Chiang Mai: Inthanon, Elephant Sanctuary Observation & Waterfall
Description
Step into a wild adventure at Joy Elephant Sanctuary. Meet majestic elephants, conquer Doi Inthanon & Hike through lush forests, and immerse yourself in Thailand's natural beauty. It's a journey you won't want to miss! Dive into our responsible tourism with Elephant Observation programs! Fun Interactions: Change into traditional Karen clothing, Learn, prepare elephants food and observe the gentle giants on their completely natural behavior while maintaining safe distance. Elephant Paradise: Refresh yourself with herbal tea and take a break at the waterfall, surrounded by serene rivers. Engaging to the core of the culture by learning how to craft your own Thai cultural handmade souvenir. Pump your excitement with Inthanon hike: Experience the unforgettable beauty of the breeze and mist atop Thailand’s highest peak, visit the beautiful Twin Pagodas, followed by exploring the jungle and water fall in Pha Dok Siew.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A One Day adventure with our Joy Elephant Sanctuary Observation, Doi Inthanon & Hiking Program. Enjoy scenic rural Chiang Mai as you're picked up and journey through picturesque landscapes. At the sanctuary, change into traditional Karen clothing for hands-on activities, preparing food for the elephants while learning about their history and behavior. Observe the elephants in the jungle while they roam freely. Sip herbal tea while you see the elephants enjoying their cool time before crafting a Thai cultural souvenir. Then you will enjoy your lunch before leaving the Joy Elephant Sanctuary heading towards Doi Inthanon.
Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand at 2,565 meters, is located in Chiang Mai Province. Named after King Inthawichayanon, the area boasts rich biodiversity, including over 400 bird species, and features diverse ecosystems like rainforests and pine forests. Visitors can enjoy stunning waterfalls, the unique frost flower phenomenon in cool seasons, and visit the highest peak of Thailand.
The Twin Royal Stupas, located atop Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, are majestic monuments built to honor the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit. These elegant chedis are surrounded by beautiful gardens and offer panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and forests, making them a serene and culturally significant destination for visitors. The site also provides a picturesque setting for memorable photo shoots.
The Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail, located on the Doi Inthanon mountain range, exemplifies "eco-cultural" tourism that focuses on the sustainable preservation of nature and local culture. The trail is rich with various plant species and wildlife, such as the White-Handed Gibbon (also known as Lar Gibbon), and features the Pha Dok Siew waterfall as its highlight. The trail is approximately 2.6 kilometers long and takes about 1.5-2 hours to walk, with a moderate difficulty level. It passes through the beautiful Pha Dok Siew waterfall, scenic streams, and terraced rice fields, ending at Mae Klang Luang village.
Mae Klang Luang village is recognized as a cultural and artistic museum of the Karen community, representing the concept of "people living with the forest." Additionally, it is a low-carbon tourist destination that minimizes environmental impact. Mae Klang Luang village also has a coffee farm, adding to its cultural and economic significance.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up from your hotel or accommodation in Chiang Mai A free transfer service to/from all places of accommodation within a 4 k.m. radius of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Transport from locations outside this area will incur a surcharge. In that case, kindly provide us the hotel/ property name. Customers will travel in a 12-seater, air-conditioned van, switching to a roofed 4×4 truck for the last 10 minutes to reach the sanctuary.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Pets are prohibited
- Child seat is available up on request
- The Pha Dok Siew hike is recommended for children above 5 years old.
- What to bring: Extra Clothes, Swimming Suit, Sandals, Trekking / Hiking Shoes Sunblock lotion, Insect Spray, Customers own allergy medication
- Driving from the city to the first attraction 3 hours (1.5 hours each way) - The rest of the 45 mins is being spent travelling within Doi Inthanon area
Reviews(38)
Short version: amazing. They're doing amazing work and feel lucky to have seen it. Take a change of clothes. Towel. Insect repellent. Sensible shoes. Dry bag. Long version.. My husband and I spent yesterday with the Joy Elephant sanctuary. We had booked via get your guide and received confirmation and details of pick up almost immediately from the Joy Elephant Sanctuary. We were picked up promptly, driven to the sanctuary where we were given a safety briefing before being able to feed the elephants their breakfast. All of the staff were incredibly helpful and informative about the elephants, their behaviours and the work that they do. We then followed them through the jungle, maintaining a safe distance and observed them grazing as they were walking to the waterfall area. Once we arrived there we were able to go into the water, I would heavily recommend as the walk is HOT. Lunch was provided along with unlimited bottles of water. Lunch was delicious! We then created our souvenir which was a smelling box, used for travel sickness etc. After we then made our way through various stops before doing a 1hr 30 hike through the jungle. We collapsed into our hotel and now hold memories that we will cherish forever. Absolutely book this experience!
