In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Damnoen Saduak is in Ratchaburi province, about 100 km southwest of Bangkok. Arrive before 08:30, before the tour coaches. Walking the market boardwalks is free. Skip the roadside boat piers on Route 325 before the market, where operators say you have arrived and quote 1,000 THB or more for a longtail; walk to the central canal bridges and hire a hand-paddled boat there (500 THB to 800 THB a boat). Minivans leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) for the market. Or book a tour: the Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong railway market tourad (from ฿799, 4.6 stars from 29,554 reviews) covers the transport, a guide, a paddle boat and both markets in one day. For other regional destinations, see Day trips from Bangkok.
What Damnoen Saduak is
Damnoen Saduak is a floating market on a canal dug between 1866 and 1868, when King Rama IV ordered a 32-kilometre canal linking the Tha Chin and Mae Klong rivers (thailandguide.co.uk).
The modern market is built for visitors. Stalls along the concrete embankments sell mass-produced souvenirs, elephant-print trousers and carved wooden trinkets. The food is the reason to stay: vendors in indigo shirts and woven straw ngop hats cook pork noodle soup (kuay teow reua), grill coconut pancakes (kanom krok) and slice mangoes from wooden sampans.
Timing decides the visit:
- 07:00 to 08:30: local trade is active, the water is clear and the air is bearable.
- 09:00 to 11:30: tour buses from Bangkok arrive in waves. The narrow canals fill with diesel motorboats and traffic stops under the covered bridges.
- 12:00 to 14:00: vendors pack up and the groups leave for lunch.
Tours from Bangkok
A tour solves the two hard parts of this trip: reaching the market without paying for a scam boat, and fitting in Maeklong. Most tours run in the morning and are back in Bangkok by early afternoon.
Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong with a paddle boat
From ฿799 · 4.6 stars from 29,554 reviews · 7½ hours · hotel pickup option
Bangkok: Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Marketad includes round-trip air-conditioned transport from Bangkok, an English-speaking guide, drinking water and a paddle boat into the floating market, then free time at the Maeklong railway market. The meeting point is the main entrance of River City shopping mall; hotel pickup is an option. Not suitable for people with mobility impairments.
Longtail boat and train ride with a guide
From ฿792 · 4.9 stars from 12,741 reviews · 8½ hours · small group
Bangkok: Floating Market and Train Market Experiencead includes a longtail motorboat ride through Damnoen Saduak, a train ride through the Maeklong railway market and countryside, a licensed English-speaking guide and an audio guide in 28 languages that plays on your own phone and earphones. The guide meets you outside KFC at Samyan Mitrtown on Phaya Thai Road. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or people over 120 kg.
Premium tour with an 80-minute boat ride
From ฿1,600 · 4.9 stars from 255 reviews · 8 hours · hotel pickup
Bangkok: Floating Market & Train Tour with Michelin & Pick-upad adds an 80-minute boat ride at Damnoen Saduak and the Maeklong railway market and train ride to hotel pickup, with mango sticky rice, pad thai, Thai desserts and drinks included.
With Wat Samphran, the Dragon Temple
From ฿900 · 4.6 stars from 1,458 reviews · 7½ hours
Bangkok: Maeklong Railway, Floating Market & Dragon Templead adds Wat Samphran, the temple with a dragon coiled around its tower, to a boat ride at Damnoen Saduak and the Maeklong railway market. It includes a local guide and an air-conditioned vehicle; lunch and the donation at the temple are extra. Not suitable for people over 100 kg or with mobility impairments.
Private car to three markets
From ฿4,646 · 4.5 stars from 80 reviews · 1 day · private
Bangkok: Floating & Maeklong Markets Tour by Private Charterad is a private car and driver for Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa and the Maeklong railway market at your own pace, with no forced stops. Parking, tolls, fuel and the boat transfer are included; a guide is an add-on. See the Amphawa guide for the evening market.
Boat options and avoiding pier traps
The most common problem at Damnoen Saduak is the roadside boat pier.
The highway pier trap
Taxis and drivers arriving by Highway 325 often stop at private piers 2 to 4 kilometres before the market. The operators say you have arrived and quote inflated prices for a longtail into the market; fares of 1,000 THB or more are common, and you have to bargain hard to bring them down (Wikivoyage).
How to avoid it: tell your driver to go to the Damnoen Saduak central market (Talad Klang) and drop you at the main bridge over the canal. From there you can walk into the market for free.
Choosing your boat
Typical prices, which depend on where you board (thailandguide.co.uk):
| Boat type | Price | Seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| On foot | Free | n/a | Food stalls, photos from the footbridges and shopping at your own pace |
| Hand-paddled sampan | 500 THB to 800 THB a boat, 30 to 60 minutes | 2 to 4 | Quiet passage through the inner vendor canals, close to the floating kitchens |
| Shared motorised longtail | 150 THB to 200 THB a person, 1 to 2 hours | 6 to 8 | The outer canals, fruit orchards and stilt houses beyond the market |
| Private motorised longtail | 1,500 THB to 2,000 THB a boat | 6 to 10 | Larger groups, and getting in from outer piers |
Rowing boats are hired from piers inside the covered market halls. Longtails can be booked at the municipal pier near the main bridge. Agree the fare, the duration and the route, and whether the price is per boat or per person, before you step in.
