Bangkok Flower Market Tour: Explore Thai Floral Artistry & Local Social Impact
4.5
13 Ratings
Yan Nawa
Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Thai floral artistry on our Bangkok Flower Market Tour. Discover the social impact of supporting local communities while learning English and earning income. Experience a hands-on workshop and explore the rich cultural heritage of Thailand.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • BTS Tourist Information Center - Saphan Taksin BTS - 8.30am Let’s meet at BTS Saphan Taksin Exit No.2 (toward Sathorn Pier). Welcome to a social impact tour in Bangkok!
  • Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market) - 8.50am Ride the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Yod Piman Pier. Have a short photo stop at Yod Piman River Walk (with a beautiful river scenery). We will go explore Pak Khlong Talad, the original and largest flower market of Bangkok with an extensive of produce selection. Many local florists visit this market in the early morning to buy fresh flowers in bulk to make floral handicraft. On the way, we will visit the Shrine of Somdet Boonma, one of the major founders of Krung Ratanakosin (or Bangkok, Thailand’s current capitol). You will see how Thai people use flower to pay respect to the revered person.
  • Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market) - 9.20am A mini floral handicraft workshop with a local lotus seller. You will learn how to fold Bua Luang (cone-shaped lotus) and Bua Chut (ball-shaped lotus). We will bring our folded lotuses to pay respect to a buddha image at Kalayanamitr Temple (our next destination). Paying respect to the lord Buddha is voluntary. You may not need to do so if you have religious restrictions.
  • Wat Kalayanamit Varamahavihara - 9.40am We will ride a ferry to Kalayanamitr Temple and have a short stop to feed fish at the pier in front of Kalayanamitr Temple. Thai people believe that feeding fish is a merit making which helps them to have a fertile and peaceful life. A bottle of Thai herbal drink is provided while waiting for the ferry.
  • Wat Kalayanamit Varamahavihara - 9.50am Enter into the Kalayanamitr Temple, the temple with a smoothing blend of Thai and Chinese Buddhism belief. You will pay respect to the Sam Por Kong (one of the largest golden buddha images in Bangkok). You will feel that your body is so small when compared to the size of this buddha image! You will see the beautiful mural painting about peony flower, the symbol of Chinese nation. You will see Thai people paying respect to the lord Buddha in Chinese tradition (by using Chinese incenses and candle sticks). You will ring the biggest bell of Bangkok, which Thai students ring it to pray for academic success!
  • Wat Kalayanamit Varamahavihara - 10.10am One-and-half hour of floral handicraft workshop with Thai local artisans in Kalayanamitr Temple. With a social enterprise in mind, we hire skillful floral artisans from Kudi Khow community, where many residents could not afford English language classes. The artisans will teach you how to make a beautiful jasmine garland (used to pay respect to the lord Buddha) and/or Bai Si (used to worship the celestial teacher to pray for the success in art and craft). To overcome the language barrier, our guide will be a translator between you and the artisans throughout the floral workshop. Moreover, we would be very appreciated if you could teach some basic English words to our floral artisans. Pls note that the types of floral handicraft are subject to change due to seasonal availability of flowers.
  • Kian An Keng Shrine - 11.40am Visit the Guanyin Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Thailand since King Taksin’s reign (230 years ago). This Guanyin statue is different from other shrines because mostly the Guanyin in other shrines are in standing position, but here the Guanyin is in sitting position. The Guanyin statue is made of wood carved and coated with gold. Thai people usually pray to the Guanyin to recover from diseases and illness.
  • Santa Cruz Church - 11.50am Let’s delve into the history of Portuguese people in Thailand. We will walk to Santa Cruz Church (also known as Kudi Chin) near Kalayanamitr Temple. The church was built when the King Taksin grants a portion of land to Portuguese people in Thailand to build a Roman Catholic church. It was the main Catholic church in Bangkok and served as the seat of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam until 1821, when Assumption Cathedral was completed. This place would be your nice photo taking spot!
  • Baan Kudichin Museum - 12.00pm (4.30pm) Visit the Baan Kudi Chin Museum, the learning place of local culture about history, religion, and food recipes of the Siam–Portuguese lineage who still lives in the area. You will have a chance to try Kudi Chin snack, whose recipe was invented by Miss Marie Guimar during the reign of the Great King Narai (300 years ago) and exclusively available in Kudi Chin area only. We will also have a fun talk with Thai locals here.
  • Yodpiman River Walk - 12.20pm We will cross a ferry returning to Yodpiman River Walk, Sathorn Pier, and BTS Saphan Taksin, respectively (expected arrival 12.50pm). Alternatively, you may enjoy a lunch at a lovely restaurant in Yodpiman River Walk and return to the BTS Saphan Taksin yourself. Thank for letting us serving you.
What's Included
  • Tickets to Chao Phraya Express Boat and Ferry Boat.
  • Admission to Baan Kudi Chin Museum (Museum closed on Monday).
  • Professional licensed guide in English or Spanish.
  • Thai lotus folding workshop with a local seller.
  • Thai garland workshop with Thai artisans.
  • Travel accident insurance included.
  • Augmented Reality experience, accessible via mobile device.
What's Not Included
  • [Meeting point option] No hotel transfer & a private vehicle
  • Lunch.
Additional Information

