River Kwai Day Trip from Bangkok

Run Away… Far Away

My trip was very unpleasant, my reasons follow. After your initial payment there is an “upgrade” charge at the first stop for a seat on the train, I somehow missed this upgrade and was separated from my group and sat in the baggage car (alone) causing me to miss the stop where my group exited the train. I wound up at a different stop and had to wait for a ride back to my group. The tour guide ( OOM ) was just as bored as the tour group and used videos instead of explaining the historical significance of our initial itinerary. Each stop is approximately 20 minutes, except lunch, which was decent, anyway, you are constantly rushed due to the two hour drive ( each way ) and the one and a half hour train ride. The vans are old and in disrepair and not very comfortable. I would not recommend this tour company as there are better choices out there.

Great views and sunset setting.

The bridge and especially final temple at sundown made the journey worth it. Beware its a 2.5 hour journey to first stop and 3 hour bus journey back. Very good lunch provided.

Memorable Trip to River Kawai and the Bridge

Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful with taking photos for solo travellers like me and forwarding them immediately by WhatsApp. It was a memorable and poignant tour.

Thanks

I havd heard about kwei bridg, it was very good.im happy that I saw. And we had good launch. Our tour gid had a lot of information. And I learned a lot. Thanks

River Kwai day trip

Very good day trip.. Tour guide was excellent and knowledgeable. got on train at kanchanaburi town station so stop before River Kwai station so we had best seats

A day to remember

our guide was so knowledgeable he also took loads of pictures and videos of the day and sent to all A small group tour which was good the day was very long but had to be to fit all the experience strongly recommend take optional long boat ride up river

Great day out

I enjoyed this experience the guide gave some history and background to Prisoner of war soldiers and Asian men who built the railway line. The museum is not kept very well and needs cleaning as the pictures were very dirty and we were rushed through and not given time to digest the information. The war memorial site is very humbling so many lost lives 🥲. The train ride was very good with lots to see. It is worth the upgrade 500 BHT to have a double seat. You are able to walk over the bridge which was an amazing experience. Lunch was very good and plenty of choice. There is a little market at the end to wander round after lunch.

Wonderful experience

Jira was a wonderful tour guide and made the trip very memorable. She brought plenty of water and very knowledgeable about the sites and area.

A trip for the history buffs and those interested in WWII

Highly recommend this tour. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide who ran us through the itinerary at the start of the trip and provided background before arrival at the first point of interest. He also took pictures of the group through the tour on his phone which are sent to you at the end, complimentary. Good for solo travellers. The war cemetery was peaceful and you could walk through the rows to see the different allied forces that rested there (aussies near the front entrance to the left). The museum, though small, was a good reminder of what war actually looked like. The railway, particularly near the river is a stunning but somber reminder of what people died to create and that this was all done by hand. Some of the track is being replaced due to its age but the line is thesame. Other notes, I did quite enjoy the extras that I paid for; the short boat ride under the bridge thay was bombed by the US Air Forcr and the upgrade to reserve seating in the train which guaranteed a seat, snack, water for the 1hr train ride (economy looked full that day and it was too hot to potenially stand for that long) which was THB 300 for each extra (THB 600 total for extras). The buffet lunch was a solid selection of Thai food and desserts with instant coffee or tea included. Ate till full and awesome view of the river :). Option to buy cold drinks too if desired.

Expensive for what you see. Long train ride a lot of dust and smoke. Great tour guide though

The tour leaves much to be desired. It was more hype than what we expected. Not enough information and the train ride is extremely long for what you actually see.

Good trip, disappointing tour guide

It is a worthwhile day, although long. 6am start and get back for about 5.30/6pm even though you leave immediately after lunch. The Jeath Museum was OK - just photos and paintings - not many descriptions in English. We were there for about half an hour. The cemetery, as you can guess, was sobering - 20 mins there. Train and lunch excellent. Bit disappointed with our guide, Oil, who was more of an escort. So many other guides have been really informative along the way detailing landmarks, history, culture but ours just fell asleep. No info along the way really not at any stops. She seemed to take her cue from other tour guides on the train. Her English was more limited. The guide normally really makes the day and so this was disappointing.

Mediocre Tour

We were supposed to have an English speaking guide, but she only had broken english and was very hard to understand, which made it almost impossible to enjoy the day and comprehend much of the tour.

Good and bad

Content of trip was great but was sadly let down by the organisation of it. Sat in a rundown mini van at a petrol filling station for over an hour waiting for our guide. He then shared his time between our mini van and another. When in our van he coughed persistently and spent most of his time on his tablet watching boxing, shows etc.

Potentially a good trip, but...

