Premium Half-Day Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Experience Max9Guest
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 5 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visit an elephant care facility from Chiang Mai and see the animals in a more ethical way in their natural habitat. Instead of riding them, you will observe rescued elephants as they roam around and take baths. Your transportation from Chiang Mai is included, and so is a delicious local lunch.
- Get seamless pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Chiang Mai
- Learn about elephants in Thailand in a more sustainable way
- Enjoy a scenic drive through northern Thailand's countryside
- Change into a uniform on site to protect the elephants and your clothes
What's Included
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Insurance
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We will pick up you at your hotel's lobby. As we do join tour so it's could be 2-3 hotels to pick up. Between 8-8:30 am. For morning pick up. and 12-12:30 pm. for afternoon pick you. Please be ready at the time that we mentioned. Thank you very much
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 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
Featured review
This was such a lovely experience for us to meet some wonderful elephants and knowing that it’s up to the elephants on what they choose to do. Ford, our guide was fantastic and full of knowledge. We got picked up and dropped off by a wonderful driver Todd who was excellent again with vast local knowledge. We had to change our dates and it was absolutely no problem to do so . I would thoroughly recommend the experience.
Reviews
5.0
based on 481 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Do not hesitate to book this tour! Our experience at Elephant Care was beyond amazing. I would not hesitate to go back here again and again if we return to Chiang Mai on future travels. Spending a half day with these gentle giants was simply amazing. After a short briefing, you don a special top to help keep your clothes clean and allow the elephants to identify you better wearing blue. Next, you get to feed them bananas and observe them graze on greens (with a bit of exploring from the little trouble maker, baby Lucky). Lucky was such an added bonus for visiting this specific sanctuary. Next, the elephants explore a bit while you help to make them additional food/medicine balls which you then get to distribute. After that we walked them over to the river where they got to cool off (no bathing them). The last agenda item was lunch where we got to sit and chat with Ford our organizer for the day where he provided further education regarding all the food they do at this sanctuary and provided comparisons to many others he’s worked at in the past. This sanctuary was ethical and the elephants had such a great rapport with their handlers. No chains, no fences, complete freedom as it should be. They limit the number of tours to 2 per day and 9 people max per group which is in the animals best interest and far from how many other “sanctuaries” operate. I took almost 500 photos and videos over our short time with these magnificent creatures, and I can’t emphasize enough what an incredible experience I had here. PLEASE support this small business and the good they do!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Absolutely amazing experience ! A must do when in Chiang Mai. The guides are passionate and it's obvious how much they love and care for their elephant. Thank you for the memories !
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We had an excellent experience! Mr. Todd, our tour organizer, was absolutely wonderful—very friendly, helpful, and well-organized throughout the trip.
We visited an elephant sanctuary with four elephants, and the whole experience was truly enjoyable. The elephant caretakers were very kind and welcoming, and the food was delicious as well.
The place was peaceful, quiet, and relaxing, which made the experience even more special. I highly recommend this tour, especially for small families looking for a memorable and enjoyable experience with elephants.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Had an amazing time visiting this elephant sanctuary! They keep the groups small, which makes the experience feel much more personal and gives you plenty of opportunities to learn about each elephant, their rescue stories, and the care they receive. It was clear how passionate the staff is about the well-being of the elephants. Our guide Ford was incredible and helped to make the experience incredible.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Our guide Ford was excellent! Very knowledgeable and friendly. He explained all aspects of elephant care perfectly. The 4 elephants were friendly especially 2 year old Lucky. Highly recommend this experience!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We visited Chiang Mai Elephant Care and were able to touch the elephants and feed them. I was happy that they had plenty of space and only limited visitors and that they were not taken out of their normal routine. Their caregivers gave us lots of interesting information. Definitely a highlight of my visit to Thailand.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Appears to be a highly ethical rescue park with massive open spaces and none of the touristy type activities of some parks. Animals all seem highly cared for; appear to have great relationship with rangers. “Lucky” the two year old elephant is hilarious - just a massive puppy.
I highly recommend visiting.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We were lucky that it was just the two of us on this day, it felt like a private tour and we were able to dictate the pace (a faster one since we had to go back in time for work meetings).