We joined this tour which included an elephant sanctuary, a visit to Thailand’s highest mountain, and a hike to a waterfall and a Karen village. First of all, the elephant sanctuary itself was nice. The elephants seemed well treated and it was a good experience to see them up close. During the bathing part, however, there was one staff member who kept splashing water on people even when it was clear they didn’t find it funny. It felt a bit strange and unnecessary, but overall the elephants themselves were lovely. The more disappointing part of the day was unfortunately the rest of the tour. Our guide on the mountain seemed quite inexperienced, and from the beginning it felt a bit like he just wanted to finish the tour and go home. When we reached the highest point of the mountain, we walked past the sign that marks the highest point without stopping. Most people take photos there, but we were just moving along quickly. Of course we could have insisted on stopping, but we didn’t know if there was another viewpoint or sign ahead. The most frustrating part of the day was the hike to the waterfall and the Karen village. The trail itself is beautiful, although quite crowded (which of course is not the guide’s fault). However, the pace was extremely fast from the beginning. We were only four people in the group, but we were constantly overtaking other hikers because of the speed. For us, hiking is about enjoying the surroundings and taking things in at a calm pace. We didn’t want to rush through the entire hike, so we slowed down a bit. After that, the guide seemed to lose patience and walked about 80–100 meters ahead of us for most of the hike. We ended up hearing parts of his explanations secondhand from other groups. When we finally reached the waterfall — the destination of a one-hour hike — we had about 55 seconds to look at it and maybe take a photo before we had to move on again. That felt very strange after walking that far to get there. In general, the whole hiking part felt rushed. For us, a hike should be something you experience and enjoy, not something you hurry through. If you feel the same way about hiking, we unfortunately cannot recommend this tour. The elephant sanctuary is worth visiting, but you might want to choose one closer to the city instead. And if you really want to visit the mountain, it might be better to go on your own or with a guide who has time to focus on your group. We also returned much earlier than the scheduled end time, even though there were only four of us on the tour.
We were sorry to read that parts of the day did not meet your expectations. The guide assigned to your group on 4 March 2026 has generally received positive feedback, and our guides are trained to look after guests carefully and not to rush the experience. If at any point the pace felt too fast during the hike, guests are always welcome to let the guide know on the spot so adjustments can be made where possible. That said, we still truly appreciate you taking the time to share this with us, and we will use your feedback to continue reinforcing the quality and consistency of how we care for our visitors. We are glad to hear that you found the elephants well cared for and enjoyed that part of the experience and we would like to Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Wow, we loved our mountain walk with the elephants.
A very dense full day. Nice trekking , visits also. We really liked the ethics of the sanctuary. The well-being of the elephant comes first. Our guide was on top (Attentive, humorous) And good singer 😁
Very nice experience Elephants are really seen up close and especially in a natural environment and well treated. Swimming possible at the end of the day and snack very well. To do
The elephants were the highlight of the day! It was surreal to walk beside then through the jungle area. They seemed very happy and well looked after, this was a no touch no bathing sanctuary which was lovely to be apart of. Then we went to Doi inthanon to see the Pagodas, the nature trail was great with an amazing waterfall finishing in a village to try some tea and coffee. It was a long day as we were still jet lagged but definitely worth it! Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. Thank you!
Recommended tour for nature lovers. Fun feeding in the morning, then respectful walk with elephants and bathing in the waterfall where our guide gave us valuable information about elephants. Delicious pad Thai, fruits and tea for lunch. After the highest point of Thailand (Summit Doi Inthanon - there it was 13 degrees) another short visit to the two king pagodas. Finally, a wonderful hike along a waterfall through the forest and past rice fields to an authentic Karen Village. We really liked it:-)
Amazing day with the elephants, was very impressed with how the sanctuary is run with proper respect for the elephants, and then the mountain jungle and waterfall hike were really great also
This tour was great! It was a very long day, we left our hotel at 6:30 and didn't get back until 19:30. Note, there is a LOT of driving, especially on small windy roads towards the sanctuary. What we liked the most was seeing the elephants, being able to feed them and walk with them. It was amazing witnessing the creatures up close and we loved how ethical and respectful this sanctuary was. No riding, no washing and no petting! The experience in the park was great too, we really enjoyed the hike with the beautiful waterfalls and views. The Karen village was a wonderful experience with the coffee tasting and the lunch was very tasty. Overall, we thought this tour was well worth the money and highly recommend it.
The day was absolutely amazing. From learning about the elephants to walking with them in their natural habitat to the amazing hike and seeing the Karen village it was a beautiful day. The guides were all fabulous as well. We felt we got to see a whole other side of Thailand from the cities.
