Kanchanaburi travel blog — The fullest Kanchanaburi travel guide for a great trip on a budget for the first-timers

If you have not once traveled to Thailand, it seems that you do not know Southeast Asian culture! The country is dubbed as the land of “the golden temples” which can be considered as one of the ideal places to satisfy the traveling devotees such as backpackers or “leisure traveling”. However, if you are too familiar with Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Pattaya … bustling, crowded, noisy and dusty, so this time we recommend you to spend a day trip or a few days exploring the largest suburb of Central Thailand: Kanchanaburi. So, is Kanchanaburi worth visiting? Yes, definitely! Let’s check it out our Kanchanaburi travel blog (Kanchanaburi blog) with the fullest Kanchanaburi travel guide for a great trip on a budget to Kanchanaburi for the first time from how to get there, where to stay, best places to visit and what to do in Kanchanaburi below.

Kanchanaburi is about 100 km from Bangkok and is the capital of this province. Many travelers often choose to depart towards the north of Bangkok to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and join the tours with adventure activities. In particular, Chiang Mai is a popular stopover in northern Thailand. However, if you are not convenient to visit Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi is not a bad alternative. This is a quiet town, with a diverse life. In Kanchanaburi, you will find an outstanding construction that is the bridge over the River Kwai.

Kanchanaburi travel blog: When is the best time to visit?

The climate in Kanchanaburi province is generally the same as the climate of Thailand, divided into 4 distinct seasons: The dry season lasts from January to February, the hot season is from March to May, and the rainy season from June to October and the cool season will last from November to December. The average temperature of Thailand weather is higher than Vietnam, the temperature is usually from 32 degrees Celsius in December and up to 35 degrees Celsius in April every year. In general, you can visiting Kanchanaburi at any time of the year.

However, the best and most pleasant time in Thailand is from November to February, because this is the coolest time of the year. However, this also is the peak tourist season in the land of the golden temples, so the price will also increase and the number of foreign tourists to Thailand is also higher than other months. So, if you are a traveler who do not like the crowded or want to travel with budget, you can come to Thailand in October or March, in that time the weather is still comfortable and living costs, tickets price in tourist destinations are not too high.

Kanchanaburi travel blog: How to get to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok?

The biggest problem in all travel matters is moving. Despite being a suburb, but traffic to Kanchanaburi is quite airy and convenient. From the capital of Bangkok, there are quite a lot of transportation options for you to choose, such as trains, buses, taxis or the most convenient is to buy day tour packages of travel agencies such as KKDay or Klook (usually travel in 1 day) with shuttle buses. For trains, we do not encourage you because they are not convenient for tourists.

By bus

There are daily buses to Kanchanaburi starting from Khaosan Road. There will be one trip every 20 minutes so you don’t have to wake up early to catch the bus! Time to travel by bus is about 2 hours, you should consider the suitable time frame to avoid sunburn. The “business class” bus ticket price from 70 baht. Too cheap!

If traveling from the south you will have to go through the city of Ratchaburi, if you travel from northern Thailand, you can go to Suphanburi. From these both cities, you can take the bus to Kanchanaburi for about two hours.

By train

If you do not want to take the bus, you can travel by train. From Bangkok railway station (Hua Lamphong station) there are many trains going straight to Kanchanaburi province. However, if you travel by train, it will take about 3 hours.

If you are nearer, cycling or walking from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to challenge yourself, we do not comment, there are only 100km, LOL.

Kanchanaburi travel guide: Getting around Kanchanaburi

When you have arrived in Kanchanaburi, you can rent a motorbike taxi, cyclo, traditional tuktuk, cycling or rent a motorbike to getting around Kanchanaburi with price ranging from 200baht to 500baht (USD6.29 – USD15.72)/day depending on the quality of vehicle! If you like motorcycles, plz note that you have to an international driver’s license and abide by Thailand’s traffic rules.

Kanchanaburi blog: Where to stay?

Because this is a popular destination and beautiful landscape, so there are many types of accommodation suitable for every traveler, with an idyllic, beautiful countryside or in the center of town.

