MARKET BOAT & RIVER TOURS
The Mekong and the Chao Phraya both sell from the water, and the market is only half the trip. These 15 are compared on time actually spent on the boat, the size of the craft and what the ticket includes.
Travel from Bangkok to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market with guides such as Sam, Jenny, Jeed, or Tammy. Ride a traditional boat through the canals, sample Thai snacks, shop the stalls, and watch a train pass inches from market awnings.
“Our guide was really nice and well informed. It’s worth the money”
Spend about 4.5 hours combining Hoi An Market, a bamboo basket boat ride, net fishing, and a hands-on cooking lesson. Guides such as Hai, Lily, Ly, and Phuong lead the class, where you prepare four Vietnamese dishes, eat well, and receive recipes to use at home.
“Great value morning activity. Enjoyed the round boat ride. Lots of boats lots of colour and photo opportunities. The market walk was interesting but the cooking class was the highlight with lots of tips to use back home. Lovely food and plenty of it. Don’t eat a large breakfast. Lily was an amazing teacher.”
Meet your guide at the Ivegan shop, visit a Hoi An market, bargain for local ingredients, then ride a bamboo basket boat through water coconut palms. Finish with a hands-on class making dishes such as bánh xèo, bánh cuốn, phở, and chè. Guides may include Anna, Thao, Linh, or Thuy.
“Excellent. Cooked 4 different dishes & very glad I skipped lunch tasting it all. Tried different things”
Spend 4.5 hours with guides such as Tram or Sonny visiting a local market, learning to choose Vietnamese produce, riding a bamboo basket boat in Bay Mau Coconut Forest, catching crabs, and cooking a shared meal. Hotel pickup in Hoi An, recipes, safety gear, and lunch or dinner are included.
“Our family loved making and eating delicious food together following the instructions of our fantastic chefs.”
Meet your licensed guide at Arabian Tea House in Al Fahidi for a small-group walk through old houses, souks, spice stalls, and Dubai’s early story. You’ll taste Arabic coffee, saffron tea, dates, sweets, and other local treats, then cross the Creek by traditional abra boat.
“Friendly and informative guide - thanks, Abdul for a great introduction to Dubai!”
Start with a guided market visit in Hoi An, then fish from a traditional Vietnamese basket boat through the Bay Mau coconut forest. Back at the family restaurant, a chef leads a two-hour Vietnamese cooking class. Hotel pickup, food, tea, water, and return transport in Hoi An are included.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to see the local market, enjoy a ride in a traditional boat and spend some time preparing and savouring some local food. Our hosts were lovely and friendly and we had the best time exploroing Hoi An's delights with them. We even got to try our luck in fishing and caught a crab!”
Start at 6:45 am with noodle soup and coffee at Cai Rang Floating Market, then cruise narrow Mekong canals, visit a four-decade-old noodle village, and sample handmade cocoa at Muoi Cuong Farm. Guides include Sasa, David, Vy, Lam, and others.
“Lam, our tour guide was great! He is very knowledgeable about the area and answered all our questions.”
Meet near Arabian Tea House for a 2.5-hour guided walk through Al Seef, Al Fahidi, the Creek, Old Souk, Spice Souk, and Gold Souk. Expect an abra ride, spice samples, chocolate, tea or coffee, and practical shopping advice. Guides may include Anis, Cindy, Mustafa, or Ahmed.
“Excelent experience. The guide was very nice and friendly, was very easy and comfortable to chat with her and to enjoy our time together.”
Spend seven hours cruising the Manavgat River from Side, with hotel pickup, a swim at Cennet Beach, grilled fish or chicken lunch, optional waterfall visit, and 2.5 hours at Manavgat Grand Bazaar. Guides speak English, German, Russian, and Turkish.
“Our trip was amazing. Exactly as they describe it. We were a family of six and it was very nice as a family trip. We danced to turkish music on the boat and our guide Kadir is seriously the best guide ever with the best mood also so funny and nice 😂😊 made us laugh and have fun, with his wife (I assume). Our bus driver was funny as well dancing and making us laugh a lot on the way. We had a great experience!”
Start at 6:45 AM with a small group of up to eight at An Binh Market. Eat breakfast on the river, visit Cai Rang Floating Market, cruise quiet canals, make noodles, and taste handmade cocoa and Mekong fruit with an English-speaking local guide such as Sasa, Hannah, Clara, or Lam.
“our guide, Ngoc Bich was awesome, she's very helpful, patient and we enjoyed our time with her. good itinerary.”
Spend four hours beyond Hoi An’s Old Town with a market visit, Thu Bon River cruise, Bay Mau basket boat ride, buffalo cart, herbal foot soak, and hands-on cooking. Guides such as Hung, Nhu, and Bé lead you through four Vietnamese dishes, with vegetarian options available.
“We had such a fun time doing the cooking classes and the food we made was so delicious!! The class was fun and easy to follow! I enjoyed the marker and boat ride as well! We left full and happy!”
Travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya in a small group of up to 22, with temple admission, an English-speaking guide, and a shared traditional boat ride. You visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkol and Wat Mahathat, view riverside sites, and finish with sunset views. Guides may include Johnny, Nina, Ken, or Gill.
“Our group was nice and small, 15 people. Johnny, our guide had a good sense of humor and knowledgeable, explaining clearly about the sites and the history behind each. Boat ride was a nice treat at the end and enjoyed a nice Thai dinner to end the tour.”
Spend 5 to 6 hours cruising the Manavgat River, swimming where river meets sea, eating lunch aboard a comfortable boat, visiting Manavgat Waterfall, and shopping at the city’s large bazaar. Pickup is available from Side, Alanya, Belek, Okurcalar, and Konaklı, with guides in six languages.
“This trip was good value for money given the transfers, boat trip, access to the boat and it’s amenities, semi-private beach and unlimited soft drinks whilst on boards …. And a delicious lunch. We were collected from our hotel right on time and collected others en-route to the boat (approx 35mins on bus). The boat boarding was slick and we were given wrist bands to highlight if we were drinks included and also waterfall access. (You could choose this as an add on later on the boat bar if not already pre-booked) we quickly set sail up (or down/not sure) the river and a tannoy annnouncement explained the schedule. We…”
You’ll ride a 45-passenger wooden boat along the Manavgat River, watch for turtles, eat fish or chicken with salads and pasta, swim at the river mouth, then visit the waterfall, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar. English and German guidance is provided.
“Heel chaotische organisatie Geen gids met uitleg Bussen zonder airco We voelden ons als vee behandeld Waterval die niets voorstelde voor 5 euro pp en we mochten maar 25 minuten in de buurt blijven Kortom, absoluut niet het geld waard.”
Cook four Vietnamese dishes in an open-air kitchen inside Bay Mau coconut forest. Depending on your option, you’ll visit a local market, choose ingredients, and ride a bamboo basket boat. Guides such as Trang, Mo, Kieu, and Hon explain each step in clear English.
“Great morning with activities and cooking class. We were a big group (15) with lots of kids. We started in markets picking up the food we were going to cook. The kids loved the coconut basket boats. This part was worth adding, especially if you have kids. The cooking class was awesome as they are dishes that you can cook at home. Delicious! This is actually the second time we have done this activity. Such lovely and friendly people.”
Pick a kind of market, or the hour of the day you want to be standing in one.
