Lonely Planet Experiences Private Bangkok Tour: Tuk Tuk Experience

Try to imagine Bangkok without the tuk tuks. It's just not the same, is it? Join this Bangkok tour that uses everyone's favourite compact 'car' to explore some of the old city's unique markets, magnificent temples, and hidden gems.

This tour is priced for a minimum group size of four travellers. A solo traveller may still book this private experience but will be charged the base rate for four travellers.

Experience the best travel stories for yourself. Join a local expert and uncover hidden gems on this city adventure hand-picked by the world's leading travel publisher. Lonely Planet Experiences powered by Urban Adventures bring stories to life in the best-loved cities around the globe.

There is probably nothing quite as iconic in Asia as the beloved tuk tuk. Picture the streets of any city or town in this part of the world and they would be empty without at least a dozen of these awesome little buggies. A ride on a tuk tuk is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Bangkok, and completely necessary to make you feel like a local. Avoid the tuk tuk tour scams that permeate the city and join our authentic local experience instead. To really get to know Bangkok culture and daily life in Thailand, you need to get yourself this ultimate tuk tuk experience, the Bangkok day tour with a twist!

You’ll dig right into this Bangkok tuk tuk tour by riding one from the very start. Your local guide will ride along with you and you’ll whizz through the busy streets of Bangkok, stopping at the marvellous Phra Sumeru Fortress, where you’ll learn a bit about the history behind this area.

Next stop on the tuk tuk ride is the Amulet Market, where locals sell all kinds of traditional Thai amulets, charms, and medicines. Your local guide will explain the significance of all these mysterious items and what part they play in Thai culture. Knick-knacks and spooky bits and bobs have all kinds of different meanings in Thailand, from good luck to warding off evil. Instead of having that quizzical look on your face about what they mean, your guide will give you the local lowdown.

Time for another tuk tuk ride and this time your destination will be Wat Saket, a temple that lies at the foot of the Golden Mount. Your local guide will take you up the 318 steps (sorry, your tuk tuk can’t help you with that one!) to the 360-degree view of the surrounding old Rattanakosin Island, a view which makes the climb totally worth it.

Just around the corner is the small community of Ban Baat who have been making alms bowls for monks by hand since the late 1700s. In Thai Buddhism, monks traditionally walk through the local community at dawn to collect alms (donations of food) so an alms bowl is an essential accessory. These days most monk's bowls are factory made, but there are a handful of families here who are preserving the traditional methods that we'll discover as we walk through this hidden village. We'll stop to meet one family who will give you the chance to try your hand at whichever stage of bowl-making they happen to be at on the day, it could be hammering in the pattern or polishing the finished surface.

You’ll hop back into your tuk tuk and head to Pak Khlong Talat, or the flower market. This is the biggest flower market in Thailand and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many different types of flowers are shipped here, and the market acts as a distribution centre, transferring flowers to other cities throughout the country. Your guide will introduce you to a local market vendor who'll show you how to fold the petals of lotus flowers just as Thai people often do when they use them in worship. You'll have a chance to try preparing the flowers for yourself and we'll take them to our next stop to learn how local people use them at the temple.

Onwards in your tuk tuk you’ll go to our final stop Wat Pho, the temple that houses the biggest and most beautiful reclining Buddha image in the city and is also the birthplace of Thai massage and medicines. This temple is one of those places that should not be missed when you travel to Bangkok!

From here you can either continue to explore some more, or your local guide will be happy to point you in the direction of your accommodation. No doubt they’ll recommend you take a tuk tuk back, just to top off this tuk tuk experience perfectly!