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An Amphawa Weekend
Floating Market, Fireflies, Homestay

Amphawa is one of the easiest weekend trips you can do out of Bangkok. It's a little over an hour by car, and you get the floating market in the late afternoon, a firefly boat ride at night, a sleep in a canal-side homestay with the sound of water outside, then an early start at Tha Kha floating market the next morning while most people are still in bed. This is a 2-day, 1-night plan we've paced so it feels relaxed, not rushed and not exhausting, with real prices and a route you can follow straight away.

🚗 Just over an hour from Bangkok✨ Firefly boat ride🏡 Sleep by the canal
An Amphawa Weekend Floating Market, Fireflies, Homestay

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Before you set off: Amphawa floating market is only open Friday to Sunday (plus public holidays), from the afternoon until around 10pm, while Tha Kha floating market runs only on Saturday and Sunday mornings. So this plan is built around a Saturday–Sunday round trip, which works out best. If you go on a weekday, both floating markets will be closed.

How to get to Amphawa from Bangkok

Amphawa sits in Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram province, about 90 km from Bangkok. Driving yourself is the easiest option: take Rama 2 Road (the Thonburi–Pak Tho highway) straight down for roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. There are private car parks around the market charging about 50–100 THB per car.

  • Van / bus — from Sai Tai Mai (Taling Chan) terminal there are vans to Mae Klong and Amphawa, around 80–100 THB and roughly 1.5 hours.
  • Maeklong railway line — take the Wongwian Yai–Mahachai line, then a ferry across to Ban Laem–Mae Klong. It's a classic route for train lovers, but it takes longer and involves several changes, so it suits people travelling at an unhurried pace.
  • Car rental / chartered taxi — if you're going as a group, chartering a car round trip is the easiest, with no worries about parking or getting back late at night.

What time should you leave?

Leaving Bangkok mid-morning, around 9–10am, is about right. You'll reach Mae Klong by midday, catch the railway market in time for an afternoon train, then head into Amphawa floating market in the early evening. If you leave in the afternoon you'll miss the midday train at the railway market.

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Day 1 — Mae Klong, Amphawa floating market, and fireflies

Saturday

From the railway market to the firefly boat ride

12:00
Arrive in Mae Klong, stop at the railway marketThe Maeklong railway market is right next to Mae Klong station, a fresh market that sits on a live railway track. As a train approaches, the vendors fold up their awnings and pull back their stalls to let it through. Trains pass several times a day, with midday ones around 11:10 and 14:30, but check the schedule on the spot since times can shift.
13:00
Lunch in central Mae KlongMae Klong is famous for its short-bodied mackerel. Try a fish congee shop, fish noodles, or seafood in the municipal market, where prices are gentler than around the floating market.
14:30
Check in to a canal-side homestayCheck in before heading to the floating market so you can drop your bags and rest first. Most canal-side homestays in Amphawa start check-in from 2pm onwards.
16:00
Walk around Amphawa floating marketThe market gets lively from around 4pm onwards. Stroll along the canal, snack as you go, and look at the old wooden houses. Standout bites are grilled river prawns, fried oyster omelette, boat noodles, and local sweets.
18:30
Dinner by the canalPick a spot where you can sit with your legs dangling over the water and order grilled prawns, fried mackerel, or grilled seafood. Prices vary by shop, and big river prawns run into the hundreds of baht each, so it pays to ask the price before ordering.
19:00
Board a firefly boatBuy tickets at a pier inside the market. A shared long-tail boat costs roughly 60 THB per person and takes you out onto the Mae Klong River to see fireflies clustered in the lamphu trees along the canal, for about an hour. To charter a whole boat (around 10 people), agree the price with the boat owner first.
20:30
Back to the homestay to relaxSit out by the canal and listen to the water. Some homestays have a deck over the water where you can sit with a drink, and that's the best part of the whole trip.

When are the most fireflies out?

You can see fireflies almost year-round, but they're at their thickest and clearest from May to October, during the rainy season. Clear nights with no strong wind and a dim moon are best. If it's raining hard or the wind picks up, the fireflies thin out, and that's just nature you can't control. Honestly, some nights you'll see only a few.

Where to stay — Amphawa canal-side homestays

The charm of staying overnight in Amphawa is sleeping in a wooden homestay right on the canal, waking up to the water and the paddle boats selling their wares. Most canal-side rooms run about 800–2,500 THB per night depending on the standard and how close they are to the market. On weekends and long holidays rooms fill up fast, so book at least 1–2 weeks ahead.

Central location

Homestay right by the market

Walkable to the market and the firefly pier, good if you don't have a car, though you may hear some market noise at night. Prices run a bit higher because of the location.

Quiet

Canal-side homestay on the outskirts

Quieter, with a full natural feel. Some are reached by boat or have a shuttle into the market, which suits people who genuinely want to unwind and have their own car.

Family

Garden resort by the Mae Klong River

More comfortable rooms than a wooden homestay, with a pool or garden, good for families or anyone wanting a bit more comfort. Prices rise in line with the facilities.

