Top Chiang Mai Volunteer Tours

Cuisine can tell you a lot about a place. Take this food-focused tour and taste first-hand how the region’s plant life and history have shaped its food. Your tour takes you to 15 different tucked-away restaurants and street-stalls that few travellers make the time to try on their first visit to Chiang Mai. Treat your taste buds to a night tour of Chiang Mai on this private trip.  Make sure you come hungry.

Learn to cook an authentic Thai meal with a full-day cooking class that includes pickup and drop-off at your Chiang Mai hotel. Pick ingredients from the organic market, then roll up your sleeves to cook a meal of classic Thai dishes. An expert cooking instructor will walk you through each step, and you’ll get to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared at the end of the lesson. Both morning and evening classes are available.

Spend a day of ethical elephant care and serene bamboo rafting at Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary. As a true sanctuary, visitors do not touch, bathe, or feed the elephants directly—you observe them respectfully in their natural environment. Help prepare food for the elephants, join a hands-on vitamin ball workshop, and learn to cook authentic Pad Thai in a local cooking class. After your time at the sanctuary, enjoy a relaxing bamboo raft ride along the Mae Wang River, surrounded by beautiful jungle scenery. This full-day experience focuses on wildlife respect and local culture, perfect for animal lovers and travelers seeking meaningful experiences. Highlights: - Observe elephants in a true ethical sanctuary setting - No touching, no bathing, and no direct feeding of elephants - Participate in a Pad Thai cooking class and enjoy your meal - Relax on a bamboo raft along the scenic Mae Wang River - Includes transportation, meals, and an English-speaking guide

This small-group tour is a convenient way to tick off three examples of magnificent architecture in a day without having to look up public transport schedules. Zip around the city in an air-conditioned van or car and see Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and Wat Pha Lat temples—with admission included to save you time waiting in ticket lines. Upgrade to a private tour that also includes a visit to the Chiang Mai Night Market.

Beat the crowds and see a spectacular sunrise from one of Chiang Mai’s highest points during an early-morning tour to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This unique tour offers you the chance to experience an alms-giving ceremony in the early morning and explore the famous temple without daytime crowds. Plus, a former-monk guide provides insight into Thai culture and the Buddhist religion.

Visit the magnificent temples of Chiang Rai on a full-day, private-tour from Chiang Mai to a series of iconic Buddhist sites. Enjoy the flexibility of a private driver/guide throughout the day as you visit Wat Sang Kaew Photiyarn, Wat Rong Khun, Wat Huai Pla Kung, and more, with a break for lunch in a local restaurant. This 13-hour temple tour from Chiang Mai includes pickup and drop-off at city hotels, lunch, and entrance fees, and it’s a fun, personal way to explore the sites of northern Thailand.

If you’re short on time in Chiang Mai but want to experience all the area has to offer, this convenient tour lets you enjoy three distinct experiences. Observe elephants up close in their natural habitat at the Living Green Elephant Sanctuary, visit Doi Inthanon National Park, home to the highest mountain in Thailand, and hike along the Pha Dok Saew trail to see a gorgeous waterfall.

Experience Chiang Mai’s night markets with an insider guide on this evening food tour. Enjoy a mixture of exploring the city on foot and by songthaew (shared truck). Bring an appetite for this small-group food tour, which includes samples of all sorts of tasty treats, and learn how to order in Thai.

Visit the Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary for a unique half-day experience. Observe elephants in a natural setting where there is no touching, no bathing, and no direct feeding, ensuring the animals can behave naturally without forced interactions. Take part in habitat care activities, and enjoy the chance to learn how to cook authentic Pad Thai in a hands-on cooking session. Expert local guides share insights into elephant behavior, welfare, and conservation, creating a meaningful experience that combines education with Thai culture. This tour is ideal for families and animal lovers seeking a responsible and memorable wildlife encounter. Highlights: - Observe elephants roaming freely in a respectful sanctuary setting - No touching, no bathing, and no direct feeding of elephants - Participate in habitat enrichment activities such as planting banana trees - Enjoy a hands-on Pad Thai cooking workshop with a local recipe - Round-trip transfers from Chiang Mai included

Get away from Chiang Mai for a day to spend quality time with elephants at an ethically run Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. Gain an insight into their history and behaviour while creating lifelong memories of your time with the stunning creature. Spend an enjoyable half-day with these lovely giant creatures.

Head out to Doi Inthanon National Park for a 2-hour trekking tour with a professional guide by your side. You'll hike the fantastic nature trail around 2 hours. You'll also stop by the Phra Maha Dhatu Naphamethinidon and Naphaphonphumisiri Pagodas, at the top of Thailand's highest peak. You'll visit a Karen village and a Hmong market. Lunch and round-trip hotel transfers are included.

Don’t follow an itinerary that doesn’t take your interests into account—see Chiang Mai your way with a private, English-speaking driver who’ll take you to the attractions that most appeal to you. Rather than navigating public transport or missing out on scenery as you look at maps, you’ll be able to soak up the stunning countryside of northern Thailand in the air-conditioned comfort of your private vehicle.

Thailand’s second city, Chiang Mai was once capital of an independent kingdom—and its temples and architecture display that. Get a handle on the city’s rich heritage on this time-saving door-to-door tour. You’ll see the Tha Phae Gate, medieval Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Pha Lat, built beside a stream, while savoring city views from mountain-top Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Travel in a small group, or upgrade for a private tour.

Get up close and personal with the world’s largest land mammal on a visit to the family-owned Elephant Pride Sanctuary. The elephants here once worked on logging crews to cut down the protected forest, but today they live at leisure. This small-group adventure includes a Thai lunch, water, skip-the-line access, and hotel transfers from Chiang Mai.

Explore Doi Inthanon National Park on a full-day, private trip from Chiang Mai, then spend the day visiting spectacular waterfalls, browsing local handicrafts, summiting Thailand's tallest peak, and hiking through a landscape of paddy fields and coffee farms. Enjoy the flexibility of a personal driver/guide throughout the day, which includes pickup and drop-off at your Chiang Mai hotel, all transport by climate-controlled vehicle, and lunch, the perfect way to discover Chiang Mai's remarkable mountain scenery.

Escape the crowds and heat of the day, and see Chiang Mai at its most atmospheric, on this guided group tour at night. See the city magically illuminated on an evening tour that reveals two of Chiang Mai’s most-popular temples—Wat Umong and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep—at night, with a guide to provide enriching commentary.

Head up to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand’s highest peak, with this guided small-group trekking and cultural tour. You'll visit area highlights such as Wachirathan Falls, the King and Queen Chedis (pagodas), and a local coffee roasting facility, with a stop for an included lunch along the way.

The Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is a non-profit organisation, home to a number of rescued and retired elephants, free-roaming in the jungle. On this tour, spend a night at a homestay in a local village belonging to the Karen people and discover their unique culture as you take part in a cooking class and try your hand at traditional handicrafts. The next day, hike alongside the elephants in their natural environment, learn more about the animals from an expert guide, and enjoy a picnic lunch in the jungle.

Get a comprehensive tour of Chiang Mai's handicraft scene with this tour to San Khampaeng. Learn about the methods and history of different traditional handicrafts through studio visits and insightful commentary from a guide. Get the chance to shop for authentic souvenirs, such as elegantly carved teakwood chairs, to bring home after your travels.