The 15 Best Wildlife and Waterfall Day Trips in Chiang Mai

1.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 9,160 reviews · 9 hours · from $60Our pick

Join PON Elephant Thailand for a nine-hour day outside Chiang Mai. Feed and bathe rescued elephants, walk with them through forest, swim at Mae Wang Waterfalls, eat a Thai lunch, and raft the river. Guides such as Nop, Paul, Yaya, and Sunny add useful elephant facts and help with photos.

“We had the best day - everything was perfect from pick up to drop off. Our guide Nop was amazing - so knowledgeable and friendly. The bamboo rafting was brilliant fun and the elephant sanctuary was amazing 🤩”

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2.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 5,780 reviews · 7 hours · from $50

Travel 80 minutes from Chiang Mai to Pon Elephant Thailand, where guides such as Beer, Yaya, and Nop introduce rescued elephants through feeding, walking, and river bathing. After a Thai lunch, hike to Mae Wang Waterfall for a cool swim before returning to the city.

“It was a great day with a lot of wonderful and emotional impressions. The tour was well organized and Dew was a great guide!”

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3.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Long Neck & Sticky Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,262 reviews · 9 hours · from $63

Leave Chiang Mai for a private elephant sanctuary, where you make herbal treats, feed and bathe elephants, then visit a Karen long-neck village and eat a Thai lunch. Finish at Buatong Sticky Waterfall. Guides such as Fluke, Amy, Tiger, and Paul are known for clear English and careful timing.

“Fluke was an excellent guide. His English is excellent and he was fun. The driver was also great. Very well organized trip and the elephant sanctuary is awesome. The only thing we would change about the trip was the lunch. It was pretty gross and my food had flies in it so we didn’t eat too much. Sticky waterfalls and the long neck village were great also. Highly recommend this trip for everyone, especially at this price point.”

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4.Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 870 reviews · from $58Top rated

Spend about eight hours visiting Bua Thong’s climbable Sticky Waterfall, New Elephant Home Sanctuary, and a bamboo rafting camp near Chiang Mai. Guides such as Paul, Fluke, and Mr. Poppy lead the day, which includes lunch, entry fees, hotel-area pickup arrangements, and a return to Three Kings Monument.

“Paul was very good guide, he was funny and helpful. I would specifically ask for him again in the future.”

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5.Chiang Mai: Ethical Half Day Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 450 reviews · 7 hours · from $54

Spend seven hours with Joy Elephant Sanctuary in Mae Wang, including round-trip pickup from Chiang Mai, elephant feeding and observation, a jungle walk, waterfall time, lunch, herbal tea, and a handmade Thai inhaler. Expect respectful rules, no riding, no touching, and no elephant bathing.

“We enjoyed the day, saw the countryside and how well the elephants were well cared for.”

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6.Chiang Mai Half Day Elephant Sanctuary Observation and Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $58

Travel from Chiang Mai into the northern hills to observe elephants at Joy Elephant Sanctuary. Feed them without touching, walk through forest, swim at a waterfall, enjoy lunch, and make a Thai cultural souvenir. Guides such as Jade and Shay may lead the activities.

“So 45 minutes into the excursion the driver being on his phone the entire and talking loudly is not only annoying but highly distracting from trying to appreciate the views on the ride. Why doesn’t the tour company better train the drivers about the guests’ total experience? Hoping it improves.”

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7.Experience Elephant Sanctuary + Sticky Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · from $94

From Chiang Mai, ride in a private air-conditioned vehicle to a sanctuary where guides such as Moon or Cookie introduce you to rescued elephants, food preparation, feeding, and bathing. After lunch, climb the Sticky Waterfall, swim, and return by door-to-door transfer.

“Was a magical experience, the places were amazing and hands on, it was truly a fun and magical experience. Our driver Lee was amazing and explained so much on the way, you can tell that he is truly passionate about his job”

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8.Elephant Sanctuary, Wat Ban Den & Sticky Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $58

Spend about nine and a half hours with guide Limmy, Pie, or Pai visiting rescued elephants at Pang Maidaeng, Wat Ban Den’s blue-roofed Lanna temple, and Bua Thong’s climbable limestone waterfall. Pickup is offered, groups are capped at nine, and the tour suits most ages.

“Mr Limmy is a great guide. He’s very patient and has great knowledge of the places he takes you too. Our favorite part of the tour was the Elephant Sanctuary. Would definitely book his company again!”