Our excursion is aimed at positively influencing local societies. We employ talented local flower artisans, particularly from communities where English language instruction is not usually affordable. By sharing their craft with travelers, our artisans gain valuable English-language practice and earn money. Meanwhile, our workshop provides a hands-on experience where you will thread numerous fragrant Thai jasmine flowers onto a skewer, a rather complex task that requires keeping the flowers properly aligned on the skewer.

Key aspects of our tour include:

  1. Exploring the wide selection of flowers at the local market.
  2. Trying your hand at folding lotus flowers with a local vendor.
  3. Taking in the serene mix of Thai and Chinese Buddhism at the Kalayanamitr Temple.
  4. Engaging in a 90-minute flower arrangement workshop (Garland & Bai Si) led by gifted Thai artisans.
  5. Touring the Baan Kudi Chin Museum which provides insightful history on the lineage of Siam–Portuguese.

*. Post-booking, you will gain access to our innovative augmented reality (AR) content.

  • Not recommended for travelers with walking difficulty.
Location
BTS Saphan Taksin
Meet us at BTS Saphan Taksin Exit No.2 (Toward Sathorn Pier)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(13 Ratings)
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Sarah_c
Mar 30, 2024
Wonderful wholesome tour - A wonderful tour around the flower market and quiet temples. Our guide Nina was fantastic and adapted the tour to meet our needs (extra stops for ice cream and cold drinks). The friendly flower sellers made the trip really special. We highly recommend this visit for a less touristy look at Bangkok. Our daughters 9 and 11 loved it too.
Review provided by Viator
Jamie_l
Nov 25, 2023
Pungent Jasmine flowers in the market - The tour starts off at the bottom of the stairs of a BTS stop by the river. You meet up with the guide and walk over to the river taxi spot before hopping on the river taxi to go up river to the stop by the flower markets. The river was breezy and the guide provides some information about the city as you go. At the flower markets, we made the buddhist garland and folded lotus petals. From the market, you take a tuk tuk to an old Chinese influenced temple. You can offer your garlands and lotus to the temple or keep them. I got to ring the big bell outside the temple which was fun. After the temple, you walk along some alleyways to go to the Portuguese settlement museum. We relaxed in the gift shop area over some cold drinks to cool off before heading up into the museum. After exploring that, we headed over to the Portuguese Catholic Church. As it wasn't Sunday, we couldn't go inside, but it was neat to see from the outside. From there, we took a taxi to the Icon Siam mall. The guide gave options of either going back to the starting point via boat or showing you where to catch the train. I stayed at the mall to have some food before wandering around and then catching the train back into central bangkok. Very lovely little tour.
Review provided by Viator
Joana_c
Apr 2, 2023
Peaceful and Delightful - Wonderful calm experience. Nine was my guide, I ha a lovely time learning how to make the garlands for offering to Budha. Then a lovely temple and a walk in the very nice portuguese community neigbirhood. It was great to take a break from busy Bangkok!
Review provided by Viator
Mamazills
Jul 4, 2022
A Photographer's Feast at the Flower Market - I enjoyed my tour of the flower market and temples with Lin so much! It was just the two of us, and Lin was so nice to be with. The flower market was jaw-dropping. Lin arranged for me to learn to make one of the common flower decorations that are often given as offerings at temples. She helped me to understand the the role that people from different countries played in shaping the area, including Thai, Chinese, and Portuguese people. Very interesting! Lin was great about offering to take photos and videos, which I appreciated, because I am always wanting to take photos. The flower market is a photographer's feast! I highly recommend this experience and recommend Lin as guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Artiwidya
