Bangkok Canal Tour: 2-Hour Longtail Boat Ride

Recommended by 91% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Bangkok, Thailand

Very popular!

10+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Emel_F ·

Feb 2026

Well organised trip. Friendly and informative host. Interesting tour that gave an insight into canal side living. Lots of monuments to see on the way as well. It was nice to see Bangkok from the water. The stop at the artist house was half an hour. It was quite busy but ok as a quick stopover for a drink. Enjoyable and good value for money.

· Megan_P ·

Feb 2026

This was a great experience. Neo was very nice and took good care of us. The time on the boat was very fun and Neo and the driver made sure we all got the photos we wanted. The stop at the artists house was a nice break with cute shops. Would recommend to anyone wanting to see the canals of Bangkok’s

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Overview

See a side of Bangkok that most travelers don’t get to see as you cruise along the canals of Thonburi. Set sail along the klong (canals) of the Chao Phraya River in a traditional longtail boat and enjoy a glimpse of local life in the Thonburi district of Bangkok. Enjoy up to two hours on the water and stop to visit Baan Silapin (The Artist’s House) and Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen.

Cruise along Bangkok’s klongs in a traditional longboat
Learn about Thai culture as you explore the local neighborhoods
Choose a morning or afternoon tour to fit your plans
Enjoy an intimate small-group experience

What's Included

English speaking guide
Long-tail boat & boat driver
One bottle of drinking water per person

Gratuities for the boat driver and guide (optional)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Elefin Coffee
Thanon Maha Rat, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
The meeting point is at the bus stop opposite Elefin Coffee and the Bangkok Bank branch on Maha Rat Road, just a short walk south of Wat Pho. Our guide will be waiting at the bus stop. Please make sure to arrive on time, since we can only wait up to 10 minutes past the scheduled meeting time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Get a glimpse of local life in Bangkok on this guided tour of the Thonburi district’s canals by traditional longtail boat. Lasting around 2 hours, and with your choice of departure times throughout the day, it’s easy to fit in your schedule.

Meet your licensed English speaking guide near Wat Pho and walk together as a group to board your longtail boat. Soak up the sights and scenes of local life as you cruise along the canals.

At Baan Silapin (The Artist’s House), you’ll have enough time to walk around the historic and restored wooden house and learn more about Thai culture. The boat tour also passes by the Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, with a stop to take photos of the temple’s massive Buddha statue.

The tour ends back at the departure point.

Temple Of Dawn (Wat Arun) (Pass By)

Baan Silapin

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Most travelers can participate
The most convenient way to reach the meeting point, and avoid Bangkok’s often congested road traffic, is by taking the MRT (metro) to Sanam Chai Station. From there, take the 'Museum Siam' exit. The meeting point is just a short 5-minute walk from the station.

Please note that during the tour, we may experience a wait at one of the water locks, which regulate canal levels. These operate on no fixed schedule and are beyond our control.
Bangkok’s traffic can be heavily congested. As our tours run on a group basis, we can wait a maximum of 10 minutes after the scheduled meeting time. After this grace period, the guide will begin the tour. If you cannot make it on time, please let us know before the tour starts. If possible, we’ll do our best to reschedule you for the next available time slot or day, though a rescheduling fee will apply. No refund will be provided in case of late arrival.
Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the tour start time are eligible for a full refund. For cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance or in case of no-show, no refund will be issued.
Our tours operate rain or shine, as tropical rain showers in Thailand usually don’t last long. If it rains heavily, we try to seek shelter and will continue as soon as the weather improves. During the rainy season, it’s a good idea to bring a raincoat or poncho. Please note cancellations due to weather are not eligible for a refund.
Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues, as boarding and disembarking the boat may be difficult due to the lack of stairs at the piers.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 300 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 6,243 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Refreshing and relaxing way to explore the city.

Arthur_Y, Mar 2026

Fun experience to see parts of the city I otherwise wouldn't have. The guide was knowledgeable and funny. Thanks for a great time! : )

Such a wonderful...

Sarah_C, Mar 2026

Such a wonderful experience with Minnie as our guide! We were able to gain a beautiful perspective of multiple sites on the cooler area of the water.

A great way to see the ‘ Klongs’ - or canals of Bangkok and the Big Buddha.

Keith_B, Mar 2026

A taxi took us to the Elefin cafe, the meeting point for the trip. We were delighted our guide was the inimitable Ken. He was in charge of two boats and always made sure everyone was informed and safe. The canals were a joy to see and the Big Buddha was making when seen from the long tail boat at water level. Thanks again Ken - ‘Lang may yer lum reek’ as we say in Scotland!

It was a wonderful...

Georgios_P, Mar 2026

It was a wonderful experience and in that Bella our tour guide help us a lot by giving us informations about the places we saw and also by having a cheerful personality.

Great tour!

Tangela_M, Mar 2026

"Joe"was an excellent guide and the megaphone was definitely needed. I recommend bringing extra water(they provide 1)

Interesting to see another side of Bangkok

Rebecca_C, Mar 2026

It was really interesting to see another side to Bangkok and enjoyed seeing the canals. Lots of interesting temples on the trip including the giant buddha. I was hoping to get a bit more history from the guide. We did this to kill some time before our flight home, worth doing if you have time and want something different.

