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RENT A BIKE IN BANGKOK, ORGANIZE YOUR OWN PRIVATE BIKE TOUR!
Of course you can participate in one of the famous bike tours in Bangkok. These are a lot of fun to do, especially if you are in Bangkok for the first time.
But did you know, that you can rent a bike in Bangkok yourself? And did you know that this way you can organize a private tour for a fraction of the price you normally pay? You have to be a bit adventurous but it is also very cool to organize a bike tour in Bangkok yourself, right? In this article you can read all about our adventurous bike tours in Bangkok, which we made by renting a bike ourselves.
Image: Thailandmagazine.com
Rent a bike Bangkok’s Old Town
Ten minutes walk from Khao San Road is Velo Thailand. It is a small bike rental company in a nice little street. There are different types of bicycles available. You can rent a bike per hour, per day, per week and even per month. Per hour you pay 50 baht and per day 300 baht. Also at Velo Thailand you can participate in several bike tours in Bangkok.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
On the pedals!
We hired a bike in the early morning and went out a bit awkward at first. We first had to cycle along a busy road, which was quite exciting. Fortunately, we noticed that we were really taken into account. Maybe they were extra careful because it was quite clear that we were tourists. As soon as we could enter a side street, there was almost no traffic here. This allowed us to cycle relaxed again and take a look at the surroundings.
We saw old houses, people doing the dishes or just having breakfast. It was really cool to explore the narrow streets by bike without getting your feet broken! That is really a big advantage of renting a bike in Bangkok. Because as much as we could see now would never have succeeded if we had walked.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Our bike route through Bangkok
We had thought beforehand that we wanted to cross the Chao Phraya river via the iconic Rama VIII bridge, this bridge just has a bike path and footpath so that was easy. Not far from the bridge is the nice restaurant Khin Lom Chom. Here you have a nice view on the water and the Rama VIII bridge. Here we had a cool drink and something to eat before we continued our cycling tour.
Images: ThailandMagazine.com
Do whatever you feel like!
What we wanted to see on the other side of the river we hadn’t thought of yet. If a street looked nice then we drove into it.
This brought us to places we would never reach otherwise. It gave us a free feeling to decide where to cycle and when to take a break. After cycling crisscrossing all kinds of picturesque typical Thai streets, we cycled via the Phra Pinklao bridge back to the other side of the river. You are already close to Rambuttri Road and Khao San Road. Our cycling trip took about 3 hours.
There are no hills in Bangkok, sometimes you have to walk up or down stairs with your bike like at the bridges we crossed. But where there are stairs, there is a strip that you can cross by bike.
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Cycling to the temples
We haven’t done this ourselves yet but if you want you can also (continue) cycling to the National Museum, the Wat Pho known for the enormous reclining Buddha, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) and the Grand Palace. these are located near the Pinklao bridge. Bike where possible through the narrow streets because that is the most fun and relaxed.
Go out early and make sure you’re not in a hurry, it’s way too hot for that!
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Bicycle and walking trail The Green Mile
Another nice bike route in Bangkok that you can do yourself is the Green Mile. This short route connects the 2 parks Lumphini and Benjakiti. It is a short but fun and relaxing route for cycling. In the Benjakiti Park of Bangkok you can rent bikes. For more information about this cycling route read our article about Benjakiti Park.
Rent a bike in the green lung of Bangkok (Bang Kachao or Bang Krachao)
Many organized bike tours go to the green lung of Bangkok (Bang Kachao / Bang Krachao). It is a special green place with fresh air. Here you get nothing of the crowds and air pollution of Bangkok. It is the literal lung of Bangkok. You cycle in a botanical park and on narrow elevated paths through villages with traditional houses. Organizing your own bike tour here is easier than you think!
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That’s how you get into the green lung
We also made this cycle route entirely on our own. You can make it as complicated or easy as you want. The easiest way is to take a taxi to the Khlong Toei Pier. If you sleep near a BTS or metro station, you can take the sky train to BTS station Asok or the metro to Klong Toei station. From BTS Asok you are about 15 minutes by taxi, the costs are about 80 baht. The crossing to the other side of the river can be made with a small boat. You pay 10 baht per person.
