Had a great time - Oom was great and the driver was very friendly. Lunch was lovely - would highly recommend!
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Lunch
- All Fees and Taxes
- Train death railway
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Excludes
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Traveler pick up offered
Itinerary
The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (known locally as the Don-Rak War Cemetery) is the main prisoner of war (POW) cemetery for victims of Japanese imprisonment while building the Burma Railway. There are 6,982 POWs buried there, mostly Australian, British, and Dutch.
The JEATH War Museum is a war museum in Thailand about the Death Railway built from 1942 to 1943 by Allied POWs under the direction of the Japanese, a part of the Thai-Burma railways.
The Death Railway was built during the 2nd World War by the labor of the war prisoner and the Asian labor forced by the Japanese troop. During that time, Thailand was the alliance of Japan and also gave a big support to the Japanese army. The Death Railway was a route to pass Myanmar and to invade India. Japan was aware that by using the sea troop to fight with England, their armies would be attacked by the alliances. From this reason, they decided to build this railway. The railway was named after the event in the history. There is a saying that “the numbers of the railway, is equal to the numbers of the death labor used to build this railway”The Death Railway starts from Nong Pladuk station, Amphur Baanpong, Ratchaburi to Kanchanaburi crossing the Kwai Yai River to the west, passing Chedi Sam-Ong to the destination at Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar, which is 415 kilometers altogether with 37 stops. This railway was completed on 25th October 1943. During the building period, there were many labors who sacrificed their lives with sickness and by the torturing of the Japanese army. The bridge here was named “Kwai River Bridge”. This construction built a big motivation for the Japanese armies and also a big scar in the labors’ heart. The history was still unforgettable among the people’s heart.Nowadays, the Death Railway was opened for the tourists to visit. However, there are some parts that were deserted since Japan lost the war. The State Railway of Thailand has offered the Thonburi- Namtok line for the tourists who wish to visit this place and a special line Bangkok-Namtok on the weekends and holidays. The most popular point is the Kwai River Bridge and the Krasae Cave, which is a curve bridge that follows the bank of Kwai Noi River. The train stops at Krasae Cave at 1.30 p.m. The tourists can travel in advance in order to be on time to see the picture of the train arriving at this station.
Visit Kanchanaburi area
Visit Kanchanaburi area
Tour operator
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Since I love museum and historical sites, I liked the background of such a scenic view and historical bridge.
What an experience! One of the best trips I have done….from hotel pick up , Soldier memorial, long tail Kwai boat ride, train ride over the bridge with lunch and a drop off back to the hotel Our guide “OOM” or Double O M 🤣 was fantastic! Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wouldn’t call this a tour as it felt more like a glorified transportation service. We were picked up on time and the journey to Kanchanaburi itself was fine, but that’s about where it ends. I was genuinely looking forward to this trip, especially given the personal significance as my late grand uncle was taken by the Japanese to work on the Death Railway and never returned. It’s a place that carries real weight for me. Unfortunately, our so-called guide (Mr. K) had little to no understanding of the history. He mostly just read off the captions on the walls, which made the experience feel shallow and disappointing. All he had to do was put it on ChatGPT and he’s sorted but nope, he chose to do the bare minimum. On top of that, this was meant to be an English tour, but his English was very difficult to understand. At one point, he even asked me which camp my great uncle was in and seemed surprised that I didn’t know. He was taken against his will… how would I possibly have that information? The entire trip took 10–11 hours door-to-door, and yet the only takeaway seemed to be where the “best photo spots” were. That says a lot. To make matters worse, he made crude comments about “imported” women outside our hotel and even suggested that my partner go out after I’d gone to sleep. Completely inappropriate and uncomfortable. Safe to say, we would never recommend this tour to anyone looking for a professional, respectful, and informed guide.
I started this trip from Bangkok so it took 2hours to get in mountains. However it was in an air conditioned comfortable minibus. Started at Kambuchari CWGC which is next to Death Railway Museum. Both thought provoking. Then off to River Kwai (yep the one from the film) with time to wander over the bridge. The next thing was the train that ran along the route of the death railway which as basic as basic (though the local version of doughnut were sold by a vendor on the train were delicious) and take water as there is NO aircon. Sit on left of train for best views. Lunch at the Thai Restaurant was delicious (you have pay for drinks except for water/tea/instant coffee). Back into minibus for ride to the infamous Hellfire Pass). Do be aware that there is a steepish climb down then up to the pass level from the visitor centre (run by Aussie Govt) but for those who can’t do that there is a golf cart alternative. There is audio tour for those who walk. Lovely cafe and clean toilets. The guide was great!