See the Amphawa canal-side stays that real reviewers recommend

🏨 Top 10 Samut Songkhram Stays →

Day 2 — Tha Kha morning market, Wat Bang Kung, and souvenirs

Sunday

Tha Kha floating market in the morning, back to Bangkok in the afternoon

07:30
Breakfast at the homestayMany homestays put out coffee and morning congee. Sit by the canal in the morning breeze before you set off.
08:30
Head to Tha Kha floating marketTha Kha is a traditional morning floating market where orchard farmers really do paddle in with vegetables, fruit and home-cooked food to sell. It's less crowded than Amphawa, open Saturday and Sunday from morning until midday, about 15–20 minutes from central Amphawa.
10:00
Stop at Wat Bang Kung, the temple in the banyan treeWat Bang Kung has an old ordination hall entirely wrapped in the roots of a huge banyan tree, a sight you rarely see. Nearby are the Bang Kung camp and statues of old soldiers, and admission is free.
11:30
Buy Mae Klong souvenirsThe well-known souvenirs are Mae Klong mackerel, pure coconut sugar, pomelo, and local sweets, found around the Mae Klong markets and roadside shops.
12:30
Lunch before heading backIf you've still got the energy, stop at Don Hoi Lot for seafood by the mudflats, where prices are reasonable, or eat in central Mae Klong before getting on the road home.
14:00
Set off back to BangkokHeading back in the early afternoon helps you dodge the Sunday-evening traffic on Rama 2 on the way home.

Food you shouldn't miss on an Amphawa trip

An Amphawa trip is no small eating trip, from canal-side snacks to big meals over the water. These are the dishes people think of first when they go to Amphawa, ordered by how much they get talked about.

1

Grilled river prawns

Canal-side dinner

The signature dish along the Amphawa canal: big, rich prawns grilled just right and dipped in seafood sauce. It's the plate many people come specifically to eat. Always ask the price per prawn before you order.

SeafoodMust try
From ฿150–400/prawn
2

Mae Klong mackerel

Lunch / souvenir

The short, bent-faced mackerel from Mae Klong is known for being rich and fresh. Fried crisp and eaten with chilli dip and hot steamed rice, it's a local flavour worth trying.

Local specialty
From ฿60–120
3

Oyster omelette & razor clams

Snack / main

Crisp-edged, soft-centred oyster omelette is found all over the market, while spicy stir-fried razor clams are freshest eaten out at Don Hoi Lot.

Seafood
From ฿60–150
4

Boat noodles

Light bite

Small bowls with a deep, dark broth that you can keep eating as you wander the market, a light bite to take the edge off your hunger before the big meal.

Street food
From ฿20–40/bowl
5

Khanom krok & Thai sweets by the canal

Dessert

Hot khanom krok (coconut-rice pancakes) made fresh in the market, alongside traditional Thai sweets like thong yip, thong yot and mor kaeng custard, just sweet enough to finish on.

Dessert
From ฿20–50
6

Coffee & canal-side cafes

Afternoon break

Amphawa has plenty of wooden-house cafes along the canal where you can sip coffee and watch the boats go by, ideal for resting your legs in the afternoon before the market gets busy.

Cafe
From ฿60–120
7

Fresh coconut sugar

Souvenir / food

Samut Songkhram is a source of pure coconut sugar. Try a fragrant block of palm sugar or sweets made from it, and pick some up to take home as a gift too.

Local specialtySouvenir
From ฿50
8

Large white pomelo

Fruit / souvenir

Samut Songkhram pomelo has firm flesh with a sweet-sour taste and is a well-known local fruit. Buy it to eat fresh or carry home.

FruitSouvenir
From ฿60/piece

Tips for a smooth Amphawa trip

  • Book your stay ahead — canal-side rooms fill up fast on weekends and long holidays, so booking 1–2 weeks ahead is the safer bet.
  • Bring mosquito repellent — there are plenty of mosquitoes by the canal and on the night boat ride, so keep a spray on you.
  • Carry cash — most market shops and the firefly boats take cash; some have PromptPay, but not all.
  • Ask the price before ordering seafood — river prawns are charged by the piece and by weight, so check clearly and you won't get a shock at the bill.
  • Arrive in time for a train at the railway market — the charm is in the moment a train passes, so check the schedule on the spot since times can drift.

If you only have one day

If you're doing a day trip without staying overnight, drop the Tha Kha morning market and focus on the railway market in the afternoon, Amphawa floating market in the evening, and the firefly boat ride at night. You'll still cover the highlights, you'll just have a slightly late drive home.

Want a different Samut Songkhram plan? See the full city guide

🗺️ Samut Songkhram Travel Guide →

FAQ

What day should you visit Amphawa?

Go on Saturday or Sunday, since Amphawa floating market is only open Friday to Sunday and Tha Kha floating market is only open on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you go on a weekday both floating markets will be closed, leaving only the railway market and the temples, which you can visit any day.

How much is the Amphawa firefly boat ride?

A shared boat ticket is about 60 THB per person, bought at a pier inside the market, and takes about an hour. To charter a private boat it's around 500 THB per boat, seating about 10 people. Agree the price clearly with the boat owner before you get on.

Do Amphawa fireflies appear in every season, and when are there the most?

You can see them almost year-round, but they're at their thickest and clearest from May to October, during the rainy season. Clear nights with no strong wind and a dim moon are best. If it rains hard or the wind is strong, the fireflies thin out.

How far is Amphawa from Bangkok?

It's about 90 km. Driving via Rama 2 takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1.5 hours, or you can take a van from Sai Tai Mai terminal for about 80–100 THB, which takes roughly 1.5 hours.

How much do Amphawa canal-side homestays cost?

Most run about 800–2,500 THB per night depending on the standard and how close they are to the market. Rooms fill up fast on weekends and long holidays, so book at least 1–2 weeks ahead.

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