Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary and Rafting

Discover Chiang Mai’s Joy Elephant Sanctuary & Bamboo Rafting: Observe elephants, enjoy a waterfall, and relax on a serene bamboo raft ride.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Thung Luang - Experience our Elephant Sanctuary Observation, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting adventure, spend a full day relishing rural Chiang Mai close to nature.
    Change into traditional Karen clothing upon arrival at the sanctuary, as you soak in their fascinating culture & involvement with the elephants.
    Engage in hands-on activities, preparing food…
What's Included
  • Free photography
  • Towel
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Elephant’s food and snack
  • Insurance
  • Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Other personal expenses
Additional Information

Perfect for nature enthusiasts! Enjoy a tranquil day with the Joy Elephant Sanctuary & Bamboo Rafting Program: watch elephants in their natural habitat, gain exclusive insights, and relax to the sounds of the river while bamboo rafting on the serene Wang River.
Immerse yourself in our responsible tourism with Elephant Observation programs!
Interactive…

Location
Thung Luang
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(51 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Colin_h
Feb 21, 2026
Ethical elephants and bamboo rafting - Watching elephants walking thtough doing their own thing was a magical experience. Only direct contact was feeding them mango before they wandered off and we followed. Later, riding the bamboo raft down river and over a number off small but exciting rapids was great fun and very exhilarating.
Review provided by Viator
Eduardo
Feb 9, 2026
In the middle of wildlife - No doubt a great experience and opportunity to see the elephants from close. Very well treated, well cared for, the staff friendly, well organized
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grace_p
Feb 5, 2026
Great experience - It was most amazing to be up close with the elephants in their environment and go at their pace. They took us on a walk and one of them had a mud bath right in front of us Our guide Jay for the first part was wonderful! Clear, funny and spoke English quite well and has a great personality! The trek is a bit rugged for us 50 yos so wear right shoes. We did half day and next time will do full day with elephants We had the rafting afterwards which was an adventure and quite fun but on a 5-6 piece bamboo raft so be ready for that The ride up to the mountain was curvy and survived it but was getting a bit carsick…so those who have motion sickness bring your stuff or put your patch on to avoid the nausea. It was such a beautiful experience Will do it again!
Review provided by Viator
John
Jan 27, 2026
Elephants treated with true care and respect. - Very well organised tour right from hotel pickup. Wonderful time with the elephants from feeding to walking with them at a respectful distance. True, caring sanctuary. Lunch was lovely. Walk to the waterfall was lovely & you could go in the water if wanted. Then the bamboo water rafting was exhilarating. Remember your flip flops for rafting. Well recommend this organisation as they truly have the elephants interests at heart. Not all do!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claire_s
Jan 24, 2026
100% GO! Don't hesitate to book this, it is incredible|! - Do not hesitate to do this amazing day out! Such a highlight of our Thailand adventure with my 3 boys ages 19, 24 and 26. From start to finish, this was such an incredible experience. The elephant sanctuary was a truly humbling and magical experience, such magnificent animals and wonderful to see them in their natural habitat and happy. Then the bamboo rafting was such a laugh, brilliant fun for all ages! Our guides were lovely and nothing was too much, we had a delicious lunch, swim in beautiful waterfalls and then made our own Thai balm which cures all! Wonderful!
Review provided by Viator
Alisonaj7204xw
Jan 11, 2026
This sanctuary is a must if it’s on your bucket list - One of the best experiences in our life. The guide was very knowledgeable and we spend loads of time feeding the elephants and walking with them at their leisure. There are 5 elephants here and you can tell they are looked after properly. If you want to wash and touch elephants this is not for you, as this sanctuary is all about letting them live free and be happy. Food was nice and waterfall was great to cool off in. Bamboo rafts went on for ever and we were provided with life jackets so felt safe.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z8641zgrachelr
Nov 24, 2025
great day out - Great trip, lovely to see elephants well cared for and in their own environment. Organisers were lovely and knowledgable. Nice simple lunch provided. Bamboo rafting was good fun, but you do get very wet. Walking with the elephants can be quite muddy but there is an area to wash your feet/shoes afterwards. You can also leave bags safely in the trucks when walking and rafting Remember to take insect repellant
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Josephak498hz
Nov 21, 2025
10/10 recommend - I loved the Joy Elephant sanctuary because they had a variety of experiences for the entire group! From feeding the elephants, to walking them on a hike, to swimming by the waterfall, to a yummy pad Thai meal, to creating our own souvenirs, and a FUN water rafting, it was the best experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alaina_h
Jan 31, 2026
I had a great time on... - I had a great time on this tour. feeding the elephants, walking with the elephants and the waterfall were highlights. I wish the listing description actually listed the HIKING we did with/next to the elephants. that was not clearly listed and should have been. Luckily i was wearing good walking sandals, but others in the group were not and clearly didn't understand we'd be hiking on uneven terrain either. Our guides really needed to make sure one of them was the last person to make sure everyone got down safely. I ended up tripping and falling/scraping my knee right at the end and no one knew because i was the last one down to make it to the lunch spot.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_t
Jan 10, 2026
Elephant sanctuary visit! - A must do experience. Small sanctuary with only 4 females but that didn't make a difference. Rescued elephants now secure. Rules so tourists don't impact on them. Learnt much. Great fun feeding them. Combined trip with swim in waterfall & making herbal remedy plus bamboo rafting. Take advantage of day trip whilst out for the day. Take a change of clothes! It's very rustic so be prepared. I gave it a 4 star simply as we had a 20 minute break having been picked up from the hotel 35 mins previously. Was not the most celebrious coffee stop either......
Review provided by Viator
From $61
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).