More guests contact us about how to find the boat than about anything else on the cruise itself. It’s a fair question. ICONSIAM is a genuinely large riverside complex, it has more than one pier, and the check-in point isn’t the same place as the boarding point, which trips up a fair number of first-time visitors.
None of it is difficult once it’s laid out clearly. Here’s exactly how to get to ICONSIAM, where to check in, where to actually board, and how much time to allow so none of it eats into your evening.
ICONSIAM sits on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya, and there are three practical ways to reach it. The most common route is BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station, followed by a short shuttle boat across the river from Sathorn (Central) Pier, which runs roughly every 15 to 20 minutes through the day and into the evening. Alternatively, the BTS Gold Line, an extension reached via Krung Thonburi station, runs directly to ICONSIAM without needing a boat at all. Public Chao Phraya Express boats also stop near ICONSIAM on several of their coloured flag routes, though schedules on these tend to be less frequent in the evening than the dedicated shuttle.
If you’re coming by taxi or ride-hailing app, ICONSIAM has its own drop-off area, though Bangkok’s evening traffic on the Thonburi side can be unpredictable, so building in extra time is worth it, particularly heading into a weekend.
ICONSIAM is a large shopping and riverside complex, and Pier 1 is where check-in for Noah Cruise happens, not where you board. Pier 1 sits toward the southern end of the ICONSIAM riverfront and is where the Noah Cruise service counter is located. This is the first stop of the evening: your booking is confirmed here, and you’re given your table or seating details before heading to the actual boat.
Check-in at Pier 1 and boarding at Pier 2 are two separate physical locations, a short walk apart, and treating them as the same stop is the single most common mistake first-time visitors make.
Pier 2 sits in front of ICONSIAM’s main entrance, close to the fountain area, and is where the Noah Cruise vessel actually docks and boards guests. The walk from Pier 1 to Pier 2 is short, generally a few minutes, but it does mean allowing that extra time in your schedule rather than assuming check-in and boarding happen at the same spot.
Signage and Noah Cruise staff are positioned along the route to help guide guests between the two, but arriving with a little buffer in your schedule, rather than cutting it fine, makes the whole process considerably less stressful.
For the sunset cruise, check-in at Pier 1 opens at 3.30pm and boarding at Pier 2 begins at 4.45pm, ahead of a 5pm departure. For the dinner cruise, check-in opens at 5.30pm and boarding begins at 7.45pm, ahead of an 8pm departure. In both cases, arriving at the very start of the check-in window, rather than the boarding window, gives the most comfortable margin, particularly since ICONSIAM itself can take longer to navigate than expected on busy evenings.
The cruise departs exactly on time, and guests who arrive after boarding has closed may not be able to board, with late arrival not always eligible for a refund. Weekends and public holidays are worth treating with particular caution, since both ICONSIAM and the piers tend to be busier.
Noah Cruise’s boarding process is wheelchair accessible, with a lift and accessible toilet facilities on board, so guests with mobility needs are well accommodated once at Pier 2. Baby changing facilities are also available on the vessel.
If it’s your first time at ICONSIAM and you have some time before your check-in window, it’s worth knowing the complex itself is worth arriving a little early for. It’s one of Bangkok’s larger riverside shopping and dining destinations, so combining an early arrival with some time exploring ICONSIAM before check-in is a straightforward way to make sure you’re not rushing to find Pier 1 at the last minute.
If you’re not using the BTS or shuttle boat, ICONSIAM has its own vehicle drop-off area, and most taxi and ride-hailing drivers in Bangkok know it well given how established the complex now is. The one thing worth planning around is Thonburi-side traffic in the early evening, which can be heavier and less predictable than the BTS or river routes, particularly on weekdays around rush hour. If your hotel is some distance from the river, building in extra time for the drive, rather than assuming a fixed journey length, is the safer approach given how much traffic can vary evening to evening.
No. Pier 1 is where you check in at the Noah Cruise service counter, and Pier 2, a short walk away in front of ICONSIAM’s main entrance, is where you actually board the boat.
BTS to Saphan Taksin followed by the shuttle boat from Sathorn Pier is the most common route, though the BTS Gold Line via Krung Thonburi station reaches ICONSIAM directly without a boat.
Arriving at the very start of the check-in window (3.30pm for the sunset cruise, 5.30pm for the dinner cruise) gives the most comfortable margin for finding Pier 1, checking in, and walking to Pier 2.
Noah Cruise staff and signage are positioned along the route between the two piers, and the reservations team can also be reached by phone or LINE if you need directions on the day.
Yes, the vessel and boarding process include wheelchair access, a lift, and accessible toilet facilities.
ICONSIAM’s size is what makes it worth visiting and what occasionally confuses first-time cruise guests in the same breath. Once you know that check-in happens at Pier 1 and boarding happens at Pier 2, and you’ve allowed a bit of extra time to get between the two, the rest of the evening looks after itself.
You can check current sailing times and book your cruise directly through our cruises page, or contact our reservations team if you’d like help planning your route to ICONSIAM.
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