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Chiang Mai Adventure: Elephants and Waterfall
3.8
8 Ratings
Tambon Chang Khlan
Experience Chiang Mai’s elephants and climb the Sticky Waterfall. Feed, bathe, and play with elephants, then explore nature’s unique waterfall.
Experience Chiang Mai’s elephants and climb the Sticky Waterfall. Feed, bathe, and play with elephants, then explore nature’s unique waterfall.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Lanna Elephant Care - At this elephant sanctuary, guests are warmly welcomed by guides who share captivating stories about the elephants’ lives. Visitors can change into traditional attire and approach these gentle giants in a way that ensures their comfort. They can hand-feed the elephants bananas and bamboo from their own baskets, witnessing the…
- Lanna Elephant Care - At this elephant sanctuary, guests are warmly welcomed by guides who share captivating stories about the elephants’ lives. Visitors can change into traditional attire and approach these gentle giants in a way that ensures their comfort. They can hand-feed the elephants bananas and bamboo from their own baskets, witnessing the unique personalities of each elephant. A walk through the jungle, a playful mud spa, and a refreshing river bath with the elephants create unforgettable memories. Participants can also prepare herbal vitamin balls to support the elephants’ health and enjoy a simple yet delicious Thai meal amidst nature. This experience offers a rare opportunity to connect with elephants in a truly meaningful and joyful manner.
- Namtok Bua Tong-Nam Phu Chet Si National Park - Following the elephant experience, visitors can head to the renowned Sticky Waterfall, one of Chiang Mai’s most distinctive natural attractions. Unlike typical waterfalls, the mineral-rich limestone here provides a natural grip, allowing visitors to climb directly up the cascading water without slipping. Surrounded by lush jungle, the experience is both adventurous and refreshing, as guests cool off in the clear flowing streams. Whether climbing, exploring forest trails, or simply relaxing in the serene environment, the Sticky Waterfall offers an ideal mix of fun and relaxation, making it a highlight for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. This visit is optional. Please select the corresponding option if you wish to include it in your tour.
What's Included
- Tour guide
- Entrance fees
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Elephant’s food and snack
- Tour guide
- Entrance fees
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Elephant’s food and snack
What's Not Included
- Personal expenses
- Personal expenses
Additional Information
Prepare for an extraordinary day as you encounter gentle elephants and scale the remarkable Sticky Waterfall on a full-day excursion from Chiang Mai. Start at an elephant sanctuary where five elephants, including a playful calf, live freely. Feed them bananas and bamboo, stroll alongside them in the jungle, and partake in the fun of a mud bath and river…
Prepare for an extraordinary day as you encounter gentle elephants and scale the remarkable Sticky Waterfall on a full-day excursion from Chiang Mai. Start at an elephant sanctuary where five elephants, including a playful calf, live freely. Feed them bananas and bamboo, stroll alongside them in the jungle, and partake in the fun of a mud bath and river splash. With no riding, chains, or performances, this sanctuary provides a unique, hands-on experience in a cruelty-free environment. The adventure continues at the renowned Sticky Waterfall, a limestone cascade where you can climb directly up the flowing water without slipping. Surrounded by lush jungle, it is a refreshing and unforgettable highlight, making this tour the perfect blend of culture, adventure, and nature in one day.
Location
Tha Phae Gate
Tha Phae Road
Please meet us at the McDonald's in front of Tha Phae Gate, and kindly arrive 10 minutes early. We’ll reach out to you via email or Whatsapp the day before to make sure all goes smoothly.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.8
(8 Ratings)
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Kevin_m
Mar 18, 2026
Amazing Day in Chiang Mai! - Probably our favorite day from our trip to Thailand! The pickup was prompt. Our driver was kind. And the overall experience was amazing! The people at Lanna Elephant Care showed us such friendliness and allowed us to have a wonderfully close time with the elephants. We learned the names of the elephants as well as their personalities. We got to feed them, walk with them, and bathe them. After that, a nice serving of pad Thai. Awesome time! After that we went to the sticky waterfall. Wow!! So much more than we expected from pictures. It has to be one of the coolest natural creations I’ve ever experienced. Overall, an incredible experience! Definitely worth your time!
