• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Experience the unknown world of Monks collecting Alms in the hidden arrays of alleyways and mazes of markets in the mystical Bangkok temple district. Spend the morning cohabitating with Thai monks learning about their life, daily labors, and spiritual rituals.

Destination

Bangkok, Thailand

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, ไทย

Included

• Private guide
• Pick-up Included

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Big.

1. Meeting point

   You will be picked up anywhere in Bangkok. Your local host will contact you regarding the exact pickup point.

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting Point

   If your accommodation is in the city center, a pick up atb your hotel can be arranged. If you are outside the center, the meeting point is the Tha Tian Market Building, at the corner of the intersection of the Grand Palace and Wat Po

4. Arrival & Introduction

   Arrive at Monks residence and get introduced to their daily routine

5. Collecting Together

   Assist in Collecting Alms with Monks

6. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

blake🇦🇺 Australia

23 February 2025

Have been on a few tours with only locals, down side is when the personality of your host isn't a good match, you will find it hard to not get along with Big, top gentleman, very worldly and well read, had great insights in the topic, will be thinking about this tour for a long time to come.Blew my mind

Tracy🇺🇸 United States

17 February 2025

It was't what we thought it would be like, (more spiritual we guessed?). But, we loved our time learning so much about the monks and where they live, eat and walk. Fascinating life style they live in the mornings which we watched first hand. We would recommend this tour with Big. He is extremely knowledgeable about this subject. Monk time

Golda S.🇵🇭 Philippines

17 February 2025

I come to Bangkok a lot and have joined a few tours. This is DEFINITELY the best tour I've joined here. Thoughtful, non-intrusive, informative morning with the monks. I like Big's approach of sharing the big picture about a monk's life and Buddhism and also showing the practical side. He doesn't oversell the experience, which is very refreshing. Worth waking up at dawn for and I've already recommended this to friends who are planning to visit Bangkok soon.A must when you visit Bangkok

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

2 February 2025

I had a wonderful morning on this tour with Big. He was so insightful about the life of a Thai monk and about life in Thailand. He went out of his way to teach me about the culture, people and the land. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone—you won’t regret it. My understanding and respect for Buddhism and Thai monks has grown exponentially. Thanks Big for the amazing tour!Awesome experience

Erwin

1 February 2025

It is not a tour, it is bigger then that , it is an experience! Big showed us the inside story of being a monk. Big has great knowledge about de monks, how they live and about there position in the thai community. I can recommend this tour/ experience to anyone who likes to know more about monks en there way of living!Great tour!!

Melanie

31 January 2025

This was my second time on the early-morning monk tour with Big, and it was as interesting and enjoyable as I remembered. Big is one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had — he knows so much about Thai culture and history, tells great stories and is just really fun to be with. Highest recommendation! Another great morning

M🇺🇸 United States

4 January 2025

We enjoyed this morning outing! Big was an excellent host, very knowledgeable and accommodating. We learned a lot about the Monks way of life and life in the city for those who support the monks beliefs.Morning with Monks

Glenn

8 December 2024

One of the best things you could ever do Amazing experience

Stephan🇩🇪 Germany

4 June 2024

Für alle, die einen außergewöhnlichen Einblick in das spirituelle Herz Bangkoks suchen, kann ich Big als Guide uneingeschränkt empfehlen. Wir hatten die einmalige Gelegenheit, in das Leben der örtlichen Mönche einzutauchen. Die Tour begann am frühen Morgen und ermöglichte es uns, zwei Mönchen bei ihren morgendlichen spirituellen Abläufen zu begleiten. Dieses Erlebnis war wahrhaft einmalig und wird uns noch lange in Erinnerung bleiben. Big war ein wunderbarer Begleiter, der uns tiefe Einblicke in eine Welt ermöglichte, die Außenstehenden selten offensteht. Er führte die Tour mit großer Sensibilität und Respekt für die Praktiken der Mönche durch, sodass wir diese heiligen Momente auf eine sehr persönliche und eindrucksvolle Weise erleben konnten. Ich kann diese Erfahrung uneingeschränkt empfehlen – sie wird zweifellos ein unvergesslicher Teil unserer Reise bleiben.Einblick in das Leben der Mönche Bangkoks

