Things to do in

Kanchanaburi

History lovers visiting Thailand will value this opportunity to tour the region of Kanchanaburi in West Thailand. During this memorable day trip from Bangkok, you’ll visit the Death Railway which was put on the map by the 1957 movie, Bridge Over the River Kwai. You’ll begin the day by getting immersed in Thailand’s rich bounty at one of the country’s best-loved national parks, Erawan National Park. Walking trails, running water, and undisturbed wildlife characterize this peaceful area. Erawan Waterfall has seven tiers and a set of limestone caves at its base: you'll forget all about the busy streets of Bangkok. This natural paradise is the perfect place to breathe in the fresh country air. Continue to JEATH Museum, dedicated to the Allied Prisoners of War who died building the Burmese railway. This museum is a sad yet important reminder of Thailand’s history; it’s thought that over 100,000 lives were lost during this period. JEATH is an acronym for the main nationalities involved in the building of the railway: Japanese, English, Australian, American, Thai and Dutch. Finally, you’ll visit the historic Bridge over the River Kwai. You’ll get the chance to walk over the bridge, soak up the impressive scenery, and take a moment to remember the past, before returning to your accommodations/meeting point at approximately 8:00 PM.

This full-day private tour begins with a pick-up at your hotel and a drive to ElephantsWorld. Learn about this sanctuary for old and rescued elephants, who will spend their remaining years well cared for in a natural environment. Help care for the animals by feeding them, gathering food and bathing them. Around noon, enjoy a buffet lunch before heading out to see the major attractions of Kanchanaburi. Visit the Bridge on the River Kwai, which is part of the infamous Death Railway, built by prisoners during World War II. Continue your tour with a stop at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, the final resting place of 6,982 allied prisoners who died during the construction of the railway.

You’ll start your adventure with an early pickup before heading to the elephant sanctuary. ElephantsWorld is a conservation organization dedicated to helping these intelligent and proud creatures. Once there, you’ll listen to an introduction and safety briefing before preparing food for the elephants. Get down and dirty and give the elephants a mud bath before heading to the river to rinse them off. There will be some time to shower before you tuck in to a delicious buffet lunch. After helping yourself to delicious Thai dishes, feed the elephants the food you prepared earlier. At Erawan National Park, you’ll trek through the lush forests and caves before arriving at Erawan Waterfall. This famous seven-tiered beauty with its emerald pools is a great place to take a dip or simply relax and enjoy the scenery.

Explore western Thailand on a private tour from Bangkok. Starting with pickup at 7:00 AM, travel 2.5 hours to Kanchanaburi, learning about the history of this area and life under Japanese occupation in WWII from your English-speaking guide as you go.   The first stop will be at the Allied Cemetery and the JEATH (Japanese-English-American-Australian-Thai-Holland) War Museum. Learn about the poor circumstances of the Asian convicts and European POWs during the construction of the Myanmar railway. Next, you will visit the iconic bridge over the River Kwai, the main landmark of Kanchanaburi. Wait until the local train passes and enjoy the view of the picturesque river. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, you will proceed to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand, the Erawan Waterfalls. The waterfall consists of 7 plateaus and has many caves hidden behind the walls of water. If you wish, you can take a dip in the crystal-clear pools.  At the end of the tour, hotel drop-off will be provided. You will reach your hotel in Bangkok at around 6:00 PM.

Learn about the construction of the Burma Railway, also known as the “Death Railway,” on this 10-hour historical tour to Kanchanaburi, approximately 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Bangkok. Upon arrival, you will tour the well-kept War Cemetery, where the graves of an estimated 9,000 Allied soldiers are tended. They perished while constructing the notorious "Death Railway,” which the Japanese had hoped would stretch all the way to the Burmese border. Uncover the terrible history of the railway at the JEATH Museum, which takes its name from the first letters of the words Japan, England, America/Australia, Thailand and Holland. See the past recreated and relived with pictures and artefacts. You will also ride a train along the original Death Railway track, with a sumptuous lunch awaiting at the disembarkation station. Return to Bangkok in the late afternoon for your hotel drop-off.

Day 1: In the early morning at 7:30AM, your personal guide and driver will meet you at your hotel lobby in Bangkok. You will begin with a visit to the floating market of Damnoen Saduak. Close to the market you will board a fast long-tail boat, which will bring you through the narrow "khlongs" to the market. At the market you will enjoy watching farmers selling fruit and many kinds of local products in their boats. If you want, you can take one of the paddle boats to cruise through the market (optional). Following this great experience, you will continue your trip to the bridge over the River Kwai, the Allied Forces Cemetery, and the JEATH war museum. You will then travel once more by long-tail boat to the Jungle Raft, a unique, floating hotel in the middle of the jungle, made from wood and bamboo. The resort offers a unique accommodation experience right on the flowing Kwai Noi River. All floating rooms are tucked into a floating bamboo lodge moored along the historic River Kwai Noi and surrounded by lush green mountains and jungle. At this "floatel", the historic River Kwai Noi flows underneath your bed. The walls are weaved from local bamboo decorated with wooden furniture reflecting the Mon living style (hotel subject to availability). Day 2: Following breakfast, your guide will take you by long-tail boat back to your private vehicle. After another 45 minutes to 1 hour of travel will take you to Erawan National Park, where you will find the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand: the Erawan Waterfalls. The waterfall consists of 7 plateaus, and you can hike to the highest level through a small jungle path. After reaching the top, you will still have plenty of time to discover the natural fish spas, see the natural shaped slides, and go for a swim. Following lunch, you will be taken back to your hotel in Bangkok.

