Bangkok is a big city with plenty to see and do, if you are looking for something a little bit different from the shopping malls and the restaurants you need to go explore. And if you want to explore all the city has to offer in a short space of time, a full or half day Bangkok bike tour with Just Nok could be just what you’re looking for!
Mainly specialising in bike tours, Just Nok Tours avoid the usual tourist traps and often don’t use the crowded tourist routes – instead taking backstreets and hidden side roads.
Just Nok is a small company, meaning that their tours are less restricted in terms of itinerary and timing, and you don’t feel like you’re on a tourist conveyor belt being hurried from one jam packed sight to the next. We love the personal touch given by each guide- Just Nok only operate small group tours, with each bike tour taking no more than 8 guests in any one outing.
We tried out the ‘Bangkok Behind The Scenes’ half-day tour, meeting at the Just Nok Tour Shop and setting out at 9am sharp. The bikes used were very well maintained, and had our names taped to the bikes which were already set up for us (which was a nice touch). We didn’t feel rushed as we took a leisurely ride along the Chao Phraya River. Due to its infamous roads, traffic and speedy tuk-tuk drivers, cycling in Bangkok can be a little nerve wracking if you rent a bike independently- this was a perfect way to explore Bangkok safely on two wheels with an experienced guide.
After crossing the Rama VII bridge we visited the famous Bangkok Noi Community and its skilled bronze workers, before heading back to modern Bangkok Chinatown via ferry.
This tour is a really unique way to discover the history of Bangkok and is set up so that you cycle a ‘timeline’ of Bangkok, from its birth as a city to the modern day.
On the journey you pass not only the main tourist attractions, but go off the beaten track to visit small communities and learn about the traditional Thai way of life that many people still uphold in this modern melting pot.
As part of the ‘Bangkok Behind The Scenes’ tour we visited a craftsman who makes beautiful metal bowls.
A skilled lady polishing the metal bowls to a high shine.
Guides are extremely knowledgeable and friendly, it seems they know all there is to know about Bangkok, as well as Thai culture and history. We certainly discovered parts of the city we’d never seen, and learnt things about Bangkok we didn’t know before. The enthusiastic guides emphasised that they wanted us to be an explorer rather than a tourist- and that is exactly how we felt!
Are we still in Bangkok? It didn’t feel like it.
As well as the daytime tour we joined, Just Nok Tours also run a ‘Bangkok By Night’ evening tour, taking in sights such as Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the famous flower market.
Just Nok run it’s half day tours every day of the week, and its full day tours at weekends only. You can book in person at their Banglumphu office on Phra Athit Road, by email, telephone or online. Prices start at 900 Bhat per person for a half-day tour.
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