Fun boat tour of canal

Michael_G, Mar 2026

A good boat tour through the canals. The meeting point close to the pier and just across the river from the canals was a plus. Seemed to be a fairly standard itinerary to see the main parts of the area. Artists house stop was not quite long enough and I'd perhaps go separately to spend more time there.

30 mins of the trip was spent at a market.

Iain_H, Mar 2026

Be aware of tide times, 15 mins to get off the river, up past Big Budda then taken to Artist house market for 30 min, then back.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Sawadee kha Iain, Thank you for your review. We’re sorry to hear the tour did not fully meet your expectations. A 30-minute stop at the heritage riverside community Khlong Bang Luang is indeed part of the itinerary. This stop and its (approximate) duration are clearly mentioned in the tour description on the Viator page where you made your booking. We hope you still enjoyed the boat ride and wish you a wonderful time in Thailand!

Very interesting tour....

Beth_L, Mar 2026

Very interesting tour. Fun to see local homes and people along the way. We enjoyed our guide. Bring hat and fan!

A nice and calm boat tour

Joshua_D, Mar 2026

The tour was enjoyable and Bella was a great tour guide. She was very knowledgeable, respectful, and helped with photos! Thank you for your help Bella. ----- You get a calm boat ride through the old-side of Bangkok. Seeing the templates along the river is beautiful with lots of locals waving as we passed. The sight of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is also a highlight of the tour. The Artist House Market is cool, and a great stop to have a stretch, enjoy some food, support local businesses, and/or grab an ice coffee (which is what I did). ----- I booked my tour for 8am which helped avoid the heat and humidity. Also, early Monday morning meant the boat was practically empty. I'd recommend this time. Only downside was that when we reached the Artist House Market, shops were just beginning got set up so some were closed. ----- Overall, I believe this tour is a 4/5 star based on the cost and what you receive. If you have the time for a chill boat tour, I recommend.

Long Tail Tour Around Canals

Carl_S, Mar 2026

Excellent way to view the unseen areas from the canals. Mixture of giant buddah set amongst wooden shack houses. Nice stop off to do a bit of shopping at a small market. Only negative is we were sitting at front of the long tail and guide was near the back and we couldn’t hear was they were telling us about the sites we were passing. Noticed other long tails had microphones and speakers. This would have been better.

Interesting journey down...

Chris_R, Mar 2026

Interesting journey down the canals of Bangkok, highlights were the giant Buddha and the visit to the village along the canal.

Amazing guid, would highly recommend

Carl_S, Mar 2026

We loved this tour for our last day in Bangkok. Our tour guide was amazing, and the old town has a real charm to it.

Bangkok from the water

Vicki_D, Mar 2026

We had a tense start to this trip having given our grab driver the wrong pin, please check your correspondence for the meeting point. They will wait 10 mins beyond group meeting time but fortunately for us waited 12 mins as we had let them know we were on the way. Loved this trip, long tail boat was a fun way to see Bangkok from the water, our guide gave clear communication and took photos for us. Would have liked longer at the artist house as there was a lot to see but enjoyed feeding the catfish. Expensive for a 2 hour trip but can see why it is so popular.

NEO was a very knowledgeable tour guide

Rachael_S, Mar 2026

NEO was very knowledgeable and patient - we travelled with my elderly Mother and we had a great trip. BIG thank you

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Sawadee kha Rachael, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this amazing review. Glad to hear you and your mother had an enjoyable experience with us!

Great Experience

Morgan_H, Mar 2026

Bella was so great! She was funny and gave helpful advice. She was even kind enough to take pictures of each group with the boat. The tour overall was very nice. It’s a great way to see other temples and the homes of some Thai people.

Lovely way to see Buddha statues from the water

PAMELA_S, Mar 2026

We were stressed trying to make the meeting point on time as had only arrived in Bangkok the evening before. Enjoyed the long boat although a little disappointed that we only saw a couple of long boatmen peddling their wares. Would have rather seen a floating market than get off and visit stalls alongside the river as we did. Bella was very good and made sure we saw lots of Buddha statues along the way for photo opportunities.

River tour of Bangkok

Ban_A, Mar 2026

Was amazing seeing this part of Bangkok and people lived for years. The temples and the big golden Buddha. Love it

Must do tour for foodies and anyone who eats!

