A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Phuket, Thailand
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See elephants up close—but at a respectful distance—at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary during this morning tour. Watch as rescued elephants freely roam, bathe, and socialize within the grounds of the tropical sanctuary (located on the edge of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in North East Phuket). Learn about the sanctuary's ethical approach, dine on a delicious buffet lunch (which is entirely vegetarian), and snap photos of the elephants from a treetop walkway.
- Observe elephants from a respectful distance at the sanctuary
- Enjoy a delicious vegetarian buffet lunch and included drinks
- Option to select convenient round-trip hotel transfers for added ease
- Learn about how the sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates elephants
What's Included
- Welcome Snacks and Beverages
- Educational Video Documentary
- Guided Walk through 30 Acre Sanctuary and across the Canopy Walkway
- LunchA delicious Thai vegetarian lunch buffet with over 15 choices.
- Socks, Boots, Umbrellas, Rain Coats, Mosquito Spray
- Bottled waterWe provide bottled water but appreciate if you bring a refill bottle.
- Roundtrip Transfers - if options is selected
- Roundtrip Transfers - If option is not selected
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Start time.9:30 am
Itinerary
Enjoy an ethical elephant encounter at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. Get up close to rescued elephants—without touching them and while maintaining a respectful distance— while supporting the sanctuary’s conservation efforts.
After pickup from your Phuket hotel (with the shared transfer option), the experience starts with a presentation and video at the Tree Top Sanctuary, where you also enjoy a welcome snack and refreshments. Next, gear up with provided boots, socks, rain coats, mosquito spray, and umbrellas.
Afterwards, follow the elephants into the jungle. Stop at the observation platforms, where you can watch the elephants bathing, playing, and socializing from a safe distance.
Afterwards, enjoy a Thai vegetarian meal before being driven back to Phuket and dropped off at your accommodations.
After pickup from your Phuket hotel (with the shared transfer option), the experience starts with a presentation and video at the Tree Top Sanctuary, where you also enjoy a welcome snack and refreshments. Next, gear up with provided boots, socks, rain coats, mosquito spray, and umbrellas.
Afterwards, follow the elephants into the jungle. Stop at the observation platforms, where you can watch the elephants bathing, playing, and socializing from a safe distance.
Afterwards, enjoy a Thai vegetarian meal before being driven back to Phuket and dropped off at your accommodations.
1
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Italian speaking guides are available for the Half Day “A Morning with the Elephants” program on Wednesdays and Fridays only
- French speaking guides can be requested as a language preference, subject to guide availability, but cannot be guaranteed.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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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
What a beautiful experience! From the moment of arriving to leaving, the staff had a very positive attitude. I loved that the elephants' needs were above all else. Very educational, close-up, and well thought out. The abundance of snacks, food, time (for questions and pictures), and smiles were appreciated. Loved everything about this sanctuary.
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,889 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
This was such an educational experience. All of the staff took their time to educate us and had a wonderful tour around the park
We enjoyed seeing the elephants up close but were disappointed that this tour didn't allow feeding or touching of the animals. We did see their human companions interacting with the elephants. As a sanctuary their first responsibility is the health and wellness of the animals understandably. Our guide was knowledgeable and told us the past history of each elephant we saw and why they had chosen to adopt them. There were a couple that were there for medical treatment only from other compounds. A nice lunch was provided as well.
Our visit to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary was one of the highlights of our trip to Thailand. If you’re looking for a truly ethical elephant experience, this is the place to go. It was refreshing to see elephants living freely in a natural environment where their welfare comes first.
Our guide, Jeffy, was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the sanctuary’s mission. He shared the unique stories of each elephant, explained the rehabilitation process, and taught us about the challenges these rescued elephants have faced. You can tell he genuinely cares about both the animals and educating visitors.
The elevated canopy walk provided incredible views of the elephants as they roamed, foraged, and interacted naturally without being disturbed. Watching them simply be elephants was a much more rewarding experience than any attraction that allows riding or forced interactions.
The sanctuary is beautifully maintained, the staff are friendly, and the entire experience is well organized from start to finish. Knowing that our visit directly supports the rescue, rehabilitation, and lifelong care of these amazing animals made it even more meaningful.
We highly recommend Phuket Elephant Sanctuary to anyone visiting Phuket. Thank you, Jeffy, and the entire team for an inspiring and memorable day! 🐘💚
True elephant sanctuary experience. Let’s start with pick up. The driver was on time and very courteous, he even stopped at 7/11 because my friend really wanted a redbull. The experience there was amazing, the Elephants are free roaming and all rescues, you can get close enough to enjoy it but far enough that they can still do their thing. It did say on the booking that we’d get to feed the elephants, that recently changed so that was the only issue I had. Overall 5/5
This is a must see and experience. The care and love for these beautiful animals is incredible. You will not be disappointed.
Amazing experience! Highly recommend visiting if you want to see healthy and happy elephants taken care of! Staff could not be more wonderful! Close to elephants but not to bother them! Lunch was so delicious!!! Book this!!
We went to Phuket elephant sanctuary where they take working elephants, nurse them back to health, and set them free in a safe natural environment. It’s so peaceful and ethical, the work they do is incredible and it’s a must see in Phuket
Great to be with the elephants as they try to adjust back to a “normal” non-working life.
Tour guide, KT, was very knowledgeable.
