The bridge on the river Kwai, that many people know from the 1957 movie with the same name or from the book by Pierre Boulle is part of the infamous Death Railway, built during World War II from 1942 to 1943. The railway connected Kanchanaburi in Western Thailand with Rangoon in Myanmar, called Burma back then, and was about 415 kilometers long. On both ends construction began in June 1942 working towards each other. In October 1943 the two sides met, finishing the railway.
The Khwae Yai River, also known as the Si Sawat, is a river in western Thailand. It has its source in the Tenasserim Hills and flows for about 380 kilometres through Sangkhla Buri, Si Sawat, and Mueang Districts of Kanchanaburi Province, where it merges with the Khwae Noi to form the Mae Klong River at Pak Phraek.
The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery is the main prisoner of war cemetery for victims of Japanese imprisonment while building the Burma Railway. It is on the main road, Saeng Chuto Road, through the town of Kanchanaburi, Thailand, adjacent to an older Chinese cemetery.
This small museum, opened in 1977, mostly focuses on the terrible ordeals of the POWs who built the Death Railway. Their harsh living conditions are shown in many original photos, letters and drawings from that time as well as personal effects and war relics, including an unexploded Allied bomb dropped to destroy the bridge. One of the three galleries is built from bamboo in the style of the shelters (called attap) the POWs lived in.
Very interesting and informative trip about the construction of the railway. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Lovely buffet lunch included. Added bonus of pick up and drop off at hotel
I had an amazing experience! The guide 00Mo shared fantastic knowledge throughout the tour, making the entire visit both enjoyable and informative. Their expertise and enthusiasm really enhanced the day, and I came away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the place. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable and enlightening experience.
Very very good love our tour guys well spoken English and really really good at explaining everything
Brilliant, the tour guide 00M was brilliant and driver was excellent, trip is a long one from Bangkok but well worth it, don’t know where to start with explaining everything so people just do it it’s worth the money and this tour company where brilliant from contact to pick ups and drop offs, my only thing I would mention is the museum could do with some tidying up, displays where dirty and the film was good but could do with better speakers but that’s not down to the tour company but perhaps they could pass it on, by the way if your on the train journey sit on the right if you have your back to the engine or left if your facing it lol, you get the best view. Well done tour company your where brilliant, Special mention to the Aussie and Canadian ex pats m, it was brilliant to meet you .
That you are disorganised! ! I had a message last night you didn’t have enough people, and I’ll be taking the tour on Tuesday!
Everything as expected but long drive and HOT
This was one of the best tours I have ever been on! Oom our guide, spelled out exactly what we were going to do the entire day. It was very clear and concise, so there were no surprises. The museum was very moving, the boat ride was fast and fun! The train ride and the walk over the river was amazing. And lunch was fantastic, great view!
Informative, varied and interesting excursion and very thought provoking due to the nature of the visit. It was a long drive but very glad we went. I would have preferred a slightly later pick up time to enable us to have breakfast in the hotel rather than a stop at a coffee shop 20 minutes in to tne journey!
We didn't know what to expect but it turned out to be the highlight of Bangkok. The tour was extremely interesting, the guide was very informative and knowledgeable, and the pace of the tour was good. Lunch was delicious too.
I joined this tour at the end of February and had a very good experience. It was a well-organized, full-day trip to the River Kwai and the surrounding area. Everything ran smoothly, and our guide, “00M,” was professional and knowledgeable, sharing the historical details clearly and accurately. There was really nothing to complain about, it was good value for money. I would highly recommend this tour if you’re planning to visit the River Kwai.
It was absolutely wonderful. However, our guide didn’t seem to be interested in us. It was extremely interesting and heartfelt.
The experience was very interesting and it was good to see the countryside and understand more about the history of the bridge. A somber day for obvious reasons.
Excellent! As always! Everything is very organised, the guy was very informative. Lunch was very nice. Everything was like clockwork.!
Well it was great to see the tragic war cemetry and the bridge and take a trip on the train. What needs to be greatly improved is the information and comentry provided by the guides. It was almost zero. Not just my guide but all the guides that I saw need to lift their performance dramatically. The terrible experience of the prisoners of war and no doubt thai civilians was horrific and needs to be explained in detail. I noted there were many Asian tourists and I doubt they have any idea of the events that took place and why etc. A lot of western visitors of course had prior knowledge of the Burma railway events but a detailed re cap of the history during the journey to the site would be informative , appropriate and welcome. I even heard one guide refer to Australian soldiers as "invaders "!!!!!!!!! We were taken to a temple in a cave near hellfire pass (We were not even told this was hellfire pass). We were told it was a temple, nothing more. But I overheard another guide explain to his group that during the war and railway construction, used as a hospital by the prisoners. By contrast the previous week I went to the Battle of Long Tan Memorial site in Vietnam. My guide had extremely comprehensive knowlege of the battle and key Australian soldiers in the battle. He showed me lots of photos and even sent info and photos to me on whats app after the tour . People like comprehensive detailed factual information. Thats why they travel.