Todd picked us up from the hotel, on the way there he told us more about elephant sanctuaries but also life in Chiang Mai. When we got there, Ford was very welcoming and explained the whole day. Best part was he told us more about what an ethical sanctuary really means and this in fact is one of them because they don’t force elephants to go into the water for people to bath them, also they don’t overcrowd the day with tourists and visitors so that elephants don’t get too spoiled being fed too much sweet bananas which makes them walk less. Also their land is huge and they don’t overcrowd it since elephants graze constantly and eat a lot of greens.
Highly recommend the half day tour, I don’t imagine doing a full day one I’d get bored.
Pad Thai lunch was declined, we asked for vegetarian.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We loved this tour! We were originally booked on a similar tour with a different provider(that forgot about our booking entirely) so we booked this one last minute. Our guide was very professional and we enjoyed having a small group. It was great to see the elephants and feed them, especially the baby elephant!
Learning about the elephants in Chiang Mai was enjoyable and it was nice to have an ethical tour where there was no forcing of the elephants to be bathed and we mostly left them alone except for the feeding. I would recommend for my friends and family to take this tour.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
What an amazing experience! We were picked up from our hotel and enjoyed a scenic 70-minute drive to a sanctuary with four incredibly friendly and cute elephants, especially the playful youngest one! Lunch was delicious Pad Thai, and our guide, Ford, was so knowledgeable and kind, even taking great photos for us. 🐘🇹🇭
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
What a fantastic experience, Ford was an amazing and knowledgable guide. Baby Lucky the elephant was a great character and the pad thai was delicious.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Good half day tour, Todd and Ford very friendly and informative, very caring of elephants. Would recommend
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
This was such a lovely experience for us to meet some wonderful elephants and knowing that it’s up to the elephants on what they choose to do. Ford, our guide was fantastic and full of knowledge. We got picked up and dropped off by a wonderful driver Todd who was excellent again with vast local knowledge. We had to change our dates and it was absolutely no problem to do so . I would thoroughly recommend the experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Great experience! You get to help feed the rescue elephants and make food for them. Also you learn a lot about Thailand’s elephants over time and it is very informative. Elephants were so cute. There was 2 adult rescue elephants and one baby.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
The host of the sanctuary was extremely knowledgeable. His Enghlush was very good. The elephants were entertaining and the whole experience is a must do.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
This is such an amazing experience, Ford, who runs the conservancy is dedicated and knowledgeable. After serving us a lovely lunch of Pad Thai, he told us all about the work of the place, its 3 Elephants and how they are dedicated to looking after them. We got to feed the elephants, make some food balls for them and give them those too, then follow them to the river and watch them bathe. A great experience and one not to miss.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We were picked up on time by a friendly driver and had lunch on arrival at Chiang mai Elephant Care. After our lunch we had a brief talk with Ford, our guide and then went off to feed the elephants. Lucky, the youngster was so excited and came running along to see us. We learned lots about the elephants from Ford including helping him prepare some fibrous balls for the elephants. After they ate these, we followed them along to the river and watched them enjoy cooling off. A really great day.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
A great day out visiting this wonderful elephant sanctuary with our great guide Ford. Close up and personal with 3 lovely elephants including little 22 month old baby called Lucky, feeding them by hand and being so close to these wonderful animals and watching them play in the water. A great day was had.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
This was the best tour/experience I’ve done. It is so worth it to see these elephants up close. Also they had a baby elephant who was so cute and mischievous. Ford, the guide on the tour, was awesome and really cares for the well-being of the elephants. There are so many tour options out there but I wasn’t sure how well treated the elephants would be. Here, the elephants seem very happy and free and are not forced to do anything like bathing or drinking when they don’t feel like it. They also feed you a generous portion of veggie pad Thai for lunch at the end. I don’t think any other tour could be better because I have no suggestions for improvements. It was a perfect tour and I would do it again!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We had an incredible experience at Chiang Mai Elephant Care and I’m so glad we chose this sanctuary. Our guide, Ford, was fantastic, extremely knowledgeable, patient with questions, and genuinely passionate about educating visitors on elephant life, their behaviors, and the rescue stories behind each elephant. You can really tell the focus here is on care and respect for the animals.
The experience felt very natural and ethical. The elephants are not forced to perform or do anything, and you get to observe them roaming freely while learning about how they are cared for.
Some highlights:
- Feeding the elephants bananas (such a fun moment!)
- Helping make vitamin balls and feeding them ourselves
- Watching the elephants interact and move around naturally
- Meeting the adorable baby elephant named Lucky. He was so cute!