Dorien

19 May 2024

“ Spend the morning cohabitating with Thai monks”, we got up to meet Big at 5.30am but…. unfortunately there were no monks to meet. Big is nice and the tour was still informative but the monks were apparently in Singapore. This wasn’t communicated to us prior to meeting up. So before booking please enquire whether they are actually there in order to avoid disappointment.Disnt really get what we paid for…

Mary

5 April 2024

Kristina

11 January 2024

We did a Tour with Big very early in the morning through Bangkok, starting close to a temple, through the narrow alleyways and streets of Bangkok to small neighborhoods markets. Big was very nice, explaining the rituals and habits of monks (among many other interesting facts about life in Thailand, Bangkok, etc.) and showing us one of many routes they take every morning. Great early morning experience

Maksim

5 January 2024

Andrea🇮🇹 Italy

17 December 2023

I appreciated a lot this experience with Big. Accompanying the monk collecting offers in a very traditional market and discussing about his daily life has been helpful to better understand Buddhism and Thai culture. Moreover Big, a s a good temple boy, gave me a lot of hints for further discussions about life and how differently we see things from Europe and US, where we are all children of a (French) Revolution who tend to compare new things to their own mindsetting. At the end, anyway, the biggest challenge remains to "know yourself and follow your path", which is something we may learn from Aristotle, Voltaire or Buddha. I would surely repeat this experience. The only thing I missed -because of such passionate discussions- was to ask few things directly to the monk.The real life of a Buddhist monk

Britta🇩🇪 Germany

11 November 2023

The tour with big ist such a unusual way of exploring the city of Bangkok and its people. You have the feeling of having a look „behind the curtain“. I really can recommend of doing this tour, we loved it and took a lot of information and impressions with us ! Thank you so much Big ! A special experience in Bangkok

Sheri🇺🇸 United States

7 November 2023

We had such an educational experience going on a walk with our guide and a monk as he was presented gifts of food for breakfast and lunch. It was great to be able to fit in this tour before our flight. Big was great to pick us up and then help us get back to our hotel in time for our flight. If you want a u inquest experience in Bangkok I recommend this tour Walk with Monk

Vanessa🇩🇪 Germany

7 November 2023

We had a great time with Big. He picked us up at the hotel just in time. We went to the monks home, learned so much about their life and the neighborhood. We had time to ask everything we wanted to know. Thank you for the interesting morning Great Experience

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

16 June 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ While traveling solo in Bangkok for a week, I came across withlocals.com and Big's tour. This is a true gem for travelers looking for an authentic local experience atypical of others in Bangkok. Big is incredibly knowledgeable not just about this tour topic of monk lifestyle, spiritually, and Buddhism from his decade of service as a temple boy, but also highly informed about Thai and world history, culture, fashion, food, and immersive travel experiences. An intelligent, humble, well traveled, and fun-loving guide. By the end of the walk, it was like I was hanging out with an old friend. It says a lot that as we were walking there were two occasions we were innocently interrupted by curious bystanders wondering if they could hire him for private tours. I'd highly recommend this experience and frankly anything Big may choose to host in the future. Unexpectedly sensational

Heather🇺🇸 United States

15 June 2023

Best tour we've ever done! Of all the things to do in Bangkok, put this at the top. Big was the best tour guide ever. He even dropped food off to us at our hotel lobby after the tour was over. 10/10 best experience! Do it!

