Chiang Mai: Inthanon, Elephant Sanctuary Observation & Waterfall

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

11 to 12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get the most out of your time in Chiang Mai by combining a hiking adventure with a visit to an elephant sanctuary. Rather than following a map, benefit from having a guide to navigate so you can focus on the views. As well as seeing Thailand’s highest mountain—Doi Inthanon, you can prepare food for elephants, and enjoy your own lunch along the way too.

Explore Chiang Mai’s highlights with ease on a guided tour
Special opportunity to observe elephants at a sanctuary
Enjoy cultural experiences—including making your own souvenir
Spectacular photo opportunities from Doi Inthanon

What's Included

Elephant's Food & Snack
Lunch
Coffee and/or Tea
Drinking Water
Insurance
Towel
Ticket (Inthanon National Park & Twin Pagodas)

Other personal expenses
Please bring Jacket or clothes that can keep you warm on top of the hill.

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick up from your hotel or accommodation in Chiang Mai A free transfer service to/from all places of accommodation within a 4 k.m. radius of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Transport from locations outside this area will incur a surcharge. In that case, kindly provide us the hotel/ property name. Customers will travel in a 12-seater, air-conditioned van, switching to a roofed 4×4 truck for the last 10 minutes to reach the sanctuary.

Operating hours
.6:30 am

Itinerary

Thung Luang

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Doi Inthanon

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Twin Royal Stupas (Phra Maha Dhatu Nabha Metaneedol and Nabhapol Bhumisiri

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Pha Dok Sieo Nature Trail

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Ban Mae Klang Luang

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Pets are prohibited
Child seat is available up on request
The Pha Dok Siew hike is recommended for children above 5 years old.
What to bring: Extra Clothes, Swimming Suit, Sandals, Trekking / Hiking Shoes Sunblock lotion, Insect Spray, Customers own allergy medication
Driving from the city to the first attraction 3 hours (1.5 hours each way) - The rest of the 45 mins is being spent travelling within Doi Inthanon area
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Daniel_N

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.

Reviews

4.9

based on 37 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Rushed tour - Guide has a lot to learn.

Emil_W, Apr 2026

We joined this tour which included an elephant sanctuary, a visit to Thailand’s highest mountain, and a hike to a waterfall and a Karen village. First of all, the elephant sanctuary itself was nice. The elephants seemed well treated and it was a good experience to see them up close. During the bathing part, however, there was one staff member who kept splashing water on people even when it was clear they didn’t find it funny. It felt a bit strange and unnecessary, but overall the elephants themselves were lovely. The more disappointing part of the day was unfortunately the rest of the tour. Our guide on the mountain seemed quite inexperienced, and from the beginning it felt a bit like he just wanted to finish the tour and go home. When we reached the highest point of the mountain, we walked past the sign that marks the highest point without stopping. Most people take photos there, but we were just moving along quickly. Of course we could have insisted on stopping, but we didn’t know if there was another viewpoint or sign ahead. The most frustrating part of the day was the hike to the waterfall and the Karen village. The trail itself is beautiful, although quite crowded (which of course is not the guide’s fault). However, the pace was extremely fast from the beginning. We were only four people in the group, but we were constantly overtaking other hikers because of the speed. For us, hiking is about enjoying the surroundings and taking things in at a calm pace. We didn’t want to rush through the entire hike, so we slowed down a bit. After that, the guide seemed to lose patience and walked about 80–100 meters ahead of us for most of the hike. We ended up hearing parts of his explanations secondhand from other groups. When we finally reached the waterfall — the destination of a one-hour hike — we had about 55 seconds to look at it and maybe take a photo before we had to move on again. That felt very strange after walking that far to get there. In general, the whole hiking part felt rushed. For us, a hike should be something you experience and enjoy, not something you hurry through. If you feel the same way about hiking, we unfortunately cannot recommend this tour. The elephant sanctuary is worth visiting, but you might want to choose one closer to the city instead. And if you really want to visit the mountain, it might be better to go on your own or with a guide who has time to focus on your group. We also returned much earlier than the scheduled end time, even though there were only four of us on the tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

We were sorry to read that parts of the day did not meet your expectations. The guide assigned to your group on 4 March 2026 has generally received positive feedback, and our guides are trained to look after guests carefully and not to rush the experience. If at any point the pace felt too fast during the hike, guests are always welcome to let the guide know on the spot so adjustments can be made where possible. That said, we still truly appreciate you taking the time to share this with us, and we will use your feedback to continue reinforcing the quality and consistency of how we care for our visitors. We are glad to hear that you found the elephants well cared for and enjoyed that part of the experience and we would like to Thank you for sharing your feedback.

