Customers are warmly welcomed by our guide and driver at your hotel lobby early in the morning. The road westwards to downtown Kanchanaburi will take approximately 3 hours where the city skyline slowly disappears and makes way for the more suburban and rural side of Thailand. Upon arrival in downtown Kanchanaburi, we first pay respect to the Prisoners-of-War at the Allied Cemetery who perished during the construction. The well-maintained cemetery is the final resting place of close to 7000 prisoners-of-war who perished during the construction of the "Death Railway.
Right next to the cemetery lies the Thailand - Burma Railway Centre, an interactive museum with information and research facility dedicated to presenting the history of the Thailand-Burma Railway trough eight themed galleries.
A short boat trip follows right after leaving the museum and brings guests right up to the foot of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. Still in use today, the bridge was the target of frequent Allied bombing raids during 1945, and was rebuilt after the war ended. Here, we board a local train over original parts of the famous Death Railway. Train rides over the Death Railway offer both scenic and surreal experiences of what once was a region of war camps, controlled by the Japanese. Upon disembarkation, a local Thai set lunch is served at a local restaurant before we make our way back to Bangkok. The journey follows the fastest route possible to make a scheduled arrival at approximately 5pm, depending on traffic conditions. Guests are of course brought back to their booked accommodation in downtown Bangkok after ending this interesting day on and around the River Kwai.
We were not able to see the bridge over river Kwai because the guide didn’t speak good English and she’s hard to understand. She just made a lot of pointing, didn’t give us our ticket to the museum and we totally missed going to the bridge. We were taken to a public waterfalls. We hated this tour. On our way back to Bangkok it took us 5 hours because the driver didn’t use the highway!
This tour is very good! The guide is knowledgeable and kept us all on track so we didn't run over time. The short train ride is beautiful, and the lunch was excellent.
Only spent three quarters of an hour at the bridge. The rest of the day spent on train and waterfall. As the tour was for the bridge I was very disappointed. There was nearly one and a half hours at some waterfall when we could have spent the day at the bridge, had a meal etc. Total waste.
We found this trip to be really fascinating and very moving. However, whilst our guide was excellent it is a very long day - over 12 hours from our pick up to return into Bangkok. Might have been better to avoid a Friday as the afternoon traffic in BKK is even worse than usual.
really enjoyed the trip as we had the car to ourselves which made it very relaxing. guide was very good and new a lot about what we were seeing.
Asian tours organised our collections to join the main large bus ( lrg busses not allowed in city center). It is a long trip so be prepared with water. There is a stop about half way for toilet and a coffee. Have small notes on you for food. Our hotel provides a pack breakfast and we found this very handy as we would other miss out. The bridge is very poniont as well as the museum. Great educational history. Lunch is rustic but good local food and toilets adiquate. Mobility can be accomodated at all loctions. not much to buy if you want surveniers except at the museum. Good coffee and snacks at museum and as it is a long trip do not go hungry especially if you are unsure of eating Thai food. Train ride is an experience not to be missed as well as water buffello stopping our bus. Our guide was a laugh but informative and friendly. We enjoyed the day out but be prepared for a long day
Tour is very interesting, good organized. Guide is professional but his English hard to understand ——————————————————————————————————
Trip was well organised and was full packed. Please be prepared for it being a very long day. Food was wonderful. Overall a very pleasing trip.
Visiting the bridge was on my bucket list and I wasn't disappointed. I stayed on the river and arranged my own "tour" which was very easy, simple to do. A great trip, nice, helpful folks everywhere I went.
This trip packs in a lot for just one day and is excellent value for what you get. Hotel pick up and drop off. Lunch. Entry fees, train trip and boat ride! And lots of extra nice touches. Wow we were very happy! When you get to the museum, don’t muck about reading everything - buy the big red book. 250baht. Have a good look at the displays and leave yourself about 20 mins to walk around the cemetery across the road. Wear your life jacket on the long boat - for comfortable padding on the wooden seats. Sam, our guide was a darling. Very knowledgeable, organised and caring. Lunch was amazing- far exceeded our expectations and was all ready for us when we arrived. For 150baht we upgraded our carriage on the train. Comfortable, spacious and free water. The alternative will give you the local experience which would be good too. There is no mucking about on this trip and the ride back to Bangkok in the luxury coach was very relaxing after a fairly big day.
We did the day trip on feb 22, whilst it was quite good to see the museum,the cemetery and the bridge the downside was spending seven and a half hours sat on a bus. Had we known the length of time taken to get there and back we would not have gone.
I am giving this tour 3 stars as I really enjoyed the sights we visited. However, the guide was just bad. Maybe he spoke english but his pronunciation was so bad we had no idea what he talked about. He also never even tried to tell us something about the actual sights we visited.
I went to Kanchanaburi with the family. The tour was very good with a boat ride and the ride on the death railway included. If you are lucky, you would be standing on the Kwai bridge and the train passing by you, literally a couple of metres from you.
