Co van Kessel: Bangkok Chinatown 2-Hour Walking Tour
Highlights
- Alleys too narrow even for bicycles
- Over 200 years of Sino-Thai culture up close
- Local snacks and drinks from family-run shops
- Relaxed pace with time for photos
Description
Some of Chinatown's best passages are so small that even a bicycle cannot pass. This two hour walk takes you into exactly those alleys, through a district where Sino-Thai culture has been growing since the start of the Chakri dynasty, more than 200 years ago. For more background and practical advice, see our Bangkok Chinatown guide.
Pricing
Adult
Age 12-99
THB 750per person
Child
Age 3-11
THB 563per person
Infant
Age 0-2
Free
per person
Highlighted reviews from travelers
See all reviews →- 10:00
Meet at River City Bangkok
Meet on the ground floor outside the mall entrance, to the right of the main entrance. The walk departs at 10:00.
Walk into the historic Talat Noi and Chinatown quarter through passages so narrow even bicycles cannot pass, squeezing between old shophouses, small workshops and street art most visitors never find.
Pause at small local markets to watch the daily rhythm unfold and step into a neighbourhood temple to see incense, offerings and the everyday role of Buddhism in the community.
Stop at family-run pop-and-mom shops and stalls for Thai snacks and cold drinks, included in the tour, while your guide picks the route around the day’s street life. Stops run 10 to 20 minutes so there is time to look around.
Wind back through the district to River City Bangkok, where the roughly two-hour walk ends a short stroll from the Chao Phraya riverfront.
Included
- Experienced local guide
- Drinks and snacks en route
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (the tour starts and ends at River City Bangkok)
- Meals (drinks and snacks are included)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Tips for the guide (optional)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunglasses, hat and sunblock
- Camera or smartphone
- Copy of your passport (for insurance)
- Raincoat (optional; one is provided if needed)
This tour starts at a fixed meeting point. Please make your own way there.
River City Bangkok
River City Bangkok is the riverside complex in Si Phraya, just off Charoen Krung Road; any taxi or Grab driver knows it by name. Coming by river, get off at Si Phraya pier next to the Royal Orchid Sheraton and walk a couple of minutes, and from BTS Saphan Taksin you can pick up the Chao Phraya Express boat at Sathorn pier. Please arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the 10:00 departure, so by around 09:30-09:45.
Check in at River City Bangkok by around 09:30 to 09:45 and the walk leaves at 10:00. The distance covered is small; the two hours go into the looking, the stops and the stories rather than the mileage.
There is no fixed route on purpose. Your guide reads the morning, which markets are trading, which alleys are open, what festival might be underway, and threads you through passages too narrow for even a bicycle. Snacks and drinks from family-run shops are part of the walk.
The relaxed pace makes this the best Co van Kessel tour for photographers: there is always time to stop for a shot. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else you wear.
FAQs
Please arrive 15 to 30 minutes before departure so there is time to check in before the tour heads out.
Tours run rain or shine. In light rain ponchos are handed out; in a heavy downpour the guide finds shelter and waits it out, usually no more than about 30 minutes.
Yes, children are welcome. Children under 12 join at the child price.
Light, comfortable clothing with shoulders covered works best, especially at temple stops. Closed shoes or sports sandals are safer than flip-flops.
Yes. Cancelling or moving your booking to another date is free up to 24 hours before the tour starts, and anything you have paid is refunded in full. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded. If we have to cancel, for example for weather or safety, you can move to another date or take a full refund.
Group departures run with a small minimum number of guests. If your departure cannot go ahead, we will contact you to move you to another time or refund you.
You might also like these Bangkok tours
Reviews
Based on 87 reviews
- ZhenghaoAugust 15, 20265.0
The walk revealed corners of Chinatown we would never have found alone. We paused at a tiny shrine tucked behind stacked market boxes. The morning start kept the alleys relatively comfortable. The sky stayed overcast all morning.
- Yaa OseiAugust 2, 20265.0
The route stayed interesting even in passages barely wide enough for two people. We watched noodles being prepared in a kitchen no wider than a cupboard. Starting at River City made the meeting point straightforward. The guide adapted the pace for an older guest. The guide explained why several family businesses cluster on the same street.
- ÇağlarJuly 31, 20265.0
The small group format worked especially well on foot. An old courtyard offered a quiet break from Yaowarat traffic. Street art, incense and workshop sounds gave every lane character. My partner usually dislikes tours and stayed engaged throughout. A market awning turned the midday light into deep red and gold. My mother preferred this gentle walk to a longer city tour. Ideal for curious travellers who enjoy details over landmarks. Starting at River City made the meeting point straightforward.
- Shervin JalaliJuly 22, 20265.0
The relaxed two-hour pace suited the narrow lanes perfectly. A market awning turned the midday light into deep red and gold.
- Eun-bi TakahashiJuly 19, 20265.0
Old market lanes showed a side of Yaowarat beyond the food signs. A shopkeeper demonstrated a tool his family had used for decades. My green backpack fitted easily.