From/ To: BANGKOK
Duration: 3 Days / 2 Nights
Departs: 24th April 2026 - 7:00am
Departure: Guaranteed
Tour type: ‘Join-in’/ Medium Group

Overview:

Join the deeply moving Anzac Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass and enjoy the Gunfire Breakfast afterwards. Visit the Kanchanaburi & Chungkai War Cemeteries, the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Wang Pho Viaduct, Sai Yok Waterfalls and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (a museum dedicated to the railway). Take a train ride on a section of the railway and ride in a long-tail boat along the River Kwai.

Why Anzac Day at Hellfire Pass?

Hellfire Pass is a site of deep historical and emotional significance, especially for Australians and those connected to the history of the Burma-Thailand Railway. The suffering endured by the POWs during its construction is a harrowing reminder of the brutality of war, yet their resilience and sacrifice are honoured through preservation efforts and commemorative events like the Anzac Day Dawn Service.

After the war, a greater part of the railway was removed and allowed to return to the jungle. In the 1980s. Hellfire Pass was rediscovered. Since 1990, Anzac Day has been commemorated at Hellfire Pass as a tribute to the memory of the POWs and the many lives lost while also fostering a connection between Australian history and the beautiful cultural and natural surroundings of Thailand.

Join the deeply moving Anzac Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass. Learn the story of the Burma-Thailand Railway and delight in the Thai cuisine, culture and magnificent scenery on this 3-day tour.

Highlights:

• Anzac Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass with Gunfire Breakfast

• Train ride on original section of the Burma-Thailand Railway

• Wang Pho Viaduct & Krasae Cave

• Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls

• Kanchanaburi & Chungkai War Cemeteries

• Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (museum)

• Long tail boat ride on the Kwai River

• Bridge over the River Kwai

• Overnight (24th April) in a ‘raft’ room on the River Kwai

f you find that you are unable to join a tour that has been booked, confirmed and paid in part or in full, the paid amount of that tour less any unrecoverable costs, may be converted to a voucher. The value of that voucher may be used towards the same tour with a later departure date or any other HWT tour.

If a refund is requested, the following cancellation fees may be deducted from the paid amount:

• Greater than 10 days prior to tour start date - 10% of total tour amount + any unrecoverable costs

• 10 Days or less (including 'no show') prior to tour start date - No refund

Day 1:

• Kanchanaburi Railway Station - Low

• Train ride - Low

• Wang Pho Viaduct & Krasae Cave - Moderate

• Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls - Moderate

Day 2:

• Anzac Day Dawn Service – Moderate-High

• Kanchanaburi War Cemetery – Low

• JEATH Museum – Low

• Long tail boat ride - Moderate

• Goodway Floating Restaurant - Low-Moderate

Day 3:

• Chungkai War Cemetery – Low

• Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (museum) – Low-Moderate

• Bridge over the River Kwai - Moderate

• Sai Yok Restaurant - Low

There is no compulsory tipping on the tour and any tip is discretionary by you. Your guide and driver are paid a good salary for the hard work they do but if you do choose to give a tip, this supplementary amount is always appreciated. If you believe you were treated well and received excellent service during your tour by the guide and driver, then feel free to tip an amount that you are comfortable with. If you distribute a tip between the guide and driver, please present it to them separately to avoid confusion.

• Registration with the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs, for the Anzac Day Dawn Service, is NOT required.

• All customers must have comprehensive travel insurance for the duration of the tour.

• This tour is conducted in accordance with the Terms, Conditions and Policies (Terms) of Historic War Tour Pty Ltd (HWT). By booking a tour with HWT, you acknowledge that you have read and understand these Terms and accept them.

Friday, 24th April 2026

Depart Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), Bangkok: 7:00am
Finish: 3:00pm approx.

(Please note: The Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location) is the only pick-up / departure point in Bangkok)

Gather in the concierge area of the Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), your Bangkok pick-up point, by 6:30am. Meet the other members of the tour before boarding your minivan/bus for the trip to Kanchanaburi, about 3 hours after leaving Bangkok with a brief ‘comfort’ stop enroute.

