When making a list of places to visit in Kanchanaburi, it's hard not to include some historical sites related to Thai-Burma Railway. Known by its infamous name, “The Death Railway,” Kanchanaburi province is home to some important places related to the railway, from the bridge on the River Kwai in the heart of the city of Kanchanaburi to the Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok.
In this post, I'm going to share some must-visit places around Kanchanaburi province as I think the city is worth visiting more than just a day trip from Bangkok. You can stay for 2 or 3 days and find accommodation around the River Kwai for the best experience, and you can create an itinerary that consists of some historical sites along with places with some beautiful nature in the province.
So, what are the best places to visit in Kanchanaburi province?
Situated in the central western part of Thailand, Kanchanaburi may not be as popular as other cities like Phuket in the other western part of the country. It's a small landlocked town, so it's not so popular compared to some more popular destinations in Thailand.
However, Kanchanaburi province is probably for you if you love nature and anything related to World War II history. The iconic bridge on the River Kwai is located in the heart of the city, and you can take a train to visit the infamous Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok. The famous Erawan National Park is only around 70 kilometers from Kanchanaburi, making it a great day trip destination if you stay a couple of days in the city.
My boyfriend and I chose Tara Raft Guesthouse in Kanchanaburi as our accommodation for two nights, and we got to visit these 6 awesome places in the province!
1. Bridge on the River Kwai
Hands down probably the most iconic site in Kanchanaburi, the Bridge on the River Kwai is most popular from the 1957 war movie with the same title. The landmark witnessed the atrocities that happened many decades ago during World War II in Thailand.
So many victims fell during the bridge's construction in the attempt to connect the Thai-Burma Railway, whether prisoners of war from the Allied powers or Asian laborers from other places in Southeast Asia under the Japanese invasion then.
You can't visit Kanchanaburi without making a stop at the bridge, with the Death Railway in between, it's a great spot to imagine the notorious thing that happened during the war when it was under construction. However, it is also important to note that the bridge that stands now on the River Kwai is not the original one as the wooden bridge that was built by the POWs and Asian forced laborers under the Japanese invasion was destroyed in 1945 when the US B-24 Liberators bombed it.
The reconstruction of the bridge began at the end of the war when the Thai government and local authorities of Kanchanaburi decided to build a bridge and railways that resemble the original ones using steel and more concrete materials. The reconstruction was completed in 1947, and it has now become the icon of the city of Kanchanaburi in Thailand.
As there are only four trains that pass by the railway on the bridge, you can walk through the bridge most of the time, and there's also a spot on the side where you wait if you happen to visit the bridge during the train arrival.
You can avoid visiting the bridge at 10.30 AM, 2.30 PM, 4.30 PM, and 5.30 PM as these are the schedule where a train stops on the bridge from Bangkok and Nam Tok. While visiting it in the afternoon will give you the best view of Kanchanaburi during the daylight, the bridge will also be surrounded by city light during the night.
Not too far from the bridge, you can also find a bazaar where you can shop all day long. While some stall are open during the day, it's more lively at night.
2. JEATH War Museum
Just around 100 meters from the bridge on the River Kwai, you can also visit JEATH War Museum. The building where it stands now used to be the location of the original wooden bridge on the River Kwai that got bombed during World War II. In addition, you can also see some dioramas depicting forced labor during the construction of the Death Railway in this museum, along with some historical items from weapons, vehicles, photos, and even the body remains of the prisoners who died during the war here.
Apparently, it's named as JEATH War Museum as the name stands for the acronym of five main countries that were involved in the Thai-Burma Railway construction: Japanese, English, Australian, American, Thai, and Holland.
There's an entrance ticket to visit the JEATH War Museum, and we paid 50 THB (around $1.5 USD) per person for this.
As I read some articles about places to visit in Kanchanaburi related to the Thai-Burma Railway, it seems like most people like The Railway Museum which is located close to the war cemetery better than the JEATH War Museum. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to visit the Railway Museum so I can't speak for myself about which one is worth visiting.
However, since most likely you won't miss visiting the bridge on the River Kwai on a visit to Kanchanaburi, you might as well visit the JEATH War Museum to learn more about the history behind the construction of the infamous railway.
To be fair, just like some museums that exhibit war remnants in other places, the vibes at the museum were quite morbid. But it's definitely worth visiting, especially if, pretty much like me, you want to learn more about the history behind the railway as you didn't know much about it before coming to Kanchanaburi.
Plus, the building is located near the original railway tracks, and they constructed a section of the wooden bridge that looked similar to the one that was destroyed during World War II along with a diorama of how the condition looked like during the construction of the Siam-Burma Railway.
3. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
I have to admit that I didn't personally get a chance to stop by the war cemetery in Kanchanaburi despite the fact that we passed by the cemetery during our stay in Kanchanaburi since it's only like 5 minutes walking from our accommodation at Tara Raft Guesthouse.
