Amphawa Floating Market Guide
Amphawa floating market opens Friday to Sunday, afternoon to evening. What to eat, firefly boats, Wat Bang Kung, staying overnight and tours from Bangkok.
Amphawa floating market opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, from mid-afternoon into the evening, in Samut Songkhram province about 1.5–2 hours’ drive from Bangkok. It is a canal-side food market loved by Thai weekenders: grilled seafood cooked on boats, boat noodles, Thai desserts and barbecue stalls after dark, with firefly boats heading out once night falls. Do not expect a canal packed with vendor boats. Come hungry, come late in the day, and you will see why Thais fill it every weekend. The Amphawa floating market tours handle the transport and the evening boat for you.
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When Amphawa is open
Amphawa trades on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is not open on ordinary weekdays, which is the single most common planning mistake, so check the day before you book anything. Saturday is the busiest day.
Within those days, it runs from afternoon to evening. Sources give slightly different hours: the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s newsroom names 3pm–8pm as the best time, Wikipedia lists 3pm–10pm, and other guides say 2pm–8pm, with some shops open from about noon. Arrive in the mid-afternoon, eat your way along the canal, then stay for dark.
That timing is the opposite of Damnoen Saduak, which is a morning market. You cannot see both properly in one day, which is why tours pick one or the other. The Damnoen Saduak vs Amphawa guide sets them side by side.
What Amphawa is like and what to eat
Amphawa is a canal-side market. Restaurants and stalls line both banks, and a small number of boats cook at the water’s edge. Even one of the tour operators that goes there tells guests not to expect countless vendors in boats, and the most common complaint in reviews of Amphawa tours is that only a few boats were floating. Expect a food market by the water and you will enjoy it.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes it as mostly visited by Thais and less staged than many floating markets. The food is the reason to go:
- grilled seafood cooked on boats and handed up to the bank
- boat noodles in small bowls
- Thai desserts and snacks along the walkways
- barbecue vendors once evening comes
Bring cash and small notes. Seating fills on Saturday evenings, so eating a little earlier helps.
Firefly boats
Evening boat trips run from Amphawa to look for fireflies in the trees along the canals and the Mae Klong River. Fireflies are best in the rainy months, roughly May or June to October, on moonless nights, and sightings vary from night to night. They are never guaranteed. One tour reviewer described a long wait for darkness on the river and only a few minutes of fireflies, while others saw plenty.
If you go independently, firefly boats have been reported at about 60–80 baht per person on a shared boat, or about 600 baht for a private boat for one to two hours, negotiable. Agree the price and duration first. On a tour, check that the firefly boat is included and not an optional extra. Back in Bangkok, the Thonburi canals have daytime long-tail trips of their own; see our guide to Bangkok canal long-tail boat tours.
| Tour | Price from | Length | Firefly boat | Maeklong train | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maeklong Railway & Amphawa Day Trip | $44 per person | 8.5–11.5 hours | Included | Watch it pass | 4.3 (756) |
| Amphawa Boat Ride & Railway Market Private Tour | $138 per person | 7.5 hours | Boat trip included | Ride into the market | 5.0 (39) |
Wat Bang Kung
Most Amphawa tours stop at Wat Bang Kung in neighboring Bang Khonthi district. Its ordination hall is wrapped in the roots of a huge banyan tree, so the building and the tree have grown into one. The temple was linked to a Thai military camp that fought Burmese forces in the late Ayutthaya and Taksin era, around 1765–68, and the Fine Arts Department registered it as an archaeological site in 1996. Inside sits the Buddha image known as Luang Pho Nil Manee, or Luang Pho Dam. Cover shoulders and knees; some tours say the dress code is applied strictly.
Staying overnight and the morning monks
Day tours leave Amphawa after the evening boat and drive back to Bangkok. If you stay the night in a homestay or guesthouse by the canal, you see a different side of it. The Tourism Authority of Thailand notes that arriving early lets you see monks making their alms rounds by boat in the morning, a scene almost no day tour reaches. Staying also puts you within reach of Tha Kha, a small morning market on its market days; see the Tha Kha guide.
Our where to stay for the floating markets page covers the options.
Getting there and tours
Amphawa is about 7 km from Maeklong town, roughly 15 minutes by songthaew for about 7–8 baht, which is how independent travelers link it with the Maeklong Railway Market. Minivans run from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) in about 90 minutes; the how to get to Amphawa guide has the details.
The featured Maeklong Railway & Amphawa Floating Market Day Trip runs Friday to Sunday only, with hotel pickup, the Maeklong market, Wat Bang Kung, about two hours at Amphawa and a firefly boat, from $44 per person and 4.3 from 756 reviews (our review). Some reviewers mention pickup confusion and short firefly time.
Amphawa district was among the areas hit by floods in October 2026, so check current conditions with your operator before traveling.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amphawa floating market open on weekdays?
No. It opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. On a Monday to Thursday, consider Damnoen Saduak, which opens every morning.
What time does Amphawa floating market open?
From mid-afternoon into the evening. Published hours range from about 2pm or 3pm until 8pm to 10pm, and some shops open around noon.
Are the Amphawa fireflies guaranteed?
No. They are best in the rainy months, roughly May or June to October, on dark nights, and sightings vary night to night.
How far is Amphawa floating market from Bangkok?
Around 1.5–2 hours by road, depending on traffic. Distance figures vary between sources, so drive time is the better guide.
Is there an entrance fee at Amphawa?
No fee is charged to walk the market. You pay for food and for any boat trip, including the firefly boats.
Ready to book?
Pick a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and compare the evening departures on the Amphawa floating market tours page, or see live availability.
See the Floating Market Before the Crowds
An early start, a paddle boat through Damnoen Saduak and the Maeklong train market on the same morning.
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