08:30, 11:10, 14:30, 17:40Train arrivals at Mae Klong (timetable as of January 2026)
06:20, 09:00, 11:30, 15:30Train departures from Mae Klong
About 1 hTrain ride between Ban Laem and Mae Klong
FreeEntry to the railway market
How the day runs
Most tours collect you in central Bangkok between about 06:30 and 07:00. The drive to Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi province, about 100 km southwest of the city, takes 1.5 to 2 hours. There a boat takes you through the canals to the market, and you have time on foot along the water before the bus moves on to Mae Klong in Samut Songkhram. The full-day tours list 7 to 8.5 hours in total. The order is not fixed. The tour from Samyan Mitrtown goes to Maeklong first on its 06:30 and 08:30 starts and to Damnoen Saduak first on the 10:00 start. The Bigcountry tour from River City starts with Maeklong and goes on to the floating market, about 1.5 hours by road each way to and from Bangkok.
Train times at the Maeklong market
The line from Ban Laem to Mae Klong carries a handful of local trains in each direction, and the ride takes about an hour. According to the timetable on rail-thailand (last updated 6 January 2026), confirmed by a travel site that checked State Railway of Thailand data on 1 October 2026, trains arrive at Mae Klong at 08:30, 11:10, 14:30 and 17:40 (trains 4381, 4383, 4385 and 4387) and leave again at 06:20, 09:00, 11:30 and 15:30. Older websites list different afternoon times, so rely on a current source. The State Railway of Thailand publishes the timetable at ttsview.railway.co.th and answers on its hotline 1690.
The 11:10 arrival draws the biggest crowd; the 08:30 train is quieter. The stalls themselves are open from about 06:00 to 18:00, and entry is free.
Watching the train or riding it
Most tours stop at the market so that you can see a train pass through. A ride on the train into the market is a different thing and only some tours include it. Of the tours on this page, only the one from Samyan Mitrtown lists the ride, about an hour on the local train to Mae Klong. The Bigcountry tour from River City stops so that you can watch the train. Another listing notes that its 07:00 departure does not include the train, so read the option before you book.
Why the tours leave so early
Damnoen Saduak is a morning market. Most sources give roughly 07:00 to 12:00, and many vendors pack up around midday. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also describes it as closing in the late morning. Tour coaches arrive from about 9 o'clock, and from then on the boats queue in the canals. Leaving Bangkok at 06:30 or 07:00 puts you on the water before the busiest hour and still gets you to Maeklong in time for a late-morning train. The price is a long day: reviews mention the early pickup, the drive and traffic on the way back.
The boat ride through the canals
Tours include a boat ride through the canals at Damnoen Saduak, listed at 30 to 45 minutes. The listings do not agree on the boat: the same Headout day tour is described once as a longtail motorboat and once as an electric boat, the Bigcountry tours use a paddle boat, and the tour from Samyan Mitrtown names a longtail motorboat of 40 to 45 minutes. What the tours often do not include is a slower rowing boat inside the market itself, which is paid at the pier. You cannot row yourself; the Tourism Authority of Thailand notes the canal is too crowded for that. If you take a rowing boat, agree on the price before you get in. More on the boat ride.
What to check before you book
- Train ride or not: if you want to sit on the train, the listing has to say so. On this page only the tour from Samyan Mitrtown does.
- Where you are picked up: the Headout full-day tour collects from hotels in a list of central districts, the Bigcountry tour starts at River City Bangkok and can end at King Power Mahanakhon near BTS Chong Nonsi, and the train-ride tour starts at Samyan Mitrtown.
- Which day: tours that go to Amphawa instead of Damnoen Saduak run only from Friday to Sunday.
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before on the Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong tours, up to 48 hours on the Amphawa tour from Siam Paragon. If you miss the departure of the train-ride tour, there is no refund.
- Time at each stop: some reviews find the time at the markets short, others mention waiting between two trains at Maeklong.
- Shopping: both markets are aimed at visitors, with souvenir stalls and vendors who approach you; bargaining is normal on the floating market.