We thought we would have enough time to stop by the war cemetery since it was super close, but the joke's on us since it was a bit late when we went out back to the town after checking into our hotel in Kanchanaburi.
And the next day, we headed straight to the bridge on the River Kwai before hopping on the train to go to Nam Tok. The next thing we knew, it was too late when we came back to Kanchanaburi, and we had to catch the bus to Hua Hin the next day. Even a few days ago, my boyfriend and I spoke about how we regret the fact that we didn't get a chance to properly visit the cemetery when in Kanchanaburi.
Source: Canva.
Despite the fact that we didn't get a chance to visit Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, I can say that it's worth visiting. Location-wise, the cemetery is walking distance from the Railway Museum, so you can definitely include both museum and cemetery as a part of your itinerary in Kanchanaburi.
But one thing that I noticed the most is that the big cross in the cemetery kind of reminds me of the Taukkyan War Cemetery in Myanmar. The latter is much bigger by size, but I wouldn't be surprised if both cemeteries are managed by the same institution due to the similar layouts and all.
4. Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok, Thailand.
Learning about the history of what happened in Thailand during World War II isn't complete without visiting Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok, Thailand. Situated around 50 kilometers from the city of Kanchanaburi, Nam Tok is still a part of Kanchanaburi province and it's a great destination for a day trip from Kanchanaburi.
You can hop on the train to Nam Tok from either Kanchanaburi train station or the bridge on the River Kwai. The train will take around 2 hours in total, so getting on the morning train from Kanchanaburi is recommended if you plan to visit Nam Tok as a part of your trip around Kanchanaburi province.
Hellfire Pass is a significant site if you want to learn more about the Death Railway as it was a section of the original railway that no longer operates these days. Visiting Hell Fire Pass in Nam Tok will allow you to witness the remnants of the dark chapter in history while understanding of the sacrifices and hardships endured by those who built the railway during the second World War.
Hellfire Pass is home to a memorial and museum complex dedicated to preserving the memory of the POWs and forced laborers who suffered and died during the railway's construction. Known as Konyu Cutting, the most difficult section of the railway required physical demand compared to other sections of the Thai-Burma Railway.
Back then, all the laborers had to work day and night with minimum resources. It is estimated that there were around 12,000 people died during the construction of the Death Railway, with the majority of them happening here, hence the name Hellfire Pass.
Nowadays, the area has become a must-visit museum and walking trail in Kanchanaburi province due to its rich yet morbid history as well as its beautiful view. The museum itself opens every day from 9 AM to 4 PM, and that's why you should hop on the morning train if you plan to visit Hellfire Pass from Kanchanaburi.
Alternatively, you can also get on the bus from Kanchanburi station to Nam Tok, although keep in mind that the journey can take longer than the scheduled train in that case.
Visiting Hell Fire Pass in Nam Tok is free, and you can also make a donation although it is not at all mandatory. When you enter the museum, you will be greeted by a super helpful host that will let you know that there are a few of walking trail options that we can take; with the shortest one will take around 45 minutes up to the memorial, and the longest one could take up to 3-4 hours from the starting point at the museum.
It's a self-guided tour, but you can rent an audio guide for free with a deposit of 200 THB (around $5.5 USD). They will ask for your passport, along with the address of your accommodation if you decide to rent an audio guide during your walking trail.
Getting to Hellfire Pass from Nam Tok train station can be a bit tricky, but there should be a songthaew that can take you from the train station to the museum and memorial for the cheapest option. However, it may take a while as they will wait for other passengers that come to visit Hellfire Pass if you decide to take it from the train station.
Alternatively, you can also rent a songthaew on your own, which is what my partner and I did when we visited Hellfire Pass from Nam Tok train station. The driver offered 800 THB (around $22 USD) for the trip to both Hellfire Pass and Sai Yok Noi Waterfall, but being an Asian as I am who seeks some good deals in everything I do, I managed to haggle and got the final price of 600 THB (around $17 USD) for it!
5. Sai Yok Noi Waterfall
Compared to the more popular tourist destination like Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi province, Sai Yok Noi Waterfall may not be the first choice if you plan to visit a natural site around the region. However, visiting Sai Yok Noi Waterfall is a great alternative especially if you have a limited budget for doing the self-guide tour from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok.
As a trip to Erawan National Park may require extra budget, you can easily include Sai Yok Noi Waterfall as a part of your itinerary when visiting Hellfire Pass from Kanchanaburi. The waterfall is located not too far from the train station in Nam Tok, so you can either go to the waterfall first before Hellfire Pass or the other way around.
Since our main plan was to visit the Hellfire Pass, we went there before visiting Sai Yok Noi Waterfall. We paid the entrance fee of 300 THB (around $8.5 USD) per person, and we had to fill out the guest room for their record before taking the stairs to the waterfall.
If I have to be honest, the visit to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall was quite underwhelming because the waterfall isn't look as good as what we saw in the picture. We didn't go up to the waterfall, so we just wandered around and I personally felt like the entrance fee was too expensive for that!
