Bangkok Grand Palace and River of Kings Canal Cruise Small-Group Tour

Bangkok, Thailand

Enjoy the best highlights of Bangkok on this Grand Palace and River of Kings Canal small group tour. Escape the Bangkok traffic and board a longtail boat for a journey along the canals, enjoy a guided tour of the impressive Wat Pho, see the huge reclining Buddha and stand in awe of the majestic Grand Palace.

Make your way to the lobby of the Viengtai Hotel, Rambutri Road, Banglamphu (runs parallel to Khao San Road) to meet your guide. You'll travel together by taxi or minivan to the starting point of this exciting tour.

Your guided tour begins with a walk down to the Chao Praya River (meaning River of Kings) where you'll board a longtail boat for a journey along the river and into the canals of Bangkok. The longtail boat trip will provide you with an insight into the lives of people who live along these canals which seems a world away from the chaotic streets of Bangkok.

Your tour continues to Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha, the largest Buddha in Bangkok. Wat Pho temple is the center of the Buddhist religion in Thailand, the countries first university and is still a center of learning for traditional Thai massage and medicines. Enjoy a guided tour of this stunning complex.

Tour concludes at the Grand Palace, one of Bangkok's main tourist attraction. The Grand Palace complex comprises of numerous temples including the Wat Phra Keow temple which houses the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's holiest religious statue carved from jade. Your guide will take you through the grounds of the Grand Palace providing a fascinating insight into this majestic place.

Your guide can assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel if needed.

USD $43.06

Traveler Reviews

Review by: schoneberger w	April 2012
We had an extraordinary tour guide who worked very hard to insure we had a great day. This trip did involve a lot of walking, but it was all flat and never a problem. We had a wonderful introduction to the buddhist beliefs and the city of Bangkok, I would highly recommend this trip to you.

Review by: Michael T	March 2012
The tour was very interesting and I can recommend everyone to visit Grand Palace only with a tour guide. The hotel were we met was not that easy to find and you need a long time to get there, if you do not stay in that district. My hotel was in Silom road. The staff there told me that I should consider 1,5 hours to get there with the taxi. But as my tour was on a Monday morning, the streets were stucked and I took the express boat on Chao Praya river, which was by far the fastest mode of transport in Bangkok. The tour itself was perfect and I enjoyed a private tour with my guide, as the second person didn't show up at the meeting point. We waited half an hour, then we started the tour. Probably the other person was stucked in traffic as well.

Review by: Geoff	March 2012
Our guides were wonderful and very informative about the Grand Palace and the Canal Cruise was great and we got to feed the cat fish.

Review by: Llegnalem	March 2012
It was indeed a 'small-group tour', Two guides and me! The whole trip was great BUT I would have structured it the other way round. Instead of doing the river bit first it would have been better to do the Grand Palace first (in the relative 'cool' of the morning, and then, in the heat of the day, do the river bit. My guides were superb and gave me a great insight into all we were seeing, Thai history and culture. Take socks with you as the ground is corching hot when you have to take your shoes off to enter certain buildings. The hotel allocated as the meeting point was not very helpful when I arrived rather early for this excursion (due to , and I asked if I could have (buy) a coffee or some breakfast. The answer was 'no' despite their residents being served breakfast at the time.... I then had to walk to a nearby cafe to get a coffee. People should be informed that on being met by your guide/s you then have a fair walk to the pier to get the boat for the river part of the excursion. The other point that should be made is the clothing question - I took heed, as I thought, of the 'respectuful' dress code and wore full length leggings (down to ankle and a top that had neither low neck nor showed bare arms above the elbow. Having got to the Grand Palace I was informed, by my guides, that I was inappropriately dressed and thus had to hire a sarong (as it was my leggins that were causing offence) at a cost of 200BHT which was refunded when returned BUT only on production of the yellow receipt - lose that and you loose your 200 BHT!

Review by: VICTORIA L	February 2012
Very good tour, although a bit rushed. It was perfect. By noon I was exhausted and ready for a nap! So much information, so little time! I would have like to have more time to walk through the market there, they had interesting items relative to Bangkok. I can't wait to go back!