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The adventurous way
We like to do things a little different sometimes. That’s why we didn’t take a taxi and didn’t take the sky train. Instead we took the local bus from Khao San Road. We had bus no 47, look here for the bus stop. The bus without air conditioning drives around a lot, stops everywhere and takes over an hour and a half (outside rush hour!). So we got a free sightseeing tour. The costs for this ride? A total of 13 baht for 2 persons, that’s not even 50 cents! You just buy a ticket in the bus.
You don’t have to worry if you miss the bus stop, you have to get out at the end of the bus. You stop almost right in front of the door of a 7-Eleven. From there it’s a few minutes walk to the Khlong Toei Pier.
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Very cheap!
When you’ve made the crossing by boat, you’ll see the bike rental company directly on the pier. There are different types of bicycles for rent. The friendly owner speaks English. Take a little test ride before you choose one. If you rent a bike for a whole day you pay 80 baht per person (this includes the crossing), you get a simple map of the area. Cheap as hell!
At the bike rental company you can also buy some snacks / water, but also during your bike ride you will come across shops and restaurants.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Angular curves and markets
On the map there are a number of sights you can visit. There are temples and other nice locations. On Saturday and Sunday you can go to the @BangKachaoland market with the small Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market. These are nice less touristic markets but don’t expect many boats. Near the markets Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nai is a small temple with shady spots.
But also just cycling in itself is an adventure. The elevated cycle paths have rather angular curves and the surroundings are incredibly beautiful!
Images: ThailandMagazine.com
You ride through narrow streets between the houses. The paths are sometimes so narrow that when an oncoming car comes you have to get off to let each other pass. This does not happen often because there is little traffic. The friendly inhabitants of the village are clearly used to the narrow paths. They also ride scooters on the narrow paths.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
On some parts of the path you are only surrounded by pure nature and you see nothing but greenery or a single house.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park And Botanical Garden
One of the places you should not skip during your bike ride through the green lung is the Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden. It is a lush shady park full of beautiful places to rest. The park is home to 60 species of birds. There is therefore also a bird watching tower including photos and explanations about the birds that live in this park. Scattered around the park are also information boards about the flora and fauna in the park.
Around the pond in the park there are a number of restaurants for a meal, snack or refreshing drink.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Is there a park and water? Then there is a good chance that you will also see a monitor lizard. Of course they are also in the Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park.
Image: ThailandMagazine.com
Spending the night in the green lung?
Feel free to spend a whole day cycling and discovering the green lung. Not many people choose to sleep here. Still, this can be a nice addition to your bike rental adventure in Bangkok. The weekends are the most fun because there is a market. In the area there are a number of luxury hotels and a few simple home stays to choose from. A nice home stay in the green lung of Bankgok is Lilliput Riverside Bang Kachao, which is located directly at the river. A special accommodation is Baan Makham, with modern wooden bungalows on stilts. This place to sleep is close to the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market.
Spiderman, Thai hot pot and spaghetti
All those bikes make you hungry! In the green lung are surprisingly many nice restaurants and cafes to relax. A nice cafe is Punkinfare Bike & Cafe with the most beautiful pastries to make your mouth water. Coffee Toys can be recognized by Spiderman on the roof and the many action man dolls, fans of this kind of action figures should definitely take a look!
Pluem Noodles House Soi 23 is a typical Thai restaurant. Besides different kinds of noodles you can also go for the Thai hot pot, a kind of Thai gourmet / fondue on your own table. Rose Apple is the opposite of Noodles House, this restaurant is located in a modern looking building and serves besides Thai dishes also spaghetti bolognese and fish and chips.
Learn more about Bangkok and fun activities
And do you dare to rent a bike in Bangkok? In the InfoBox you’ll find even more fun things to do in Bangkok!
Price bike hire in Bangkok
The prices of renting a bike in Bangkok vary a bit. In the center of Bangkok and in Old Town you can rent a bike for 300 baht per day. You will then have good quality bikes. The brakes and tires are checked and the saddle is set at the right height. In Benjakitti Park renting a bike is only 40 baht per hour, they are good bikes for short distances. In the green lung renting a bike is also cheap, you pay 30 baht per hour. The bikes are not top quality, but good enough to explore the area.
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