Leif_A, Mar 2026

Has the solo traveler new to Asia and to Bangkok I found just crossing the road and deciding what to eat can be a bit intimidating. This may be the best tour you could choose to get over all that and learn about real Thai food not talking pad Thai cause there is none of that on this trip and it’s not too hot or spicy for anyone in the group of eight, who I met for the first time on this tour our guide a chef himself and his assistant guided us through the streets and across traffic safely and introduce us to food none of us had experienced ever before. I can speak for myself that everything was delicious and and joy to experience. Our guides enthusiasm for Thai food is unmatched.. If you were like me and find the street food offerings a bit foreign compared to Thai restaurants back home this is the best way to expand your horizons and pallet They advise you come hungry for good reason you’ll walk just enough to feel comfortable between each tasting. I cannot recommend this tour more than any other and I’ve done a few In our group of eight, not one was made uncomfortable by the food offered quite the contrary. Just do it. It’s not expensive it’s a great value. My only suggestion would be for the guide to send us a list of all the dishes we had so that we can request them back home. I’ve been another food tours with that was the practice. Give it a go! I am confident no one in our group was disappointed or left hungry as for me I just skipped dinner. I was so satisfied with my three hour lunch on this tour.

Nice afternoon on the canal. Fun experience. You are able to shop before or after the boat ride. High speed boat.

yogaqueen53, Mar 2026

There isn’t much time at the waterfront market area to really shop but just cross the lovers bridge. Refreshing ride as you see the golden Buddha’s along the waterfront.

Worth it

Lorraine_G, Mar 2026

Go early it is very hot but a great quick way to see a lot of things. Enjoyed our time at the little Market

Perfect 2 hour tour

Stephanie_B, Mar 2026

Meeting point easy to find. Short walk with your guide and group to the dock. They gave us a cold water. Trip started slow then once we were moving it was terrific. Lots of photo spots, floating market boat met us early on, stopped at their big market at the end with 30 minutes to use bathroom, grab a snack, and shop. Joe was our guide and he was AMAZING! 2 hours was perfect. Remember sunscreen and a hat.

Short but good trip

Emel_F, Feb 2026

Unorganized and inaccurate timing

Nathan_F, Feb 2026

This tour was fine. Just fine. The meetup spot was extremely disorganized. A guide was late and they also couldn't figure out which guide I was supposed to go with. Mini ended up being my guide, which I was happy about, because she was the only one who seemed to know what was going on. The actual tour portion was good. A very interesting point of view from the river with good commentary from mini. I didn't expect to like the market stop, but actually really enjoyed checking out the shops and getting some snacks. The biggest issue is the locks, which can significantly affect the timing of the tour. We got back almost an hour late because of the locks. It's not something they can really control, but I wish the tour description mentioned that, so you know to expect it.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Sawadee kha Nathan, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. First of all, our apologies for the disorganized experience at the meeting point. We understand how confusing this must have felt, and this is certainly not the experience we aim to provide at the start of our tours. We’re glad to hear that Mini was able to assist you and that you enjoyed the actual canal tour. We also understand that the waiting time at the water locks can be frustrating and may affect the overall timing of the tour. As you mentioned, this is unfortunately something beyond our control, as the locks regulate canal water levels and do not operate on a fixed schedule. For this reason, we do note on the tour page in the ADDITIONAL INFO section that delays at the locks can occur and may impact the duration of the tour. Thank you again for your feedback, as it helps us improve the experience for future travelers. Despite your somewhat mixed experience on our tour, we hope you had a wonderful time in Thailand.

My kids (from teens to...

Crissy_A, Feb 2026

My kids (from teens to toddler) really enjoyed this boat tour. The boat itself was very clean, life vests also didn't stink (unlike public use vests we've tried before), and all logistics seemed well-organized. Some down sides: 1) hard to hear the guide's voice because of the boat's motor so make sure to sit close to the guide if you have the chance, 2) the return stopped at a different place (unlike what was told in tour description) which as inconvenient for my family as it was in a very nondescript alley, and 3) tour guide was in a hurry to just leave and wasn't helpful with getting ideas how to get a ride out.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your review and for joining our tour. We’re glad to hear that you and your children enjoyed the experience. At the same time, we sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you experienced. We understand that the engine noise can make it difficult to hear the guide, and we appreciate your suggestion regarding seating. We also apologize for the change in drop-off location, which should have been communicated more clearly, and for the lack of assistance at the end of the tour. Your feedback is very helpful, and we will take it into account to improve the experience for future guests.

Fascinating insights

Sandra_L, Feb 2026

Fascinating insight into the other side of Bangkok - people living on banks of canals in shacks. Plus the super temples and Buddhas. Longboats are really cool.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We really appreciate you taking the time to leave us your 4-star review. It means a lot to the whole team, and we’d love to see you again on our tours!

Boat ride

Jessica_M, Feb 2026

Joe was good and very knowledgeable. The experience was great. Definitely recommend it to everyone that comes to Bangkok.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your 5-star review. We are delighted to hear that you had a positive experience with us and hope to see you again!

Very informative and nice...

AJ_T, Feb 2026

Very informative and nice canal ride. Got a chance to buy a fan from a lady in a passing boat and even shop a bit!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We are so grateful for your kind words. Thanks for sharing your review with us and the community and hope to see you again!

Lonely trip

Paul_S, Feb 2026

Great trip in one of the long boats with the long outboard motor rather than a cruise boat. We got great seats at the front but therefore couldn’t really hear the guide , but didn’t really mater to us

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Sawadee kha Paul, Thank you for choosing our tour and leaving such a wonderful review. We’re glad to hear that you were satisfied and we look forward to welcoming you back!