There are many guest houses, motels, inns and shops located on the river bank, along the road of the Khwae River, the town’s nightlife center. Another quiet area is Soi Rong Heep Oi near the Allied Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, a good place to stay with traditional Thai wooden houses.

Good resorts and hotels in Kanchanaburi including golf courses are often located quite far from the town, towards the National Park. Although there also are many hotels, shops and resorts a short distance from the town center.

Overnight in Kanchanaburi you can choose the simplest guesthouses or bungalows right on the river. It costs about $25 for a large bungalow with a terrace or balcony. Tip: You should spend a night to stay in floating hotels (floatels) on the River Kwai. At night, although there is no electricity, but everything is lit with hundreds of shimmering oil lamps.

Below are some best cheap, budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

U Inchantree Kanchanaburi (Address: 443 Mae Nam Khwae, Tha Ma Kham, Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi, Chang Wat Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 521 584), a 4-star hotel with room rates from $65/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Away Kanchanaburi Dheva Mantra Resort & Spa (Address: 9/99 Moo 3, Tambon Thamakham, Amphoe Muang, Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 615 999), a 4-star hotel with room rates from $60/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Good Times Resort (Address: 265/5 Maenamkwai Rd, Tha Ma Kham, Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi, Chang Wat Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 90 143 4925), a 3-star hotel with room rates from $30/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

X2 River Kwai Resort (Address: 138, 4 Nong Ya Soi 5 Ban Wanglan, Nong Ya, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 552 124), a 5-star hotel with room rates from $113/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass (Address: 109, Ban Had Ngew, Tha Sao, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi 71150, Thailand / Phone: +66 2 642 4172), a 3-star hotel with room rates from $66/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Sabai @ Kan Resort (Address: 317/4 Maenamkwai road, Tumbol Thamakham,, Muang, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 92 997 4000), a 3-star hotel with room rates from $31/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com).

VN Guesthouse & Restaurant (Address: 44 Rongheeb Oil road. 2, Muang, 71000 Kanchanaburi, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 514 082), a 2-star hotel with room rates from $13/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Chez Bure – Bure Homestay @ River Kwai, Kanchanaburi (Address: 11/5 Singapore Rd, Tambon Thamakham, Kanchanaburi, Chang Wat Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 81 561 5055), a 3-star hotel with room rates from $32/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Natee The Riverfront Hotel (Address: A, 77/ 77 River Kwai Road, T, Soi 5 Tha Makham, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 518 777), a 4-star top rated hotel with room rates from $48/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Royal River Kwai Resort & Spa (Address: 88 หมู่ 2 Kaeng Sian, Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi, Chang Wat Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand / Phone: +66 34 670 621), a 4-star hotel with room rates from $46/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

You can find more, check rates, availability & book for Kanchanaburi hotels from $11/night on Agoda.com or Booking.com or Airbnb.com.

Kanchanaburi travel guide: What to do? Best places to visit and top things to do in Kanchanaburi?

As one of the most important historical sites, Kanchanaburi has many temples, fortresses of King Angkor and Ayutthaya and the World War II memorial, Death Railway. The following are the most interesting sights and experiences in Kanchanaburi.

Kwai River and River Kwai Bridge

Our first visit place is the famous Kwai River. The river water is green and cool, very different from the noisy and dusty atmosphere in Bangkok. The two sides have many rows of trees.

The bridge itself is nothing special, so is the River Kwai. The special thing is the historical story behind the construction of the bridge. During World War II, Japan controlled much of Asia, including Thailand and Burma (now Myanmar). By creating a forest road in Thailand, the Japanese wanted to connect this place with Burma to move troops. Prisoners were used to build this railway. Later, it was renamed Death Railway because nearly 10.000 people were killed when building this railway. Especially, when building the bridge, many people died. In particular, this story became famous worldwide after the book The Bridge Over the River Kwai published and the same name movie (won seven Oscars). In our opinion, this bridge is undoubtedly a historic value attraction. From Kanchanaburi you can walk to the bridge and some museums in the area. If you want to explore more, we recommend renting a bicycle to be able to go to every corner of the city.

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