3 BEST Bangkok Food Tours for Thai Street Food Lovers!

Thailand
Written By James Kaewanan
3 Tasty Bangkok Food Tours for Foodies You Need To Try!

Khanom Bueang, imagine a thin crepe with sweet filling, basically a Thai dessert taco

Are you a massive foodie like me? First time traveling in Bangkok, Thailand? Or just looking for some new and amazing eating experiences? Looking for Bangkok food tours? No worries, I got you covered.

From the long standing generational recipes served on the streets of Bangkok’s Chinatown, to modern innovations and trendy cuisines at some of Bangkok’s best Street Food Night Markets. Let me introduce you to 3 of the most amazingly fun and exciting Bangkok Food Tours, guaranteed satisfaction by a professional foodie (me)!

Affiliate Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. By clicking on the links and purchasing the product, I will receive a partial commission at no cost to you. All of these products are ones that I fully trust and recommend with my heart. Thank you for your support!

What to Look for in a Bangkok Food Tour?

Bangkok yaowarat chinatown

Yaowarat Chinatown in Bangkok is THE most famous place for street food in Thailand

I’ll be sharing my advice in terms of food, for pricing and timing of the tour, I think it’s best if you decide what is right for you. This is where I’ll remind you to check the reviews of other people’s experiences to make sure that the what the tour provides is worth the money you are paying.

What Foods are on Offer?

I wholeheartedly think that the best Bangkok Food Tours should offer chances to taste some of Thailand’s lesser known foods, at least lesser known to the rest of the world.

So in addition to the basic Pad Thai or Green Curry, how about some real local Thai foods like Pad Krapao, Boat Noodles, Khao Gaeng Rice and Curry, Larb, Hat Yai fried chicken. You know something that locals actually eat and not what foreigners who never been to Thailand think that locals eat.

I’ve ensured that the tours I’m recommending below are ones that bring you to sample a wide array of local Thai dishes.

Location of the Bangkok Food Tours

Location also plays an important role in where you can find certain types of dishes in Bangkok. Bangkok is a large city with many districts. There are 2 districts which stand out in terms of food though.

  • Chareonkrung (Old Town) - The old town of Bangkok, this is where you can find some of the most local “everyday” Thai foods and for quite cheap.

  • Yaowarat (Chinatown) - The largest Chinatown in the world and the epicenter for Thai/Chinese cuisine. Here you can find lots of dishes influenced by Chinese immigrants like stir fries, and noodle soups.

Though these places are still undoubtedly “touristy” it’s less so compared to the Sukhumvit area where there is a lot more “westernized” Thai foods for high prices that appeal more to foreigners rather than locals.

Which Bangkok Food Tour is Good?

The good thing about being in the world’s capital for street food is that there are so many Bangkok food tours available for you to choose from. I had the opportunity to try out some of the many fantastic Bangkok food tours, with each one of them offering a unique experience.

If you have ample time, I highly recommend doing all of them, as they showcase different sides of the Bangkok’s vibrant street food scene. But if you're on a tight schedule, I’ll break down the key differences to help you decide which one suits you best. These recommendations are based on my own experience, so keep in mind that your tour might have slight variations.

Bangkok Backstreets Food Tour 15 plus Tastings Included

Bangkok food tour yaowarat

The world’s most famous Michelin Guide Chinese Donut (Patongo) stall

The Bangkok Backstreet Food Tour takes you to Yaowarat, also known as the worlds largest Chinatown! This is a half day tour taking roughly about 4 hours and the thing I like the most about this food tour is that you get to sample a wide variety of Thai/Chinese dishes.

Normally when you think Thai food you think of Pad Thai or Green Curry, but you don’t think about the Chinese influence on Thai cuisine. Things like chive/shrimp dumplings, chicken satay, Kway Chap rolled noodles, Cantonese egg noodles, Chinese fried donuts, and so so much more.

I also want to point out that this Yaowarat Food Tour isn’t just about eating (although that is the best part) it’s also about learning the cultural influences of Chinese immigrants in Thailand, and you can thank the lovely English speaking guide for that.

I got to explore many different back alleys and “hidden street food gems” that even me, a local, would have never found out about. And what’s great about this Bangkok food tour is that the guide (shoutout to P’ Ninnie) was so accommodating and very knowledgeable about the history, chefs, and background of the area we were touring.

Bangkok Backstreet Food Tour Price and Value

The Bangkok Backstreet Food Tour comes in at $59 USD per person which I think is quite the steal because you’re gonna be eating a lot of delicious foods

Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour: 15+ Tastings Included

Nang Loeng Market

Within the Nang Loeng Market lies some of Bangkok’s most delicious eats

In contrast to the Chinatown Tour above, this one brings you to the old part of Bangkok where you get to cruise through the old canals of Bangkok on a local Khlong boat. Not only that but you get to ride a Tuk Tuk as well, that’s always fun.

This Bangkok food tour is a daytime tour taking roughly 4 hours, starting from around 9-10AM (you book the time). This tour will bring you to 2 different markets in Bangkok, the Bo Bay Market and Nang Loeng Market, in addition to restaurants and street food vendors. 

