Chiang Mai Half Day Elephant Sanctuary Observation and Waterfall
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Maximize your time in Chiang Mai with a hassle-free adventure that showcases its natural beauty and wildlife. Start at an elephant sanctuary, where you can prepare food and observe these gentle giants in the outdoor environment. Then, visit a stunning waterfall before ending your journey by crafting a unique Thai cultural souvenir—a meaningful keepsake from your trip.
- Hassle-free Chiang Mai adventure with transport included
- No hunger pangs: Lunch and drinks are included
- Stay cool as you travel: Ride in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Special opportunity to observe elephants in their natural habitat
What's Included
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Insurance
- Elephant's food and snack
- Towel
- Free photography
- Other personal expenses
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pick up from your hotel or accommodation in Chiang Mai. The pick up window for the Morning session is 06.30 - 07.00 a.m. The pick up window for the Afternoon session is 12.00 - 12.30 p.m. 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.
Itinerary
1
Thung Luang
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
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
- Most travelers can participate
- Pets are prohibited
- Child seat is available up on request
- What to bring: Extra Clothes, Swimming Suit, Sandals, Trekking / Hiking Shoes Sunblock lotion, Insect Spray, Customers own allergy medication
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 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
Lacey_g
Such a wonderful day with the elephants! The hotel pick up was smooth! It is quite a drive to the sanctuary from the city which I didn’t realize. Dramamine is a good idea for anyone who gets motion sickness. The scenery at the sanctuary is beautiful. Feeding the elephants was a fun and unique experience as was hiking with them through the jungle! The staff was all very nice and did everything they could to make it a positive experience for everyone! We were worried about going to a sanctuary because we’d heard of elephant cruelty, but there was no cruelty of any sort at this sanctuary. The elephants seemed very happy and healthy living in a natural environment! Lunch, swimming in the waterfall and making a local craft at the end were all added bonuses. I highly recommend this experience! Good shoes for hiking are a must!
Reviews
4.8
based on 113 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
virginia_d, Jun 2026
This was even better than described! Got SO much information on the elephants. Fed them and walked through the jungle with them. Awesome!!
CURTIS_M, Mar 2026
Well organised and a great trip would definitely recommend. And was back at the hotel for around 1pm.
Lisa_K, Feb 2026
It is amazing. The guides were informative, funny and you could tell how much they love and care about the elephants
Lisa_L, Jan 2026
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.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear that the driver’s behavior was distracting during your journey.
We’d like to look into this properly; however, we’re unable to locate a booking under the name Lisa for this tour. As we work with several drivers across different routes and sessions, we’ll need a bit more information to identify the correct trip and driver.
If you’re able to share the date of travel, pickup area, or booking reference, we’ll be happy to review the details and follow up accordingly.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention—we appreciate your help in allowing us to investigate and improve our service.
Kevin_G, Jan 2026
90 minutes drive up into the mountains followed by 10 minute 4x4 drive down rough road and then 10 minutes walk down steep slopes is not for someone with walking difficulties like me but the experience was fantastic
will_K, Jan 2026
The Elephant Sanctuary was so much fun! Interesting to learn about elephant life and care. The guides were top notch, very professional, friendly and kind. The tofu pad Thai and fresh fruit lunch was very good. Our driver almost rear-ended a large truck, otherwise the rating would have been a solid ☆☆☆☆☆¡
Paige_F, Jan 2026
I will start with the elephants all seem very healthy and happy. Safe distance is kept at all times and they roam freely . Beautiful experience hiking alongside them and even seen some cool spiders
Lacey_g, Jan 2026
Such a wonderful day with the elephants! The hotel pick up was smooth! It is quite a drive to the sanctuary from the city which I didn’t realize. Dramamine is a good idea for anyone who gets motion sickness. The scenery at the sanctuary is beautiful. Feeding the elephants was a fun and unique experience as was hiking with them through the jungle! The staff was all very nice and did everything they could to make it a positive experience for everyone! We were worried about going to a sanctuary because we’d heard of elephant cruelty, but there was no cruelty of any sort at this sanctuary. The elephants seemed very happy and healthy living in a natural environment! Lunch, swimming in the waterfall and making a local craft at the end were all added bonuses. I highly recommend this experience! Good shoes for hiking are a must!
Marcin_J, Jan 2026
Great itenerary and friendly staff. No issues in arranging a hotel picup. Team was very responsive prior the tour.
Stephanie_L, Dec 2025
It was incredible. It was a beautiful intimate experience with the elephants, as much as possible while respecting their space. The tour operators were fantastic. They don’t use any form of force with the elephants, only verbal encouragement and visual cues. The elephants were clearly very relaxed and happy. The river dip by the falls was a nice refreshment after the hike and the craft we made was really lovely.
Ronald_B, Dec 2025
This was an amazing tour!! I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the elephants and trekking through the forest with them in their natural habitat!!
G_Y, Nov 2025
Peaceful environment in which to interact with the beautiful elephants. Up in the mountains and the mist. Being able to feed them and see them up close, and then to walk along with them on their afternoon stroll was inspirational.
Otilia_W, Nov 2025
In Northern Thailand, up in the mountains of Chiang Mai, there is an ethical elephant sanctuary where humans can observe elephants in their own habitat without riding, bathing them or disturbing them. The caretakers at "Joy Elephant Sanctuary" are dedicated to creating a respectful connection between humans, elephants, and nature. For example, they asked us to apply mosquito spray in the educational area (far away from the elephants) and then made everybody wash hands before we begun our trek. They provided vibrant red shirts from the "Karen Hill" tribe because the 🐘 know and trust the people from that tribe. They told us the 🐘 eyesight is not too good, but their memory is excellent. We trekked alongside the elephants to the top of the hill and marveled at these incredible creatures.