Tyler🇺🇸 United States

30 May 2023

The morning walk with Big the most unique and interesting experience I had while in Bangkok. I would highly recommend this experience if you are looking for something that is down to earth. Big showed me a memorable view into the daily life of monks and how that is intertwined with the local people. A mind opening morning walk

Lauren🇺🇸 United States

7 March 2023

The morning with Big was awesome! Definitely our favorite tour in Bangkok. It was like hanging out with a friend, very casual and you could ask him anything and everything. We learned so much about the monks and Bangkok and had fun getting to know Big. He also took us to a rooftop coffee spot with great views and took us back to our hotel via longboat and train so we could get a different view of Bangkok and avoid the rush hour traffic. Highly recommend!

Charlotte🇦🇺 Australia

28 February 2023

Thank you so much Big for such an informative and interesting tour. We really felt like we saw a unique slice of Thai life and it was one of the highlights of our trip to Thailand.Informative and interesting

Tyler🇺🇸 United States

19 February 2023

An authentic peek into an everyday morning at the temple. Big led us around the monastic compound and neighborhood alleys as the sun was coming up. We toted bags of alms as Big imparted a vast knowledge of Thai Buddhism. Not a glossy, easy-spiritural version. He offered a day-to-day understanding of: how monks interact with the larger community; what it means to make merit with the monastics; and the history of Thai Buddhism. We quickly realized we could ask Big just about anything Thai-related and we had some passionate tangential conversations! We happened to be at the monastery on the day of a young monk's ordination and witnessed his family shaving his head. We treasure this morning with Big!A beautiful morning!

Guillaume🇶🇦 Qatar

16 February 2023

A great time with Big, his knowledge of his country is extensive on every topic. The fact that he lived in the US for so long is a plus as he knows both cultures. And… he is fun ! The interactions with the monks were impressive, definitely a unique experience ! Highly recommended. Simply Awesome

Therese🇮🇪 Ireland

14 February 2023

Mr Big is an amazing guy, and in two or three short hours we felt that we had developed developed relationship with him on our simple but amazing tour with the monks collecting alms in the Bangkok markets. Mr Big answered every question with patience and an apparently deep knowledge of the Buddhist values and way of life. A truly humbling and rich tour with a host who came well prepared and is on top of his game. P&T IrelandMr Big and a most enjoyable morning

Abbegail🇸🇬 Singapore

31 January 2023

Really enjoy the early morning walk seeing how the monks collect food. Interesting and informative and great to see a different side to the city. Interesting morning

Carissa🇦🇺 Australia

18 January 2023

This tour was absolutely amazing. It was truely a once in a life time experience. Big was a fabulous guide. He was very open and honest, and you could really ask him anything. It was great learning about the life of Monks in a very personalised and realistic way. This is a must do in Bangkok! I couldn’t recommend it highly enough!Morning with monks!

Tamara 🇺🇸 United States

21 December 2022

One of the very best tours I have ever done. Big provided a very unique experience. He is personable , knowledgeable, communicative, and very kind. He was a great host and I recommend this experience to everyone. A true highlight of my Bangkok trip. I am so thankful.One of the very best!!!!

Karina🇺🇸 United States

19 December 2022

Big was great! Showed me that I knew very little about Monk life. The best tour I have taken in Bangkok. Been recommending to everyone I meet, as long as they are cool.Everyone needs to do this

michelle🇬🇧 United Kingdom

6 December 2022

Really interesting morning with a very friendly and knowledgeable guy. Got some amazing photos during the tour. A must do if in Bangkok.A must do.

