Amphawa Travel Guide: The Amphawa Floating Market is open from Friday to Sunday, with Saturday being the liveliest and most interesting day. On Fridays, fewer stalls and shops are open, and many close as early as 8 pm. On Saturdays, however, the market is bustling with more visitors, predominantly Thais, and more stalls and shops are open. You'll also find more boats preparing food, which you can enjoy at tables along the waterfront. The market remains lively until around 9 pm before the first stalls close. On Sundays, many shops close as early as 3 or 4 pm, as both customers and shopkeepers head back to Bangkok. The Amphawa Floating Market comes alive in the late afternoon and reaches its peak in the evening when the wooden houses along the canal are illuminated. Therefore, a visit on Saturday, or even Friday, is highly recommended! However, don't expect a floating market where vendors sell fruits and vegetables from their boats. The canal is beautiful with its wooden houses, shops, restaurants, and small traditional wooden hotels. While there are a few boats selling food, these are mostly small floating kitchens offering Pad Thai, grilled prawns, fried rice, and other dishes, especially near the beginning of the canal. The main market is located on land along the road that runs perpendicular to the main canal. Shops on either side sell souvenirs, clothing, paintings, and other items, and you can also relax in a bar or restaurant. Despite this, Amphawa is a charming place with a unique atmosphere! You can easily explore Amphawa's market on foot, as you don't need a boat ride to shop at the vendors. Most of the trading takes place at the market or in the shops on land. If you do want to take a boat trip, wait until dusk to see the glowworms. The glowworm tour lasts one hour and costs 60 THB for a group tour or 600 THB for a private tour. It's a must-see! For all the information on getting around Amphawa, see our "Getting Around in Amphawa" section.

Accommodation in Amphawa: I highly recommend spending at least one night in Amphawa over the weekend, ideally right on the canal where the floating market is located. There are some very nice private accommodations, such as my favorite, Baan Rak, at the end of the canal. You can find more accommodations in the "Finding a Room" section. These are located in Amphawa, but also in neighboring Bang Kongthi. It's best to stay on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, as the Amphawa floating market doesn't operate on the other days of the week. In addition to private accommodations, there are, of course, also hotels and guesthouses located more or less far from the canal. Find accommodation in Amphawa. Choose a destination: Amphawa Ayutthaya Bang Saphan Bangkok Buriram Cha Am Chachoengsao Chaiyaphum Chanthaburi Chiang Dao Chiang Khan Chiang Mai Chiang Rai Chonburi Chumphon Dan Sai Hat Yai Hua Hin Kalasin Kamphaeng Phet Kanchanaburi Khao Lak Khao Sok Koh Chang Koh Jum Koh Kood Koh Lanta Koh Larn Koh Lipe Koh Mak Koh Phangan Koh Phayam Koh Phi Phi Koh Samet Koh Samui Koh Sichang Koh Tao Koh Wai Krabi Lampang Lamphun Loei Lopburi Mae Hong Son Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Phanom Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Si Thammarat Nan Nang Rong Nong Khai Pai Pak Chong Pattaya Phang Nga Phang Nga Phayao Phetchabun Phetchaburi Phitsanulok Phrae Phuket Prachuap Khiri Khan Pranburi Railay Ranong Ratchaburi Rayong Roi Et Samut Songkhram Sangkhlaburi Sattahip Sukhothai Surat Thani Surin Tak Trang Trat Ubon Ratchathani Udon Thani all categories less than 300 THB from 300 to 500 THB from 500 to 1000 THB from 1000 to 2500 THB from 2500 to 5000 THB plus 5000 THB // grey Less prices not available in the city selection ("All prices are available at any time") function findAccommodationCategories(citySelect) { var option=citySelect.options[citySelect.selectedIndex]; var price=parseInt(option ? option.getAttribute("data-price") : 0,10) || 0; var categories=citySelect.form.elements["categories"]; if(!categories) return; for(var i=0;i<categories.options.length;i++) { var val=categories.options[i].value; categories.options[i].disabled=!(val=="all" || val=="-" || (Math.pow(2,parseInt(val,10))&price)); } } (function() { var forms=document.querySelectorAll("#form-accommodations form"); var form=forms[forms.length-1]; if(form && form.elements["cities"]) findAccommodationCategories(form.elements["cities"]); })(); My Recommendations I am often asked which accommodations I recommend in Thailand. Here are my recommendations for Amphawa. Thanicha Resort Hotel in Amphawa, 8.6/10. Book now. More information. Chababaancham Resort Hotel in Amphawa, 8.0/10. Now Book now. More information. Baan Rak Amphawa (Home of Love) Guesthouse in Amphawa, 8.7/10. Book now. More information. View all accommodations in Amphawa.