Paddle boats on the market canal. Photo: No(0)GoodNamesLeft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to eat at the floating market
Food vendors cook on low charcoal burners mounted in their boats and pass hot bowls up to diners on the concrete steps at the water’s edge.
- Boat noodles (kuay teow reua): 50 THB to 60 THB a bowl. Pork broth with five-spice, dark soy sauce, pork slices, morning glory and crispy pork crackling.
- Grilled river prawns: 200 THB to 350 THB a plate depending on size, with spicy garlic and lime dipping sauce.
- Coconut pancakes (kanom krok): 30 THB to 40 THB for a tray of eight crisp-edged rice-flour and coconut cups.
- Mango sticky rice: 60 THB to 100 THB a portion.
- Coconut ice cream: 50 THB, served in a half coconut shell with roasted peanuts and sweetcorn.
Bring small notes (20, 50 and 100 THB). Boat vendors cannot break 1,000 THB notes and rarely take cards or mobile payments.
A hat seller’s boat on the canal. Photo: No(0)GoodNamesLeft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to get to Damnoen Saduak
Public minivan from Bangkok
Air-conditioned 14-seat minivans leave the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai):
- Fare: 80 THB to 100 THB one way.
- Journey: roughly 90 to 120 minutes, depending on expressway traffic.
- Drop-off: at the bus stop on Highway 325 near the canal turn-off. Walk 1 kilometre along the canal road into the market, or take a motorcycle taxi for 20 THB.
Ordinary buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal about every 40 minutes from 06:00 and take around 2 hours (Wikivoyage). Minivans also leave the van terminal opposite Mo Chit 2 (Northern Bus Terminal) from 06:00.
Combining with Maeklong Railway Market
Damnoen Saduak and the Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songkhram are easy to join:
- Finish at Damnoen Saduak by 09:30.
- Walk to the main-road bridge and board a blue songthaew (a pick-up truck with bench seats) marked for Samut Songkhram or Maeklong.
- The ride costs 25 THB and takes 25 minutes.
- Get off at the Samut Songkhram market terminus, two minutes’ walk from the tracks, in time for the 11:10 train arrival and 11:30 departure.
Doing it yourself or on a tour: the prices side by side
There is no entry ticket at Damnoen Saduak; the costs are the transport and the boat. Independent prices are the typical figures above; GetYourGuide prices are each product’s lowest “from” price.
| What you want | On your own | On GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there and back | 160 THB to 200 THB by minivan | Air-conditioned transport included |
| A boat | 150 THB to 200 THB a person shared; 500 THB to 800 THB a paddle boat | Paddle or longtail boat included, from ฿792 |
| A guide | None | English-speaking guide included |
| Maeklong railway market too | About 25 THB by songthaew | Included in the ฿799 tour |
| The whole day, one person | About 300 THB to 400 THB, plus food | From ฿799, plus food |
Going alone is about 400 THB cheaper, but it needs an early start (about 05:45 from central Bangkok for the first minivan) and a change of transport for Maeklong. The tour is the easier day, and it works well for one or two people.
For the general scam advice, see is Bangkok safe. For other excursions, see Day trips from Bangkok.
Common questions
How much does a boat ride cost at Damnoen Saduak?
Typically 500 THB to 800 THB for a hand-paddled boat that seats 2 to 4, 150 THB to 200 THB a person on a shared motorised longtail, and 1,500 THB to 2,000 THB for a private longtail. Agree the price, and whether it is per boat or per person, before you board; boats hired at the roadside piers before the market often quote 1,000 THB or more.
What time should I arrive at Damnoen Saduak?
Arrive between 07:30 and 08:30. The canals are busiest between 07:30 and 10:00 and the water is calmer early. Tour coaches from Bangkok arrive from about 09:00 and the canals jam until late morning.
Is Damnoen Saduak free to enter without a boat?
Yes. Walking into the covered market and along the canal-side boardwalks is free. You can watch the boats from the pedestrian bridges and buy food from vendors without hiring a boat.
Can I combine Damnoen Saduak with Maeklong Railway Market?
Yes. The two markets are roughly 20 km apart. Local blue songthaews (shared pick-up trucks) leave the Damnoen Saduak bus stop for Samut Songkhram for about 25 THB, taking 25 minutes. Tours combine both markets from 687 THB on GetYourGuide.
Is a Damnoen Saduak tour worth it?
For one or two people, usually. A tour covering Damnoen Saduak and the Maeklong railway market is from 799 THB with transport, a guide and a paddle boat, against about 300 THB to 400 THB for the minivan and a shared boat on your own, with an early start and no Maeklong.
