Erawan Waterfalls, River Kwai and Death Railway Train Ride
Highlights
- One hour on the Death Railway across the Wang Pho viaduct
- Seven tiers of turquoise pools at Erawan National Park
- Swim in the waterfall pools
- The bridge on the River Kwai
- Thai lunch included, vegetarian or halal on request
Description
This is the Erawan day with the Death Railway train worked into the middle of it. The morning goes to the bridge and the railway, the afternoon still ends at the seven-tier falls with time to swim, and that makes it the fuller day of the two but also the longer one, with the van back in Bangkok between 19:30 and 20:00. The train ride itself lasts about an hour. The stretch people come for is the Wang Pho viaduct, a wooden trestle that Allied prisoners of war and conscripted labourers fixed to the cliff face directly above the river in 1943. The same line still carries ordinary passenger services every day, so you ride a working train rather than anything laid on for visitors. For more background and practical advice, see our Kanchanaburi & River Kwai guide.
Pricing
This tour requires a minimum of 2 persons per booking
- Step 1
06:15 to 07:00 Hotel pickup in Bangkok
Your day begins with pickup from your hotel in one of the included central Bangkok pickup areas. This is a shared group tour, so the minivan may collect other guests from several hotels before continuing to the main meeting point near Khaosan Road. Pickup times can vary slightly because of Bangkok traffic and the location of each hotel. Please be ready in your hotel lobby at the confirmed time.
Meet the rest of the group at the Khaosan Road meeting point and leave Bangkok in an air-conditioned minivan. The journey takes you west towards Kanchanaburi, a province known for its forest scenery, waterfalls and important Second World War history. There will be time to watch the city gradually give way to smaller towns, farmland and the greener countryside of western Thailand.
Arrive in Kanchanaburi and visit the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, which crosses the Khwae Yai River. The bridge formed part of the Thailand-Burma Railway, commonly called the Death Railway. The railway was constructed during the Second World War under Japanese military control using the forced labour of Allied prisoners of war and large numbers of Asian civilian labourers. Many people died because of brutal working conditions, disease, malnutrition and exhaustion. Today, the bridge remains an active railway crossing as well as one of Kanchanaburi's best-known historical landmarks. You will have time to see the bridge, take photographs and look across the river while your local guide explains its place in the history of the railway. Please remember that this is an important memorial location as well as a visitor attraction.
Board a local train for an approximately 60-minute journey along part of the historic Death Railway. This is not a museum train or a short tourist demonstration. You travel on part of the railway line that is still used by regular passenger services today. The journey passes through the Kanchanaburi countryside, with views of local communities, farmland, forested hills and the river landscape. The train ride provides a different perspective on the scale of the railway. It also gives you time to reflect on the enormous human effort and suffering involved in building a line through this difficult terrain. The train is a regular local service, so the carriages are generally simple and may not be air-conditioned. Train schedules can occasionally affect the exact timing of the day.
After leaving the train, stop for lunch at a local Thai restaurant near Wang Pho Station. A Thai meal is included in the tour price. Halal and vegetarian food can be arranged when requested in advance. This is also a useful chance to rest before travelling deeper into Kanchanaburi for the afternoon visit to Erawan National Park. Drinking water is not included, so you may wish to bring your own or purchase drinks during the day.
Arrive at Erawan National Park for the natural highlight of the tour. Erawan Waterfall consists of seven separate levels connected by a forest trail. Each level has its own character, with limestone cascades, smooth rocks and pools of clear water surrounded by tropical vegetation. The waterfall takes its name from Erawan, the three-headed elephant from Hindu mythology. The shape of the upper waterfall is traditionally said to resemble the elephant's heads. During your visit, you can walk along the trail, stop at the different waterfall pools, take photographs or swim where park conditions allow. The lower levels are easier to reach, while continuing to the higher tiers involves more walking, steps and uneven natural terrain. You do not have to reach all seven levels to enjoy the park. How far you walk will depend on your pace, fitness and how much time you choose to spend swimming or relaxing beside the water. Comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended, especially if you want to explore beyond the lower pools. Water levels and water colour change naturally throughout the year. During and shortly after the rainy season, the waterfall normally carries more water, while conditions may be calmer during the drier months. Access to particular areas can also change because of weather or national park safety decisions. If you plan to swim, bring swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes. Life jackets are available for an additional charge and are not included in the tour price.