The content of the trip has the potential to be interesting but we got very little time to spend in places like the war cemetries as we were on a tight timetable to meet the train. But after lunch we were left to our own devices for over an hour. The day could be better planned. Our guide was also more like a primary school teacher, constantly repeating instructions at us, rather than someone who you felt you could engage in conversation with

A moving tour

An informative day explaining the facts of the building of the railway and Bridge on the River Kwai. This tour gave the actual facts - many I was unaware of. Mr Oom took great care of us all. This was a very moving tour - just look at the ages on the cemetery grave stones - time for remembrance- but also some fun - I highly recommend the boat ride (take some cash) and the lunch was also good (take some more cash).

A day of history and heroism

Our driver was excellent at navigating the heavy traffic and stopping for breaks. The tour itself was fabulous. We loved all the history and our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable. There wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer. The countryside was beautiful. We got to pay our respects at the cemetery. The bridge was a marvel in the making considering the conditions under which the men toiled for 18 hours a day. It was a truly magnificent and humbling day.

Could have been better

Great to walk in this hidden history. Sun Leisure World tour guide and driver was mediocre. It would do it again but look for another tour operator. The tour guide was nice. She gave us snacks and supplies us with water. She didn't provide more information than displayed. She was reading the subtitles in the museum to us and said the same thing a couple times. Our scheduled one hour each at the cemetery and the River Kwai Bridge was cut to 10 minutes so we could catch the train. It could have been better planned such as visiting the cemetery or the bridge after the train ride. We spent 11 hours on this journey but didn't have the opportunity to absorb this history. We didn't go there to just have enough time to take a couple pictures. The vehicle was nice on the inside, clean and new, but didn't have enough power. The engine was struggling on our return. I wonder what would happen if it broke down in the middle of our return. We asked for the air-conditioning to be cooler (I saw the temperature dial was not in cool) numerous times. but were told it was max. We were uncomfortable.

River Kwae

Wow what a great day ! It’s a long on but so worth it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and excellent, took care of us very well. Great to walk in the foot sweeps do history. Very poignant Private tour best way to do this

Fantastic

Fantastic tour made more interesting by Nina’s knowledge for her job. She went the extra mile to make the trip so fascinating. The person who missed the trip because they were late at pick up, we’re late!!! 06.34 we left hotel. Departure time was 6.30

Journey along the death railway

A long day with an early start in 36degree heat we was picked up from a central meeting point in an air-conditioned mini Bus took a couple of hours to get to our destination the guide broke the journey up by providing information about what was planned. First stop was the war graves and as always the place was immaculate then onto the site of the pow camp were we were able to view relics and art work by the prisoners then onto a dragon boat to view the bridge and board the train All in all a very enjoyable experience

A must do experience

A wonderful and sobering experience which I thoroughly recommend. Yes, it is a bit of a trek there and back so we took advantage of the private tour as we wanted to be collected from our hotel. Only minor disappointments: the air con should have been better, but it healed itself a little during the journey. Also, very charming guide, who looked after us well, but if you are a bit deaf (me) not easy to understand. Neither of these tiny issues spoilt a great day. Do it.

Bridge over river Kwai and JEATH Museum

The entire trip and experience was phenomenal….if you’re really a WW II history buff , then this is a must visit place….our guide Mr. Rach took very good care….his knowledge and understanding was great….and he explained everything in great detail….

Great Day Trip

This is a great day trip from Bangkok, especially for history buffs. Our guide, Rach, was very informative and always had a great attitude. He took lots of pictures for the group. The stops were well timed for the train ride. Lots of rest stops during the drives. Only negative was that I was offered two options for pickup points and I selected one. The morning of the tour, the driver was told I was to be picked up at the other location I was provided. We communicated through WhatsApp and he came to pick me up anyways so it turned out okay.

Good except for pickups and drop off.

The tour was good. We were not happy with the pickup and drop off as It was meant to be from our hotel. We had to get a taxi to another hotel for the pick up and they wouldn’t drop us back at our hotel and it was a half hour walk. Not impressed.

Great but long day trip

This is a great excursion for history buffs. I particularly enjoyed the train ride and stop at Thamkra Sae. I think it would be better if the upgrade for the long boat ride and '1st class' train ride could be an option at time of booking (additional 600 baht pp on the day). It is a long day of travel, particularly when hitting the Bangkok traffic on the way back.

Day Trip to the River Kwai

Really enjoyed this trip. We saw and heard everything about the bridge. Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained everything. We visited the cemetery and the museum. We took a boat ride up to and under the bridge. We took the death train ride and viewed more of the scenery. The lunch was very nice in a pleasant atmosphere with a great view. Enjoyed the hike to the cave. Our guide took pictures and put them on WhatsApp. Appreciated the fact that our guide kept close track of us and we knew just where to go. We had just 9 people in our group and rode in a nice Van. Pick up and drop off were very convenient. Very reasonably priced.

The driver Kwai so worth it

The river Kwai was amazing and the whole trip was worth it. The train ride thru the country side seeing fields of crops and hills and mountains. It was beautiful

Amazing and very moving...

