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Private or shared

Private or small-group tours to Damnoen Saduak

Most Damnoen Saduak tours are sold both ways. The shared departure leaves from a meeting point in Bangkok, the private one collects you at your hotel and runs on your own schedule.

The short answer

Take a private tour to Damnoen Saduak if you want hotel pickup anywhere in the covered districts and a car only for your group; take a shared or small-group tour if a meeting point such as Central World or River City is easy to reach. The Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong full-day tour on this page offers both, and the pickup districts are the same for the shared and the private option with hotel pickup.

Tours on this page
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market full-day guided tour
Operator not named · 7 to 8.5 hours Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market full-day guided tour
★ 4.7 (635) from €25
Book now
Damnoen Floating Market and Train Market private tour
Progress Ultimate Tour · 1 day Damnoen Floating Market and Train Market private tour
★ 4.5 (75) from €104
Book now
Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Market
Bigcountry Experience · 7.5 hours Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Market
★ 4.6 (29,496) from €21
Book now
Compare all options on this page

The difference between private and shared is mostly logistics: who else is in the vehicle, where you get in and how much say you have over the pace at the market. Both kinds leave Bangkok early, because the floating market is busiest after about 9 o'clock.

Shared and private tours side by side

Sorted by number of reviews. "Not stated" means the listing does not say.

Photo Tour Markets and stopsGroup typeStart and pickupDurationBoat ride included Reviews ↕ Price ↕ Book
Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Market Bigcountry Experience Maeklong, Damnoen Saduak Small group up to 12, or private River City Bangkok, or hotel pickup by option 7.5 h Paddle boat into the market ★ 4.6 (29,496) €21 per person Book now
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market guided tour Bigcountry Experience Damnoen Saduak only Private group Hotels in Sathon, Silom, Ratchathewi, Khlong Toei, Phra Nakhon 6 h Paddle boat to the market, about 15 min ★ 4.4 (2,026) €101 per person Book now
Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Railway Market full day Operator not named Damnoen Saduak, Maeklong Shared from Central World, shared with hotel pickup, or private with hotel pickup Hotels in Sathorn, Silom, Siam, Pratunam, Ratchathewi, Khao San Road, Charoenkrung, Sukhumvit Soi 1–39 and 2–24 7–8.5 h Yes, about 40 min through the canals ★ 4.7 (635) €25 per person Book now
Damnoen Floating Market and Train Market private tour Progress Ultimate Tour Maeklong, Damnoen Saduak Private car and guide Hotel lobby in Bangkok 1 day, no hours given Private motor or electric boat, 1 h ★ 4.5 (75) €104 per person Book now

Prices and ratings come live from GetYourGuide and Headout; a rowing boat inside the floating market is often not part of the tour price and is paid at the pier.

Private and shared tours in detail

Open a card for pickup areas, boat ride, guide languages and cancellation terms as the listing gives them.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market full-day guided tour
Operator not named

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market full-day guided tour

Shared from Central World, shared with hotel pickup or private with hotel pickup. Guide in English and Chinese.

  • Duration: 7 to 8.5 hours
  • Language: English, Chinese
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €25 ★ 4.7 (635 reviews)
Book now
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market in one day
  • Boat ride through the canals at Damnoen Saduak
  • Shared from Central World, shared with hotel pickup, or private

About this tour

A full day out of Bangkok to the floating market at Damnoen Saduak and the railway market at Maeklong, with a guide and an air-conditioned vehicle. At Damnoen Saduak the tour includes a boat ride through the canals, which the listing gives as about 40 minutes.

You choose between three options when booking: a shared tour from the meeting point at Central World (Hug Thai Zone), a shared tour with hotel pickup, or a private tour with hotel pickup. Hotel pickup covers Sathorn, Silom, Siam, Pratunam, Ratchathewi, Khao San Road, Charoenkrung and Sukhumvit Soi 1 to 39 and 2 to 24.

What's included

  • Guide in English and Chinese
  • Boat ride at Damnoen Saduak (about 40 minutes, per the listing)
  • Visit to the Maeklong Railway Market
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Drinking water

Meeting point and pickup

Shared option: Central World, Hug Thai Zone. Hotel pickup options: hotels in Sathorn, Silom, Siam, Pratunam, Ratchathewi, Khao San Road, Charoenkrung and Sukhumvit Soi 1 to 39 and 2 to 24.

Know before you go

  • The listing gives no departure time; check it in your booking confirmation.
  • A ride on the train into the market is not listed as part of the tour.
  • Book now, pay later is available.

Taken from the tour listing on the booking platform. Pickup areas and boat times can differ by option, so check the option you book.

Damnoen Floating Market and Train Market private tour
Progress Ultimate Tour

Damnoen Floating Market and Train Market private tour

Private car and guide from your hotel lobby, the train at Maeklong and an hour on a private boat to the floating market.

