Heading to the street food capital of the world? It would be a crime to visit without trying one of the best Bangkok food tours.
Bangkok can be an overstimulating city, with so many exotic sights, sounds and smells to experience. Plus, most people only have a short time in the city, especially if they’re visiting on a layover to somewhere else.
That’s why a food tour is a fantastic way to find the top foodie spots with the help of a local. It means you won’t miss a beat when it comes to eating your way around the city, hitting all the highlights without accidentally veering into salmonella territory.
Every time we visit Bangkok, we try a different food tour – and each one has offered a unique appeal and a new take on the classic food safari.
One thing they all have in common is that they’re led by long-term locals who know the city like the back of their hand and are passionate about sharing their love of Thai food and flavours.
Just like a lot of things in Thailand, these tours are incredibly reasonably priced (even the private ones), making it easy to tick this off your Bangkok to-do list
So without further ado, here are the top 10 Bangkok food tours for every type of traveller, including what they cost and who they would suit best.
Bangkok Food Tours at a Glance
Best Time to Go: The best time to visit Bangkok is during the dry season, between November and March, when the weather is typically cool enough for sightseeing.
Top 3 Food Tours Bangkok: The Bangkok Backstreets Food Tour in the heart of the city’s street food mecca, the Midnight Food Tour by Tuk Tuk for a whistle-stop evening adventure, and the Hidden Food and Bike Experience for something a little more off-radar.
Where to Stay:
Mandarin Oriental: Ultra luxe by the river
The Standard Mahanakhon: Central and super stylish
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit: City oasis near vibrant nightlife
Other Things to do in Bangkok: Other cool things to do in Bangkok include checking out the city’s best rooftop bars, visiting iconic temples like Angkor Wat and the Grand Palace, trawling famous malls like the ICONSIAM, and taking a tour to the floating markets.
Top Top: Taxis are cheap and easy using the Grab app, (similar to Uber). Tuk-tuks are fun to use, but expect higher prices!
5 Best Bangkok Street Food Tours
1. Bangkok Backstreets Food Tour with 15+ Tastings
Best For: Hardcore foodies
Approximate Cost: £46pp
If there’s one Bangkok food tour I recommend to get the most bang for your buck, it’s this one! One of the most highly rated tours available, this one gives you a proper flavour of the food scene with over 15 tastings included.
It takes place at the iconic Yaowarat Night Market, in Chinatown, which is the heart of Bangkok’s street food scene.
This means you get to experience the unique influence of China on Thailand’s world-famous cuisine and learn a little history about the district, while hitting all of the top, locally loved street-food stalls for some unforgettably more-ish morsels.
It runs at lots of different times throughout the day, so you can book the one that best suits your itinerary. The whole tour takes about three to four hours in total, and you’ll meet your guide at the Shanghai Mansion hotel.
It’s a walking tour, so wear comfy shoes and don’t forget your umbrella – downpours in Bangkok are frequent!
2. Midnight Food Tour by Tuk Tuk
Best For: Hassle-free travelling
Approximate Cost: £59pp
If you’re looking for Bangkok street food tours by tuk tuk, look no further.
This evening tour will whizz you around the city to all the top foodie spots, so you can tick taking a tuk tuk ride off your Bangkok to-do list at the same time (try saying that five times fast).
Don’t worry, it doesn’t start at midnight! It starts in the early evening, so you do the tour in place of an evening meal, and lasts for about four hours in total.
The tour includes a ride through the old town and ends with a drink at a hidden bar overlooking Wat Arun, perfect for those souvenir snaps.
3. Thai Chinatown Walking Food Tour with 10+ tastings
Best For: First-timers
Approximate Cost: £32pp
If it’s your very first time in the city and you just want a little taste of the street food scene, this early-evening tour in Chinatown does the trick.
Incredibly reasonably priced for a tour lasting three hours, you also pack over 10 tastings, from much-loved classics like Pad Thai to flavourful curries and exotic sweet treats.
It’s the perfect way to sample lots of different Thai dishes – so you’ll know exactly what to order for the rest of your trip.
This is another walking tour in the vibrant Chinatown district – so expect a sensory overload of sights, sounds and flavours!
4. Michelin Guide Street Food Small Group Tour
Best For: Those in a hurry
Approximate Cost: £28pp
If you’re looking for the best Bangkok food tour to tick off some of the most viral street food spots, this is it.
It gets you a taste of the top Michelin-listed dishes in the city, including the pink noodle soup at Michelin-recommended Nai Ouan Yentafo, and the Rat Na Yot Phak 40 Years restaurant, where recipes have been closely guarded for four decades.
You’ll also get to try Thailand’s signature dessert – mango sticky rice – at a family-run Michelin-listed hole-in-the-wall.
It takes place multiple times around the middle of the day, so you can time it for your lunch, and the tour takes about 2 hours in total.
5. Old Siam Street Food Tour with Water Taxi
Best For: Culture vultures
Approximate Cost: £46pp
If you’re hoping to journey deep into the heart of Bangkok’s old city and get a sense of the flavours there, this Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour is for you.
Unlike a few of the Bangkok food tours on this list, it takes you to the vibrant old town as opposed to the neon lights of Chinatown.
It starts with a traditional water taxi ride along the canal, adding to the overall back-in-time vibe.
