What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• Top trip excursion!

  OnlyHighways,

  Sep 17, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We are generally huge fans of Culinary Backstreet but Lek provided us with possibly our best Culinary Backstreet experience ever – maybe because in addition to being a thirty-year resident of Bangkok, he’s actually of Thai descent. His knowledge on the culture, religion, history, and food (of course!) of Thailand was endless. In addition to knowing specifics like dates and facts on every Thai king throughout the centuries, there wasn’t a single question we asked (and we asked a lot!) that he didn’t have an answer for. I was particularly curious about Buddhism and ended up learning so much both about Buddhism and the historical origins of Thailand and its broader culture. I loved that he was willing to engage in more sensitive conversations, presenting us with the multiple perspectives on topics in a fair and balanced way. Lek is a smart man who also understands people. He shared stories about himself and his history, how he became involved in Culinary Backstreets, and generally made us feel like he truly liked us and was intent on making sure we were safe and had the day of our lives. He was endlessly patient with us and positive, never making us feel rushed even when our tour ran slightly over the 2:30p end time. He also provided us with the intel we needed to behave in ways that would not offend the locals. I also loved that he was involved in crafting the Bangkok tour (only less than a year old despite feeling like a well vetted tour that’s been happening for decades). This tour had probably 20-30 stops (sometimes just a little story-telling on a street corner) but we never felt overwhelmed or exhausted because it was punctuated with frequent stops and breaks for, of course, eating. The tour was also incredibly engaging because of the variety in the nature of each stop and food. In one example, I wasn’t very excited about the Tiger Shrine stop and it ended up being a standout memory from my entire Thailand trip: a sensory festival in terms of colors, lights, smells, and activities. In another example, our food was sourced from venues as wide-ranging as an open-air market in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Bangkok … to restaurants and malls that were obviously the daily choice of average working Thai citizens… to ancient homes serving food from recipes that were used for Thai royalty. We didn’t dislike anything we ate and loved most of it, and I greatly appreciated that there were not other tourists at any of our stops. I really appreciated that he made sure we received bottles of water at regular intervals because Bangkok is hot and we were outside for most of the tour. Lek is a diamond of a tour guide, and I have no doubt this tour is headed towards becoming one of Culinary Backstreets’ top picks.

  

• Great food and guide!

  colleenbH3958JU,

  Mar 31, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had a great time exploring the streets of Bangkok, learning about the history and culture of Thailand, and of course eating tasty food. Our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly. We tried new foods and visited restaurants we wouldn't have tried on our own. I would definitely recommend!

• Must do in Bangkok

  Itchy in Singapore,

  Mar 28, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Delicious and worthwhile walking and tasting tour. I have been to Bangkok many times, and this tour introduced me to new places and new foods. Highly recommend!

  

  

  

• So much more than a food tour!

  962samanthav,

  Mar 24, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  My friend and I had the pleasure of spending the day with our tour guide, Lek while we had a free-day on our holiday to Bangkok. I had never been on a food tour before and it ended up being the highlight of my time in the city. Lek is such a knowledgeable guide and expertly navigated us through the markets and stalls. I appreciated that he was friendly with every market owner/ food vendor that we stopped at. It reassured me that this experience was truly authentic. We went to places that weren't heavily frequented by tourists and had a strong following amongst the locals. I never would have been able to find these places without Culinary Backstreets! Lek has lived in Bangkok for more than 20 years and I ended up learning just as much about the city's history as I did about it's food. He is full of wonderful stories! I would highly recommend this tour if you're looking to get a local's expertise on the city and want to try all of the unique dishes Thailand has to offer. Pro-tip, bring a hand-held fan with you when exploring the streets of Thailand, it is a HOT city and with the vendor's cooking up lots of hot dishes around you it's nice to create your own breeze.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 100% recommended

  Heleen B,

  Feb 7, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had a wonderful time with Lek exploring the backstreets of Bangkok. As it was one of the first culinary backstreet tours given in Bangkok, Annie also joined. They both took great care of us. The walk took us through diverse areas of Bangkok. We tried and tasted lots of delicious food that we had not tried before. Lek was incredibly knowledgeable about the cultural and culinary history of the area. Make sure to pace yourself when eating so you can continue tasting till the end! We recommend this tour!