known as “klongs”. In ancient times, most of the daily trading in Bangkok took place on and along the canals, to such an extent that early European traders and visitors dubbed the city “the Venice of the East”. The canals are still incredibly important to the locals to this day and emanate a wonderful tranquillity, lushness and unique charm. Lining the canals are houses on stilts, with small staircases leading down to the water, where you might see people washing their hair or rinsing their clothes. Out on the verandas, you’ll often see young children with their grandmothers waiting for the sailing postman or the sailing ice cream man. This part of Bangkok is the complete opposite of central Bangkok’s built-up area with its skyscrapers and elevated road and motorways.

You then zip at high speed to the iconic Wat Arun Temple of Dawn, which is considered to be the most beautiful temple in Thailand due to its breathtaking architecture and exquisite craftsmanship. The temple’s impressive prang is more than 70 metres high and beautifully adorned with small pieces of stained glass and Chinese porcelain, which glisten in the sun. If you’re up for a challenge, you can climb the steep steps to the top, where you will be rewarded with a fantastic view of the winding river, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho on the other side.

Finally, you travel by boat back over the river and you are brought to the MRT Sanam Chai Station, where today’s excursion concludes.

Starting time: 12:30 p.m. Meeting time at Sanam Chai Exit 1, no later than 12:20 p.m.

Duration: approx. 4 hours

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.