Review by: Kathleen M	January 2012
My daughter and I were the only people on the tour that day. Our guide was charming, knowledgeable, and patient with us as we stopped to take lots of photos. At one point, during the canal cruise, he excitedly pointed out a rather unusual sighting of the Royal Boat. The itinerary was a lot of fun and the sites were simply breathtaking. What a great value for the money! I highly recommend to anyone.

Review by: thinkfad	January 2012
Our guide 'the famous Joe' was very friendly and informative.. Great overall experience. Would recommend to everyone.

Review by: Dave S	December 2011
Had a great tour with an excellent guide, one couple did not pitch for the tour so there were only 4 of us making it exclusive and well organised. Highly recommended.

Review by: niallsmum	December 2011
Our small group tour was just our party of four. Our guide was polite and well informed, and his english was very good (Although occassionally he mis-used words or stumbled to find the correct one, his meaning was clear) (His english was better then my Thai!) He was very patient with the children. Long tail boat was fun. We stopped to buy souveniers from a floating vendor and even to feed the catfish in the river with bread, which the kids loved. Learned lots about Thai culture, history and life. Reclining Buddha was huge and well worth seeing, the grounds are spectacular. Grand Palace was extensive and elaborately decorated. Your attire is very important on this tour. You take your shoes off lots, and you walk a far bit too. Ladies should dress with covered shoulders to enter temple, they will provide you with a scarf if do not. The Grand Palace has a dress code too. Ladies as for the temple, but also no shorts and your dress or skirt must cover your knees. Men are best in trousers. They will hire (for a 400 Baht refundable deposit) you appropriate clothes if yours are considered inappropriate : eg shorts, rips, above knees, showing your shoulders, low cut, see-through etc. I know it sounds like a hassel, but it is worth it.

Review by: Susan P	September 2011
This was an outstanding tour. There were only three in our group so had full benefit of our friendly and articulate guide, Joe capably shared his experiences and exetensive knowledge.The pace was easy to cope with and the content varied. Half a day was adequate At the conclusion Joe made sure we all knew what we wanted to do next and how to get there.

Review by: Roger S	August 2011
Joe our guide was very interesting and a great source of local information. There was a lot of walking but Joe kept the pace manageable. We saw a great deal in a short time and at the end of the tour Joe even waited with us to ensure we caught the right river boat back to our hotel.

Review by: Matthew J	August 2011
Great trip if you only have a few days in Bangkok and want to see something more than just the main temples. Some walking and local bus transport but no problems if you are reasonably fit. Take water! Good tour guide who knew what he was talkiong about. Recommended.

Review by: Diane G	May 2011
Joe was a great guide. I ended up on the tour by myself but Joe made it a very enjoyable day. The river was a nice way to travel and even got to feed some cat fish.

Review by: Glen F	March 2011
Could not do the tour as our daughter was not well. However we did go to the grand Palace another day on our own. It is a must see place.

Review by: Jackie P	March 2011
Joe was extremely knowledgeable about the Grand Palace and shared many insights that we hadn't gotten in previous tours. Also, having been a monk at Wat Pho for 5 years, he was intimately familiar with the temple complex and its workings. Fabulous and would highly recommend his tour!

Review by: Ben G	February 2011
Didn't realise that we would be the only ones on the tour, so my wife and I had our own personal guide! This was a great way to be shown not just the temples and the river, but a bit of old Bangkok too. Our guide, Bo, was very knowledgeable and friendly. The temples are amazing and Bo also took us on a longtail boat along the river and on some of the smaller canals. We also rode on a tuk-tuk between temples! A fantastic half day tour, our only (very small) suggestion would be to start the tour earlier in the day, to try and avoid the heat of the day.

Review by: audi2111	January 2011
Excellent private tour with Bo, She was an excellent tour guide. We were the only 2 only the tour (with our 2 yr old daughter, which was fine although the tour said no children under 6). _br/_ Excellent tour.