Amazing and very moving to visit such a devastating part of history and yet was good to pay respects to the many lives lost.

Very nostalgic but a very long day

For those of us of a certain generation who knew many who were involved in the construction of this railway then a visit to the bridge and its surroundings is a must. The JEATH War Memorial has seen better days and it would have been better had we had the time to visit the museum next to the cemetery. The cemetery, like all such places, will be an emotional visit. The bridge itself, nothing like that in the film and the train ride to Wang-Po are well worth seeing and doing. Buffet lunch excellent. Only gripe as a day trip from Bangkok this is a long day, leaving at 6 a.m. and not getting back much before 6 p.m. Many reviews mention being asked to pay more for certain seats on the train. Not on our trip I am pleased to say.

River Kwae

Interesting start as our van broke down but the company had a replacement to us quickly. As retired military the commonwealth cemetery was sobering. It was also an interesting feeling riding the train when you realise 115,000 military and civilians lost their lives building it.

Great scarification of our American soldiers at River Kwai

The River Kwai Full Day Tour was the best tour I ever had because it gives you the opportunity to see the countryside of Thailand. The trip itself is very learning. It highlights about the great scarification of our American soldiers together with other countries to fight against the cruel Japanese Army. Please visit the museum to learn lot more about the WWII prisoners and their conditions during that time. I hope that the Thailand Minister of Tourism is doing more to upgrade and expand the museum including photos and provide more help to maintain the history.

Historical tour worth visiting!

The history, scenery and stories help us understand the significance of the area. A worth while venture.

Guided Knowledge

We really appreciated our guide. He made sure we had the best opportunities to enjoy and learn on the trip.

Very interesting and scenic tour

Our tour guide was Nina, she was very nice and so sweet. It was an early start at 6am meeting in the Novotel, we had to get a Grab there costing 300 baht, only the private tour has hotel pick up. We had a great day out. It takes nearly 3hrs to get to the first stop which is the Jeath Museum (refreshment break half way) we spent about 20 minutes here seeing all the photos, artefacts and a 10 minute video about the river Kwai during the war and how it was back then. After this we was taken to the cemetery to see the tributes of those who prisoners who lost lives whilst constructing the bridge. After a 10-15 minute stop here we headed to the River Kwai bridge for 20 minutes to take some photos and walk across, it was fantastic to see and great viewpoint out over the river. From here we headed to the train station to get aboard the train to make the famous and waited journey over the bridge. Our tour group was allocated the first carriage so was just us until later on when locals and lots of people get on but was nice we had our own seats, and once the train gets going you get given an ice cold bottle of water and a sweet treat with refreshment wipe which was a nice touch. The train is open aired so the whole 1 hour journey was taking in the gorgeous country scenery, it was stunning. There are toilets onboard, and also a local offers donut/pancake for 10baht! Yummy. Once we got off the other end, we went to a buffet restaurant offering Thai food and desserts. (Water included)The restaurant has great views looking out to the river. We arrived here about midday and had to meet back up for the journey home about 1.40 so plenty of time to eat then go and watch the train pass over the bridge at 1.30pm. Heading back to Bangkok about 4hrs due to traffic but we had water on the bus, toilet stops and aircon. We recommend this tour and thank you Nina for looking after us and being a great guide.

Great tour

A very special day visiting these World War 2 sites. My son and I had a good day. The journey on the train was the icing on the cake.

Incredible experience!

Absolutely excellent excursion! The ride to and from the bridge from Bangkok was very comfortable, and the pacing of the excursion was ideal. At no point did the tour seem rushed or too lengthy. I highly recommend this if you are interested in learning of the horrific history of this bridge, and the appalling effort that was put into its construction and that of the extended railroad.

Great tour!

The tour was amazing! On the tour you get to see many great landmarks from WWII. The War Museum, War Cemetery/Memorial, the bridge itself and train ride was a great experience. What made the tour even more memorable was that someone on the train ride (from a different group) actually had relatives die while building the bridge. Although it was sad to learn about his relatives passing away while building the bridge, it was also very heartwarming to know that he was able to visit the bridge. I highly recommend this tour! The tour guide was very knowledgeable. She was very dedicated and she travels 2 hours everyday for the tour- which I think is remarkable!

Good guide makes up for terrible planning

Transport was a mess, kicked of our own bus with an hour extra traveltime. Our Thai travelgide Raag was very good, loads of attention and information. Travelled eccomy class in the train, should everybody do.

Enjoyable day.

Great tour, good guide, good food. Would highly recommend. The museum was very run down but had great pictures, information and artifacts. The train ride was an amazing view of life in that part of Thailand.

