Bridge on the River Kwai
Dear guests, on this day tour you will see the following:
- 🥥 Coconut processing
🌊 Floating Market in Damnoen Saduak
🌉 The Bridge on the River Kwai
🚂 Tham Kra Se Viaduct
🐘 Bathing elephants
👋 Our licensed tour guide will meet you at your hotel or at the designated pickup point, depending on your booking.
We design our tours to respect the private atmosphere of friends, couples, and families, ensuring a comfortable and personal experience.
📝 Note:
We also offer tours for cruise guests, backpackers, and group travelers, catering to a wide range of preferences and travel styles.
🌊 Embark on a journey to the River Kwai and Damnoen Saduak!
Discover Thailand’s rich heritage and immerse yourself in its vibrant culture and traditions.
🍽️ Local Cuisine – Enjoy a delicious selection of authentic Thai dishes, from traditional street food to regional specialties, giving you a true taste of Thaila
Coconut processing
After our guide has picked you up, we can start the tour reliably and safely. Our interesting drive takes us to Damnoen Saduak, the famous bridge on the River Kwai and the elephants with whom you can also bathe in the river. On the way we pass the salt pans where sea water is let in and after drying up the salt is extracted to be sold at the roadside and at the markets. On the way we visit a coconut plantation where you can see how the coconuts are processed and marketed, this is an additional income for The thai. You can also visit the orchid farm which is beautifully landscaped there. The drive then continues to the Damnoen Saduak floating market, which is close by.
Floating Market Damnoen Saduak
Damnoen Saduak is one of the oldest floating markets in Thailand, dating back to the reign of King Rama IV. At that time, the khlongs were elaborately dug by hand to ensure the supply of goods to the residents. Today, the market is touristy, but the interesting thing is the old wooden boats, some of which are still used as they were 100 years ago. Some of the boats are equipped with an open cooking area, which is fired with charcoal or even small pieces of wood. Soup is heated and meat is grilled in this simple and, of course, inexpensive way. Then we go directly to the floating marrow, where the market women sit in their boats and sell fruits, vegetables and fried or cooked food.
The River Kwai Bridge
Afterwards, the journey continues to the Bridge on the River Kwai, where you can see the monument in honour of the fallen soldiers and civilians. Passing impressive landscapes with plantations and simple town houses gives us an idea of the poor conditions under which some of the people here live. In Kanchanaburi, on the Khwae Yai River, prisoners of war were forced to build two bridges. First a wooden bridge was built and later a steel bridge. Both bridges were destroyed by the Allies through several air raids. After it is about time to have something to eat, we go to a nice restaurant directly at the river, where our tour guide takes care of lunch. After lunch we then visit the River Kwai Bridge before continuing our drive through a scenic area.
Tham Kra Sae Viaduct
The journey takes us to a small station, one stop before the Tham Kra Sae Viaduct, where we board the train and experience the highlight, the slow ride over the wooden Wam Pho Viaduct. The viaduct was built by prisoners of war, for which large parts of the mountain had to be shaped so that the rails could be laid. In the process, many prisoners died during the physically hard work under inhumane conditions. Observe the construction of the bridge and enjoy the landscape, which is particularly charming here and a natural experience of a special kind. Here at the station you have the opportunity to buy some souvenirs or the exciting book, which is not so well translated into German, but tells very interestingly under what conditions the prisoners of war had to work and lived here.
Elephants washing and bathing
We still have the opportunity to have a look around and also to see the viaduct construction up close before we head for our next destination. For this we drive to a nearby elephant camp, and here you have the opportunity to bathe with the elephants and wash them. A natural event you will not forget, as there are only a few camps on the River Kwai that offer this. There are always divided opinions, as there are many critics regarding elephant keeping and animal welfare, but one should not forget one thing, you cannot simply send the elephants back to the jungle because they need a lot of food to survive. Therefore, soft tourism with bathing elephants is a good idea and ensures their supply. After this excursion we drive back to the starting point in Bangkok.
135 € p.p. tour price
Complimentary round-trip hotel transfers
📅 Implementation
🗓️ Daily
⏰ Day Tour
🏞️ 07:00 – Arrival at Sathorn Pier (Saphan Taksin)
🚤 07:15 – Tour start
🏨 Hotel pick-up – Available by arrangement
👥 Group size – Small groups of 2 to 8 persons
✅ Inclusive:
🗣️ English-speaking tour guide (other languages available upon request)
🚐 Air-conditioned van
🍽️ Lunch
🚂 Railway ticket
💸 Own Expenses:
🥤 Drinks
🐘 Elephant bathing
🧼 Elephant washing
🛍️ Other personal expenses
💁♂️ Tip for your tour guide
🚗 Tip for your driver
Special features
The tour itinerary and the individual sightseeing objects may possibly deviate due to weather or traffic conditions, airline departure times or closures of the sights. The decision to change the tour itinerary is then up to the tour guide, who will then determine an equivalent new destination, if necessary in consultation with the guests. It is advisable to bring headgear and sunscreen, at least for those who are sensitive.
If you intend to bathe with the elephants, it is advisable to bring a change of underwear and towels. These can be stored in the air-conditioned van and used as needed.