  • Duration: 1 day
  • Language: English
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €104 ★ 4.5 (75 reviews)
Book now
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Private car and guide
  • Maeklong Railway Market as a train passes through
  • One hour on a private boat to the Damnoen Saduak market

About this tour

A private tour with your own car and guide, starting from your hotel lobby in Bangkok. About 1.5 hours by car to the Maeklong Railway Market to see the train, then 30 minutes by car to the canals. A private motor or electric boat takes you an hour through the canals to the Damnoen Saduak market, where you can shop and buy food from the boats. The drive back takes about 1.5 hours.

What's included

  • Private car
  • Guide
  • Train viewing at Maeklong
  • Private boat, 1 hour
  • Hotel pickup
  • Drinking water
  • Insurance

Not included

  • Lunch
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips

Meeting point and pickup

Pickup from your hotel lobby in Bangkok.

Know before you go

  • The listing gives the length as one day, without hours.
  • No refund for a late arrival or a no-show.

Not suitable for

  • People with reduced mobility
  • Wheelchair users

Taken from the tour listing on the booking platform. Pickup areas and boat times can differ by option, so check the option you book.

Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Market
Bigcountry Experience

Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Market

Small group of up to 12 or private, from River City or with hotel pickup. Guide in English, German or Japanese.

  • Duration: 7.5 hours
  • Language: English, German, Japanese
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €21 ★ 4.6 (29,496 reviews)
Book now
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Maeklong Railway Market as a train passes through
  • Paddle boat into the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
  • Small group of up to 12, or private

About this tour

About 1.5 hours by bus to Maeklong, where you watch a train pass through the railway market; a ride on the train is not part of the programme. The tour then goes on to Damnoen Saduak, where a paddle boat takes you into the floating market, and back to Bangkok by bus, again about 1.5 hours.

You meet at the main entrance of River City Bangkok or book hotel pickup as an option. The return can also end at King Power Mahanakhon by BTS Chong Nonsi. The tour runs as a small group of up to 12 or as a private tour.

What's included

  • English-speaking guide
  • Paddle boat into the floating market
  • Air-conditioned transport
  • Drinking water

Not included

  • Lunch
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips
  • Train ride (you watch the train at the market)

Meeting point and pickup

River City Bangkok, main entrance. Hotel pickup as an option. Drop-off at River City or at King Power Mahanakhon (BTS Chong Nonsi).

Know before you go

  • Departures from River City at 06:30, 09:00 and 10:30; with hotel pickup at 05:50, 08:00 and 09:00.
  • Back in Bangkok at about 13:30, 15:30 to 16:00 or 17:00, depending on the departure.

Not suitable for

  • People with reduced mobility

Taken from the tour listing on the booking platform. Pickup areas and boat times can differ by option, so check the option you book.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market guided tour
Bigcountry Experience

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market guided tour

Damnoen Saduak only, as a private group with hotel pickup. Palm sugar stop and a paddle boat through the canals to the market.

  • Duration: 6 hours
  • Language: English, Thai
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €101 ★ 4.4 (2,026 reviews)
Book now
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Damnoen Saduak Floating Market only
  • Palm sugar making at a coconut plantation
  • Paddle boat through the canals to the market

About this tour

A shorter trip that only goes to Damnoen Saduak, without the railway market, sold as a private group. After about 1.5 hours by van you stop at a coconut plantation where palm sugar is made. A paddle boat then takes you about 15 minutes through the canals to the market, where you have about an hour before the 1.5-hour drive back.

The boat ride on the market itself is not included. Traders on site sell it, for 25 to 30 minutes according to the provider.

What's included

  • Transport
  • Paddle boat to the market
  • English-speaking guide
  • Hotel pickup (option)
  • Drinking water
  • Insurance

Not included

  • Boat ride on the market (sold on site)
  • Lunch
  • Tips

Meeting point and pickup

Hotel pickup in Sathon, Ratchathewi, Khlong Toei, Silom and Phra Nakhon.

Know before you go

  • Back in Bangkok between 13:30 and 14:00.

Not suitable for

  • People with reduced mobility

Taken from the tour listing on the booking platform. Pickup areas and boat times can differ by option, so check the option you book.

What a private tour changes

On the Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong full-day tour you choose between three options when booking: shared from the meeting point at Central World (Hug Thai Zone), shared with hotel pickup, or private with hotel pickup. According to the listing, the private option uses a car for groups of 1 to 4 and a van for 5 to 9. Hotel pickup on both kinds covers Sathorn, Silom, Siam, Pratunam, Ratchathewi, Khao San Road, Charoenkrung and Sukhumvit Soi 1 to 39 and 2 to 24. A hotel further out, for example beyond those Sukhumvit sois, means making your own way to Central World.

A private tour does not give you the market to yourself. The canal fills with boats from about 9 o'clock whichever way you arrive, and the boat ride through the canals is the same.

Guide or driver on a private tour

Private is not always guided. The private option of the Friday-to-Sunday Amphawa tour has a driver speaking English or Thai and no guide, and it picks up only on Khao San Road or around Siam Square. More on that tour in the Amphawa tours.