Jun 22, 2022
Beautiful garland - It’s very refreshing to see the different varieties of flowers and most of them are exotic kind of flowers with bold colors, amazing skills of making flower garland at a very good price. Located at historic old city just off Chao Phraya River, those who doesn’t afraid of exploring the city must include visiting Bangkok flower market when in town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
955janetb955
Jun 3, 2022
A lovely morning with Lin and flowers - I joined Lin for the floral art tour. The flower market neighborhood is amazing for the sheer volume of blooms present and the intricate floral art. I did have an opportunity to string a floral piece and fold lotus petals. I happened to pick a national holiday for my tour day so not everything was open or operating as usual, but Lin improvised and we had a good adventure. I did enjoy wandering the green alleys of the Portuguese descendants’ neighborhood, museum and church. Lin pointed out the Chinese influences in that area of Thonburi including beautiful Wat Kalayanamit. It is a lot of walking which is what I wanted. I also carry a rechargeable personal fan which makes the areas without a breeze more comfortable. This is my fifth trip to Thailand so I was looking for something more local and colorful. Lin definitely delivered that.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karengrootbkk
Jan 24, 2020
Very satisfied - We were so pleased with this tour. As long time residents in Thailand we don't often take tours but Khun Lin was so knowledgeable and interesting as she took us through the flower market and temples. She was accommodating and took very good care of us. We witnessed her love for her country and respect for Buddhism.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
3895emmah
Aug 25, 2022
Interesting tour - If your looking to do something different that isn’t the typical commercial sight seeing, this is a good option. Mine was our tour guide, and she was fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Regm889
Jul 30, 2020
Plenty of flowers and fruits on adjacent market - Nice flowers for decoration for every occasion, good price too, bit outside Bangkok but good acess, adjacent fruit Market can get fresh fruits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elodie_s
Sep 29, 2022
My tour was not as described. The minimum of floral art. - I did the tour in mid-April, with a guide who was leading the tour for the first time. I am sorry, but I want to be honest about my experience. Although the tour was not bad, I cannot rate it more highly because the tour was not as described. As a lover of flower arranging, I was expecting more discovery and practice in this area! We had done a quick tour of the Flower Market, and had only spent a few minutes folding a lotus flower. We finished the tour by climbing the Golden Mount. Which wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't in the programme description...! We didn't spend an hour and a half on floral crafts, far from it...! And about the guide, I was alone with him. He was far too insistent to take pictures of me at every place, even though I sometimes told him I didn't want to. And he spoke to me in a rather childish way (he said that I looked young), which I didn't entirely like... It is all the more disappointing when I see that the other reviews are positive, and report a visit in accordance with the program and especially the title! "Bangkok Flower Market & Thai Floral Art", it is supposed to be clear...! So please make sure you brief your guides well when they lead a tour for the first time.
Review provided by Viator
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May 2024
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