Tanya🇦🇺 Australia

14 November 2022

We did a total of six tours in Thailand, and this was by far the most personal and novel. As Western Buddhists we were intrigued to have an intimate and relaxed "behind-the-curtain view" of monastic life; Big is a fascinating man, and it was neat to have some insight into his life as a Temple Boy. However - don't do this tour if you want to see many temples, listening to chanting, learn to meditate, or cover a lot of ground in Bangkok - there are other options for this. Really unique experience

JOHN🇺🇸 United States

18 October 2022

We spent our last morning with Big. I wish we spent our first day with him. We had the chance to sit down and learn about Bangkok, Thailand and Asia in general. Information the is extremely useful for It being our first time in Asia. We covered does and Sony’s, tipping etiquette and life in general for the Thai people. Thus should be an “introductory” tour in and of itself. More than we bargained for

Jasmin🇩🇪 Germany

21 September 2022

Wer wirklich eine unvergessliche Erfahrung abseits der Touristenattraktionen erleben möchte, ist hier genau an der richtigen Stelle. Big ist äußerst zuvorkommend, hat mich und meinen Partner extra vom Apartment abgeholt, obwohl es vom Großen Palast etwas weiter entfernt war und nicht zentral in der Stadt lag. Er hat sehr viel erklärt und hatte auf jede Frage eine Antwort. Man konnte sich bestens mit ihm auf englisch unterhalten. Man lernt sehr viel über die Mönche und deren Glauben sowie Gebräuche und das auf einer sehr privaten Ebene. Generell versucht Big die Tour so individuell und persönlich zu gestalten wie es nur geht. Wir sind danach noch zusammen mit ihm auf den Blumenmarkt gegangen sowie Abends auf eine kurzfristig geplante Foodtour und es hat sich alles rundum gelohnt. Wir haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt und würden es jedem nur ans Herz legen mit Big eine Tour zu machen. Es ist eine einzigartige Erfahrung, die man nicht so schnell vergisst.Unvergessliches Erlebnis

Benjamin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 September 2022

This tour was a true behind the scenes insight to the Monk, the temple staff and their daily life. Clearly rare and unique, Big, a temple boy himself remains with you to explain the rituals that take place. A walk through the neighbourhood feels humbling as the locals provide their offerings to the monk, as you have a first hand view of what takes place. This is a short serious tour that shouldn’t be missed to learn about an important and big part of Thai life in an exclusive way. Thank you Big! Unique and rewarding experience

Erika🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 November 2021

We didn't expect to be guided by a real Temple Boy of Wat Pho which makes this experience even more special! We learned a lot from Big about special places & culture in Bangkok, giving us a good overview of the country in our first days exploring the White Elephant country ( negeri gajah putih). Not only does he have a vast knowledge about history and is a super interesting conversation partner talking about anything and everything, he also shared valuable tips for daily life in Bangkok. Highly recommendedAmazing tour

Andreas🇩🇪 Germany

25 September 2021

Big is a great guide and the tour we booked with him was special and not being offered by anyone else. We got an insight into the life of local monks who start their days very early in the morning as they make their way around the Bangkok temple district collecting food for the day. Big came to our hotel and picked us up very early in the morning - a great help if you don't yet know how to get around the city. Seeing Bangkok and the local markets at this hour, was a great experience. Big offers a lot of insightful commentary on "monk life", Bangkok and Thailand in general and he certainly answered all our questions in great detail and gave us a good idea of how Bangkok developed into the great, multicultural city that it is today. Sometimes communication can be a bit difficult in Thailand, but you won't have this problem with Big. Big grew up in the US and he has that wonderful enthusiasm and energy that will make any tour with him a great experience. When you are in Bangkok, meet with Big, it will be worth it. Unique tour with Big at the break of dawn

Ove🇸🇪 Sweden

28 February 2020

Visiting the monastery and following two of the monks on their morning walk around the neighbourhood to receive food offerings was a very interesting experience, not least because of Big, who turned out to be both knowledgeable and engaged. Having grown up in the US, he of course speaks English just as fluently as Thai, and with his considerable knowledge of culture, history and religion was able to give context and put things in perspective. He may ask you questions related to what he has just explained, so do pay attention if you want to avoid embarassing silences.A glimpse behind the scenes at the monastery