Review provided by Viator
Denise_g
Feb 27, 2026
Fabulous visit to elephant sanctuary! - Fabulous morning feeding, petting, snuggling and bathing the elephants! Guide was great with photo ops. Top and pants were offered so our clothes did not get wet. Bathrooms perfect for changing. Pad Thai lunch was included and served with watermelon and water.
Spent an hour and half at Sticky Waterfalls. Nice experience climbing the falls but very crowded.
We were in a van with 4 other groups, a total of 13 people. There was no guide, only a rude driver, who spoke little English. He claimed not to understand when requested to drop us off at our hotel, which everyone else was doing. He had difficulty following the GPS. At the falls, he parked a distance away from the entrance, with no indication of where to go.
All in all, a good day, but this driver should not be with foreign guests.
Review provided by Viator
Ms_s
Feb 23, 2026
A Chiang Mai Must Do! - The was absolutely one of the most fun animal encounters I've ever had. Everything was so nice. The elephants looked happy and well cared for. Shawn our guide explained about the elephant's care and needs. He was so informative when asked questions about each elephant and their routines and needs. The lunch served was so tasty, we could even get seconds!
Review provided by Viator
Juancarlos_g
Jan 24, 2026
Awesome - Best experience we ever had, they changed our itinerary last minute but it totally worth it, had a private tour and was even better
Review provided by Viator
Tiffany_v
Sep 22, 2025
The elephant sanctuary... - The elephant sanctuary experience was AMAZING. We fed, washed and walked with these majestic creatures whilst being well looked after by our guide with information and care. We have teenage kids and they loved it too!
Sticky waterfalls falls was FABULOUS. Highly recommend too.
Review provided by Viator
Gowri_m
Mar 25, 2026
Will not do this again - I would not recommend this tour nor would I redo it.
First things first, it is not clearly described in the description but a driver picks you up. No tour guide until the elephant place where a guide is with you but then again you leave with the driver who doesn't really talk or explain what is next or how long to the next place etc.
I do not think the cost was worth it. The elephant sanctuary- although the elephants are not in chains, I would not say it is ethical. They stage it all and the caretakers force them to stand and eat while you take your pics, sit and eat for more pics, make them go into the water so you can have your fun with them. Some guides had their guests sit on the elephants leg for pics which I thought was horrible. An ethical sanctuary for me is when the elephants wander and do what they want and you get to observe and interact on their terms. If they want to eat, we feed etc. I did not like how Controlled and forced it felt. Good side is there are just 4 elephants sharing the large space.
Lunch was nothing great. I wish there was an option to opt out. It was a very plain basic pad thai and they offered chilli on the side but there was a dead cricket in the chilli bottle so hygiene was just lacking. Washroom was clean in that space but bring wipes and hand sani as soap was empty.
The falls was cool. The driver just told us what time to be back and left us to our own time. You don't need a guide for the falls so if you manage your own transportation to and from, that would work well!
I would do better research on which sanctuaries to check out. I chose this because the original reviews were good but I would not suggest this. There was others that do it right. Lack of chains only doesn't mean ethical. Its to do with control and forcing interaction with people. It was a timetable like now its time to feed them. Now it's time to take pic. Now its time to make this item for them. Now its time to get into the water and splash. Some guides were forcing the little elephant to spray the people while another kept yelling at the older one to squat in the river so people could splash them with the buckets of water.
Avoid booking this.
Review provided by Viator
John_s
Mar 22, 2026
Elephant tour and sticky falls - This tour was not for us
No English guide hence absolutely no interpretation
Beat up old Toyota with bad suspension not air con in the back
Driver and guide left their visors down the whole trip limiting passenger view
Driver nibbled on berries and left pips in view
3 .5 hours of driving with no interpretation
Elephant farm was great with excellent interaction and interpretation
Sticky fall were interesting but without interpretation and due to long drive not really worth the effort
Review provided by Viator
Jordangrant90
Nov 5, 2025
Absolutely Not - The company said our hotel was too far so made us drive into the city to meet at 8am. We waited for 40 minutes and called multiple times with no answer. Finally the showed at 8:45am. The driver did not speak any English so there was no communication and we didn’t know what the schedule was. They said max 12 people total but there were 13. We left this tour early.
Review provided by Viator
