Hellfire Pass and The River Kwai Bridge

a bridge over a body of water with trees in the foreground

Tour Ref WPHFP

Hellfire Pass: A Testament to Wartime Perseverance

Located approximately 220 km from Bangkok, Hellfire Pass stands as a poignant reminder of the hardships endured during World War II. This railway cutting, carved through solid rock by Allied prisoners of war—primarily Australians—was a crucial section of the infamous Death Railway. The Japanese military sought to connect this line with the existing track from Burma (now Myanmar).

Historical Significance

  • Known to prisoners as “Hellfire Pass”
  • Japanese name: “Konyu Cutting”
  • Many lives lost due to:
    • Harsh treatment by captors
    • Disease
    • Malnutrition
    • Exhaustion

Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum

  • Built and funded by the Australian Government
  • Provides a comprehensive history of the Thailand-Burma Railway
  • Offers factual accounts and sometimes shockingly brutal details

Visitor Information

  • A walkway leads down to the cutting
  • Recommended: Wear comfortable footwear (e.g., trainers) due to rocky terrain

Further Reading

For more detailed information, visit the Thailand-Burma Railway and Hellfire Pass page on the Anzac Portal website.

Note: While Wandee Tours is not affiliated with the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, we believe this resource provides valuable context to enhance your visit.

Tour programme:

  • Depart from your Bangkok hotel at around 07:30.
  • Arrive at JEATH Museum in Kanchanaburi at around 09:45
  • We will then leave Kanchanaburi downtown and travel to the Hell-Fire pass, our approximate journey time is one hour. Spend some time at the museum, afterwards walk down to the track and along the cutting.
  • It will then be time for a welcome Lunch Break, after which we will visit Sai Yok Noi Waterfall.
  • We will leave Sai Yok Noi Waterfall to return to Kanchanaburi for a visit to the world-famous River Kwai Bridge. Here we can walk the Bridge and take some photographs.
  • Return to Bangkok arriving around 19:00, (depending on traffic conditions and if any additional extensions have been taken).

This tour does have opportunities for tour extensions which may interest you:

After Lunch, we could visit Weary Dunlop Museum- as this is a private museum I would have to pre-arrange our visit

Or

After we leave Sai Yok Noi Waterfall we could take a scenic Long Tail Ride along the river.

Or

Take a Long Tail Boat Ride at the Bridge on the River Kwai.

The cost will include:

  • Air Conditioned Transport
  • Round trip from your Hotel
  • English Speaking Guide
  • Lunch
  • Currently no charge to enter Hell Fire Pass- but do please consider a small donation.
  • Extensions when selected, please ask me for the cost of extensions before booking.

Cost will exclude

  • Drinks
  • Gratuities at your discretion

Cost per person in Thai Baht-   Excluding tour extensions

  • 1 Person: 9,200 Baht
  • 2 Person: 4,850 Baht
  • 3-4 Person: please e mail  wandee@wandeetours.com

(prices are per person) I will check pricing when you contact me 

If you wish to add in a side trip such as a long tail boat ride or perhaps visit the Weary Dunlop Museum, please email me wandee@wandeetours.com and I will prepare a quotation.