No.1 Full-Day Chiang Mai Caving & Jungle Kayaking: Chiang Dao
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 7 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Discover the natural wonders of the Chiang Dao Valley on an action-packed full-day adventure from Chiang Mai. Paddle along the Mae Ping River on a kayaking excursion, admire the wild scenery of the Chiang Dao Jungle, then venture underground for a guided walk to the Buddhist shrines of Chiang Dao Cave.
- Enjoy a scenic kayaking adventure along the Mae Ping River
- Tuck into a delicious Thai lunch at a riverside restaurant
- Explore the Buddhist shrines and bat caves of the Chiang Dao Cave complex
- No experience necessary: full instruction provided
What's Included
- Professional Escort: Guided by Chiang Mai’s No.1 Professional Kayaking guides.
- First Aid: Our instructors are certified in First Aid and CPR, ensuring your safety during the event
- KAYAKS : We provide top-quality hard-shell single & double kayaks for a superior experience.
- Lunch : Vegetarian and Vegan Options available. Cave side Restaurant
- Transportation: Air-conditioned van is our primary mode of transport. 4x4 SUVs for smaller groups
- Google Earth Orientation and Kayak Briefing : Provided at our Pro-shop
- Head lamps and local Cave Guide
- Pro-Shop: Find sunscreen, repellent, water shoes and other outdoor gear available for purchase.
- Insurance/River fees, Chiang DaoTHB150.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Can't list your accommodation in the pickup tab ? No problem! Simply enter the exact address and provide any additional details in the special instructions tab below. We will confirm your pickup time with you. Pickup in Chiang Dao is at 11 15 am For any questions or assistance, feel free to contact us For a smooth pickup please check your email for further instructions in the morning.
Start time.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Chiang Mai Mountain Biking & Kayaks
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Chiang Dao Cave
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Chiang Dao
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Chiang Dao
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Mae Taeng (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- Insurance/River fees, Chiang Dao THB 150.00 per person
- please provide passport # at check-in for insurance ID
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Awesome day trip. Great for anyone looking for fun adventures. The cave was incredible. Even before we got in the site outside is beautiful and colorful. The cave was so fun. I've been into caves in the US and they are smaller and narrow; here it was huge and so open. There are some tight and narrow spaces you have to crawl through but that's expected with any cave. The kayaking was a great way to end the day. It was a fun route, the guides will help if you spin or get stuck. We had lunch after the cave too. Overall great day trip and would recommend to anyone looking for an outdoor adventure day in Chiang Mai.
Reviews
4.7
based on 213 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
We had a great time and would recommend this to anyone who likes unusual adventures and places. The cave was so amazing. The bats were incredible and the temples were really cool. Kayaking the river was a great way to end the tour. Relaxing for the most part, though there were a few rapids, it was fun and beautiful. Our guide, A, was awesome. He’s just an all around great guy. Our driver, Golf, was also great.
It was an amazing experience seeing the caves and kayaking was so peaceful, suitable for beginners. Had so much fun. Tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.
If you’re looking to pack some good mild adventure into one day this could definitely be a good tour for you.
Experienced and helpful guide with two really fun activities that are adventurous but could be completed by most fully mobile people.
Thanks for a fun day!
Super fun day of caving and kayaking! The Chiang Dao cave, with its myriad shrines and amazing caverns, is definitely a must-see. And the kayaking portion was tons of fun! The river was very gentle and shallow, so suitable for beginners. There were just enough challenges to keep it interesting - I’ll confess I wasn’t the best at steering so I did fall in twice (wear something you don’t mind getting wet!). But again the water was super shallow so I just stood up and got back in. And the guide was great about helping me out of those situations. FYI the drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao takes about 2 hours in the back of a truck, so be mentally prepared for that, and don’t make any evening plans. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for an adventure!
Awesome day trip. Great for anyone looking for fun adventures. The cave was incredible. Even before we got in the site outside is beautiful and colorful. The cave was so fun. I've been into caves in the US and they are smaller and narrow; here it was huge and so open. There are some tight and narrow spaces you have to crawl through but that's expected with any cave. The kayaking was a great way to end the day. It was a fun route, the guides will help if you spin or get stuck. We had lunch after the cave too. Overall great day trip and would recommend to anyone looking for an outdoor adventure day in Chiang Mai.
The day of the trip, my wife got her periods and we asked to reschedule, they called and told me it was fine and there would be an additional 500THB fee, which we agreed to, now on the day of the reschedule no one on their side picked up the call, if you have any issues or emergencies this is not the tour group you wanna go with, very unprofessional,
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Viator Cancellation Policy matter.
The booking was rescheduled at the guest’s request despite being within the cancellation period, and the tour was successfully provided on the alternative date as agreed.
Given that the service was delivered in full and outside standard policy to accommodate the request, we do not believe the star rating and false head line accurately reflects the experience provided.
We remain committed to flexibility and solution-oriented service for our guests .