Very interesting, long trip, that ended wrong 😑

Prison camp, and cruelty of humans / war. Very few Japanese visit the sight. Interesting place to visit. 👍 😉. Go.. After a very long day trip, we were left, in an unknown place, at night in Bangkok, and not the agreed drop-off place, and told to take a taxi. No go…. 🤨

A once in a lifetime trip

A once in a lifetime trip, to honour our brave service men who died under horrific conditions. Firstly the journey from Bankok was long about 4 hours, we then went to the Museum, personally i dont think we spent enough time there, after that we attended the War Cemetry opposite its very sobering to see all the graves and all looked after so well. The actual Bridge over the river Kwai is a fairly modern structure but I think its the story of all those service personel who died and suffered to build the railway and bridge that matters. We then boarded a train for a short ride along the railway, which was very informative. The ride home took slightly longer because of the horrendous Bangkok traffic, the moped riders seem to have a death wish. all in all a memorable day but LONG

A great day, a wonderful experience.

Our guide, Tam, was lovely. Very knowledgeable and personable. My only criticism is that i would have liked a little longer in the Kanchanaburi museum. Very impressed with the train journey, the visit to the war cemetery was a very poignant moment and tugged at the heart strings when you saw just how young these brave men were. A thoroughly enjoyable day, but a sad reminder of dreadful times. Thank you Viator, we shall certainly use your services for future trips.

The best day ever!!!

If you're looking for the perfect trip with the perfect company this is it. Rach is a super helpful guide, and Ake a super host! Rach even helped me find my uncles war grave in the war grave cemetery. A brilliant day and well worth the money. Just do it 😊

Awesome tour. Forgive but never forget the torture to build the rail line and bridge over the River Kwai

We joined the 9 customer group, our tour guide, Nina and our driver at the Hilton Garden Inn on Silom Road at 615am. We departed at 630am. Nina greeted us with a banana and bottle of water. We drove west for a couple hours in good traffic and mostly on highways. We had a tour of the JEATH War Memorial after a toilet break. The museum with old photos gave us a good feel for the terrible conditions for the POWs working on the bridge. A short video added more detail. A good A-4 paper brochure provided more details. We visited the multi-national cemetery that honoured those killed working on the railway. The cemetery is well maintained by Thai workers and is impressive to witness. We arrived at the bridge over the River Kwai, took pictures and had time to do some shopping. We boarded the train, found our reserved seats and started moving across the bridge. These seats did not cost more as previous posts indicated. Nina provided fruit to eat and small cakes were provided for a snack along with another bottle of water. We rode the train for an hour and enjoyed the journey. The train was open-air but not too hot. We stopped at several spots to take pictures. We arrived at our destination and got off the train. A superb buffet lunch was provided. The food was diverse including chicken, meat, fish, salad and dessert. We drove home for about 2.5 hours and arrived back at the Hilton at 5pm. The trip was long but exceptional. Nina was a very helpful guide! The driver was quite skilled and made good time. For those with interest in the WWII history of the bridge and rail line, I'd very highly recommend the tour!

River kwai trip

Mr Rah ( not sure if it was Rah or Raj) was an excellent guide..so informative and so patient. He works very hard to make what is a historically emotional trip also fun and exciting. Thank you very much Mr Rah and also a big thank you to our very patient driver as Bangkok traffic was extremely busy on our return. It is a long day trip but well worth the journey and the train ride was wonderful through the Thai countryside and farming areas.

A very long day

We had a 6.00 am pickup, we were minibus for most of day and spent not enough time on things that were important, the guide was always in a hurry and amongst 2 minibuses of tourists, he was the only one wearing a face mask so much of the time we could ot understand what he was saying

Emotional trip

The trip was well planned and guided. Our guide looked after us superbly throughout the trip. It was an emotional experience visiting the graves of the POW’s who died building the track and bridge. The train ride gave an insight into the ruggedness of the terrain and the hardships suffered by the builders. Excellent buffet at restaurant overlooking the River Kwai.

Good value - River Kwai trip

Having been before, I would recommend going to the Railway Museum and Research Centre rather than the JEATH one. Though 160 baht it is far better value. The train trip was better with softer seats and the buffet was much better than last year. Lena our guide was very helpful and looked after everyone

Excellent

Excellent tour, Rach was the tour guide, tells us about the history and we get to walk the railway line and ride the train. Despite the sad history was a excellent tour to reflect and visit the Jeath museum and see the death railway.

A Must See Tour while visiting Bangkok

We enjoyed this tour so much. It was very interesting and our guide Rajh was very good. We visited the war memorial, the prisoner of war camp which really made you realize what the POWS went through. There was a 7 minute video showing when the prisoners arrived at the Japanese camp and they looked so healthy. Months later the were skin and bone. Then we walked along the railway that the POWS built. We had an excellent buffet lunch before heading off on the train and finished with a ride over the Bridge on the River Kwae. The tour was long about 13 hours by the time we got back to our hotel but well worth the $40 each that we paid.