Excellent backgrounder on the histo behind the river and the railway. There's a visit to the photo museum plus a ride on the "Death Train."
Although there was a slight mix up on our pickup the day ran well. It’s a long minibus ride but regular stops help to break it up. You are given information on the way and visit multiple sites. The museum is interesting but would be nice to update the video a little. The trip included a boat ride and it was good to see the bridge from the river. We had time to walk over the bridge and then drive to the train station. You do pay extra for the train ride with an option to upgrade. The buffet was fine for a buffet and there is time to walk on the tracks and explore the cave. Solemn time at the cemetery for just a tiny proportion of the people who died. Would recommend
Was rushed, advertised visiting War and Research Centre as part of trip. When I questioned afterwards why we didn’t visit it, was told it was closed, then told it wasn’t on itinerary. (They then deleted it off). So not impressed with honesty. Also the War Museum at JEATH was so dirty. Not been cleaned in years.the extra $300 but for seats on the train is a con. Don’t pay it. Funnily he only charged us 200bht. Pretty sure it went t into back pockets. There are plenty of seats where we board. I’m pretty sure they wanted to beat the rush in Bangkok lol. So after lunch that was the end of the tour and we spent the afternoon driving back. I did enjoy the boat ride and seeing the bridge. But wouldn’t use this operator.
For WWIi history buffs this is a must see experience, Using van, boat and train this trip takes you up close and personal to one of the most horrific tragedies of the war. Thousands of Brits,Aussie, Dutch and Americans along with many more thousands of conscripts from SEAsia were lost in a valiant effort to get this bridge done in less than 18 months. Rach, a knowledgeable tour guide provided insights to how and why questions that plagued this endeavor by the Japanese. It’s a long day but well worth the trip.
This was a long day with a 6am pick up and 3 hour drive to get back to our hotel- thanks to the traffic in Bangkok but it was really worthwhile. The war cemetery, the bridge itself and the stories in the museum were very sobering. In contrast a lovely lunch overlooking the river was so peaceful. Our guide was informative and helpful. We were picked up from our hotel and taken to meet the rest of the group. It all went very smoothly.
One of the best and most informative trips I have done in Thailand. The guide and driver were excellent. Small group of five of us in total. Fit loads into the day. Highly recommend.
Wow! This trip is the best I’ve been on! Fantastic service, extremely informative and Rach (Rash) was superb. 7 of us went on the trip from my family and every single person loved it. We received photos from Rach throughout our experience, had great food, drinks, visits to markets and even experienced numerous forms of transport. The highlight was obviously travelling in the train over the bridge on the river Kwai. An unforgettable experience! Thank you 🙏🏼
Some uneven surface to walk on. Marvellous views. Full of history and sad stories. Our guide Rach was full of knowledge and made the 2.5 hour journey fly past.
A very interesting and moving experience. All nicely organised EXCEPT tricked into paying extra B300 each to secure guarantee of train seating when clearly not necessary in fact. Would not return is to our hotel because of expected traffic. HEY it's Bangkok. !!
While guide was knowledgeable, he really didn’t interact with the group. He was last on and first off! Information is wrong on costing of seat upgrade….. it is now 300 extra.
Trip was very good and our guide was excellent. A thorough briefing on building the railway and a really interesting train ride through the countryside
Extremely informative... safe and secure ... very knowledgeable group leader .. long day but full of historic value a d fun.
Amazing Tour. Definitely was worth seeing and remembering the fallen. From the moment we were at the cemetery right through to the end, we were overwhelmed. Our guide zoom was great.
Our tour guide Rach was awesome and full of lots of knowledge of the war history. He was a lovely man and made our day very enjoyable! We have lots of photos to show our family and friends when we return home.
Put this tour on must do’s, suitable for everybody as your is well paced and special needs accommodated Guide Rach was attentive, delightful, very descriptive, passionate and sharing of his knowledge … very willing and went over and above to give us the best and real experience. Driver Somport was careful, kind and also gave us opportunity to see / feed monkeys in a safe way. It’s the little things that make amazing experiences🙏👏
It was an amazing and humbling experience. The boat ride and train was very exciting. We were lucky that only myself and my partner was on the tour so that made it extra special. Our local tour guide was extremely kind, and informative. There is a lot to see, learn and do on this tour!