Amazing humbling experience with the family and bucket list tick. Took the train ride on the death railway (as part of the Kanchanburi Safari, Bridge over the river Kwai & death railway tour). Truly memorable. The train ride was really long and we all just loved it. Will never forget. HIGHLY recommend 🚆 🇹🇭 ❤️
Me and my wife had a great time on this tour. It lasted 11 hours , we rode a boat to get to the bridge, walked the bridge took a train ride , had a nice lunch and even fed some monkeys! The Guide was very knowledgeable and took some great photos and shared them with the group.
This was a great tour and Rach the tour guide was fabulous. Lots of information, highly recommend this tour and Rach as tour guide
River Kwai railway trip only cost 100 baht all the way to Nam tok . But what you find is that tour guides reserve seats for private parties .although it’s a national rail line . Even holding seats and not allowing even Thai nationals to occupy empty seats . Rude tour guides reserve!
Just incredible. Cheap, stunning and just so thought-provoking. A must-visit if you go to Thailand. See where the POWs worked in the Second World War and head to the end of the line at Nam Tok to visit Hellfire Pass and the war museum.
A fabulous day. Packed full and full of different activities. Expect to learn a lot, but also to come back exhausted, physically and emotionally. The day started with a 6 am pick up at the hotel, then a two hour drive out of Bangkok. Visited the cemetery first, then the war museum, and then took a fast boat to the famous bridge which was quite exhilarating. After crossing the bridge by foot, we were driven to the most beautiful spot for an all you can eat Thai buffet. The lunch itself and the setting were stunning. The views of the river and mountains speak for themselves. It was unforgettable. After lunch, a walk around the area and to the train station, for a 75 minute train ride on the famous, or infamous, Death Railway. The train ride was fabulous. The tour guide, Rach, also looked after us really well. A great day that won't be forgotten.
Poorly organised trip, collected by driver and guide all ok but first guide was dropped off as only the pick up person and a new tour guide was collected from service station, he was obviously sick and was constantly blowing nose and taking medicine. He spent expended time talking loudly on his phone during trip, also slept for part of journey and spent time looking at females online on his ipad. The train unfortunately broke down and we only knew what was going on by listening to other tour guides telling their clients what was happening, our tour guide gave us no indication what was going on. The train was able to be started but we were told our driver was collecting us to take us to the lunch so we had to disembark. By the time we drove to the lunch, the train was arriving so we missed the most important part of the trip. The tour guide gave no commentary or insight to the destinations, other tour operators were with their group and we listened to their information as our tour guide dropped us off and prearranged pick up times. We may as well have done a self guided tour. When we were heading back to Bangkok we stopped to let the tour guide out at the service station where he left his car but were also told that we were going with the guide back to our hotel while the rest of the group were driven back by the driver. We were transported in an old car, dirty and without seatbelts having been told that the seatbelts were 'unavailable and it's not far'. We felt uncomfortable and would have preferred to have been with the group or in a taxi but pressured to take the guide car. The day was unprofessional, poorly organised and the important part of the trip was missed. We understand that the train broke down but it was working by the time we had to disembark and we weren't offered any option to continue the train journey but hurried off to a lunch instead. Would not recommend this tour operator.
After seeing the movie as a kid I’ve always had it on my mind to learn more about this tragedy. I’ve read individual accounts but I never really comprehended the over all scope of the railroad and how it affected the Burma campaign. Mr. Rach, our guide, was very knowledgeable and clearly explained why and brought to light the enormity of the project. He explained the tremendous stresses put on the POWs and on the 200,000 civilian slaves in terms of terrible working conditions, exposure to the elements, and constant 18 hour work days. Seeing how they built the railroad in 16 months when it was estimated to take 5 or more years makes me wonder how any laborers survived at all. Mr. Rach also spoke and understood English making the tour frustration free. At the end of the tour, Mr Rach arranged a subway route to get us back much sooner than any drive in Bangkok traffic would have ever allowed. Rather than spending our evening stopped in traffic we were able to enjoy a quiet bottle of wine with a wonderful dinner.