It didn't take us long until we went down and came back to our songthaew to head back to the train station to take the last train to Bangkok and stop in Kanchanaburi.
6. Kanchanaburi Night Bazaar
Visiting Thailand, whichever part of the country it is, isn't complete without going to the local night bazaar and it applies to Kanchanaburi as well. There are at least two night bazaars in Kanchanaburi: the one close to the bridge on the River Kwai, and the other one near the train station.
They are definitely smaller compared to those in the bigger cities like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, but they're still worth visiting, especially since you can get some items even cheaper than those in the more popular cities in Thailand. To be fair, we shopped a lot in Kanchanaburi, from getting some Thai shorts for my sister, shirts and boxers for my boyfriend, and even a travel bag that we carried for the rest of our trip.
As we spent two nights in Kanchanaburi, we came back to the night market near the train station since it was closer to our accommodation.
One thing that we noticed is that they have different vendors every night, and I've learned it the hard way when I thought I could come back and buy some southern Thai fried chicken that reminded me of the one I bought when I was traveling to Hat Yai, only to find out that the fried chicken stall was no longer there the next day! 🙁
That being said, if you find something that you want to buy at the night bazaar, make sure to get it right away since you may not see the merchant again the next day!
FAQ About Traveling to Kanchanaburi and Hellfire Pass in Thailand
You can't put aside the significant history of the Thai-Burma railway when traveling to Kanchanaburi, especially the bridge on the River Kwai and Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok. So in this section, I've compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling around Kanchanaburi, including visiting Nam Tok. Here we go!
Is it worth visiting Hellfire Pass from Kanchanaburi?
Absolutely yes! While the route is more popular as destinations for a day trip from Bangkok, visiting Hellfire Pass from Kanchanaburi will allow you to explore the area with no rush and there's a chance that you can visit the main tourist attractions when they aren't too crowded too.
Not only can you trace the railway when you hop on the train from the bridge on the River Kwai to Nam Tok, you can also learn the history of the Death Railway at Hellfire Pass Museum and Memorial after. Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok also holds several events annually, including ANZAC Day on April 25th and Remembrance Day on November 11th.
On top of that, Hellfire Pass in Thailand also offers beautiful scenery on top of its rich history. If you like hiking and you have time to spare around Nam Tok, you can also choose the longer walking trail for the best experience.
I chose the shortest one with the memorial as our final point of the trail, but I'm pretty sure if we took a further trail, we could also see the scenic view in our surrounding on top of the history we learn from the audio guide. Plus, it's free so you don't have to spend a penny exploring the area!
A view from Hellfire Pass in Nam Tok, Kanchanaburi Province.
What's the best way to travel around Kanchanaburi?
I think the ideal way to travel around Kanchanaburi Province is to spare around 2 days to explore some places to visit in the city of Kanchanaburi, and then the next day you can spend your day visiting the places in the other areas outside the city like Nam Tok.
While taking the train from Kanchanaburi is probably the best way to explore the region, you can also take a minivan to get you to Nam Tok or Erawan National Park from Kanchanaburi bus station.
Alternatively, you can also rent a car or a motorbike and explore Kanchanaburi province on your own. From Kanchanaburi, take the Route 323 that goes from Kanchanaburi to Sai Yok and Thong Pha Phum Road, and later take Route 3086 at the road's junction which goes directly to Nam Tok.
Does the Thai-Burma Railway still exist?
The complete route of the railway was dismantled after war, the only remaining track that still operates to this date is the one from Bangkok to Nam Tok. And that's what makes the train journey worth doing when planning to travel around Kanchanaburi province!
Conclusion
While most travel destinations in Thailand focus more on the entertainment side, from beach-hopping, ladyboy shows, and culinary, Kanchanaburi is a great place to visit if you're more into history.
You can learn more about what happened in the country during World War II by traveling through the Death Railway, visiting some historical sites like the bridge on the River Kwai and paying respect to the lives lost at the Hellfire Pass.
There are numerous places to visit in Kanchanaburi province that can satisfy your passion for learning about the past so you can appreciate more about the life you have now at present.
So, have you been to Kanchanaburi? Or are you planning to include a trip to the bridge on the River Kwai and explore the Thai-Burma Railway to Nam Tok and visit Hellfire Pass? Let me know what you think, and cheerio! 🙂
Marya The BeauTraveler
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
Your article brings back nice memories of my visit to Kanchanaburi some time ago. I visited some but not all of the places mentioned in your post. So I learned more about this area. Thanks for sharing!
I would have loved to visit Kanchanaburi when I was in Bangkok but unfortunately there was no time. There’s so much to see there and it’s such a historic place!
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Your article brings back nice memories of my visit to Kanchanaburi some time ago. I visited some but not all of the places mentioned in your post. So I learned more about this area. Thanks for sharing!
I would have loved to visit Kanchanaburi when I was in Bangkok but unfortunately there was no time. There’s so much to see there and it’s such a historic place!