The time spent in the cave was too long. It’s a good cave but once you’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns all other caves are kind of disappointing. The lunch was pretty good. Kayaking was fun but felt a little short and rushed for the price paid. With the guides had offered more info about the area and things we saw.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Reviewer
Thank you for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the lunch and kayaking, and we appreciate your comments about the cave and overall pacing. The river was unusually fast due to late-November rains, which made the kayak section shorter than usual. As of Dec 5th, the water is back to a relaxed pace and we’re offering the full, longer kayaking experience again.
Regarding guiding style, we’ve found that most guests prefer a calm nature experience on the river rather than lots of facts, but we’ll make sure our guides share helpful insights at the right moments. We’ll also keep an eye on the cave timing to ensure it feels right for everyone.
Thank you again for helping us improve, and we hope to welcome you back for the extended trip.
One of the best excursions I have ever been to. The guide A and the driver Rick were very helpful. The kayak experience through the picturesque river was awesome!
The cave and kayaking trip is awesome. Our tour guide, Jane, was fantastic. Very informative and a lot of fun to be around. If you are lucky enough to get him as a guide ask him to perform his J-Lo dance:)
Good for beginner's or experienced kayakers. A little fast water. The owner Aiden gives a very good presentation on basic kayaking skills. Ive been kayaking for years and learned a few things.
Our tour guide, Jayne, was terrific! Very friendly, knowledgeable, funny, kind, generous! Caves were intriguing and interesting. Perfect amount of time in them - and ability to get around was fine (some tight spaces, but nothing too difficult). Also, the Kayak portion was so relaxing and Jayne was so excellent at explaining how to navigate the kayaks; and all with good humor and obviously in control of the situation. Felt very safe.
The reason for my lower star rating is because the trip from Chiang Mai to the cave is about 1.5 hours and the tour description says: "A/C van is our usual choice or SUV 4x4 for smaller groups". But, instead, for the 6 of us, we were in the back of an open bed truck (with a covered top, yes, but open on all three sides) on two side-facing benches (I wouldn't consider that to be an SUV. To me, SUV would also be an air conditioned vehicle with forward facing seats and seat belts). The truck was open-air and the fumes from both the truck and the highway were uncomfortable. It wasn't that it was too hot - the air flowed fine. But, it was the matter of the fumes - and without seat belts on a busy highway seemed a bit dangerous (and not what was advertised). My hope is that this was just an incident with our group. However, I want to include it in my review so that the tour company is aware of this and so are future customers (if they are asked to ride in the back of an open-air truck as well).
I wouldn't have minded it if it was for a short trip, but this was 1.5 hours each way on the busy highway; and it wasn't as advertised.
Otherwise, I truly did enjoy the experiences, and as I said, our guide, Jayne was delightful and engaging!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for the nice feedback about your outdoor experience with us.
For most visitors, traveling in an open-air truck with side benches is part of the adventure and a new experience. We appreciate you mentioning it.
For small private groups, we often use the truck since it also pulls the kayak trailer, while larger groups (7 or more) usually travel separately in a van, and our guides enjoy the open-air ride.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and for joining us!
Warm regards,
Aidan – Chiang Mai Mountain Biking & Kayaks
Quite an exceptional tour. If you are a kayaker, this jungle river ride will keep you engaged. If you are not an experienced kayaker, and have kayaked a bit, you will enjoy the smooth waters that move fast enough that you do not have to paddle much.
The cave tour was even better than the water trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable and considerate. He pointed out many small details that we would have missed and knew where to direct us to get amazing photos.
The kayaking was the highlight of the trip. You float down a lightly moving river and get to see locals fishing and going about their daily lives. As a novice with kayaks, I felt fine. The tour guide made sure I was comfortable. The cave was also nice as I got to see several shrines built by the locals, and the guide inside the cave is someone who lives in the town nearby.
My first time kayaking (in my 50's) and had a great time. Guides are very good at teaching how to kayak and very patient while everyone masters the skill. Cave is very interesting and a different experience than typical temples.
Great experience visiting the cave and temple. Very unique to see the cave system and lots of bats. Afterwards, we kayaked along the river which was very peaceful and even beginners in our group did well. The staff took extra care to explain how kayak and even took a lot of photos during the excursion and then shared with us afterwards.
Fantastic day. Amazing time in the caves with a fantastic local guide. Such an amazing cave. Then kyaks down the river was super relaxing and some great sight seeing.
Excellent tour
Our guides Tony and A were very informative and funny.
They made sure that we were safe and never rushed us though out the day
Jane was our guide (man’s name pronounced “Janey”). He has been with the company for 13 years and was very knowledgeable in sharing information and answering questions. There were only three people on our tour so it was really a semi-private experience. Picked me up from my hotel right on time. Off to their office for a briefing on the day, map review of the location of the cave and the route we will kayak afterwards. The cave experience is really two-fold. It starts with an adventure in a dark cave with headlamps moving through various passages into large rooms. Saw many formations and some bats high up on the ceilings. We then connected to the show cave experience. This had walkways, lighting, and temples inside some cave rooms. Had a good lunch at the cave complex then off to kayak. Jane was a lot of fun telling us about the sites, where to paddle around bends and in riffles. Very easy paddle for a couple hours, with water provided, a swim stop for those inclined. My big surprise was the kayaks. I’m not a fan of sit on top kayaks because they aren’t very comfortable, but these kayaks had excellent back support - very comfortable. Highly recommend Jane as a tour guide!
