5-Hour Sunset Ride, Meal

Overview

This evening ride starts at 17:30 outside the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel on Charoen Krung Road and spends five hours pedalling through Bangkok after dark. Run by Recreational Bangkok Biking, it crosses the Chao Phraya River by boat into Thonburi, one of the city's oldest settled districts, then works its way back toward the old town through markets, temples and quiet lanes before finishing at the 24-hour flower market of Pak Klong Talad.

Food and sights both feature on the route. Riders walk through Klongsan Market, stop at a Chinese pagoda on the riverbank, sample a starter snack at a food market, continue to Wat Arun for its evening illuminations, and only then sit down to a Thai dinner at a local restaurant. After dark the tour continues past Wat Arun lit up against the night sky, past Wat Rakhang Khositaram, over on the ferry, across Sanam Luang with a view of the illuminated Grand Palace, and into the Wat Pho compound for a stroll in the evening quiet.

It suits travellers who are comfortable on a bike for the full five hours and want to reach places most visitors never find alone. Reviewers repeatedly say they rode through streets where they saw almost no other tourists, and several mention friendly guides with local insight. The minimum age is 12, and the ride is in English.

Itinerary

1. Meet at Royal Orchid SheratonMeet the guide at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel at 17:30, at the address on Charoen Krung Road Soi 30, Bang Rak.
2. Cross to ThonburiPedal off and cross the Chao Phraya River into Thonburi, one of Bangkok's oldest settled areas.
3. Klongsan Market and pagodaWalk through Klongsan Market, where young Thais shop for inexpensive fashion, then cycle to a Chinese pagoda on the riverbank with etched windows of birds and animals.
4. Food market snackRide through a quiet neighborhood to a food market, explore the stalls with the guide and enjoy a starter snack.
5. Wat Arun at nightCycle along the riverside to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and see its illuminations against the night sky.
6. Thai dinnerStop for dinner at a typical Thai restaurant.
7. Ferry and old townCycle past Wat Rakhang Khositaram, take the ferry back to the city center, ride across Sanam Luang past the Grand Palace, and stroll the Wat Pho compound in the evening quiet.
8. Flower market finishEnd at the 24-hour flower market of Pak Klong Talad, where vendors take delivery of fresh flowers from across Thailand.

Common Questions