Northern Thailand · CHIANG MAI ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES

The 15 Best Elephant Sanctuaries in Chiang Mai

72 tours  ·  from $5 a head

Every park calls itself ethical; the ones below let the elephants roam, feed and bathe without riding or shows. These 15 compare half-day and full-day visits on price, group size, drive time and how close you actually get.

Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting - A waterfall stop before the elephants
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

1.Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 9,160 reviews · 9 hours · from $60Our pick

Spend nine hours outside Chiang Mai with rescued elephants at Pon Elephant Thailand, where you can feed them, walk nearby, and join them in the river. The day also includes a waterfall stop, lunch, and bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River. Guides such as Nop, Paul, Yaya, and Sunny have led recent trips, though your guide may differ.

“We had a fabulous day, unlike anything we had done before. Our guide was great and she took very good care of us. The elephants have a lovely life and we enjoyed seeing them close up in the beautiful surroundings. The staff looking after them are great. We were transported there and back in a comfortable vehicle with an experienced driver.”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Group Tour - Feeding, walking, and watching the elephants
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Group Tour

2.Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 5,780 reviews · 7 hours · from $50

Travel about 80 minutes from Chiang Mai to Pon Elephant Thailand for a guided visit with rescued elephants: learn their stories, prepare snacks, feed them, walk nearby, and, if conditions allow, help cool them in the river. Then head to Mae Wang Waterfall for a short nature hike and a swim when safe. Guides such as Beer, Yaya, and Nop have led the tour.

“Such an amazing day at Pon Elephant Sanctuary from start to finish, our guide was great, the sanctuary was amazing and the elephants are really chilled and are really well looked after by the staff”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Feeding Program Half-Day Tour - First, learn how to behave around elephants
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Feeding Program Half-Day Tour

3.Elephant Sanctuary Feeding Program Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4,527 reviews · 5 hours - 330 minutes · from $27

Travel south from Chiang Mai to Pon Elephant Thailand for a five-hour visit with English- and Thai-speaking guides. Learn about elephant behaviour, prepare herbal treats, feed the animals and walk with rangers. If the elephants choose to go, you may also join them at the river. Guides such as Pat, Jackie and Toto have been praised for making the visit informative and fun.

“Toto and On are the best guides! They taught us so much and made it really fun and funny. Highly recommended!”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Long Neck & Sticky Waterfall - The Long Neck village stop
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Long Neck & Sticky Waterfall

4.Elephant Sanctuary, Long Neck & Sticky Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,262 reviews · 9 hours · from $63

This nine-hour Chiang Mai day trip pairs close-up elephant care with a Long Neck village visit and a climb at Buatong Sticky Waterfall. You’ll make herbal treats, feed elephants, and have the chance to bathe with them in a river. English-speaking guides include Fluke, Amy, Tiger, and Bella, though your guide depends on the day.

“It was the best trip I have done in my life! And Fluke was the greatest guide ever!”

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From Chiang Mai: Elephant Care Program and Nursery Tour - Meet the elephants on their terms
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From Chiang Mai: Elephant Care Program and Nursery Tour

5.Elephant Care Program and Nursery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,899 reviews · 5 - 6 hours · from $53

Travel from central Chiang Mai to Mae Tang for a half-day visit with rescued elephants. An English-speaking guide introduces their behavior and care before you prepare food, feed them, and join or watch their mud-pool play and bath. A Thai vegetarian buffet and hotel transfers are included. Guides have included Francesco, Tin, and Disney, though assignments vary.

“I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who would like to have an extraordinarily special encounter with the elephants. K’Neung & K’Ann were both amazing and made the experience wonderful. The program in the tour is packed with so much activities and encounters with the elephants without compromising safety and ethical practices. Everyone in the rescue park were very friendly, accomodating and very professional. Loolinh forward to taking this tour again when I am back in Chiang Mai. Thank you very much!”

