Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok: a neighbourhood tour

(51 reviews)

Bangkok audio tour: Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok: a neighbourhood tour

This is a 2.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Bangkok

Thailand

$5.99

Access all 39 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

Set on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya river, the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was the capital’s first luxury hotel, and remains one of the city’s most storied cultural gems. Soak up Bangkok’s humming atmosphere on this walking tour, discovering heritage sites, colonial influences and modern-day marvels, from serene temples and visionary art galleries; to bustling markets and a stately home once owned by King Rama V. Some notable places along the way include the Assumption Cathedral next door, the ornate Rong Kuak Shrine, duck noodle hotspot Ped Tun Chao Ta, and 19th- century warehouse Baan Rim Naam, now a delightful destination for riverside cocktails.

The tour will take 1 hour to complete, but feel free to pause at any point to linger at one of our destinations, browse kiosks and shops, grab an iced coffee, and take in the sights, smells and sounds of this spectacular Asian hub. If you have any questions, simply ask our fantastic concierge team.

Please note, the boat from the Marine Dept Pier to the Oriental Pier, number N 1, runs every day but frequency on weekends is reduced to every 30 to 45 minutes.

Tour Producer

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

0 tours

For more than 147 years, travellers have followed the Chao Phraya River to stay at the legendary Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. A luxury five-star hotel in one of the world’s most exciting cities, we enjoy a reputation for style, service and excellence.

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Preview Location

Location 1

Start - Hotel entrance

Sawatdee krub! Welcome to this Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok walking tour around the riverside. I'll be your guide today, and I can't wait to show you the curious corners of one of Bangkok's oldest and most fascinating neighbourhoods.

You should be standing in front of the hot... Sawatdee krub! Welcome to this Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok walking tour around the riverside. I'll be your guide today, and I can't wait to show you the curious corners of one of Bangkok's oldest and most fascinating neighbourhoods.

You should be standing in front of the hotel entrance.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok has been a landmark in the area since it opened as Bangkok's first luxury hotel in 1876. Back then, Thailand was still called Siam and the hotel was named The Oriental Hotel.This part of Bangkok has always been a meeting place for people of different cultures and nationalities. Ambassadors and expatriates from the West established consulates and businesses here some 150 years ago, while merchants from India and China gradually built a commercial hub along the river.

In 1881, The Oriental Hotel was bought by a Danish businessman, Hans Niels Andersen, and he appointed an Italian architecture firm to build the Oriental building, in which the Authors' Lounge is located today. The hotel changed ownership several times over the century that followed. Managers included Louis Leonowens, son of Anna Leonowens, who was the English tutor of King Rama the Fourth. Madame Marie Maire took over in 1910 and famously hosted the author Somerset Maugham during his bout of malaria. After World War Two, when a group of six entrepreneurial Thais and foreigners each paid 250 dollars to buy the hotel together. Among them were the famous silk magnate Jim Thompson and German war correspondent Germaine Krull, and they restored The Oriental into a meeting point for global glitterati.

In 1974, The Mandarin Hotel Group partially acquired The Oriental and joined forces to become what we now know as Mandarin Oriental.

I could talk for hours about the Russian tzars or the American rockstars the hotel has hosted over the years, or about the many restorations it has gone through – but then we'd still be standing here tomorrow. If you're keen to learn more, check out the permanent exhibition on the 1st floor of the Garden Wing or contact the guest relations team, they’ll be delighted to offer a personalised tour

Oh, and before we leave, please check your wallet to see if you have a few small notes. A 20 baht or 100 baht note will do, we'll need it for the boat later.

Alright. Let's go. With the hotel entrance behind you, head down to the street and turn right.

Don’t worry, VoiceMap will play the audio automatically at the right time and place. This means you can put your phone away now. I might be quiet here and there when I'm not giving directions or telling stories, but that's perfectly normal. If you're not quite sure where to go, the app has a handy map on the screen, and it’ll give you a nudge when you wander off track.

Keep going. You'll hear from me further ahead. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

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Major Landmarks

Assumption Cathedral
Thai Home Industries
O.P. Place
Central: The Original Store
Charoen Krung Road
Grand Postal Building
Warehouse 30
Portuguese Embassy
House No.1
Holy Rosary Church
Talad Noi
So Heng Tai Mansion
Rong Kuak Shrine
ICONSIAM
Old Custom House

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
1055, 42 Si Lom Rd, Si Lom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand
Total distance

4km
Final location
57 Soi Charoen Krung 40, Khwaeng Bang Rak, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand
Distance back to start location

92.98m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts outside the main entrance to Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are myriad options for getting a bite to eat along the route.

Best time of day

This tour can be enjoyed at any time of the day, but it’s advisable to avoid the warmest hours, around midday.

Precautions

Like any major city, Bangkok is often busy with traffic, so be mindful when crossing roads. The area is safe but always be street smart.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”