Following a morning pickup from your Bangkok hotel, we transfer around three hours west to Kanchanaburi Province. Our first stop is the provincial capital, where we find the iconic Bridge over the River Kwai. This steel railway bridge remains Thailand’s most powerful symbol of the WW2 era, when the occupying Japanese army forced Allied prisoners of war to construct the Thai-Burma railway, infamously known as the “Death Railway”. The bridge is still operational today. Nearby, we also visit the War Cemetery, the final resting place of thousands of Allied prisoners of war who perished during the railway's brutal construction. We then drive further north to see a particularly dramatic section of the railway clinging to a cliff above the river. After lunch nearby, we jump in the saddle for our first ride. Our route follows mostly paved roads through a mix of farmlands and forest reserves to reach the 13th-century temple ruins of Prasat Muang Singh, once the westernmost outpost of the mighty Khmer Empire. The serene grounds offer a perfect spot to pause and soak in the history before we load up the bikes and transfer around 30 minutes to our floating, wooden hotel along the Khwae Noi River.
Boutique Raft Resort
Lunch, Dinner
Ride 25km
+135m
-141mToday’s ride begins and ends on the banks of the storied Khwae Noi River, but the scenery on either end is quite different! We transition from an agrarian world dominated by rice, sugarcane, and cassava to the wilds of Sai Yok National Park, where untamed jungle and limestone cliffs press up against the river. The first 12 km are relatively flat, weaving across the plains framed by the silhouettes of mountains in the distance. Then we have 5 km of gentle climbing — with a few steep bursts mixed in — as we rise with the contours of a forested hillscape. Once at the highest point, the road undulates before a descent brings us into a valley which we follow north surrounded by quintessential scenes of the peaceful Thai countryside. We stop for a picnic lunch at a shady spot along the way. After the 32 km point we have a series of ups and downs, some mild, others more punchy, over ridges draped by lush tropical foliage. The final stretch takes us along a forestry road and through the backdoor of today’s secluded yet elegant riverside hotel.
River Kwai ResotelBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 45km+688m-666mOur morning ride begins by backtracking 10 km along the forestry road from the day before, warming up our legs with some climbing. We then branch off onto a fabulous backcountry trail, cycling leisurely through a remote area filled with forests, vegetable plots, and crop fields tended by Mon communities. The Mon are a distinct ethnic group with their homeland in neighboring Myanmar who have also settled in parts of Thailand. The highlight of today’s ride comes at the 18 km point, when we rattle across a suspension bridge arching over the Khwae Noi River! Once on the other side, it's only a short distance to today’s accommodation: a bespoke tented camp perched atop a cliff overlooking the river. We won’t get too comfortable just yet, and after lunch, we'll transfer to the nearby Hellfire Pass — a series of railway cuttings built by Allied prisoners of war during World War II, now a powerful memorial and outdoor museum. Take your time exploring the exhibits before hiking a few hundred meters to the Konyu Cutting to imagine the immense toil required to create this sight with drills, picks, shovels, and dynamite. After this reflective stop, we transfer back to the hotel.
Hintok River CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 21km+353m-356mThe cycling may be over, but the adventure is not! After breakfast, we get comfortable on a longtail boat and enjoy a leisurely one-hour cruise down the Khwae Noi River — a final perspective on the waterway that's accompanied us for the last three days. After reaching the pier, we transfer one hour to Erawan National Park. Home to Thailand’s most famous waterfall, you'll have time to hike up the seven-tiered cascade, where you can dip your feet in the clear pools and get a unique natural spa experience from the small fish. After exploring the falls, we convene for a farewell lunch nearby before transferring around 3.5 hours back to Bangkok where our tour ends. We can drop you off at your hotel in the city. If you need assistance with post-tour hotel bookings or airport transfers, please let us know.
Breakfast, LunchDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
DestinationsThailand
Tour MeetsBangkok
Fly in toSuvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
Group Size2-16 riders
SpiceRoads jerseyWater bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)Hotel pick upHotel drop offAccommodationBike and helmetSnacks and drinksEntrance fees
International flightsDomestic flightsVisa feesAlcoholTips
We ride a total of 91 km over 3 cycling days. This tour has been designed for the leisure cyclist, offering a blend of Kanchanaburi’s most fascinating attractions and venturing off the tourist track. Our rides take us along a mix of paved and gravel/dirt roads through the Thai countryside. Our route is located on the edge of the Tenasserim Hills, so there’s consistent climbs but none are overly long or steep. The views include scenes of the Thai countryside, the storied Khwae River, and the low-rising, jungle-clad mountains of Sai Yok and Erawan National Parks.