The separate private tour of both markets on this page uses a private car with a guide speaking English and collects you from your hotel lobby. It stops at Maeklong to see the train, then gives you an hour on a private motor or electric boat through the canals to Damnoen Saduak. The listing gives its length only as one day. The half-day tour to Damnoen Saduak only is sold as a private group too, with hotel pickup in Sathon, Silom, Ratchathewi, Khlong Toei and Phra Nakhon, a stop where palm sugar is made and a paddle boat through the canals to the market. You are back in Bangkok between 13:30 and 14:00.

Shared departures from a meeting point

The shared tours start at fixed points in central Bangkok: Central World for the full-day tour above, River City Bangkok for the Bigcountry day tour, Samyan Mitrtown for the tour with the train ride, MBK Center for the Wat Bang Kung tour to Amphawa, and Siam Paragon Gate 1 for the weekend tour to Amphawa. The Bigcountry tour from River City keeps its small groups to 12 people and can also be booked private; the tour from Samyan Mitrtown takes groups of up to 34.

What to check before you book

  • Your district. Hotel pickup only covers the districts the listing names.
  • Guide or driver. Check that the private option includes a guide.
  • Group size. For larger groups, check that the option offers a van.
  • Price basis. Private tours are often priced per group, shared ones per person; the booking page shows which.

Guests on the private and small-group tours

Each card names its tour. The full-day tour sells shared and private options together, and its reviews do not say which one the guest booked. The three-star review of the private car tour describes a guide who acted more as a driver, speeding to reach the train time and tired on the way back; the three-star review of the half-day tour mentions a last-minute change of itinerary. The German review is translated.

“We had the most wonderful experience on the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market tour, all thanks to our amazing guide, Lin. She was truly the sweetest—warm, friendly, and full of insight. Throughout the journey, she taught us so much about Thai culture and language in the most engaging way. Lin went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and even took us to the best spot to catch the train passing through Maeklong Market. […]”
mihika · India · July 2025 Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong private tour by car
“Would’ve like to spend a bit more time in the markets but the tour guide was great at getting us front to see the train passing through the market”
Brian · Netherlands · February 2026 Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong private tour by car
“Guide was more a driver, just dropping us at each place for us to figure out what to do on our own. Poor safety while driving - due to short interval to reach the train time, the driver went over speed for multiple times. When coming back, driver was at the edge of falling asleep, having to stop for coffee to keep awake.”
Verified traveller · Finland · January 2025 Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong private tour by car
“We loved this tour! They stopped at a coconut farm on the way to the floating markets, which was super interesting to see. All five of us really enjoyed the guide, the boat ride, and the coconut farm. Victor was our guide, and he was great!”
Patti · United States · January 2026 Damnoen Saduak half-day tour, private group
“Our itinerary was changed last minute however our guide was excellent”
Verified traveller · United Kingdom · January 2026 Damnoen Saduak half-day tour, private group
“Absolutely top tier day out !!! Really enjoyed the train markets experience and the river market was unbelievable… never thought I’d ever get to experience this! Grace our guide was incredibly helpful. […]”
Tracy · United Kingdom · October 2026 Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Railway Market, from River City
“Brilliant experience, well worth the trip out of Bangkok. Our guide Kat was amazing and took us to all the best bits. She also recommended a brilliant and cheap Thai place for lunch on the floating markets where we had the best Tom Yam soup and seafood. Everything went very smoothly from pick up to drop off. Will definitely use Headout again.”
Alexandra · May 2026 Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Railway Market full-day tour
“Everything went perfectly, from the pickup to the drive to the train market and on to the floating market”
Matthias · October 2026 · translated review Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Railway Market full-day tour

Reviews written by guests after their day trip, as shown on Headout and GetYourGuide, each under the tour it was written for. Shortened reviews are marked […].

FAQ

Which districts does hotel pickup cover?

On the Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong full-day tour: Sathorn, Silom, Siam, Pratunam, Ratchathewi, Khao San Road, Charoenkrung and Sukhumvit Soi 1 to 39 and 2 to 24. Outside those areas you use the meeting point at Central World.

How many people fit on a private tour?

According to the listing, the private option of the full-day tour uses a car for 1 to 4 people and a van for 5 to 9.

Is every private tour guided?

No. The private option of the Friday-to-Sunday Amphawa tour comes with a driver but no guide. The private car tour of both markets lists a guide speaking English.

How small is a small group?

The Bigcountry tour from River City takes up to 12 people in its small groups. The tour with the train ride from Samyan Mitrtown takes up to 34 on its group tour and offers a small group as an option.

Will a private tour avoid the crowds at the market?

Not at the market itself. The canal gets busy from about 9 o'clock when the tour coaches arrive, whichever way you travel.

Related on this site

With the Maeklong Railway Market

How the two markets fit into one day, with train times.

Going without a tour

Minivan or bus from the Southern Bus Terminal, and the piers to avoid.

Prices

Live prices of every day trip on this site.

Compare every day trip

Half day, full day, Amphawa and combinations in one table.

See the comparison