🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Amphawa's fireflies aren't a staged show — they're real insects living on the lamphu trees along the Mae Klong River and its side canals. After dark, the males flash together across a whole tree to attract a mate, turning it into a tree of blinking light in the darkness. The boats take you out of Amphawa's market core and along the quieter, darker stretches of water, with each trip running roughly 45 minutes to an hour.
How much does the boat cost?
Prices come in two main forms: buying a per-person ticket to share a larger boat with other passengers, or chartering a whole boat just for your group. Rates shift with the day and the boat owner, so it's worth asking clearly before you step aboard.
Per-person ticket (shared boat)
Buy a single seat and join other travelers on a larger boat. Best value if there are only a few of you. Young children usually ride free or at a discount.
Private small boat charter
Hire the whole boat for a small group and head out right away — no waiting for it to fill up, and you pick your own time. Good for families or a quieter ride for photos.
Full package tour
Some operators sell a package that pairs an early-evening cruise past the riverside temples with the firefly run. It costs more, but you cover several stops in one trip.
Ask clearly before you pay
Before you board, confirm whether the price is per person or for the whole boat, how many minutes the trip lasts, and whether they'll actually take you to see fireflies (during some tides or low-firefly months, a straight-talking boat owner will tell you up front).
Want more out of Samut Songkhram? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Where do you catch the boat?
The piers are scattered around the Amphawa market, all within walking distance. On Friday to Sunday evenings, ticket sellers call out along the docks. Pick a pier that's convenient and reserve your spot before dark — the queues build up fast in the early evening.
- Pier in front of the Amphawa District Office — the main, most popular pier, easy to find, with several boats
- Amphawa Floating Market piers (market side / temple side) — board right from the middle of the market, a quick walk from the food stalls
- Piers near Sri Amphawa Bookshop and Khun Ya's curry shop — smaller boarding spots that locals recommend
- Municipal boat pier by the canal bridge — another spot where tourist boats wait to pick up passengers
When are fireflies at their best? Rainy season wins
Fireflies show up nearly year-round, but they're most plentiful and brightest in the rainy season, roughly May through October, when the rain keeps the lamphu trees green and the humidity high — exactly the conditions fireflies like. If you can choose, skip the full-moon nights and go on a dark-moon or waning-moon night instead, when the firefly light stands out far more sharply against the darkness.
- Rainy season, May–Oct — the most fireflies, with the lamphu trees lush and damp, though you should check the rain forecast before heading out
- Dark-moon / waning-moon nights — the sky is dark enough to see the flashing clearly, better than a full-moon night
- Early evening, around 19:00–20:30 — when fireflies are out in force and the canals aren't yet crowded with too many boats
The lamphu tree is the real star
Amphawa's fireflies are tied to the lamphu trees along the water. Where the trees have been cut down or the canal is lit up by lights along the bank, there are fewer fireflies. The fact that we can still see them today is partly thanks to local residents who work to protect those trees.
What to bring before you board
Insect repellent
The canalside gets buggy after dark — spray or apply some before you board for a more comfortable ride.
Windbreaker / wrap
The breeze off the water is cooler than you'd expect at night, especially in the rainy season.
Life jacket
Standard boats provide them — keep yours on the whole way for safety, especially if you're with kids.
Leave the camera be
Fireflies are hard to capture on a phone — low light and a rocking boat work against you. Watching with your own eyes is far more memorable.
Etiquette that helps fireflies stick around
Amphawa's fireflies have been in steady decline from polluted water, lights along the canal and the cutting of lamphu trees. The small things we do on the boat genuinely affect how many are here next year.
- Don't shine a flashlight or flash at the lamphu trees — the light disrupts the fireflies' mating flashes
- Keep your voice down so everyone on the boat can take it in fully
- Don't grab or knock fireflies down, and don't throw trash into the water
- Choose a boat that goes slowly and doesn't ram the trees against the bank — it helps reduce damage to their habitat
What else to do in one evening
Most people put together a Saturday night in Amphawa like this: eat your way through the floating market in the early evening, follow it with the firefly boat, then head back to a riverside guesthouse. If you have time the next morning, move on to the Maeklong Railway Market or Don Hoi Lot.
Amphawa Floating Market (evening)
Wander past grilled seafood and sweets before you board. Liveliest Friday to Sunday.
Next dayWat Bang Kung (daytime)
A chapel wrapped entirely in the roots of a banyan tree, not far away — save it for the next day.
Next dayDon Hoi Lot (daytime)
A coastal mudflat with seafood restaurants — a good way to close the trip before heading back to Bangkok.
Plan your whole Amphawa–Mae Klong trip
See the Samut Songkhram guide →