This tour includes visits to Kanchanaburi’s War Cemetery, The Bridge over the River Kwai, Krasae Cave, Mueang Sing Historical Park, The Hellfire Pass, and the Erawan Waterfall. We also take a boat ride down the Khwae River and for many riders, the most memorable moments on tour are encounters with Thailand’s incredibly welcoming locals, always eager to wave hello and cheer us on.
The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.
Suitability: This tour is suitable for the beginner or recreational rider. Days 1 and 3 feature shorter distances of 20-25 km, leaving ample time for sightseeing before or after the ride. Day 2 is a longer ride of 45 km, and we spend the full morning and early afternoon in the saddle. Each day involves some climbs, but none are overly long or taxing, with gentle gradients that rarely go beyond 5%. The longest climb is around 5 km on Day 2. Downhills are equally prominent and also feature mild gradients, though caution is always required for a safe descent. There's no highly technical terrain, but good bike handling skills will help you navigate some of the rougher surfaces. Be prepared for Thailand's tropical climate, which means hot and humid conditions. A support vehicle follows the group throughout the journey but be aware that it cannot always follow directly, instead meeting the group at intervals.
Biking Conditions: The overall split of paved and unpaved roads on this tour is roughly 75% / 25%. Paved surfaces are either asphalt or concrete with conditions ranging from very smooth to bumpy and cratered. Unpaved surfaces are predominantly farmer trails which range from hard-packed soil to loose but still grippy gravel. Although much of the route is on quiet countryside roads with minimal traffic, we will regularly share the roads with cars, motorbikes, and buses. There are a handful of unavoidable sections along main provincial roads but these are few and far between. Although we’ve scheduled our departures to avoid the wettest times of the year, rainfall can occur at any time. We generally ride rain or shine, but based on the guide’s discretion or your comfort level, modifications to the planned route can be made. Additionally, during the dry season agricultural field burnings can cause haze, impacting air quality and visibility on parts of the route. This generally applies to late March and April (which we avoid), though it varies year to year and can begin earlier.
Hotels: Accommodations on this tour are a highlight. On Day 1, we overnight in a wooden raft house tethered to the banks of the river; here the amenities are more rustic, but the unique ambiance makes for a memorable experience. On Day 2, we treat ourselves to a stay at one of Kanchanaburi’s most highly regarded, secluded yet elegant riverside resorts, and on Day 3, we get cosy in a tented camp with elevated comforts. All hotels are located on the banks of the Khwae Noi River. Our chosen hotels also feature hygienic restaurants offering Thai and, occasionally, Western options. Please be aware that some older properties, while charming, may show signs of wear and tear, and the service pace in Thailand can generally be more relaxed than you might be accustomed to. Don’t expect all hotel staff to speak English. For larger groups, we may need to use more than one accommodation and, in case of limited availability, switch to an alternative property from the one listed in the itinerary.
Following a morning pickup from your Bangkok hotel, we transfer around three hours west to Kanchanaburi Province. Our first stop is the provincial capital, where we find the iconic Bridge over the River Kwai. This steel railway bridge remains Thailand’s most powerful symbol of the WW2 era, when the occupying Japanese army forced Allied prisoners of war to construct the Thai-Burma railway, infamously known as the “Death Railway”. The bridge is still operational today. Nearby, we also visit the War Cemetery, the final resting place of thousands of Allied prisoners of war who perished during the railway's brutal construction. We then drive further north to see a particularly dramatic section of the railway clinging to a cliff above the river. After lunch nearby, we jump in the saddle for our first ride. Our route follows mostly paved roads through a mix of farmlands and forest reserves to reach the 13th-century temple ruins of Prasat Muang Singh, once the westernmost outpost of the mighty Khmer Empire. The serene grounds offer a perfect spot to pause and soak in the history before we load up the bikes and transfer around 30 minutes to our floating, wooden hotel along the Khwae Noi River.
