Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya River
4
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
About
This scenic river, flowing through the heart of Bangkok, offers convenient boat transportation and sightseeing cruises since many of the major city attractions are easily accessible from various points along this waterway.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Neighborhood: Riverside
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  • Curiosity50327388996
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing
    The Chao Phraya River is a beautiful river. and is the widest and longest in Bangkok and is an important river in the heart of the city. Traveling is very convenient. The view in the evening when the sun sets is even more beautiful.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 5, 2023
  • Darren S
    28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best way to see the sights
    Great way to see the sights along the river. Very cheap and simple to use with around 13 different hop on hop off stations. Don’t expect perfect timekeeping mind! So sad to see the river so polluted with it absolutely teaming with plastic bottles, bags, dead fish, timber - can’t imagine there’s much life in there.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 29, 2024
  • Karoli24
    673 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cheap sightseeing trip
    This time I used the Chao Phraya express ferry during sundown. I was going from Saphang Taksin to Wat Arun and later from there to the opposite side to the great palace. During that time the ships have an open deck and you can make pretty pictures. The tour is really interesting and you can see several of Bangkoks great sightseeings. The price of together 65 Bath is ridiculous cheap. I enjoyed this trip.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written March 2, 2024
  • tuco919
    Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina169 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Chao Phraya from Sukhumvit with stop at Khaosan Road
    From Sukhumvit area take BTS transfer at Siam and continue to Sampin Taksen. Take the public ferry, basically heading north. See the sights for 16 baht. Can’t beat it! Also it’s the only easy way to get to Khaosan road. Get off at Phra Arthur and it’s a ten minute walk.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written September 13, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles8,574 reviews
Excellent
3,601
Very good
3,290
Average
1,357
Poor
231
Terrible
95

chiangmaicharlies
Chiang Mai, Thailand5,611 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
My favourite way of seeing Bangkok City is to use the 'Chao Phraya river public service Boats'.

These public boats can take you from end to end for 15 baht or you can get off at any pier you wish. Great value. Look out for orange flags for best value, but there are a number of different options.

They run approximately from Pakkret in the north to Wat Rajsingkom in the south, with about 30 stops. These stops are often perfect for many tourist locations. Allow about one hour for the longest journeys.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DMCTZ
London, UK25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
This was the first thing we did in Bangkok after checking in to our hotel in Sukhumvit at about 5pm.

Best place to find a boat is Saphan Taksin - and easy to take the excellent BTS to get there. Despite doing some research it's a little confusing trying to work out which boat/line to take though. In the end we were too late to take the public boats so hired a private longboat from the first location (right outside the BTS station before you walk under the bridge to access the bigger pier). Cost quoted was 500B per person but we ended up paying 1700B for 5 of us for 1 hour and that allowed us to go all the way up to the Grand Palace and back.

