Top rated
1 / 11Elephant Sanctuary & Sticky Waterfall Day Tour
Feed, walk with and bathe elephants at a small, no-riding sanctuary in Mae Taeng, then climb the limestone cascades of Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall. Family friendly, with hotel pickup from Chiang Mai and a Thai lunch included.
From฿1,700per person
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Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai
Highlights
- Enjoy a wonderful family-friendly adventure combining ethical elephant encounters and the famous Sticky Waterfall in Chiang Mai.
- Visit a small, ethical elephant sanctuary in Mae Taeng for a no-riding elephant experience surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
- Prepare fresh food, including bananas, grass, and sugar cane, and enjoy feeding the elephants.
- Learn about elephant care, prepare nutritious herbal vitamin balls, or observe elephants enjoying their natural mud spa.
- Walk alongside elephants to the Mae Taeng River and enjoy the opportunity to bathe and brush them under the supervision of sanctuary staff.
- Discover the famous Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall and experience the unique thrill of climbing its naturally grippy limestone cascades.
- Enjoy a delicious traditional Thai lunch surrounded by the peaceful Mae Taeng countryside.
- Perfect for families with children of all ages, couples, and nature lovers looking for a relaxed outdoor experience without challenging jungle trekking or white water rafting.
Duration
10 hours
Pickup
Included
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8 more tours at the same place.
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Wildlife Encounter1
Frequently asked questions
Pickup from city centre hotels is between 08:00 and 08:30, and the drive to the sanctuary takes about an hour and a half. You are dropped back in Chiang Mai at around 18:30.
The sanctuary does not offer riding and says it uses no chains or hooks because its elephants roam free. It is a hands-on visit rather than observation only: you feed the elephants and join them in the mud and the river.
The spring water at Bua Thong carries dissolved calcium, which settles on the rock as a rough, porous limestone. Bare feet grip it well, so you can walk up the falls without slipping in the way you would on a normal wet rock.
Yes, this is the most family-friendly program: there is no trek and no rafting. Children aged 3 to 8 pay the child rate and infants up to 2 the infant rate.
Light clothes that can get wet and muddy, plus sandals or water shoes that stay on your feet. The sanctuary hands out mahout style shirts to wear over your own clothes, and the guides take photos of you during the day. Bring a full change of clothes and a towel for the ride home.
The elephant activities go ahead in light rain; the elephants do not mind and neither will you once you are already wet. Heavy rain can change the river activities, and the guide decides on the day.
A small elephant sanctuary beside the Mae Taeng river, about an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai. There is no riding, and the sanctuary says it uses no chains or hooks because its herd is free to roam. Groups are small, so you get real time with the elephants rather than watching from a crowd. Hotel pickup is included, so you do not need to find it yourself.