Boutique Raft ResortLunch, DinnerRide 25km+135m-141mToday’s ride begins and ends on the banks of the storied Khwae Noi River, but the scenery on either end is quite different! We transition from an agrarian world dominated by rice, sugarcane, and cassava to the wilds of Sai Yok National Park, where untamed jungle and limestone cliffs press up against the river. The first 12 km are relatively flat, weaving across the plains framed by the silhouettes of mountains in the distance. Then we have 5 km of gentle climbing — with a few steep bursts mixed in — as we rise with the contours of a forested hillscape. Once at the highest point, the road undulates before a descent brings us into a valley which we follow north surrounded by quintessential scenes of the peaceful Thai countryside. We stop for a picnic lunch at a shady spot along the way. After the 32 km point we have a series of ups and downs, some mild, others more punchy, over ridges draped by lush tropical foliage. The final stretch takes us along a forestry road and through the backdoor of today’s secluded yet elegant riverside hotel.
River Kwai ResotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 45km+688m-666mOur morning ride begins by backtracking 10 km along the forestry road from the day before, warming up our legs with some climbing. We then branch off onto a fabulous backcountry trail, cycling leisurely through a remote area filled with forests, vegetable plots, and crop fields tended by Mon communities. The Mon are a distinct ethnic group with their homeland in neighboring Myanmar who have also settled in parts of Thailand. The highlight of today’s ride comes at the 18 km point, when we rattle across a suspension bridge arching over the Khwae Noi River! Once on the other side, it's only a short distance to today’s accommodation: a bespoke tented camp perched atop a cliff overlooking the river. We won’t get too comfortable just yet, and after lunch, we'll transfer to the nearby Hellfire Pass — a series of railway cuttings built by Allied prisoners of war during World War II, now a powerful memorial and outdoor museum. Take your time exploring the exhibits before hiking a few hundred meters to the Konyu Cutting to imagine the immense toil required to create this sight with drills, picks, shovels, and dynamite. After this reflective stop, we transfer back to the hotel.
Hintok River CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 21km+353m-356mThe cycling may be over, but the adventure is not! After breakfast, we get comfortable on a longtail boat and enjoy a leisurely one-hour cruise down the Khwae Noi River — a final perspective on the waterway that's accompanied us for the last three days. After reaching the pier, we transfer one hour to Erawan National Park. Home to Thailand’s most famous waterfall, you'll have time to hike up the seven-tiered cascade, where you can dip your feet in the clear pools and get a unique natural spa experience from the small fish. After exploring the falls, we convene for a farewell lunch nearby before transferring around 3.5 hours back to Bangkok where our tour ends. We can drop you off at your hotel in the city. If you need assistance with post-tour hotel bookings or airport transfers, please let us know.
Breakfast, LunchDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
Bike hire is included in the tour. The bikes are high quality hybrid bikes (Trek or similar). E-bikes are also available for hire at additional cost.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
Important Update: As of May 01, 2025 all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival. Please fill out the details on the official website here within three (3) days before your arrival in Thailand. This is a free process - beware of fake websites that charge a fee. If you are already travelling within the three days before your planned arrival in Thailand, then we suggest completing the form while you are at a hotel with reliable Wi-Fi. It only takes a few minutes.
We recommend that you visit a travel medical doctor and ask about the following vaccinations: typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required when arriving from an infected area within six days.
Thailand generally has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. The North and Central region have a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. Northeast Thailand has a humid hot and dry weather alternatively with medium rain while the coastal areas of the east is humid and hot with intermittent rain. The South of Thailand has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity.
There are three seasons: from March to June it is hot and dry, with temperatures between 27˚C/80 F and 40˚C/104 F, with night temperatures in the 20s. The rainy season is from July to October, but temperatures are slightly lower, because of the effect of the rain. During this time it will not rain continuously, but in sharp bursts, and the sun can come out quickly. The cooler season is from October to February, with average temperatures between 20˚C/68 F and 30˚C/86 F.
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are local and feature noodles, rice, curries, and soups. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit, and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer is freely available everywhere but is NOT included in the price.
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for traveling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveler of the same gender and if we cannot match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$20 per day, for incidentals.
The Thai currency is the baht. ATMs, which are abundant, are the easiest ways to get Thai baht. Have a supply of US dollars in cash on hand, just in case your card doesn’t work. Banks or the rarer private moneychangers offer the best foreign-exchange rates. Credit cards are accepted in big cities and resort hotels but you’ll need baht for family-run guesthouses or restaurants.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
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