This tour was great! It...

Ahmed_K, Jan 2026

This tour was great! It was a very long day, we left our hotel at 6:30 and didn't get back until 19:30. Note, there is a LOT of driving, especially on small windy roads towards the sanctuary. What we liked the most was seeing the elephants, being able to feed them and walk with them. It was amazing witnessing the creatures up close and we loved how ethical and respectful this sanctuary was. No riding, no washing and no petting! The experience in the park was great too, we really enjoyed the hike with the beautiful waterfalls and views. The Karen village was a wonderful experience with the coffee tasting and the lunch was very tasty. Overall, we thought this tour was well worth the money and highly recommend it.

Amazing trip

Alicia_M, Dec 2025

The day was absolutely amazing. From learning about the elephants to walking with them in their natural habitat to the amazing hike and seeing the Karen village it was a beautiful day. The guides were all fabulous as well. We felt we got to see a whole other side of Thailand from the cities.

A full day

Wayne_H, Nov 2025

A long day, pick-up at 6:30 am and return by 6:30 pm. The three activities were all enjoyable, the walk with elephants observing their behavior was relaxing. The hike to the waterfall and along the river was nice, the 1 1/2 hrs passed quickly. The guide did a good job in navigating the day activities on time.

Very ethical elephant sanctuary

camille_b, Nov 2025

Most ethical elephant sanctuary you can find, with a no-touch policy. You do feed the elephants, walk with them through the jungle and observe them enjoying their bath while you eat your lunch (vegetarian pad Thai prepared by the sanctuary staff). The Doi Inthanon tour is a little bit too rushed but it is magnificent. The hike to the waterfall is downhill so accessible to all. Only the tribe village visit with coffee/tea tasting was disappointing, it felt a bit pushy and commercial, you're on a roaster there. All in all, I recommend this tour, especially for the sanctuary and Chai, the amazing guide we had.

We enjoyed the trip a...

Daniel_N, Apr 2025

A must do experience

Lorne_L, Mar 2025

Unforgettable elephant experience on a preserve that doesn't exploit the animals. There were a few little bonuses like the post hike tea.

An Ethical and Unforgettable Elephant Sanctuary Experience

Andrea_L, Feb 2025

We absolutely loved the experience! From the walk to our arrival at the elephant sanctuary, everything exceeded our expectations. The van was very comfortable, and all the tour guides were friendly and helpful. We appreciated learning about how the elephants are cared for. This activity is incredibly ethical—there’s no riding, bathing, or anything like that. Instead, we got to feed the elephants and take a peaceful walk with them afterward. We highly recommend this tour and would love to see more ethical experiences like this across Thailand.

One of the most beautiful...

Esther_Y, Jan 2025

One of the most beautiful and educacional experiences I have ever had. They truly care for the elephants and the guides/drivers were very professional. Such a full experience and great communication

A great day of elephants and trekking

nicoletattersall, Dec 2024

Had a great day! Started off by being picked up at my hotel and then driven to an ethical elephant sanctuary. The drive there was long, but there was a comfort stop halfway through. Once we reached the sanctuary, we had to switch to a truck to make it through the jungle and then we walked a bit further into the jungle to the sanctuary. We had a little safety briefing and then got to feed the elephants bananas and pumpkin. It was fun! After that, we followed the elephants as they walked through the jungle. This was followed by a swim near a waterfall, with the elephants watching on (they did not join us in the water). After the elephant sanctuary, we were driven to the highest point in Thailand and then we drove to see the twin pagodas. Lastly, we drove to the national park and went on a 2-mile hike through the jungle where we saw several huge spiders and a green viper! Oh, and several AMAZING waterfalls! It was a great tour. :)