We had a fantastic day with our guide Oom. There were only four of us and everything ran so smoothly. Oom made sure we knew our plan for the day and was very knowledgeable. This tour was emotional, sad and enlightening and highly recommend this company and the tour. The lunch was also really good.
Enjoying seeing the bridge and the boat ride getting ride there was great. Lunch had a great view over River Kwai. Enjoyed scenery on train ride back. Oom was a knowledgeable guide.
The trip was great. Very emotional going thru cemetery, museum and train trip. One thing don’t forget to take baht 300 for train trip if you want to ride the track. Great day.
The visit to the graveyard and museum, were thought provoking and the boat ride and train journey enjoyable. We'll organised and worth doing.
It was great too visit such an historical place but the experience with the tour group was not so great, we were rushed and the driver and vehicle we're unfit for a tour company and left my son and i feeling sick for the entire day.
Fabulous trip telling such a sad story in the most beautiful surroundings. Our guide for the day was oom. Who was very informative Choosing this small group trip was good value as there.were only 6 of us on the trip and such a lovely group of people We had a lovely lunch overlooking the river and had enough time to look around each area we stopped at. I would definitely recomend this trip.
I can’t say enough about this excursion Our guide Rac was super informative and was able to address any questions about the history of events and the roles of all related parties in the conflict The sites were amazing and the mix of boat ride in a long boat and train ride on the death highway cannot be described Would recommend to everyone that is a must see and do
Rach was amazing he was informative and knowledgeable about the history he took pictures for us and it was a amazing and interesting experience we were on a tour with just one other couple and it was great for both couples as we could ask as many questions as we liked and meant the time spent was very informative the driver also managed to avoid traffic and kept to schedule and we stopped for ample breaks . It was great to know the real truth about the bridge and not what the film depicts the walk o er the bridge and on death railway was great even tho it’s high , long tail boat and train ride was great pay for a seat much better than standing for a hour and half we sat water, cake included
Excellent day. Time was used well, the guide was nice, it was one of the best tours we have been on. Nice lunch. The only thing was the traffic getting back into Bangkok was bad so be ready for a long day.
To see the cemetery and come across a potential relative was very moving The museum was very interesting and sad at how the POWS were treated
All of the trip was fantastic, from the time Oom picked us up from the motel. Oom is extremely knowledgeable on his information. The war cemetery was extremely humbling and emotional, Oom's information at The Jeath museum was amazing. We loved the train ride and the view for lunch was beautiful.
Very moving trip but fun as well, forgive but never forget. The museum needs to be up graded , Aust.,UK and Netherland Govt. need to sponsor an upgrade. Cemetery very well kept and sad place. Worth a visit to see those who gave their lives under terrible conditions.
Excellent day out with a very good guide. Interesting through the whole day with plenty to do. I have been to the bridge a few times but this was the best tour I have had.
Excellent day out. Rach our guide was very knowledgeable and obviously loves his job and makes the tour an excellent experience. A small group but great company. Well planned day and the highlight of our trip to Bangkok. If you are only going to do one organised trip this is the one to do. A little bit more expensive but definitely better than the other tours we have done and well worth it.
This is an awesome and deeply moving excursion. Our guide went out of his way to make sure that everyone in his group was taken care of, and he shared his wonderful knowledge of history with us.. Definitely recommend.
There’s quite a lot of travelling, but it’s well worth it. Our guide Oom was really informative and knowledgeable. He was also quite funny(when appropriate). He was really helpful and took plenty of photos for us. The train journey was a great experience and we really enjoyed speeding speeding along the river on the long tail boat. It was very well organised and we had plenty of time at each place of interest. Thanks Oom for a very memorable day.
Was a really well planned tour and overall a fun fantastic day. Really recommend this tour. Bonus monkey feeding. Take a pillow as it is a long drive.
When l book with Viator l don't expect to have to pay more en route. It said on my ticket that the train ride was in the ticket , l was asked to pay an extra 600 Baht. Not good enough !!!.
I was intrigued by the movie “The Bridge Over the River Kwai” for many years, and more recently the true story of one of the survivors, “The Railway Man”. Going to the cemetery was very moving. In fact it brought me to tears reading the epitaphs. They were so young. But I applaud the Thai people for meticulously maintaining this beautiful cemetery. The pictures in the prison hut were very sad. All in all I am glad we went.
Absolutely fantastic trip!! Very long and tiring but well worth doing. The guide Rach and the driver were brilliant. Thank you for a memorable day 🙏
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