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Golden temple rising behind old shophouses in Bangkok’s old town
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Gold & Smoke

A golden temple in the last soft light, old lanes as the shutters come down, a long street food dinner on Yaowarat and live jazz to finish. Chinatown, golden hour to late night.

Duration6.5 hours
Start time16:00
Meeting point[MRT Wat Mangkon]
Group sizeShared max [X]
LanguageEnglish

About this tour

Yaowarat has been Bangkok's Chinatown for more than two hundred years, and it still runs on gold, incense and food. In the late afternoon the gold shops glow, the temples fill with after-work prayers, and once the light drops the whole road turns into one long open-air kitchen. You walk the lanes with a local guide who lives and eats here, try what the regulars queue for, and end the night with live jazz or in the middle of the neon. Made for first-timers, photographers and anyone who plans a trip around food.

Highlights

The Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit
Incense and lanterns at Wat Mangkon
Old shophouse lanes at golden hour
Live jazz or Yaowarat at full speed to finish

Your route

1
16:00

Golden temple

Start at the temple of the Golden Buddha while the afternoon light turns gold.

2
17:00

Old lanes and shophouses

Hidden alleys, incense shops and the Chinese temple where locals come to pray after work.

3
18:30

Tuk-tuk ride

Hop in and rattle through Chinatown as the neon signs switch on.

4
18:45

Street food dinner on Yaowarat

Your guide’s favorite stalls, from roasted chestnuts to crispy pork, plus a sweet stop for dessert.

5
20:30

Riverside walk

Walk off dinner through the quiet old riverside quarter, a breather before the night.

6
21:30

Jazz bar or Yaowarat at night

Live jazz in an old shophouse, or Yaowarat Road at its loudest: neon, crowds and sizzling woks. Tour ends around 22:30.

Included

✓ Local English-speaking guide ✓ Tuk-tuk ride through Chinatown ✓ [First street food tasting]

Not included

✕ Food and drinks beyond the first tasting ✕ Temple donations ✕ Hotel pickup

What you'll spend

Your ticket covers the guide, the route and the tuk-tuk. Food and drinks you order yourself, so you only pay for what you actually want. Honest estimates per person:

Street food dinner฿150–400
Dessert & sweet stops฿60–150
Drinks at the jazz bar฿150–300 each
Temple donation (optional)฿20–100
Most guests spend around ฿400–800 on top of the ticket. All amounts are estimates [prüfen].

Good to know

Cover shoulders and knees for the temple stops; a light scarf does the job. You'll walk about [3] km at an easy pace with plenty of food breaks. Most stalls take cash only, so bring small notes. The tour runs rain or shine, and most of the route is covered.

Meeting point

Google Maps embed: [exact meeting point]

Reviews

Reviews for this tour (Google / Tripadvisor / GetYourGuide)

Moments from Gold & Smoke

Incense smoke in front of an old temple wall
Incense at the templePhoto: borisrg / Unsplash
Cook tossing a wok over a high flame
Wok fire at dinnerPhoto: abduzeedo / Unsplash
Yaowarat Road at golden hour with Chinese signs
Yaowarat at golden hourPhoto: geoffgreenwood / Unsplash
Old town street at night in warm light
The old town after darkPhoto: moustaphboss / Unsplash
Impressions of the neighborhood. Exact stops vary by night.

Which face of Bangkok do you want to see next?

Same city, a completely different experience. Pick your next one and we take care of the rest.

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High Societyfrom ฿1,100