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3-in-1: Doi Inthanon Tour, Elephant Sanctuary, and Trekking Trail - Reaching Doi Inthanon’s high point
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3-in-1: Doi Inthanon Tour, Elephant Sanctuary, and Trekking Trail

6.3-in-1: Doi Inthanon Tour, Elephant Sanctuary, and Trekking Trail

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,087 reviews · from $48Top rated

Leave Chiang Mai around 7 a.m. for Living Green Elephant Sanctuary, Doi Inthanon’s summit and royal pagodas, then a guided forest trek to Pha Dok Siew Waterfall and Ban Mae Klang Luang. Expect a Thai lunch, mountain roads, and a long day. Guides have included John, Jon, Rainbow, Note, and Sandy, but assignments can vary.

“Even there was a communication or language issue, I enjoyed this tour. The elephants were scary for me but I finally manage to be able and feed them. The Inthanon temple was amazing!”

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Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour - Meeting the elephants in Mae Taeng Valley
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Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour

7.Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 870 reviews · from $58

Spend a day outside Chiang Mai at Bua Tong’s grippy limestone waterfall, an elephant sanctuary in Mae Taeng Valley and a bamboo rafting camp. Lunch and entrance fees are included. Guides such as Paul, Fluke and Mr. Poppy have led past tours, though the guide on your date may differ. Expect a full day, with pickup offered and a return to Three Kings Monument.

“We absolutely loved this trip! Feeding the elephants was a real highlight for us. And Paul was a great guide.”

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From Chiang Mai: Kerchor Eco Elephant Park Tour - A briefing before meeting the elephants
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From Chiang Mai: Kerchor Eco Elephant Park Tour

8.Kerchor Eco Elephant Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 704 reviews · 5h 30m · from $48

Ride from Chiang Mai to Kerchor Eco Elephant Park for a short talk on elephant care, then help prepare snacks, feed the elephants, and walk beside them as they explore and bathe in a stream. Guides such as F and Fa have been praised for their humor and help with photos. A Thai lunch and drinks finish the visit.

“Very friendly staff, well organized transfer and most importantly, Elephants seemed to be in their natural habitat with no barriers. Ivery very close and prrsonal contact with them, walking, feeding and barhung…would not hesitate to reccomend this experience to anyone. Thanknyou so much !”

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Care Pride Elephants: Full-Day Tour Experience - Meet the family and learn how the elephants live
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Care Pride Elephants: Full-Day Tour Experience

9.Care Pride Elephants: Full-Day Tour Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 658 reviews · from $91

Travel from Chiang Mai to Elephant Pride Sanctuary for a day with its elephant family and local caretakers. Feed the elephants, walk with them in the hills, and help with a mud bath and river rinse. Thai lunch, bottled water, and round-trip hotel transfers are included. Guides may include Koko, Kiki, Coco, or Dodo.

“You can tell these elephants are treated with care and all the staff treat them like family. You start the day with several feedings. Then comes the fun part. You put mud all over the 3 elephants, then walk them to the river and wash them off, which was unique. The only thing I could say negative is our group had 13 people. This seemed to me like it was too many, especially during the feedings. I still give five stars for the nice people that run the sanctuary and the great interaction with the elephants.”

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Half-Day Elephant Experience at Rantong - Making Vitamins and Meeting the Elephants
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Half-Day Elephant Experience at Rantong

10.Half-Day Elephant Experience at Rantong

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 625 reviews · from $58

From Chiang Mai, ride to Ran-Tong in Mae Taeng for a small-group visit with rescued elephants. Change into mahout-style Karen clothes, learn about elephant care, prepare vitamins, then feed, walk with, and bathe the animals. Guides such as Seven and Rambo lead the visit, which includes Thai food, fruit, and hotel transfers.