Eric 🇺🇸 United States

26 February 2020

Big has an awesome personality and insight into Bangkok that not many guides do. His morning alms tour was an amazing experience. Big's style is flexible and thought-provoking. I can't recommend Big enough.Coolest Guide and Tour in Bangkok

Clara🇺🇸 United States

5 February 2020

Kristjan🇪🇪 Estonia

28 January 2020

Big knows places, people and facts! I enjoyed very much. For me it was a perfect fit as I am a walker and like to smell and feel the surroundings.Super nice meditative walk

Десислава🇧🇬 Bulgaria

23 January 2020

Thank u Big, for sharing this early morning and the opportunity to see the city closer to the locals and especially the monk's rituals. Great cultural experience

Ted🇺🇸 United States

22 January 2020

Our morning with Big and the monks was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He is very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and wise. Seeing Bangkok and the Wat Pho temple so early in the morning is absolutely worth the challenge of a 5am wake up. Highly recommended. Best tour ever

hanes10987

21 January 2020

We wanted something less touristy and we got that with Big. He took us behind the scenes with the monks as they journeyed to get their morning meal. He explained a lot about the life of a monk and showed us a local place to eat. He is very interesting and knowledgeable! Great day in Bangkok. Great spiritual day with Big

Alan🇲🇾 Malaysia

17 January 2020

Big is a very knowledgeable person that has his own set of thought. He shared his experience and his thought about the life of being a real person along the tour. Is is my honour to met someone special like him and I definitely recommend a tour with him.The extraordinary tour then you don't find it somewhere else

Susanne🇬🇧 United Kingdom

16 January 2020

Booked the tour to try and get a better understanding of Buddhism and the monk’s role and life. Our guide Big did not disappoint at all. He is so so informative and plays a huge part in the lives of the monks as he himself is attached to the Temple. We went through the local markets and got a proper insight into what a monks life is all about. During the whole experience Big made sure we understood and we were free to ask any questions. Big even pointed out other things on our tour that had nothing to do with the monks but about to do with Thailand as a whole. He bought fruit for us which we had asked what was. To top it all up Big’s English is amazing as he has lived in the US for many years. I cannot recommend this tour enough. In short it’s a humbling and sobering experience. One of the best experiences

Glen🇺🇸 United States

9 January 2020

Thoroughly enjoyed my time with Big and the Monks. I listened, learned and observed this ancient ritual side by side in the life of monks. It was simply an awesome experience and I’m humbled. Big was adaptable, knowledgeable and fun. The dawning of a new day!

Juergen 🇩🇪 Germany

27 December 2019

Absolutly stunning!

Patrick James🇵🇭 Philippines

19 November 2019

This is an amazing experience shared by a a very cool and intelligent Bangkok local. A mix of history and culture through the eyes of the monks and the Thai community they belong to.See the life of monks and Thailand History

Andrew

13 November 2019

We loved the walk with Big and his monk friends. Understanding what lies beneath the impression of a place enriches experience. Big did this for our Bangkok experience. He is deeply knowledgeable with a talent for teaching and telling the story of monks and their context in history. My wife has been to Bangkok 50 times and loved it! Highly highly recommended. Best Bangkok Experience

Reine🇦🇺 Australia

1 August 2019

We did 2 seperate tours with Big, the first was a morning walking tour with the monks from Wat Pho as they collect their alms. It was amazing. Big was able to explain so much about the history and take us through the streets of downtown Bangkok as the day was begining for many of the local markets. Next we took a day tour to Ayutthaya. While we were on the road for the 90 minute drive, Big practically explained the history of Thailand and how Ayutthaya becames a centre of wealth in Thailand and how ultimately, it led to it being destroyed. Throughout our time with Big we were able to understand so much more and his depth of knowleged really is outstanding. We also found it really easy to understand him as his English is perfect - but he admits his Thail is pretty bad :) Big made everything so easy and kept us away from the crowds and tourist traps that lots of organised tours groups would have had to deal with. Thanks for a great couple of days.Knows his stuff