*** NEW IN 2026 ***
ANZAC DAY - BURMA-THAILAND RAILWAY
- 2 Days 2026 Anzac Day & River Kwai
From/ To: BANGKOK
Duration: 2 Days / 1 Nights
Departs: 24th April 2026 - 7:00am
Departure: Guaranteed
Tour type: ‘Join-in’/ Medium Group
Overview:
Attend the solemn Anzac Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass followed by the Gunfire Breakfast. Visit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, 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). Relax on the River Kwai in a ‘raft’ room and enjoy some of the water activities on offer.
Why Anzac Day at Hellfire Pass?
In February 1942, Singapore fell to the Japanese and over 85,000 allied military personnel became POWs. Within months, the Japanese started sending the POWs to Burma and Thailand to be used as slave labour in the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway. Of the 61,000 allied and Dutch POWs to work on the railway, about 12,000 died including about 2,700 Australians.
Hellfire Pass, the largest cutting on the railway, was a site of immense physical and psychological torment. POWs, underfed, sick, and often brutalized by their captors, were forced to carve through solid rock using basic tools, often working by hand. Yet, amidst the suffering, Hellfire Pass stands as a powerful symbol of human endurance, resilience, and the will to survive under unimaginable circumstances.
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 2-day tour.
Highlights:
Anzac Day Dawn Service & Gunfire Breakfast at Hellfire Pass
Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (museum)
Wang Pho Viaduct & Krasae Cave
Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Bridge over the River Kwai
Overnight in a floating ‘raft’ room on the River Kwai
Pricing:
1 Persons (1 Room) - $760pp
2 Persons (1 Room) - $650pp
3 Persons (2 Rooms) - $690pp
4 Persons (2 Rooms) - $650pp
2 Easy payments:
- 50% with booking
- Balance 45 days prior to departure
Full amount required if booking 45 days or less prior to departure.
All prices are quoted in AUD.
Prices valid to 31/03/2026.
For groups larger than 4, please Contact Us.
Tours Details
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Day 1: Friday, 24th April 2026
Depart Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), Bangkok: 7:00am
Finish: 3:00pm approx.
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.
Visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, a world renown museum featuring dioramas, artefacts (retrieved from various camps and work sites along the railway) and personal stories of the POWs, all combining to give you a great appreciation of the railway story.
Leave Kanchanaburi and travel north to meet the still working section of the Burma-Thailand Railway, at Wang Pho. Have lunch and then a few minutes away, visit Tham Krasae, the site of the Wang Pho Viaduct. Here the POWs built a series of railway bridges with towering cliffs on one side and a steep drop to the River Kwai on the other. Walk along the viaduct for a closer look and take photos of this naturally beautiful area. Visit Krasae Cave and explore the local market before continuing with your tour.
Stop at 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*, swimming in the resort’s pool or just relaxing in preparation for the early start the next day.
Tonight, enjoy Thai food at its best at the resort’s restaurant.
* charges apply
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Boutique Raft River Kwai Resort, Sai Yok
Day 2: Saturday, 25th April 2026
Depart hotel: 2:15am
Arrive Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location), Bangkok: 4:00pm approx.
An early start for what will be an emotional and memorable day. Travel to Hellfire Pass (about 15 minutes) for the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Hellfire Pass Memorial. Afterwards, in the light of day, examine Hellfire Pass and take in the amazing views of the River Kwai valley below, from the old track bed. Mingle with other travellers at the Gunfire Breakfast before exploring the exhibits at the Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre.
Depart Hellfire Pass about 9:00am for Kanchanaburi and the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. This is the largest cemetery on the Burma-Thailand Railway and where nearly 7,000 POWs rest. Take part in a private wreath laying service at the cemetery’s Cross of Sacrifice. Then walk around the beautifully landscaped grounds and begin to understand why the railway became known as the “Death Railway”.
Visit the Bridge over the River Kwai and make the return walk across this famous icon. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at the Floating Restaurant with views of the bridge.
After lunch, return to Bangkok with a ‘comfort’ stop along the way.
Meals: Gunfire Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Bangkok (Own arrangements)
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• Accommodation (1 Night)
• All Meals. Please note: Drinks not included.
• Experienced, English-speaking guide
• Comfortable, air-conditioned minivan/bus with driver
• All touring as indicated
• Entrance fees
• Historic War Tours – Anzac Day Polo Shirt
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• Airfares, passports and visa expenses
• Bangkok accommodation
• Meals and services not mentioned
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• Personal expenses (e.g. telephone, internet, laundry, drinks, souvenirs etc.)
• Tips to Guide and Driver
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There will be only one pick-up/drop-off point in Bangkok – the Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (located at 927 Rama I Rd, Wangmai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand)
Situated in central Bangkok, the Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel is two hotels at the same location and together, offer a good variety of accommodation levels at reasonable prices. The hotels are within easy walking distance to the BTS and the shopping centres of MBK and Siam Centre. The off-street driveway provides a convenient pick-up/drop-off for taxis or Grab (Thailand’s equivalent of Uber) should you wish to travel to other areas of Bangkok.
For those wishing to stay somewhere else, please plan to arrive at the Mercure Bangkok Siam Hotel / Ibis Bangkok Siam Hotel (same location) by 6:30am on the 24th April.
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Day 1:
• Thailand-Burma Railway Centre (museum) - Low-Moderate
• Wang Pho Viaduct & Krasae Cave - Moderate
• Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls - Moderate
Day 2:• Anzac Day Dawn Service – Moderate-High
• Kanchanaburi War Cemetery – Low
• Bridge over the River Kwai –Moderate
• Floating Restaurant - Low-Moderate
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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.
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If 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
PLEASE NOTE:
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 Policies, Terms & Conditions of Historic War Tour Pty Ltd available on this website.
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