Board the mid-morning train at Kanchanaburi Railway Station and ride on an original section of the Burma-Thailand Railway passing over the Bridge over the River Kwai, through the Chungkai Cutting (the first cutting on the southern end constructed by the POWs) and over the spectacular Wang Pho Viaduct. Leave the train at Tham Krasae for a closer look at the Wang Pho Viaduct. Here the POWs built a series of bridges with towering cliffs on one side and a steep drop to the River Kwai on the other. Visit Krasae Cave and as you walk to the bus, explore the local market.

Proceed to Wang Pho for lunch, about 5 minutes away, and afterwards travel to the Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls in Namtok. This is also the end of the current working section of the railway. Examine an original Japanese steam engine on display before taking the short walk along a section of the original track bed, to the waterfalls.

When ready, proceed to your overnight stay about 5 minutes away to arrive about 3:00pm. Your accommodation is uniquely situated on floating rafts out over the River Kwai. This 3 Star Resort provides good quality ensuited and airconditioned rooms that are a tranquil oasis while you watch the river flow by. Join in some of the resort’s water activities such as river rafting*, kayaking*, elephant bathing*, have a massage*, swim in the resort’s pool or just relax in preparation for the early start the next day.

Meet about 5:30pm at the resort’s entertainment area for a Pre-dinner ‘Get Together’. Take in the last light of the day and mingle with other tour members before enjoying Thai food at its best at the resort’s restaurant.

* charges apply

Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Hotel included: Boutique Raft Resort, Sai Yok - River Kwai Suite

Saturday, 25th April 2026

Depart hotel: 2:15am
Finish: 1:00pm approx.

An early start for what will be an emotional and memorable day. Travel to Hellfire Pass (about 1 hour 15 minutes) for the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Hellfire Pass Memorial. Afterwards, in the light of day, examine Hellfire Pass and the take in the amazing views of the River Kwai valley below, from the old track bed. Mingle with other travelers at the Gunfire Breakfast before exploring the exhibits at the Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre.

Depart Hellfire Pass about 9:00am and return to Kanchanaburi and the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Join in a private Wreath Laying Ceremony at the cemetery’s Cross of Sacrifice and then take time to walk around the beautifully landscaped grounds where nearly 7,000 POWs are buried and begin to understand why the railway became known as the “Death Railway”.

Visit the JEATH Museum, a pictorial display of the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway before boarding a long tail boat for a ride on the River Kwai gaining a unique perspective of the Bridge over the River Kwai from the river itself. On a hot day, the boat ride is not only a lot of fun but is also cooling as you speed along the river.

Enjoy a relaxing lunch at the Goodway Floating Restaurant with views of the Bridge over the River Kwai. Then travel the short distance to your hotel. With the early start, the rest of your day is free. Perhaps relax by the hotel’s pool or try one of the many bars close-by and share stories with other Anzac Day travelers.

Tonight, enjoy a range of Thai food at the hotel’s Railway Restaurant.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel included: Natee, The Riverfront Hotel, Kanchanaburi - Jacuzzi Riverfront Room (or similar)

Sunday, 26th April 2026

Depart hotel: 9:00am
Arrive Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), Bangkok: 4:00pm approx.

(Please note: The Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location) is the only arrival / drop-off point in Bangkok)

Travel to the other side of the River Kwai to the Chungkai War Cemetery the smaller of the two war cemeteries in the Kanchanaburi area. This was the site of the Chungkai POW railway construction camp, a transit camp as the POWs moved up and down the railway and later, a hospital camp. As a mark of respect to those buried here take a moment of quiet reflection, then see the remnants of the death trenches that fortunately, were never used.

Return to Kanchanaburi and visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre. This world renown museum features dioramas, artefacts (retrieved from various camps and work sites along the railway) and personal stories of POW’s, all combining to give you a great appreciation of the railway story. Later, explore the Bridge over the River Kwai and make the return pilgrimage across the bridge before lunch at theSai Yok Restaurant suitably located near the bridge, providing great views.

After lunch, depart for Bangkok and the Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), your Bangkok drop-off point.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel included: Own arrangement