Really amazing experience! Thomas was super informative and you could tell he really loves the elephants! 10/10
Great experience
Would definitely recommend
Loved meeting the elephants and seeing them roaming the environment
Excellent, ethical and informative tour. You get close to elephants while maintaining respect for them. They have one of the only elephant hospitals in the world, and apply their resources to protecting and healing elephants. They buy elephants to rescue them (instead of renting) forever, and welcome other injured or sick elephants to their hospital for care - even if they unfortunately cannot be purchased (have to return to labor/performing). The tour will likely be very hot so dress, pack, and hydrate accordingly (it was 33C/91F and 70% humidity for my visit). The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, compassionate and plainly love the elephants & caring for them. It is important to support ethical sanctuaries like this one. Food was excellent and strictly vegetarian (I am an omnivore and I still really enjoyed the breakfast and lunch offered). They also provide hand sanitizer and mosquito repellent in abundance. I encourage you to donate towards elephant food and supporting staff, even if you can only afford a tiny amount. It all adds up and your money sends the right signal to the other elephant tour companies and ecosystem.
It's a great visit for anyone. We enjoyed learning about the sanctuary, seeing the elephants roam freely, and feeding them some treats. The canopy walkway was a great way to view them eating and roaming around. We also visited the hospital area and learned about the treatments they recieve there. We enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch; there were many great entrees to choose from. The gift shop offered us a chance to further support the operations while providing tons of souvenir gifts at reasonable prices.
Fantastic experience! Spend your morning learning about and spending time with these majestic animals. From the minute we were picked up to drop off we were well taken care of. Our guide, Alex, was very well informed and knowledgeable, and you could tell he cares about the elephants. They also provide a wonderful lunch which caters to many different tastes. As with many tours we’ve done they provide more than enough food to satisfy. We definitely recommend this tour!
Absolutely amazing!!! You get to see these beautiful creatures right up close!! An amazing experience!! Would do it again and again and again. You also get a close up look at what theyre trying to do to help elephants in Thailand and its worth every penny!!
This was a well-run, educational, and enjoyable experience. It was exciting to have contact and be close to the elephants.
The best elephant experience ever!
These big beautiful creatures are now living their best life, in retirement, in their forever home.
You get told all of the elephants names, ages & back stories. Some are quite heartbreaking to hear. However these intelligent gentle giants are living the rest of their lives in tranquility.
You get to feed them, hands on, but you are not allowed to pet them. You get a jungle canopy walk, so you can observe them from above.
This is not a zoo, nor is it an entertainment facility. This is a sanctuary a little haven on earth for elephants.
If you do only one thing when visiting Thailand, do this. A worthwhile cause supporting these animals. Worth every penny
This is my second visit to the Sanctuary. My last visit was in 2021. I love the improvements and am so happy to see the elephants in their natural environment. The staff were pleasant and professional. The elephants are well taken care of, and the property is amazing. I am so happy to see they added a canopy, which was nice for the aerial view, and a hospital to provide treatment for the majestic animals.
The tour was lovely, our guide KT was amazing and answered all the questions (which was a lot) the group had. Its sad and nice at the same time hearing what those elephants endure in other places, and having their freedom finally. Hopefully they can rescue more elephants in the future from the cruel life they are living in other places.
Everything was exceptional, from the hotel pickup (Veranda hotel) to the facilities, the lunch, the bottled water readily given, the cappuccino, the guide (Rudi) was awesome! Everything was included. Oh and the ELEPHANTS!!! These beautiful creatures were so exceptionally cared for and treated respectfully after their hard lives prior to coming to the sanctuary. It was so great to hand feed them and to learn about them. Well done P.E.S!!! ❤️
I loved seeing the elephants and knowing that they are well taken care of in their old age after a long life of hard labor.
My husband and I really enjoyed this tour! Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Would highly recommend making this a part of your trip to Thailand!
Incredible opportunity to learn about these beautiful animals. Our tour guide KT was very funny and knowledgeable. We walked around the complex before going up to the walkway to see the elephants from above. The buffet food at the end was delicious
The elephants were magnificent! Reccomend this experience if you’re looking for an ethical way to observe these beautiful creatures. My only mention is beware, walking around viewing the elephants in the heat feels like a hike, so if you have physical limitations i would not book the excursion. Lunch and snacks were all delicious! Our tour guide thomas was great, super well educated and easy to understand!
What a beautiful experience! From the moment of arriving to leaving, the staff had a very positive attitude. I loved that the elephants' needs were above all else. Very educational, close-up, and well thought out. The abundance of snacks, food, time (for questions and pictures), and smiles were appreciated. Loved everything about this sanctuary.
The whole experience from beginning to end was incredible. The faculties were very clean, the tour guides were very knowledgeable, and the food was great!
A fabulous trip learning about the elephants and how they are treated by previous owners before coming here to end their days. Lovely to give them a snack and be able to stroke their trunk
This is a must see. An extraordinary experience that my entire family was enthralled with. Really a special way to see the elephants interact and how they live. Not a petting zoo! For a special day this is a must when in Phuket.
Truly wonderful experience at an accredited elephant sanctuary. All staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke excellent English. Elephants were clearly well cared for and appeared content. Food was very good and there was a lot of variety. I would go back every day.
Transportation to and from the sanctuary to my hotel was easy and comfortable.
excellent trip brilliant to see the work they are doing to rescue injured and mistreated elephants
a must visit trip
Wonderfully organised day with the elephants in this fantastic environment.
Walking around seeing the elephants up close and hearing their tragic back stories feeling thankful the sanctuary is now giving them a well earned retirement.
From $93.52
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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