Jane was amazing!! So knowledgeable and funny, we felt very well taken care of on our excursion! He took care of all our needs and made us feel so special and relaxed!
Our guides Jeni and A were humorous and entertaining.
There is a small bit of crawling in the cave so you do need good mobility for this activity. It was an interesting walk looking at Buddhist statues, bats and natural formations in the cave.
The kayaking was easy as the river is very calm. Do note that you'll get wet during the kayaking so be ready with a change of clothes.
Lunch was very basic: stir fried noodles with chicken and fruits.
The drive to the cave and back is about 90 minutes to 120 minutes long. Not the most comfortable ride as it's very similar to riding in a songthaew.
The caves were very cool and our guide Jan was funny and knowledgeable. The kayaking was mellow, nothing scary. The water not deep but fresh and clean and felt great!
The guide was very kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Golf guided us safely thru the caves with history and then supported us down the river in kayaks. Very fun!
What a great experience and activity for everyone! Fun and exciting in the Caves and on the lazy river!
VERY COOL EXCURSION. Definitely recommend , the cave was amazing and way bigger than i expected it to be. Saw a cave snake and bats . Kayaking was also really fun.the lunch was AMAZING. Look no firther book this tour , its a must
The Caving was good, not great. There are some Buddha statues in the cave which was kind of neat. Other than that, nothing too unique about the cave. Note that the women were not allowed in with short shorts (which was not communicated ahead of time), but they did have pieces of cloth to tie around as a skirt for no additional charge. There are a few crawl spaces, so you'll want to be relatively mobile.
Lunch was pretty good, pad Thai.
The kayaking was really good! It was a good blend of gorgeous scenery and some rapids every now and then. It was lots of fun! In the communication prior to the tour, they said to bring dry clothes for afterwards, but when we got to the end of the kayaking tour, they said to change behind an abandoned building, so there weren't any changing rooms. There are changing rooms available prior to the kayaking though.
Well organised and safe tour, the caving involved a small amount of crawling/ twisting so not good for people without fair mobility. Kayaking great a few tricky bits a few on our tour fell in but great fun would recommend as a great way to see the area.
Fantastic experience, even better than we’d hoped. Jen was the perfect guide to visit the caves and go kayaking with. He’s easily the best guide we’ve had out of 6 tours so far! The caves are incredible - pictures cannot represent just how expansive they are. Following up with kayaking felt like a perfectly balanced day.
The cave tour has many small spaces so if claustrophobic be cautious. But I did enjoy it. The instructor gave way too many instructions for kayaking that actually scared some of my friends who didn’t want to go then. And the biking was said to be 7 miles and tired out to be 13 miles. We were told there would be trucks to pick us up if we got too tired but that never happened. And the bikes were not in good shape which made the 13 miles terrible. But all the Thai guides were friendly and fun and knowledgeable and helpful. I don’t think the biking is for beginners like it says not the kayaking really. Maybe some E-bikes would be a good investment. The kayaking was better by far because there was a lot of support on the river. I did love the idea of the whole thing but just a few tweeks and it could be better. The communication was amazing. They were very flexible. The food was awesome. We did overall have a good time. At least 75% of my group did.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Dear Reviewers
Thank you for taking your time and reviewing your special day. So there is no confusion for our readers we accomodated a special request to provide biking rather then kayaking for some of this elderly group usually not in the program at no additional cost. Upon finsihing the biking the group was so enthusiastic that we decided to design a program that would include biking and hot springs next to the cave visit. Thank you for your inspiration. If 3 very short crawl spaces in other wise huge caverns are "many " it is subject to interpretation. The crawl spaces are so short that you see and hear the guide with the lantern when you enter (2.m) and only are entered once as we are doing a round trip. I think most visitors will agree with me that claustophobia is out of the question but some degree of agility is required.
Thank you again, we truly enjoyed our day with you.
Excellent trip!
Knowledgeable guide and very fun kayaking.
Perfect day
Highly recommend you do this excursion.
You won't regret it!
We had a great team of guides, Golf, Jojo and Tony, who made sure that we were safe both in the caves, and especially during kayaking, while having fun seeing the cave animals and splashing around in the kayaks. They were also knowledgeable about the caves, culture and agriculture along the river, and were very quick to rescue when anyone capsized and ensured all 14 kayakers stayed together safely. The caves were interesting, with various parts that require crawling through small openings and can be a bit slippery. The river condition was good for us that day, relatively calm with a few small currents, and beautiful scenery. Note that the end point has no toilet so might want to bring a large towel if you want to cover up to change out from your wet clothes before the long car ride back to your hotel.
From $84.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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