Review by: John B	December 2010
Excellent excursion. We even managed to squeeze in a short trip in a tuk tuk. The only negative was that there was no hotel collection service for this trip.

Review by: Valerie O	November 2010
Jo our guide was first rate. Nothing was too much trouble and he was very informative. The palace is well worth a visit, highly recommended.

Review by: Ross H	November 2010
Guide was at the meeting point early. she turned out to be knowledgeable and friendly and showed us a most interesting tour. At the end of it she called my transport for me and it was waiting for me outside the last gate of the palace and on time. A very satisfying tour.

Review by: Cris13au	November 2010
My friend & I (females) were the only ones on this tour. Joe our guide was very friendly and informative. We felt safe in his company. We totally enjoyed the tour and provided us a great deal of knowledge in a short period of time about Bangkok/Thailand. Joe also took some amazing photos for us. Highly recommended. PS. If you have trouble walking, this tour may not suit you.

Review by: Dearne M	August 2010
We found this was a great tour. We felt there was enough time spent at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho to have a good look around and it was also interesting to see how some live along the river. Being on the water was also a nice break from the heat slightly!. We also had an absolutely fantastic guide Joe who made it a great day. He was so friendly and informative. We were lucky enough to be the only ones on the tour that day and Joe gladly answered all of our questions. We would definitely go on another tour like this.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	May 2010
I enjoyed this tour and found it covered all the places that I wanted to visit in one day. The long boat trip on the canals was interesting and a different part of Bangkok to previously seen. The long boats are not easy to climb in and out of so anyone with mobilty challenges would find it difficult. The day we went was very hot so the amount of walking became quite exhausting. More should be written regarding kaccess and distances walked.

Review by: Anonymous, Canada	April 2010
Tour actually lasted only 3 hours. Guide spoke very little English and could not answer any questions. He was only able to repeat memorized lines. Not a single piece of info was provided during the river cruise.

Review by: Barry D, United Kingdom	April 2010
We were the only people on this trip due to the start of the demonstrations. Joe our guide gave us a very entertaining tour which was 'much closer to real people in the country'. Highly reccommended for people who have good basic fitness.

Review by: Graham B, United Kingdom	March 2010
Highly recommended! very informative with an exceptional tour guide.

Review by: Allae A, United Arab Emirates	December 2009
Very nice tour, you got to see it all in half day, although be aware there is alot of walking involved, but very worth doing.

Review by: Beth B, Australia	December 2009
The cannal cruise was a good way to see another picturesque part of Bangkok. The Longboat ride was interesting. Persnonally, being an older lady ,I found it a long way down to board the boat and even harder to get out. I had to be helped by strong arms! The Grand Palace is definitely a "must see". It made a very long and exhausting day on foot in the heat for me, but I am very glad I have had the experience.

Review by: Gerard B	December 2009
The cannal cruise was a good way to see another picturesque part of Bangkok. The Longboat ride was interesting. Persnonally, being an older lady ,I found it a long way down to board the boat and even harder to get out. I had to be helped by strong arms! The Grand Palace is definitely a "must see". It made a very long and exhausting day on foot in the heat for me, but I am very glad I have had the experience.

Review by: Roberto S, United Kingdom	October 2009
This was a fantastic way to see the highlights of Bangkok. On the day we went, we were our guide's only clients so we were able to see the sights at our pace. The reclining Buddah has got to be one of the best things to see in Bangkok. Only wish we had stayed there longer!

Review by: Pamela B, Australia	September 2009
Great time,the guide was early at the meeting point, was very informative and made sure we had a good time. It was all that the description said it would be, and more.

Review by: Angela H, United States of America	August 2009
In the palaces and area made of gold, the craftsmanship was absolutely wonderful. Loved every minute.

Review by: Mark C, United Kingdom	August 2009
Takes in all the main sights in Bangkok with a very informative and knowledgeable guide.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2009
Takes in all the main sights in Bangkok with a very informative and knowledgeable guide.