Great, very interesting tour with lots to see and to learn about. The guide was ( 00M ) was very helpful and knowledgeable. Had a lovely Buffet lunch with wonderful views over the river. The issue I had was the state of the Minivan it was to say the least rather old and in poor condition, the seats were ripped, some of the fittings were hanging off. There was 8 of us on the tour in a 12 seater Minivan so we all had a bit of space to spread out a little, if the tour had been full then the journey would have be awful. And on top of this the driver was weaving in and out of traffic switching from one labe to another, now he certainly was not the only vehicle doing this as it seems that by rule the standard of driving in Bangkok is terrible, but it made for a very uncomfortable journey especially on the way back to Bangkok
We were very disappointed with the vehicle booked through Trip Advisor to travel over 3 hours from Bangkok to the River Kwai. It was very shabby inside and very uncomfortable but our driver was superb. The overall trip was very moving and such superb scenery but our guide was not very informative or friendly. On two occasions he made derogatory remarks to passengers. We did have several comfort stops near shops and markets and we enjoyed a tasty buffet lunch. It was definitely worth the long trip to see the museum and memorials and for a ride on the death railway. Slightly disappointed overall but we didn’t let it spoil our trip.
What a great day. From start to finish this trip was Brilliant. We were picked up at 6am from hotel and taken to the Jeath Museum by mini bus. The tour is kept to a small group for convenience and comfort when travelling. The tour Guide Rach was amazing. He was full of historical knowledge.He took pictures and videos for us all too which help us all create new memories. The boat ride and Train ride were great. These were extra but well worth it. The train was upgraded to guarantee us a seat and you got water and a cake on board. We walked on the railway at the river kwai and then again at the end. The buffet lunch was plentiful and full of choice. All in all great day out
Informative trip which left a lasting impression of the human cost in building the railway. Our guide Rach( sorry I forgot your name) was very knowledgeable and gave lots of background information and really brought alive what the prisoners had to endure to achieve the completion of the railway in an incredibly short period of time. He was also very good at ensuring everyone was OK, had enough loo stops and didn't get lost among the crowds. Our driver was also adept at negotiating the heavy Bangkok traffic with skill and care. The trip was extremely well organised and I would highly recommend it.
The River Kwai Tour is a must and an extraordinary journey into one of the most poignant chapters of Thailand’s history while offering picturesque views of the surrounding landscape. The tour is meticulously designed, providing a seamless blend of historical learning and immersive sightseeing. The itinerary is thoughtfully laid out to give you ample time to explore iconic landmarks like the museum, Bridge over the River Kwai, the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, and the Hellfire Pass, which serve as powerful reminders of World War II’s impact on the region. What makes this tour truly remarkable is the balance between education and leisure. You’re not just visiting these historical sites—you’re experiencing them with context, guided by meaningful insights. As you walk along the remnants of the infamous Death Railway, you gain a deeper understanding and feel of the hardships endured by the prisoners of war who were forced to build it. In addition to the historical aspects, the natural beauty of the River Kwai region is stunning. From tranquil boat rides along the river to scenic train journeys, the tour provides many opportunities to take in the lush, green landscapes that surround this historic area. The accommodations along the way are comfortable and well-situated, allowing you to relax and enjoy the serenity. This tour isn’t just about seeing famous sites; it’s about understanding their significance, feeling the weight of history, and appreciating the natural beauty of the region. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking for a unique and moving experience, the River Kwai Tour delivers on all fronts. The tour truly stands out as one of the best in Thailand. A special shout out to our guide Loungoom, who was beyond exceptional. From the moment we met him, it was clear that he was deeply committed to ensuring every participant had an unforgettable and enriching experience. Loungoom has a rare gift for storytelling, bringing the history of the River Kwai to life in a way that is both educational and deeply moving. His knowledge of the region’s past is profound, and he conveys it with such clarity that you feel transported back in time. Yet, he does this with a sense of humor and ease that keeps the group engaged and entertained, never making the experience feel overwhelming. What sets Loungoom apart is his attention to detail and genuine care for the group. He was constantly checking in to ensure everyone was comfortable, answering questions with patience and enthusiasm, and adapting the itinerary to meet individual needs or preferences. Whether it was recommending the best places to take photos, helping with dietary requirements, or ensuring we had ample time at each historical site, Loungoom’s dedication to providing top-tier service was evident. Moreover, Loungoom has an incredible ability to connect with people. His warmth and kindness created a welcoming atmosphere, and it felt like we were being guided by a trusted friend rather than just a tour guide. He effortlessly handled logistics and made the entire experience seamless and stress-free. If you want a tour where history is not just recited but truly felt, Loungoom is the guide you need. His ability to teach with passion, humor, and sensitivity, while being completely approachable and accommodating, makes him one of the finest tour guides I have ever encountered. Highly recommend Loungoom for anyone visiting the River Kwai.