“Was a very good day. Guide was kind and amazing. As a solo traveler he made sure he took many photos and videos for me since I didn’t have anyone to take for me. The elephants were friendly and the experience overall was 10/10. Would tell others. Pretty ethical no riding and elephants are taken well care of. And the stray dogs were so friendly and wanted pets and belly rubs. Got so many good pictures.”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Monk Trail & Doi Suthep Tour - Walking into Wat Pha Lat
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Monk Trail & Doi Suthep Tour

11.Elephant Sanctuary, Monk Trail & Doi Suthep Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 563 reviews · 1 day · from $57

Spend a full day on Chiang Mai’s Monk Trail, at Wat Pha Lat and Wat Doi Suthep, then meet elephants at PON Elephant Thailand. Expect a 40-minute forest walk, temple visits, feeding and bathing activities, and a local Thai lunch. English-speaking guides such as Sumit, Suriya, Paul, and Ronnie are often praised for adding useful context and helping the day feel personal.

“Paul was our guide and he was great. He offered detailed explanations and history during the tour. I would book with him as my guide again. The tour itself was full of many activities it was worth the money.”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Dream Project Sanctuary - Half-Day - The morning drive from Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Dream Project Sanctuary – Half-Day

12.Elephant Dream Project Sanctuary – Half-Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 552 reviews · 4 hours · from $51

Travel from Chiang Mai to a locally run elephant project, where you’ll hear about Asian elephants, feed them and walk alongside them in the jungle. Guides such as JJ and Mr Dee share the elephants’ stories and the project’s approach: activities follow the animals’ comfort, with no riding or tricks. Thai lunch, seasonal fruit and round-trip hotel transport are included.

“I enjoyed the drive to the sanctuary. It gave me the added bonus of seeing country side around Chiang Our guide had brought his family elephant whose parents, grandparents had been born on his family farm in the days when elephants worked on the farm. Our contact with the elephants was food only. No bathing, no riding. Seemed very ethical. The food was marvelous.”

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Chiang Mai: Ethical Half Day Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall - The road to Mae Wang takes time
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Chiang Mai: Ethical Half Day Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall

13.Ethical Half Day Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 450 reviews · 7 hours · from $54

Travel from Chiang Mai to Mae Wang for a guided elephant observation program: prepare food, feed the elephants, and follow them as they forage at their own pace. There is no riding, touching, or elephant bathing. The day also includes a waterfall break, tea, Pad Thai, and a handmade Thai herbal inhaler.

“We had an amazing time and are very happy with the tour, we had an introductory session, fed the elephants, went to the jungle to observe them look for food, then had free time to relax or swim in a waterfall, afterwhich we had lunch and finished with making our own yadom. We spent a long time choosing a place that threats its elephants properly and doesn't force them do things they don't want and we can say it is exactly that. It is ethical and the staff is amazing and really cares about them. We recommend.”

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Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon Hiking & Elephant Sanctuary Program - Meeting the elephants at Living Green
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Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon Hiking & Elephant Sanctuary Program

14.Doi Inthanon Hiking & Elephant Sanctuary Program

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 324 reviews · 12 hours · from $56

Travel from Chiang Mai in a small group of up to 12 for a day at Living Green Elephant Sanctuary and Doi Inthanon. Feed and walk beside rescued elephants, visit the Twin Pagodas, hike Pha Dok Siew trail, and stop at a Karen coffee farm. Guides such as Jon, Mod, Pete, and Rainbow have led the trip, though guide assignments vary.

“Absolutely fantastic. Elephant sanctuary was fantastic as was the hike. Also went to highest point in Thailand and pagodas! Great experience and definitely would recommend. Guides were brilliant too”

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Elephant care program at CHIANGMAI ELEPHANT CARE - Feeding, watching, and letting the elephants choose
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Elephant care program at CHIANGMAI ELEPHANT CARE

15.Elephant care program at CHIANGMAI ELEPHANT CARE

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 295 reviews · from $52

Leave Chiang Mai by air-conditioned van for a small elephant care program, about 1.5 hours away. Guides such as Ford, Tom, and Todd explain elephant care as you feed the animals, prepare herbal food supplements, and watch them roam. Pickup, lunch, water, and fees are included. Elephant bathing is not guaranteed.

“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”

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New in Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuaries

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