I was going to book this tour with another outfit via my hotel and am I glad I looked into Trip Advisor to find this local company. Not only did I save over 40% but the tour was perfect for what I wanted to see and do. The tour director and driver were knowledgeable, nice, fun and very punctual. They picked us up at the hotel, looked out for us and provided a clear explanation of the agenda for the day. We picked up another two sets of travelers and we were on our way. We spent about an hour in the museum and cemetery, which for me was enough. Other people said they would have preferred a longer visit. We were lucky to board the BIG ferry to the Bridge, dock, and walk on the train tracks. Lunch (included) was at a rustic resort area but it was plentiful and tasty (and spicy hot!). Then we rode the actual train for about an hour, crossing the River Kwai and later being picked up by the bus to head back to Bangkok. You can expect to spend about 12 hours on the tour, of which 4 or 5 will be in transit. Traffic into Bangkok is horrendous on a weekday and you are transferred from the big bus to a mini van to facilitate navigation. MOST IMPORTANTLY- you will learn a lot about this impressive historical landmark and also discover a lot of MYTHS about the train and bridge that are not true but ingrained in American culture. Another note: Do NOT expect Ritz Carlton like luxury and more Holiday Inn. If you're okay with that you will be very pleased. I recommend it, unless you want a thorough, lengthy, private tour.
From the boat trip to the bridge, the walk across the bridge , the memorial garden to the train trip this was a fantastic experience. Very moving and sobering to read the details of the railway build and sad demise of so many people from so many nations. Not enough time to fully read all the details but enough to get it. It's a must if you are anywhere near
Thoroughly enjoyed everything about the trip. Great air conditioned bus ride. Guide was super...family style lunch was excellent and loved the train ride. Don't be put off by the length as there is so much going on the time just flies.
Booked a private full day tour to River Kwai including museum, cemetery, bridge, train journey and lunch with English speaking guide and a driver in a private car. We were collected on time by Ben (female guide) and led to our waiting air conditioned private SUV. After explaining on route our itinerary for the day we began our 2 hour journey out of rush hour Bangkok. We arrived at the war museum and cemetery after 2 hours driving, stayed here about an hour, this was very moving and informative. We drove onto the bridge and were lucky to see that it was not to busy and we had a good walk along the bridge. Moving further up the line we met our train for the 30 minute train ride along the narrow gauge track next to the river and track cut into the mountain side. All was very well narrated to us by our guide who helped with tickets and pictures along the way. We stopped for a lovely lunch at a local Thai restaurant where the food was very good, hot, fresh and full of flavour. We were returned to our hotel very hot and tired but having had a wonderful memory filled day. Highly reccomend doing this tour as a private one as a bus journey would probably add at least 2 hours onto an already long day. Contact with Asian tours was always good and kept us informed of all aspects of the tour. Great day out.
This trip was amazing! We were a little unsure with some of the reviews but couldn’t fault it! Pick up was nice and easy, the bus had air con which was needed! The driver took plenty of stops for coffee and toilets on the longer drives. I can understand why people felt rushed although I do feel the time allotted for each activity was long enough, the tour guide was very informative and quite entertaining, we were also provided with water and a few snacks too which was a lovely touch! Plenty of time on the actual bridge to take some stunning photos! Lunch was amazing! A small feast of Thai dishes! The actual train ride was interesting, lots of beautiful views which our tour guide was happily advising when to get ready for photos, the train does not have air-con so it was stiflingly warm, but we paid the extra 150 baht for the premium seating which came with cold water, a cold can of cola and a wet wipe to help us cool off. We also received a certificate and a ticket to keep as a memory of the day and our guide was happy taking pictures of each group throughout the journey. Encountered some traffic in the journey back to Bangkok but this was to be expected given it was rush hour, the bus driver pulled over and the large group separated into smaller groups on mini busses to travel to various parts of the city to get us home quicker. All in all it was a brilliant experience and I would 100 percent recommend it.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day. Samm was a great tour guide. Very entertaining and knowledgeable. Even getting a flat tyre heading back to the hotel didn’t spoil the day.
Very long day (12 hours) but well worth it. We visited Jeath war museum, a garveyard for fallen soldiers and then onto a longtail boat ride up the river to the bridge. We walked the bridge with plenty of photo opportunities and then caught the train for 6 stops. We got snacks on the train, we also paid 200 baht extra for seats, its a 1 1/2 hour ride so well worth the money. Lots of beautiful scenery and photo opportunites, our guide was fantastic. We then took the bus to a village restaurant which was so yummy and loads of food. Spotted mo keys in the forest in the way back. Loved every minute of the day and learned so much.
A sense of sadness overcome me as I step inside one of the house that exhibited WWII wartime scenes of torture & hard labor, many old relics of military vehicles, weaponry & photographs too all line the walls of this JEATH Museum. Quite eerie actually, rest in peace all those souls who lost their lives here!
