Take a day trip outside Bangkok

If you’re visiting Bangkok, Thailand for more than 3 – 4 days, I recommend taking a day trip to a nearby town or market to see what more this beautiful country has to offer. Plus a getaway from the big city is always good to give you a different perspective of the country.

While I was living in Bangkok I visited Ayutthaya, which is an ancient city an hour away from Bangkok, and took a tour to some famous markets that were also about an hour away from the city, and I highly recommend both for a day trip.

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Mae Klong Railways Market &

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

I recommend taking a half-day guided tour to Mae Klong railways market and Damnoen Saduak floating market. You could get there by yourself, but with a tour, you get more information about each market and you don’t have to worry about the logistics of finding them and possibly getting lost. 

Now, there are plenty of options out there to see both markets, but we went on a tour with Bigcountry Vacation on Tripadvisor for $30 per person. Below I mention the pros and cons of my experience with this tour and a link to book the same one (or a similar one) for your next trip to Bangkok.

Pros: 

✅ They pick you up at your hotel in Bangkok (around 8-9 am)

✅ The tour guide speaks English and is super knowledgeable. He gave us tips on how to bargain at the markets, a few words to say in Thai, and even general information on Thailand and the markets.

✅ At the railway market, he walked us around the train tracks and suggested the best spot to see the train pass by (it passes by around 11 am)

✅ Once in Damnoen Saduak, the price included the longboat ride around the canals to explore the floating market.

✅ Although lunch was NOT included, our tour guide recommended his favorite food stand which had super delicious and affordable food. Plates cost 40 THB [$1.20 USD]

✅ You’re back in Bangkok around 3 pm

Cons:

❌ It rained all day long (not the tour’s fault of course)

❌ Because of the rain, the floating market was pretty empty and not at all like pictures we had seen online

❌ You don’t get dropped off at the hotel again, but at least close to a subway station

Check out the same Tripadvisor tour we took HERE.

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Ayutthaya

Another great place to take a day trip to while visiting Bangkok is Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya was the former capital of Thailand for about 400 years, until 1767. It was one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia during the 14th to 18th centuries and is known for its temple ruins and historical sites. The whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s only an hour away from Bangkok. 

To get to Ayutthaya and explore around, a friend and I hired a taxi for $1900 THB [$55 USD total] (about $28 USD each). He drove us from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, took us to 5 different temples, and drove us back to Bangkok. We started our day at 7 am and were back in Bangkok around 3 – 4 pm. Honestly, it was the best deal we could find. But we had to bargain HARD for that price! And it was the perfect day trip outside Bangkok!

Here are a few temples I recommend you visit in Ayutthaya:

1. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

2. Wat Chaiwatthanaram

3. Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit

4. Wat Phra Si Sanphet

5. Wat Mahathat

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I hope you found this blog post useful and don’t forget to bookmark it for reference when planning your Thailand trip!

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