Lunch and water were provided, and we enjoyed delicious Pad Thai and fresh fruit, which was a nice touch after the activities.
The drive from the Old City took about 1.5 hours, but it honestly went by quickly because you get to see beautiful countryside views along the way — it added to the overall experience.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
SO MUCH BETTER than another circus performance.
The curator, Ford, truly cares about the treatment of the animals.
This place is not fancy, but we were fed lunch, provided water and restrooms…all of the basics.
These giant beasts are truly magnificent. Shown in their natural habitat and rescued from horrible lives, it is a testament to the kindness of these human beings.
Both Ford, the curator, and Todd, the driver, are very well educated and conversed well in English, as well as Thai.
The van was like new, unlike some tours we have been on in Thailand.
The group was small and friendships were formed.
The tour is interactive and informative. Once in a lifetime kind of thing.
The tour may not be suitable for ADA unless a motorized vehicle can be transported. The ride was about 1.5 hours and the mountain views are gorgeous!
The paths were bumpy as on any natural farm.
There will be long grass, so wear long pants, cinched at the bottom and bug spray as the bites are painful long-lasting.
All and all a wonderful adventure!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Wonderful experience. I learned a great deal. The staff were knowledgeable and patient with all the questions. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
This was amazing. Up close and personal with the elephants. Our guide Ford was so knowledgeable and very passionate about the work he does and the welfare of the elephants
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
these people care so deeply about these elephants. they’re so loved and taken care of. this was such a fun and intimate experience i would suggest to anyone
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
An amazing day! Tom was a fantastic guide. He looked after us really well. He was funny, caring and knowledgeable. His English was excellent. The experience with the elephants was hands on and close up. You get to feed them and make protein supplements for them. There were 2 female Asian elephants and one very cute baby! Lunch was good. Part two at the Sticky waterfall was fun. You wallk down steps and then climb up the waterfall which truly gives you a good grip. Tom guided us and supported us with this as well. Thanks for a fab day!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you very much, for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant
care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
We were surprised that it was a small group only on this trip. Our guide Tong was very nice and explained the activities well. The waterfall climbing was fun and there are 3 or 4 sections for those who just want to try it. Lunch at the elephant sanctuary was good. We spent a good deal of time hanging out with the elephants, watching them eat and play in the mud. We learned about the elephants role in local culture and made them medicine treats. Truly a great experience.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
An absolutely amazing experience getting so close to the elephants! What really stands out is that the elephants are treated ethically, have plenty of space, and are never forced to do anything — no bathing or riding. Truly unforgettable and highly recommended! 🌿🐘
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
The guide and driver were very good and the baby elephant was really fun to interact with. Unfortunately there were only three elephants and we did not get to be in the water with them or wash them.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
Friendly guide, smooth ride in a comfy van, delicious pad thai meal and most importantly nothing felt forced on the elephants and we were able to feed them and touch them
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
I absolutely loved this experience! I would highly recommend to everyone! And for anyone skeptical, don’t be. This sanctuary is exactly the way a sanctuary should be run. Elephants are not forced to do anything, there are some sanctuaries that ‘force’ the elephants to take baths with tourist multiple times a day, this place doesn’t do that. Elephants don’t normally take multiple baths per day everyday. Maybe when it’s hot and they want a cool down but that is not the case everyday. The guide told me that there is a chance that the elephants may want to go in the water that day but there is no guarantee which I really appreciate because I would only want to see elephants do what they want. The feedings are also very natural, they see you with the buckets and they come to you for treats, but they are not being forced to be fed. Everything is up to the animal. I was also very lucky, as of October 2025, they have a baby elephant that is absolutely a joy to meet and play with! Elephants are generally pretty social and the baby loves to play, the play was not forced. I was also extremely lucky in that, I went during low season a I was the only person that was on the tour, but they told me that that limit it during high season, they don’t want the elephants to be overwhelmed with too many tourist, so book early to secure your spot if you’re going during high season! I will be recommending this specific place to everyone I know
As a separate note, the lunch they provide was exceptional! The fruits were sweet be cold which helped cool me down! They provide clothing which I recommend to use, it’s optional, but the elephants are muddy and if the elephants choose to play with you, you will get dirty. They also provide boots which were also super helpful!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you very much for your visit and leave us your positive feedback to our elephant care
program. We appreciated for your support to our elephants
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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