<p>This an excellent day trip and recommend it for both history buffs and those who want to see a different part of Thailand - the guide was excellent, the combination of boat, bus and train is a great way to spend the day - and the history of the building of the bridge in WWII typlifies the goodness of people with the horrors of war. Now if only the area was closer to Bangkok - beware 3 hours back to the city - the better way, to avoid the long day is to overnight near the River Kwai which all the smart people did I did not!</p>
It was below average experience, a day before the trip I got an email that they can't pick me up from the hotel, I have to come to the different hotel. It was very inconvenient at 6am in the morning. When we actually got to the bridge they only gave us 20 minutes to walk around. They need to plan this better and deliver what they are promising on the website.
We felt this trip went very well. Pickup was on time, and we were OK with the Bangkok traffic on the way back so were done and dusted by 5pm Be aware though that it is a long bus ride there and especially back. We were pleased that although only 10 were booked we were on a full sized coach. The disappointment was the JETHRO museum. We understand why this museum is on the itinerary when we understand there to be better more new museums available but really someone should be doing some serious work to refresh the place - new labeling etc. It is almost a disgrace to the memory of the casualties. Felt there was sufficient time at each stop. Agree with the comments about the extra 200 baht payment for booked seat etc. Really that should be in the deal. The lunch was very good indeed. A choice from several hot dishes, rice etc and watermelon and pineapple to finish. The guide was ok when you latched on to his intonation.
<p>Our tour guide Sam was phenomenal and made this a truly memorable experience. We were given plenty of historical background on the bus ride to the sights as well as adequate time at each location. The bus was extremely comfortable with a toilet, the lunch was delicious, there was a break for tea/coffee. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to get outside of Bangkok for a day trip and for those who appreciate learning the valuable lessons of history.</p>
A very long day trip advertised as 07:00 to 17:00. These are the times the coach leaves and arrives back at the outskirts of Bangkok. We stayed at the Rembrandt Hotel in the commercial area and were picked up at 06:00 in a minibus and taken to meet the large coach at 07:00. The tour was as described - all very interesting but rushed. Timings were dictated by needing to catch the 13:00 train at NamTok so the speed boat trip, viewing the bridge, museum, cemetery and lunch were all very rushed. This was disappointing since all these items were well worth visiting. Our recommendation is not to do the day trip but pick a tour where you stay overnight by the River Kwai. Our frustration with traffic was compounded when on return in Babgkok the minibus was stationary for over 45 minutes. The 6 of us abandoned the vehicle and caught the sky train so it was almost 8pm when we got back to the hotel - very tired of sitting in vehicles after a 05:00 wake up call.
<p>Really great tour made so by our guide, Sam, who was hilarious but also informative and helpful. It's a long day travelling from Bangkok - approx. 14 hours round trip from our Hilton Sukhumvit Hotel but a thoroughly enjoyable one. It encompassed a lot..Australian War Museum, Cemetery, Long boat ride from jetty to right under bridge, lunch at a local resort and then 45 min train ride over the bridge including old wooden section. We were picked up at 6am and returned at 8pm because of heavy traffic congestion coming into Bangkok. Well worth it though.</p>
<p>Great tour with a friendly and informative guide. The itinerary is action packed - boat trip, museum, cemetery, lunch and train trip. Fairly long bus journey to and from Bangkok in a bus with effective a/c. The railway museum at Kochanaburi is excellent and well worth a visit. Also enjoyed the rest of the day and the lunch was tasty. Recommended.</p>
<p>This was an amazing tour. The day was totally enjoyable with Um our guide who was an outstanding guide. The tour met all our expectations and the promises they made. It was both a fun and an emotional day remembering the suffering the men went through to bulid the bridges. We recommend this tour to anyone.</p>
<p>excellent trip so glad i booked through viator,they we there waiting at our hotel for us ,and left information about pick up times for us when we got to hotel will deffo use them again,and the trip was well worth the money full day out just brilliant</p>
<p>Brilliant day out, well worth the journey time. The guide spoke very good English and clearly enjoyed his work. Very good lunch, my favourite trip in BKK.</p>
<p>Sam, the tour guide.......a legend in his own lifetime. Excellent guide who made the day what it was. Humbling experience at the graves and museum but very well organised trip. Would recommend it to anyone.</p>
<p>Great trip.comfortable coach and a knowledgeable tour guide.</p>
<p>Well organized, a great guide, and fascinating. The only downside is that this tour is so interesting we would have liked more time at many of the places.</p>
The name of those of us who remember the film is what makes this bridge interesting, which is neither wooden, nor that of the film. It seems to be the Kwai River and the bridge crosses it. Metal bridge that funnily enough let you walk across wherever you want and photograph yourself, but watch out, a train really does. Nothing else in the world. A floating restaurant next to it, firm type so you can eat.
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