Begin your adventure with a pickup from your hotel in Bangkok and head to the west of Thailand, Kanchanaburi Province.  Start with a visit to the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre, an interactive museum, information and research facility dedicated to presenting the history of the Thailand– Burma Railway. Next, visit the Allied War Cemetery which is commemorates the 6,000 allied prisoners of war who perished along the railway line and were moved after the war to this eternal resting place. Continue to the world famous Bridge over the River Kwai, a part of the Death Railway, constructed by Allied POWs. Afterward, take a long-tailed boat on the River Kwai to the floating hotel at River Kwai Jungle Rafts to have lunch. After lunch, journey downstream to Phu Takian Pier and visit the Hellfire Pass Memorial. Then return to the rafts to enjoy your dinner, followed by a 45–minute presentation of traditional Mon Dance. Begin your second day with a visit to a Mon tribal village to learn about local traditions and customs. Trek through the jungle and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Take a ride on a historic train on the Death Railway, passing over an original wooden viaduct constructed by Allied prisoners of war. Transfer back to your hotel in Bangkok in the evening to conclude your two-day journey.

Meet and greet your guide at the lobby of your hotel in Bangkok at 7 AM. Start your full day private tour to the highlights of Kanchanaburi province and the most important WW2 memorial sites. The drive to Kanchanaburi province will take about 2 hours. First, visit the JEATH war museum, war cemetery and the Bridge over the River Kwai. Learn about how the notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. Discover all of the bridge's history at the museum. Afterward, take a train ride on the Death Railway. After lunch and another 45min drive, see and learn more about the history at the Hell Fire Pass and Memorial. End the day with a visit to one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the country, Saiyoke Noi. Enjoy time to relax and take in the beautiful environment. Finally, head back to your accommodation in Bangkok.

Enjoy your full-day private tour from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi with your personal tour guide. Begin with a pick-up from your hotel in Bangkok at 7.00 AM. Transfer to visit the top destinations in Kanchanaburi by a private air-conditioned car. Begin your trip by visiting the Bridge over the River Kwai, the famous attraction of Kanchanaburi made famous by the movie of the same name. After visiting the bridge over the river kwai, transfer to Sri Nagarin Dam. Visit Erawan Waterfall National Park, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand with an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. Walk from national park office to the waterfall. Relax at the waterfall or take an optional trek up to the top of the waterfall on the 7th tier (about 1,500 meters). After the waterfall, enjoy an optional lunch at a local restaurant. Visit Krasae Buddha cave and board the train and ride along the former death railway about 30 minutes before return to your hotel in Bangkok by private air-conditioned vehicle.

In the early morning on day one at 7:30 am, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel lobby in Bangkok. First, you will visit the floating market of Damnoen Saduak. Close to the market, you will board a fast longtail boat which will bring you through the narrow khlongs to the market for about half an hour. You will enjoy watching the farmers selling fruit and many kinds of local products in their boats. If you want you can take one of the paddle boats to cruise through the market (optional). After this great experience, continue your trip to the Hellfire Pass where you will see and learn more about the history at the Hell Fire Pass Memorial and hike through the pass. Then you will travel by longtail boat to the Jungle Raft, a unique, floating hotel in the middle of the jungle, made from wood and bamboo. River Kwai Jungle Rafts Resort offers a unique accommodation experience right on the flowing Kwai Noi River. All floating rooms are tucked into a floating bamboo lodge moored along the historic River Kwai Noi surrounded by lush green mountains and jungle. At your floatel, the historic River Kwai Noi flows underneath your bed. The walls are weaved from local bamboo decorated with wooden furniture reflecting Mon living style. After breakfast on day two, your guide will take you by longtail boat back to your private vehicle. After another 45min to 1 hour you will reach Erawan National Park, these are the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand: the Erawan Falls. The waterfall consists of 7 plateaus and you can hike to the highest level through a small jungle path. After reaching the top you still have plenty of time to discover the natural fish spas, see the naturally shaped slides and go for a swim. After lunch, you will be taken to Pungwaan Resort and Spa and you will have free time for the rest of the afternoon to explore Kanchanaburi city or just lounge at your hotel's swimming pool with an excellent view over the river. On day three after checking out from the hotel, you will visit one of the highlights of this area: the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Allied Forces cemetery and the JEATH war museum. In the early afternoon a transfer back to Bangkok, this will take approximately 2 hours.