What's The Best Deal On One Of These Floating Market Tours?

[FuninPlural]

So...I know that this may not be the forum for this as you all live here, and this is about as "touristy" as it gets, but the gf may be interested in going so I just want to know whats a good place to purchase a ticket to go on one of these tours for photo ops and such. Please let it be known. Thanks.

P.S.- I live in NYC, so I have to deal with bumbling tourists all the time. I got used to it.

[koolbreez]

Purchase tour tickets after you get here, not before. You will be charged double, or triple if you book online for tours. It is not like booking your hotel which is cheaper to book online.

The normal routine is to look around the area your hotel is in, and pick the agent with the best price (there are tour agent booths everywhere), your hotel tour desk might have the best price, then book with them the day before you want to go, as all the actual tours are operated by the same company, and all the agents compete with price differences. Each different agent does not represent a different tour operator. All the tours are run by only one company in the area your hotel is in.

The floating market tour is a half day tour so it is common to add another element like the Rose Garden, or the Crocodile farm/show to fill up the rest of the day, and for lunch to be included. The croc show is good with all you'd expect for photos, or the Rose Garden show has a traditional wedding theme, but not real good for pics except for a few of the seats.

Another good tour is the Bridge on the River Kwai, and elephant riding for extra. This tour is an all day tour with train ride to hell fire pass for lunch after playing on the bridge, and touring the museum.

Those two tours are the top ones for day trips, and are cheap for what you get. The Flight of the Gibbon tour is good, but extremely overpriced for what you get. Expect Western pricing for that tour, and Thai pricing for the others.

Once you have your tour receipt the tour mini-van will pick you up at your hotel early in the morning, and stop at different hotels throughout the city picking up customers until the van is full, then depart to the tour location, or stop to combine people into different vans before heading out.

On the return from the tour you will stop at usually a large gem shop for shopping. Do not buy from these places, they are extremely overpriced, and the tour operator gets his commission. If the tour van offers to not stop on the way back then don't.

[realfunster]

Not sure where to buy but I would offer one piece of advice, if you are looking for an more authentic experiece go to the floating market at Amphawa and not Damoen Saduak (which is where most foreigners/tours get taken.)

They are in close proximity to each other about 1 hour out of Bangkok.You could probably find a tour visiting both if you like. Best avoid weekends if you don't like big crowds.