We started our ride at about 6.15pm which meant we had 30mins before sunset and 30 mins to appreciate the city lit up. Amazing views and a great way to kick off a visit to Bangkok.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raj Blueheart
Kuantan, Malaysia172 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
The tour package includes leaving by bus from Bangkok to Ayutthaya in the morning, then returning by cruise boat back to the city. It was a 2.5-hour cruise, with lunch served right before moving. Lunch was buffet syle with Thai, Continental and Italian cuisine served. The lower deck is air-conditioned and comfortable after the hot tour of the ancient city. There are glass panels all around to see the sights along the river banks, but for an open-air experience, one could move to the upper deck. The upper deck is still covered, but the air feels hot, plus the sun's rays warms the seats and decks. On the upper deck, you could move all around to snap photos of traditional river houses, barges and boats moving along the river, or keep an eye out for famous landmarks. The tour guides explain the sites and what to look out for very clearly. Coffee and biscuits were also served around 3pm on the upper deck. It was a very enjoyable cruise, relaxing and a unique experience.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie6409
Auckland, New Zealand28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
This river dominates Bangkok and the best way to see it is on it. We took a night dinner cruise. The scenic part of it was lovely. Seeing the riverside temples lit up,magical. However, the " dinner" was buffet style which brings out the worst in people and the caberat/show a little stilted.
During the daytime the river is a fascinating highway and worthy of a long visit to a riverside cafe to watch the boat traffic .
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Omar_AV
Muscat, Oman64 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Bangkok is a city with long history of Buddhist traditions and South Asian culture. The historic quarter of city is located on the banks of Chao Phraya river. Spectacular temples, glorious Buddhist monasteries, local markets, museums and the Grand palace are on the side of the river, so a boat ride on Chao Phraya will be a great way to explore it. I was on a solo trip to Bangkok last December, the climate was sunny and comfortably warm, nice to have long and easy walks through the less crowded streets, temple courtyards, seeing local life and tasting yummy Thai dishes. I was staying at Rambuttri road, nearest point to catch the boat is from Phra Arthit Pier. Full day hop on hop off ticket will be a good option, costs around TBH 200. The boat have stops at all important places, and the temples/ markets are within walking distance from the stops- Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Grand place, China town, Flower market etc. . Before moving to the next destination Chiangmai - Phuket, this is a great way to enjoy the Bangkok. Cheers
Written July 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daniel Robinson
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I couldn't find the Hop On Hop Off boat tour here so I chose to review them here then. This is a massive and long river. I was at Tha Maharaj and took a hop on hop off boat tour. It was quite an experiences. In a good way. They will stop at specific pier on their itinerary and all of them are quite famous. Like Temple of Dawn. What I like the most was actually a place called Lhong 1919 which is an old Chinese architecture that has been renovated. A very unique place for photo and also interesting story. There are quite a few restaurants and cafes in there too. Another place worth checking out beside the usual tourist traps. We loved it.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JazzyPerth
Perth, Australia1,062 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
This river is the transport hub of Bangkok being used for River Cruises, public transportation and cargo.
We used the Hop on Hop off ferries exploring for km's each way and to get to all the places we wanted to go.
It's amazing sitting on the edge in a bar or restaurant at night time just watching the activities on the river... especially the Dragon Boast and so many Dinner Cruise boats.
It is very polluted but totally understand why but we watched the big 'Clean Up' boats sucking up all the rubbish.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HOOMAN
Tehran, Iran1,204 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019
The Chao Phraya (River of Kings) is the major river in Thailand, It's a 372 Kilometers long river which flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Chao Phraya River is the lifeblood of the city and a major transportation artery for a network of water taxis. The river is alive with traditional & cargo boats and passenger ferries. Many boat lines operate on the river & city's canals. You can escape from Bangkok's heavy traffic by using the water taxis as a transportation media. There is a one day ticket that you can use it unlimitedly. It's suitable for sailing through the river and getting to your destination in Bangkok. I went to Wat Arun and China town by these water taxis. Sailing through "Chao Phraya River" represents a complete landscape of the Thai capital. Most of Bangkok’s main attractions including Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew are accessible along the river. Sailing across the Chao Phraya is highly recommended.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

iolite85
Port Talbot, UK605 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Don’t go on wooden long boats you will be ripped off. Just use the public boat you can travel end to end for 15 baht each way and have the same experience.
It’s a good way to burn some time before a flight home or even use to get up and down Bangkok if you don’t want to use the underground trains.
The river is heavily polluted but there are some great views of the buildings and temples.
Be wary of “tuk tuk pimps” when you get off at certain tourists stops e.g the grand palace. Just continue to the palace and pay inside for your ticket. We weren’t scammed but heard of many who have been. Also Don’t be afraid of using the Grab app and get yourself a real taxi too good way to get about in an air conditioned vehicle if you know exactly where you’re going.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A N
Gillingham, Kent40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a good way of getting to different places by boat. We got the ‘hop on’ ‘hop off’ boat. It costs for single journey 60 baht (about £1.60). Was only 200 baht (about £5.34) for all day to use. This line was recommended by our guide we had.
It is polluted but was told gets cleared by big yellow boats daily up & down the river.
At the end of line (as per picture) the Asiatique is open only from 4.00/4.30pm till late but not all boats run till then.
The Iconsiam is great at night, all lit up.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CHAO PHRAYA RIVER (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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