Practical information about Amphawa: I highly recommend staying overnight in Amphawa rather than visiting the market during the day from Bangkok. Be sure to get up early, as the magic unfolds at dawn when the monks collect alms in their boats and the canal is calm and peaceful. You'll find numerous guesthouses and bed and breakfasts at the end of the main canal. Prices on market days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) generally range from 1200 to 2500 THB per night. It's significantly cheaper during the week since there's no market, but Amphawa is still worth seeing. It's less crowded but still interesting, especially if you enjoy quiet and authentic places. I highly recommend Baan Rak Amphawa – for its location, the terrace right on the canal, and the fantastic Thai breakfast buffet.

How to get to Amphawa? To get to Amphawa, you can take one of the minivans from Bangkok's Sai Tai Mai South Bus Terminal (lines 78 and 996, fare: 100 THB). However, these run much less frequently than before the COVID pandemic. The easiest and most regular way to reach Amphawa right now is to take a minivan or bus to Samut Songkhram from the Chatuchak Van Terminal, opposite Bangkok's Mo Chit North Bus Terminal. Buses run approximately hourly. In Samut Songkhram (or Mae Klong, it's the same town), known for its railway market and 7 km from Amphawa, blue songthaews (shared taxis) on line 333 depart from the 7-Eleven next to the market (HERE) and take you to Amphawa's floating market. The journey takes about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can also take a bus or minivan to Samut Songkhram from Bangkok's Sai Tai Mai South Bus Terminal. There are departures approximately every hour. The Samut Songkhram bus station is just a five-minute walk from the train tracks where the famous market is located. You can also take the train from Wongwian Yai station in Bangkok. From there, take the train to Mahachai (1 hour – 10 THB), then walk five minutes to the pier to cross the river (3 THB), and then walk ten minutes to Ban Laem station to catch the train to Mae Klong (1 hour – 10 THB). This train will take you right through the heart of the market. Plan your journey carefully, as there are only four trains a day to Mae Klong. Full details of this route can be found HERE. Train arrivals in Mae Klong are at 8:30 AM, 11:10 AM, 2:30 PM, and 5:40 PM. Departures from Mae Klong are at 6:20 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, and 3:30 PM. Please note that trains in Thailand are not always punctual, so allow some extra time if you wish to catch the arrival at the market. From Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, return to Highway 325. There, you can take the blue songthaew (Songthaew) No. 467, which will take you to the junction for Amphawa Floating Market (20 minutes, 15 THB). From there, it's about a kilometer on foot (or you can take the blue songthaew or bus No. 333 for the last kilometer). Alternatively, you can, of course, hire a car with a driver. [arrow_circle_right] See all options for getting to Amphawa

What's the best way to get around Amphawa? Once you arrive in Amphawa, you can easily explore the market on foot. Boat tours are readily available on the canal. During the day, boat operators typically offer the 5-Temple Tour for 50 baht and the Glow-worm Tour for 60 baht in the evening. You can also charter a boat exclusively and create your own itinerary. To visit other floating markets in the area, such as Damnoen Saduak or Tha Kha, you'll need a taxi (don't expect a meter), a motorbike taxi, or a tuk-tuk. Ask at your hotel or head to the Amphawa Floating Market parking lot to find one. There's a motorbike taxi stand right outside the parking lot entrance. From there, you can also take the blue songthaews or bus number 333 to Mae Klong and its famous railway market (also known as Samut Songkhram) (10 THB), and in the other direction to the nearby Bang Noi floating market (10 THB). Via the nearby main road 325, you can also reach the blue songthaew 467 on foot or by taking a blue songthaew or bus number 333. This will take you to the start of the road to the Damnoen Saduak floating market (20 minutes – 10 THB). Tell the driver or other passengers that you want to go to "Damnoen" so you can be sure to stop in the right place. From there, it's a 1.5 km walk to the floating market. However, the best way to explore the area's floating markets is to hire a tuk-tuk driver for the morning and do everything with them. It's much more convenient!

Other sights in Amphawa: Wat Bang Kung (5 stars): An impressive temple whose walls are overgrown with tree roots. The simple building houses a golden Buddha statue and some murals, parts of which are still visible. This is the most famous temple in Amphawa province. Tha Kha Floating Market (5 stars): This small floating market, 5 km from the well-known Damnoen Saduak, is considerably smaller and less crowded. It is located on a canal only a few hundred meters long and is more traditional and quieter. Bang Noi Floating Market (5 stars): Another floating market, about 5 km from Amphawa. It is quieter and, in my opinion, less interesting, but perhaps worth a visit in the morning when Amphawa only really comes alive in the evening. In the morning, however, I would recommend the small floating market at Tha Kha. Wat Chulamanee (5 stars): An interesting temple that can be visited as part of boat tours from Amphawa. I was particularly impressed by the beautifully gilded hall. It may not be the most interesting temple in Thailand, but it's worth a short detour. The village of Ban Bang Phlap (5 stars) – a small rural community 4 kilometers from Amphawa – lives primarily off the land and water. This allows the locals to cultivate succulent pomelos and coconut palms without pesticides, from which they produce, among other things, coconut blossom sugar. Cycling here is very pleasant!

How do you ask for directions to Amphawa in Thai? I want to go to Amphawa / Yak pai thi Amphawa. Where is Amphawa? / Amphawa yu thi nai?