But of course, the best part about this tour is that you’ll get to taste a lot of real authentic local foods. Some 20 different snacks and dishes, from simple things like fried bananas to Miang Kham, an incredibly unique Thai snack packed with all sorts of spices and nuts wrapped in leaves.

That’s what I love most about this Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour. It’s a rare chance get to actually feel like a local rather than a tourist. Seeing how the locals live, seeing the heritage, the lifestyle that once was back some decades ago. A lot of these vendors and restaurants in Nang Loeng Market has been there since the early 1900s.

Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour Price and Value

Same as the Bangkok Backstreet Food Tour above, the Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour comes in at $59 USD per person which again, I think is great value for the amount of food you’ll be eating. Not to mention the fun Tuk Tuk and river boat rides.

Bangkok Michelin Food Tour with Hotel Pick-up and Dinner

Bangkok food tour mango sticky rice

What could be better than mango sticky rice? nothing.

Everyone knows Bangkok is a city full of great food, and some restaurants are so great that they even earned themselves a Michelin Guide recommendation (or even a star)!

This Bangkok Food Tour is one of my favorites because of the sheer variety of activities and foods that you’ll be doing and eating.

In terms of tasting some of Bangkok’s most famous street foods, you’ll visit spots like Kor Panich Mango Sticky Rice to try their famous Mango Sticky Rice that’s been served since 1932, and enjoy a meal served to the Thai Royal family at Krua Apsorn.

You’ll also have the chance to stop by at various landmarks throughout the old Rattanakosin district, such as the Grand Palace or Wat Pho. Though honestly, most of the time you just drive past them but still cool to see these landmarks nonetheless.

Bangkok Michelin Food Tour Price and Value

Rather unsurprisingly, since this is a Michelin food tour, the price is going to be higher coming in at $83.03 USD per person. Though more expensive compared to the other 2 Bangkok food tours I’ve mentioned I still think this is a pretty good value due to the variety of activities you’ll get to do.

Also Michelin awarded street foods, enough said.

Bonus: Tingly Thai Cooking Class with Morning Market Tour

Tingly Thai cooking class

Joining a Thai cooking class is something you must do once in your life :)

Here’s a bonus activity for ya! If you want to get right in to the nitty gritty of Thai cuisine then the only way to do it is to cook some delicious Thai dishes yourself, it’s not really a Bangkok Food Tour, more like an activity, but it’s still fun!

Tingly Thai is one of the more popular cooking classes in Bangkok, you start off by sourcing fresh ingredients yourself at the local market, along the way you’ll get to learn about Thai cuisine as well as the ingredients involved in the cooking. Later on you’ll go back to the kitchen to turn those ingredients into magic.

The Menu can change from time to time but when I went a while ago, the dishes we made were Shrimp Tom Yum, Shrimp Pad Thai, and Mango Sticky Rice

I love cooking classes, not only do you get to learn new kitchen skills but the whole experience is like a souvenir, because you get to bring that knowledge back home so that you can show off your amazing Thai cooking skills to your friends and family!

Tingly Thai Cooking Class Price and Value

Tingly Thai’s Cooking Class is only $36.23 USD per person. And I think that is great value! It’s a fun experience and compared to your regular Bangkok food tours, this activity is more hands on and… well in my opinion fun. Not only that you’ll get an opportunity to shop at the local wet market, something that not a lot of tourists get to see in action.

Bangkok Food Tour Group Sizes

bangkok chinatown yaowarat

There are a lot of people eating Bangkok street foods, so it’s best if you move around quickly

All of these Bangkok food tours are small group sizes, a maximum of 8 people. Some of you might think this is small but I think it’s perfect as it’s more manageable for the tour guides and everyone gets to try a bit of everything.

Plus the small group allows you move from street food vendor to street food vendor more quickly and efficiently, which is always a big plus.

Don’t worry about the vendors as well, the tour guides do a great job at being diligent and organizing the street food vendors ahead of time so that they can prepare the foods to be ready. Which makes the pacing of the whole tour much better.

Dietary Restrictions and Accessibility

grilled squid vendor

Seafoods like squid, shrimp, and crab, are also very popular in Thai street food

Of course I need to address issues about dietary restrictions, in these Bangkok food tours, you’ll be trying a lot of different types of foods. This goes for all of the Bangkok foods tours that I’ve talked about, so keep in mind that these tours do not accommodate:

  • Vegetarians or vegans

  • Pescatarians or no pork diets

  • Gluten free

  • Dairy free

  • Peanut allergies

If you have any of these dietary restrictions or allergies and you go on these Bangkok food tours, you might miss out on a lot of tastings… If you are unsure then I recommend contacting the tour operators directly just to make sure.

A thing to note about pork since it’s specifically mentioned, Thailand is a culture that primarily eats pork compared to beef, so that’s why a lot of vendors mainly use either pork or chicken in their dishes, rarely beef.

Looking for Things to Do in Bangkok?

Useful Resources for Traveling in Thailand

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER ARTICLES!

James Kaewanan
Previous

AeroPress Go Review - A Traveler’s Point of View, is it Practical?
Next

Tek Sen Restaurant - Exceptional Chinese Cuisine Heritage in Penang