Then, you’ll hop in a tuk tuk to head deeper into the old part of the city, where you can tuck into the likes of roasted duck, fried mussel pancakes, and home-style banana fritters.
Along with over 15 tastings, you’ll get a guided tour of the area and Nang Loeng market, one of the oldest night markets in the city.
5 Alternative Bangkok Food Tours
Whether you’ve already done a classic street food tour, or you’re just looking for an alternative take on the foodie scene in Bangkok, these tours are for you!
These lesser-known and secret food tours offer a unique spin on the experience, with the chance to tick off some other sights along the way.
6. White Lotus Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour
Best For: Budding chefs
Approximate Cost: £26pp
Okay, so this isn’t strictly a Bangkok food tour, but it’s certainly worth doing if you’re a food lover!
While most tours take you to the best Bangkok street food areas, this experience lets you learn from the pros and gives you the best souvenir to take home – the skills and recipes to re-create your fave Thai dishes at home!
I love this particular cooking class because it ticks off all the classics: Pad Thai, Som Tam, and Mango Sticky Rice.
Plus, you’ll get to visit a local market to pick up your ingredients, along with the famous flower market. You’ll get tips on choosing the best produce and insider hacks for maximising flavour in your Thai cooking.
You can do it in the morning or the afternoon, and the whole tour takes about three and a half hours.
7. Markets, Temples and Food Night Tour by Tuk Tuk
Best For: History buffs
Approximate Cost: £57pp
If you just want to sample a little bit of Thai food while also experiencing some of the other top sights of the city, this whistlestop nighttime tuk-tuk tour is perfect.
You’ll zip to UNESCO sites like the white, bell-shaped Wat Prayoon temple, plus evening city hotspots like Chinatown and the flower market. Along the way, you’ll fuel up with some of the city’s best snacks from insider street vendors.
It’s ideal if you’ve only got a day or so to see the city, ticking off lots of the highlights in one go. You get plenty of background on Thai history, food and culture from your tour guide along the way.
Charge up your camera because you’ll pack a lot into four short hours. It sets off in the early evening, and you can book private food tours if you prefer.
8. Hidden Bangkok Bike and Food Experience
Best For: Off-grid adventurers
Approximate Cost: £43pp
Looking for an alternative route to exploring the food culture of Bangkok? This incredible Hidden Bike and Food Experience is an absolute must.
You’ll ride through hidden backstreets and alleyways to lesser-trodden neighbourhoods only the locals know about, where street food is whipped up in home kitchens and people greet each other by name.
Along with stopping off at local bakeries, restaurants, and hidden gems west of the river, you’ll get to experience pretty, Chinese-influenced temples like Wat Kalayanamitr Varamahavihara.
The entire tour lasts for about 4.5 hours with options for morning, lunchtime or afternoon slots available.
If you’re the type of person who loves getting to the gritty heart of a city, this tour is for you!
9. Private Culinary Kickstart Tour of Bangkok with a Local
Best For: Vegetarians
Approximate Cost: £50pp
Looking for a more personalised approach to Bangkok food tours?
This private tour gives you the chance to tailor your Thai street food experience, with 2 hours worth of tastings personalised to your party. This is perfect if you (or any of your travel companions) are vegetarians or have specific dietary requirements.
A local guide will give you the low-down on all the top spots to find your favourite dishes, with tours of famous markets like the OTK market and the Chatuchak Flower Market.
You can book it at pretty much any time throughout the day to suit you, making it easy to slot it into your itinerary.
10. Bangkok River Dinner Cruise
Best For: Laidback grazers
Approximate Cost: £36pp
Again, this is not strictly a Thai food tour, but it is a very popular way to see all the sights of Bangkok while enjoying a scenic dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya.
You can tuck into a classic Thai buffet while you cruise past sparkling temples, towering skyscrapers and golden bridges. If your priority is experiencing the magic of the city by night, this is a top choice.
The cruise usually includes a welcome drink, and an all-you-can-eat buffet, plus on-board performances from traditional Thai dancers.
Is it a little touristy? Yes. Is it one of the fastest and most scenic ways to tick off Bangkok’s top landmarks, all while enjoying the famously tasty Thai cuisine? Also yes.
If you’re not too fussed about street food stalls and prefer your Thai capital tour to run at a slower pace, this could be perfect for you.
Bonus: Train and Floating Market Food Adventure
Best For: Intrepid travellers
Approximate Cost: £64pp
Okay, one more because I couldn’t resist recommending this floating market food adventure!
Located a short drive outside the city, the famous floating markets are a must-see, and this full-day tour puts a foodie twist on the famous site.
It’s a small-group tour that lasts for about 7 hours, so you have plenty of time to explore without feeling rushed.
You’ll get picked up from your accommodation before being taken to your first stop: the railway market. Here you’ll get to board a traditional train and traverse the countryside rice paddies while trying candyfloss from a local vendor.
Next up, the floating market, where you can barter like a local along the canal, and try some of the top local fruits and food on offer. Time permitting, the tour concludes with a visit to a local coconut farm on the way back to the city.
If you’re staying a little longer in Bangkok and have time for a day trip, this is 100% the one I recommend!
Have more questions about Bangkok food tours or want help planning the ultimate Bangkok itinerary? Let me know in the comments!
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