Such a wonderful experience we had with Rach as our tour guide. Very educational and informative. Everything went well couldn't fault anything 😌. Will definitely recommend this experience as a day trip from bangkok. The lunch was also 👌🏾 lovely a nice taste of local food 😋.
This is a fantastic train ride with spectacular scenes from this amazing railway that cost so much to build. This is a must do experience and something you can make a day of. You can take the train to the caves were POW once bathed and to the end of the railway today were you can experience the waterfall and a place where once Australian and British POW once had there camps. This i definitely a trip to take the kids on and the train runs regular to easily get back and forth.
We had a great start, the tour operator pick us up on time. The tour guide (Omme apologies for the misspelling) gave us an introduction about the tour while going to see the death railway bridge on the river Kwai. Everything was well explained in detail so when we arrived on the first stop at the Kanchanabury war cemetery we had sufficient time to walk around. The second stop was at River Kwai Museum, here Omme explained the history and why the construction of the museum was needed. Inside there are few portraits describing the prisoners living condition. After the museum we continued our journey by long tail boat on the river Kwai to the death railway bridge. So far the trip was going well, we reached the death railway bridge where we had the opportunity to walk on it and visit the prisoners campus. A this point we supposed to ride the train for 1 hour and 30 mimutes to admire the scenery and to have an idea how the bridge was built. Unfortunately we were told that the train had some issue with the engine and the departure will be delayed or cancelled. At this point Omme advised to reach the destinatin by the minivan but we had to wait for the driver, who had driven halfway to the train destination point Tham Krasea, to pick us up. Of course we were behind schedule and everything was rushed to make up the time. Before arriving at the death railway bridge we had a lunch at the restaurant proposed by the tour operator. It supposed to be an authentic thai lunch but it was a disaster. The food was cold and overcooked kind of ready meal taste. Nevertheless, we restart our journey to the last destination Tham Krasea. We could only spend no more than 30 minutes to walk on the rail track and see the cave. Surprisingly, walking back to go to the cave we were told to move away from the railway as the train was approaching! Afterwards everyone was back in the minivan where the driver drove as back to Bangkok. As everything was so behind schedule we were left in the vicinity of the hotel instead at the hotel as stipulated in the tour guide. It was a shame as this tour does have a great potential but they need to take into account of potential delays.
Our day started off with being picked up late then transferred to another mini bus about an hour & half into the the trip one of the passenger's asked how long for the toilet stop as he was getting desperate OOM our guide went buzurk at him calling him a lady & couldn't he wait this went on untill we did finally stop which made us feel very uncomfortable, but they patched up and we enjoyed the day, then on returning to Bangkok he pulled over said as it was really busy and our hotel was just down the road everyone got off and took the SkyTrain,but as our hotel was just down the road we would walk , but after an hour we ended up getting a Tuk-tuk at the cost of 200 BTS back to our hotel we got dropped off at 5.15 & got back to our hotel at 7.45 so not impressed wouldn't recommend this company but the trip was really interesting
Nice experience they picked us up at the hotel and were driven back to the hotel got to see a simple museum good to tell nice to see the bridge in reality
To avoid, book on another cheaper site and be careful not everything is included we had to add 300 baths per person last minute to be upgraded (which is specified on other site).
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email