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9.Chiang Mai: Inthanon, Ethical Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 41 reviews · 12 hours · from $76

Join an English-speaking guide for a full-day trip from Chiang Mai to Joy Elephant Sanctuary and Doi Inthanon. Feed and observe elephants without touching or bathing them, hike Pha Dok Siew, visit the Twin Pagodas, enjoy a local meal, and make a Thai cultural souvenir.

“Beautiful elephant sanctuary, truly ethical. you cannot touch or ride the elephants. and they are fostering or rescueing éléphants that used to work. It is a gorgeous little paradise, a mini hidden valley. Then we went to the summit of Don Inthanon by car, and to the 2 pagoda and after all that did a scenic hike in the outskirts of the mountain in the rice crops. Beautiful little hike.”

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10.Chiang Mai: Inthanon, Elephant Sanctuary Observation & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · from $81

Start at 6:30 am for a full day with Joy Elephant Sanctuary, Doi Inthanon, the Twin Pagodas, and the Pha Dok Siew trail. You will feed elephants without riding or bathing them, hike beside a river, visit Ban Mae Klang Luang, and return to Chiang Mai after roughly 11 to 12 hours.

“We enjoyed the trip a lot, our guide was very nice. The Elephant sanctuary indeed was great with no bathing or riding, only feeding the elephants and having a walk with them. The peak of Inthanon was beautiful but the trail was quite short on the other hand, the hike with the waterfall to the village was breathtaking, highly recommend.”

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11.ChiangMai 1DayTour:Elephant Sanctuary,king&queen pagoda,waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $123

You’ll visit an elephant sanctuary in Doi Inthanon National Park, watch elephants eat and walk freely, bathe with them in a river, eat lunch, see two waterfalls, and visit the King and Queen Pagodas. Hotel pickup, park fees, lunch, and a guide are included.

“What a very special experience. The whole day was just amazing. It's the closest thing to experiencing elephants as they should be. Baby Bella stole the show at 5 months old by being a naughty baby elephant! Made me laugh so much. We hRead more”

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12.Elephant Sanctuary + Waterfall + Bamboo Rafting One Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · from $59

Spend 8 to 10 hours in Mae Wang with elephant feeding and care, a 20-meter waterfall, bamboo rafting, lunch, and roundtrip Chiang Mai pickup. Guides such as Tony and Eat You have earned warm praise, though van air conditioning and rushed explanations can vary.

“You will get soaked but there are places to change during the day. Bring a swim suit, towel, and shoes/sandles you don't mind getting wet Rafting was great and gives a view you would not normally see of Thailand. My wife and son had a great time feeding the elephants.”

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13.Chiang Mai: Jungle Jumbo Elephant Sanctuary with Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · 6 hours · from $45Best value

Spend six hours visiting a traditional Thai village, walking through jungle to a waterfall, and meeting elephants at Jungle Jumbo Elephant Sanctuary. Feed and wash the elephants, enjoy Pad Thai, and travel with an English-speaking guide such as Fa, Dale, or Tanan in a group limited to 10.

“Ha sido una de las mejores excursiones de nuestra vida! Fa, nuestra guía es súper profesional!! Nos ha tratado genial y nos ha enseñado un montón de cosas!! Vamos a recomendar a todos nuestros conocidos esta excursión. La atención fue excelente, nos hizo un millón de fotos todas preciosas! Teníamos la gran suerte de realizar esta excursión solos y disfrutar al 1000 de todo este lujo! Mil gracias a Fa por realizar un trabajo tan excelente.”

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14.Chiang Mai 1 Day: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $77

Meet Karen guides and rescued elephants at Doi Inthanon Elephant Sanctuary. Feed the animals, walk through the jungle, and bathe with them before lunch at Mae Saphok Waterfall and a peaceful bamboo-raft trip. Pickup, transport, admission, and vegetarian Thai food are included.

“Great experience seeing elephants in natural habitat. Looked well looked after and cared for. Waterfall was amazing due to previous rain and bamboo rafting was relaxing”

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15.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Jungle Trek w/ Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 1 day · from $61

This small-group day trip takes you from Chiang Mai to Mae Wang for bamboo rafting, rescued-elephant care, a 30-minute jungle walk, waterfall swimming, and a Shan village lunch. English and Thai guides, hotel pickup, transport, tickets, lunch, and insurance are included.

“Elephant feeding and bathing was the highlight of our trip, would d highly recommend this tour, tour guides were excellent and made the trip fun”

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