Meet your guide and group at the agreed location before departing Erawan Waterfall. Please return on time, as the minivan must leave promptly for the journey back to Bangkok. After an active afternoon in the national park, you can relax in the air-conditioned minivan during the return trip. The order of the itinerary may change because of traffic, weather, railway schedules or national park conditions. The operator may adjust the sequence of the bridge, train ride, lunch and waterfall visit when necessary, but the scheduled tour experiences remain the same whenever operating conditions permit.
Arrive back in Bangkok in the evening. The standard finishing point is near Khaosan Road. Drop-off at Sam Yot MRT station can be requested, subject to the arrangements on the day. Hotel drop-off is not included as standard but may be available for an additional charge. The arrival time can vary depending on traffic leaving Kanchanaburi and entering Bangkok.
Included
- Return trip by air-conditioned minivan
- English-speaking local guide in Kanchanaburi
- River Kwai Bridge
- Death Railway train ticket
- Erawan Waterfalls entrance fee
- Thai lunch, with vegetarian or halal food on request
Not included
- Drinking water
- Travel insurance
- Hotel drop-off (150 THB per person, minimum 2 people)
- Life jacket for swimming at Erawan (20 to 30 THB per person)
- Swimwear and a towel
- Sandals with a grip for wet rock
- Sun protection and a hat
Prefer to make your own way there? You can skip the pickup and meet us directly at the start point.
Khaosan Road, Chana Songkhram Police Station
Meet in front of the Chana Songkhram police station at the western end of Khaosan Road, opposite Wat Chana Songkhram, by 07:15. Staying near Sukhumvit? You can join at Korea Town instead, at the fountain by Sukhumvit Plaza between Soi 10 and 12, at 06:30; tell us which when you book. Hotel pickup between 06:15 and 07:00 is included for hotels in the central pickup area.
The train is a regular Thai service train. It has wooden seats and open windows, and there is no air conditioning. It also runs late often enough that the return to Bangkok is quoted as a range rather than a fixed time, which is worth knowing because the carriage is hot in the middle of the day and the ride is long for the five minutes of viaduct everyone is actually there for. Because the train takes the middle of the day, you reach Erawan at 14:00 rather than 12:30. If the falls are the main event for you and the railway is the nice-to-have, the plain Erawan and River Kwai day gives you an extra hour and a half in the water for less money.
FAQs
The Burma Railway, built in 1942 and 1943 by Allied prisoners of war and conscripted Asian labourers under the Japanese occupation. Thousands died building it. The stretch you ride runs along the River Kwai and crosses the Wang Pho viaduct, a wooden trestle fixed to the cliff face.
About an hour. It is a regular Thai service train with open windows and wooden seats rather than a tourist train, so expect it to be basic and occasionally late.
Yes, but less than on the waterfall-only tour. The train takes the middle of the day, so you reach the falls at about 14:00 and have around two and three quarter hours.
Yes. Vegetarian food is available on request on every full-day tour, and halal food can be arranged on the Kanchanaburi tours. Tell us when you book so the restaurant can prepare it.
Yes, if your hotel is in the central pickup area. Pickup times are set by area: Khaosan Road and the old town 06:50 to 07:15, Chinatown and Hua Lamphong 06:40 to 06:50, Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn and Pratunam 06:30 to 06:40, and Siam 06:30 to 06:45. If you are staying outside that area you make your own way to the meeting point on Khaosan Road, in front of the Chana Songkhram police station, for 07:15, or to Korea Town at Sukhumvit Plaza for 06:30.
Back in Bangkok at Khaosan Road, or at Sam Yot MRT station if you ask the guide on the day. Drop-off at your own hotel can be added for 150 THB per person, with a minimum of two people.
Yes, this tour needs at least two people to run. Group sizes vary with the season, from about two to nine people on a quiet day up to twenty or more in high season.
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour starts and get a full refund. Inside 24 hours the tour is non-refundable, because the seat and the guide are already committed.
