If you’ve had your fill of shopping and temples in Bangkok and are looking for a change of scenery, head west on a full day trip to the peaceful Kanchanaburi Province. Soak up Thailand’s history as you visit museums and other historical and natural landmarks in the lush region.

To make good time in our jam-packed adventure, we’ll start early with a smooth pick up from your accommodation or meeting point. You can sleep in the comfy air-conditioned van during the commute.

At the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, we’ll walk along the perfectly kept grounds honoring the fallen prisoners of war and civilians who died while working on the infamous Death Railway(Siam-Burma Railway). We’ll head to the JEATH Museum next, built to commemorate those who lost their lives while working on the “Burma Railway”, commissioned by the Empire of Japan during World War II to supply troops and weapons in its Myanmar campaign.

“We absolutely loved the War Museum… There is some history of Thailand during WWII which I didn’t know about before I came, and some other info on the Bridge over the River Kwai. Would absolutely recommend visiting here.” — Alex, U.K.

In the war museum, we’ll examine the exhibits containing a variety of different objects of war such as weapons, tools, uniforms, and medals, and see replicas of the living conditions that the prisoners of war lived in. JEATH museum was named after the nationalities that worked on the railway: Japanese, English, Australian, American, Thai, and Hollander.

Up next, we’ll make a quick stop at the Bridge Over The River Kwai. We’ll then head to the Tham Krasae Station, a picturesque railway section that snakes around a cliff, where we’ll admire the views, see the train pass, and fill up on tasty lunch.

We’ll have a quick coffee break next before heading to Wat Tham Suea, or Tiger Cave Temple. Known for the tiger paw prints on its cave walls and the large gleaming 18-meter tall Buddha statue at the top, we’ll hike the steep staircase before being rewarded with a close-up view of the statue as well as the impressive scenery of the surrounding landscape.

After exploring and taking photos at Wat Tham Suea, we’ll begin our journey back to Bangkok and return to your accommodations or the meeting point with some of Thailand’s unforgettable history engraved in our minds.