Chiang Mai elephant tours
Ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai
Spending time with elephants is the number one reason many travellers come to Chiang Mai, and how you do it matters. The sanctuary visits we sell are hands-on but gentle: you prepare food for the herd, feed them by hand, join them in the mud spa and walk down to the river together for a bath. The sanctuary programmes say it plainly: no riding.
Tours to choose from (11)
Most sanctuaries sit in the green hills of the Mae Taeng valley, about 1 to 1.5 hours from the Old City, so every tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off. A half-day visit takes about five to six hours door to door and is the easiest way to fit elephants into a short stay.
Want more from the day? Full-day trips pair the elephants with a jungle trek to a waterfall, white-water or bamboo rafting, an ATV ride, or a climb up the grippy limestone of the Sticky Waterfall. There's also a combination with Doi Suthep temple in the morning and a family-run elephant home in the afternoon.
Tours to choose from
11 tours · hotel pickup in Chiang Mai
Elephant sanctuaries
Half-Day Elephant Sanctuary
from฿1,300/ person
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Elephant sanctuaries
Elephants, White-Water Rafting & Sticky Waterfall
from฿1,800/ person
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Elephant sanctuaries
Elephant Sanctuary & Sticky Waterfall
from฿1,700/ person
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Adventure
Elephants, Rafting & ATV
from฿2,300/ person
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Adventure
Elephant Sanctuary + Jungle coaster + Zipline
from฿3,500/ person
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Elephant sanctuaries
Elephants, Jungle Trek & Waterfall
from฿1,800/ person
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Elephant sanctuaries
Doi Suthep & Elephant Sanctuary
from฿2,300/ person
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Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting & Waterfall
from฿1,800/ person
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Elephant sanctuaries
Elephants, Waterfall Trek & ATV
from฿2,300/ person
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Nature & trekking
Doi Inthanon Trek & Elephant Sanctuary
from฿1,900/ person
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Half-Day Elephant Care & Bamboo Rafting
from฿1,500/ person
View →Frequently asked questions
Will we ride the elephants?
No. The sanctuary programmes listed here are about feeding, walking and bathing with the elephants. Each tour page also states exactly what you'll do.
How far are the sanctuaries from Chiang Mai?
Usually about 1 to 1.5 hours by road. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Chiang Mai are included.
Half day or full day?
A half day (about five to six hours) covers feeding, the mud spa and a river bath. Choose a full day to add rafting, a jungle trek to a waterfall, an ATV ride or the Sticky Waterfall.
What should I wear?
Clothes you don't mind getting muddy, plus a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. Many sanctuaries lend you a change of clothes to wear with the elephants.