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Bangkok Old Town Walking Tour
This Bangkok Old Town walking tour starts at the Tha Chang Pier on the Chao Phraya River, which can be conveniently reached by way of one of the river boat services. It then winds through what’s known as Bangkok’s Old Town, or Rattanakosin Island. If you look on a map, you will see why it’s called an island. On the west is the river, and on the east, it is bounded by three canal systems, each larger than the last, in almost concentric rings. The innermost canal sits close to the Grand Palace. The second, known as Khlong Bang Lamphu in the north and Khlong Ong Ang in the south, runs from the river back to the river again. This will form the eastern boundary of the walk.
Along the Way
At the start, you’ll pass the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang, a vast open area once used for royal cremations and ceremonies. From there, you wander past beautiful old shophouses and buildings. Many of these now house small local cafés and businesses, the kind that look like they’re run out of people’s front rooms, and probably are.
If you are interested, my photography portfolio has more images from around Bangkok.
Further along, a quiet canal leads you to a local market, a couple of hidden cafés, and very old wooden houses. A few minutes walk takes you to the fascinating sight of a “market” of lottery ticket vendors. You might be surprised at how much money changes hands here! With a short detour slightly further along the canal, you can also take in the Democracy Monument if you wish. Returning to the canal and alleys finally leads you to Mahakan Fort and Park, the Golden Mount (Wat Saket), and Phan Fa Leelard Pier, from where you can catch a canal taxi back to the city centre. This is a high-speed ride and a lot of fun.
As you’ll see from the map, I didn’t actually climb the Golden Mount this time. My excuse was that I’d already made it to the top on a previous visit, though if I’m honest, those 300 or so steps were part of it too. It is well worth the effort though if you haven’t done it before. The views over Bangkok’s old town and the route you’ve just followed are hard to beat. Entrance is 100 THB. The total walking distance for the route is about 4km.
Highlights
Superscripts indicate highlights on the map.
- Bangkok Old Town1
- Rosirin cafe and restaurant2
- Canal path3
- Lottery vendor’s market4
- Democracy Monument5
- Baan Jiam cafe6
- Mahakan Fort and Park7
- Golden Mount8
Directions
Map
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Route Waypoints
Click the Detailed Guide button below for a PDF file with turn-by-turn directions and photographs.
Bangkok Old Town
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Wrapping Up
This route takes you from the Chao Phraya River, past the tourist hotspot of the Grand Palace, into the backstreets of Bangkok’s old town, and along a little visited canal to another tourist highlight, the Golden Mount. To finish off, there is a ride on the canal taxi. This walk probably has more variety than any other on this site, and I hope you enjoy it.
Bangkok Old Town Walking Tour FAQ
In terms of location, yes, it could. However, to do justice to a visit to the Grand Palace, you would really need to spend around half a day there. You would have plenty of time to do both, but it might be a bit tiring. There is also the matter of dress code. For the Grand Palace, you would need to dress more conservatively and cover up more than you would probably want to for a walk.
Yes. The entrance fee for foreigners is 100 THB.
Yes, I would say so. It’s the only high ground in Bangkok, and by looking west from the top, you will have a view of the entire route.
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