It was definitely an unforgettable experience!
JerryR_C, Nov 2025
This half-day trip was absolutely epic! The elephants were truly majestic, and it was amazing to observe them up close in a natural, ethical environment. The hosts at the sanctuary were super friendly and spoke great English, explaining everything about the elephants and their care. You get to feed them, but you’re not allowed to pet or touch them — which I appreciated, since it keeps both the animals and visitors safe.
The driver provided pickup and drop-off, which made everything really convenient, though he didn’t speak English. Overall, this was an incredible experience that felt authentic, respectful, and unforgettable. Highly recommend!
Nicole_H, Oct 2025
This was amazing and so incredible to see the elephants in their real environment.
Should be noted that to get down to the sanctuary you sit in the boxes of trucks for 5 mins and go off roading over bumps and down a steep hill.
Someone with knee neck and back problems definitely could not do this excursion. You also walk through the jungle for about 35 minutes up steep incline’s massive mud imprints from the elephants. So wear good walking sandals. It’s hot so we wore shorts but then walking through the forest, I got hit with branches and I came back with bruises and it looked like spider bites
Kevin_S, Aug 2025
This was a good experience. Our guide was well organized and informative. Seeing the elephants up close was very cool. The reason I have given a 4 and not a 5 is that this was a very rigorous hike up and down a steep muddy trail. This activity is not suitable for anyone with any physical limitations. Better notice should be given of the difficulty level of this activity.
Theresa_b, Aug 2025
This was a great experience it took about 1.5 hours to get there with 15 minutes stop to go to toilet or grab something from shop to eat or drink no toilet paper at these toilets. Road up is winding but did not feel nervous at all when you get to top you get on a 4×4 for about 5 minutes to see elephants it's rocky. Then we met shay and shy.Shy was very informative and had great knowledge of elephants he answered every question. Then we fed the elephants which was great you could not touch them .the hike was fine but wear hiking boots or non slip runners myself and my husband in late 50s fairly fit and had no problem doing it. We swam in the waterfall and then had lunch.it was a fantastic day
Mauricio_M, Jul 2025
What an awesome experience the Observation of Elephants was! All activities were well planned and explained.
John_F, Mar 2025
A must do! Such a memorable experience. Superbly organized from pick up to drop off.
Small group, thorough orientation, highly ethical in treating the animals which was our priority. The lunch and craft activity added to the enjoyment. The guides were young enthusiasts. The group was diverse - younger, older(retired like us) international and engaged. Walking with the elephants was amazing.
Becca_A, Mar 2025
An absolutely incredible experience feeding and walking with the elephants. You can tell they are really well cared for. We also had an excellent lunch, a dip in the waterfall and the chance to great our own souvenir. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly, would recommend to anyone
Amber_L, Mar 2025
This was such a lovely experience. The elephants are clearly well cared for and you have a meaningful experience without needing to touch and bathe them. The scenery was also extraordinary and the guides were very friendly and humorous!
evabrooks72082, Dec 2024
Kind and compassionate guide and driver. The elephants are well cared for. They have a natural nice environment to live out their years in peace. The food and activity the guide organized was also great. Highly recommend
Anne_D, Nov 2024
Totally amazing experience to see these amazing animals in very nearly their natural environment. What a great job the keepers do who have rescued these Elephants.
Sarah_L, Jul 2024
The most fun and educative experience I've got in Thailand. Jade and all the staff were superb, the elephants were well taken care. I also got a chance to get in the water fall, so chill and cool!!
Will recommend to anyone who visits Thailand
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for the great review and recommendation! We're glad you enjoyed your time with our elephants and the waterfall. It’s wonderful to hear that Jade and our team made your experience memorable. Hope to see you again!
Kim_H, Jan 2026
Great experience we liked everything🤍the food was excellent, I recommend it without hesitation 😃
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Ana_M, Dec 2025
Very friendly and kind guide. Very respectful of animals. Pleasant and very positive experience. It was an amazing afternoon!
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Patrick_M, Jul 2025
Activity on top from start to finish! We had the chance to get very close to the elephants and spend a magical moment with them, in the middle of the jungle. The accompanying staff is really great: kind, funny and very attentive. Special mention to the shuttle driver who picked us up directly from the hotel... and who thought he was an F1 driver 😂!
After a beautiful walk with elephants, we could enjoy a refreshing swim in a waterfall, a real moment of relaxation in the middle of nature. And finally, a little surprise activity with a very nice gift at the key.
I recommend 100%!
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Celia_S, Mar 2025
Nous avons passé une demi journée dans ce sanctuaire où nous n'avons pas touché les éléphants et pas laver.
Nous nous sommes juste balader avec eux et nous les avons nourrir.
Le sanctuaire avait vraiment l'air éthique et les éléphants bien traités
Kathya_G, Feb 2025
Organisation parfaite. Centre de sauvegarde des éléphants qui privilégie le bien-être des animaux, pas un piège à touristes en mal de sensations. C'est juste parfait.
Karin_J, Jan 2025
Sehr gemütlicher Besuch bei den Elefanten. Man hatte für alles genug Zeit. Die Elefanten berührt man nicht aktiv, aber sie fressen das Futter aus der Hand.
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