Our 10 Favourite Rafting and Waterfall Days in Chiang Mai

1.Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

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

Travel from Chiang Mai to Pon Elephant Thailand for a full day of feeding, walking with, and bathing rescued elephants. Guides such as Nop, Paul, Yaya, and Sunny explain elephant care and help with photos. The day also includes a waterfall swim, Thai lunch, and bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River.

“Nop was a phenomenal guide! He was very welcoming, informative, and always put a smile on everyone’s faces! He made our trip unforgettable, thank you!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 870 reviews · from $58 a head Cheapest seat

Spend about eight hours visiting Bua Tong’s climbable Sticky Waterfall, walking near elephants at New Elephant Home, and floating by bamboo raft through forested Mae Tang Valley. Pickup begins at Three Kings Monument, lunch and entrance fees are included, and guides such as Paul, Fluke, and Mr. Poppy are known for helpful service.

“Paul is a 5 star man. Jam-packed tour in the best way. You experience so much in one day. The elephants of course were my favorite part.”

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3.4 in 1 Elephants Long Neck Rafting and Sticky Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · from $88 a head

Spend about 10 hours with guides such as Yoong and Mr. K visiting Sticky Waterfall, an ethical elephant sanctuary, a Karen Long Neck Village, and your choice of white-water or bamboo rafting. Air-conditioned transport, lunch, bottled water, fees, and local travel insurance are included. The group can reach 30 people.

“This was easily the best tour I have taken in more than 10 years travelling through South East Asia. Absolutely fantastic guide (Mr K), a small group and really fun activities. The elephant sanctuary was great and the elephants treated very well. The rafting was a blast, as was the Sticky Waterfall. I would highly recommend this tour, especially with Mr. K. 🙂”

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4.Chiang Mai ATV & White Water Rafting & Trekking to Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 1 day · from $87 a head

Leave Chiang Mai for a full day at the Maetang River, combining a two-hour jungle trek to a waterfall, one hour of white-water rafting, and one hour on a 200cc ATV. English-speaking guides such as Tony and Tata lead the trip. Hotel pickup, equipment, lunch, water, admission, and insurance are included.

“the atv and the rafting was a very amazing experience, the view to the waterfall is breathtaking. we really recommend to do this trip.”

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5.Chiangmai : A Bamboo Raft Safari , Sticky waterfalls,

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 8 hours · from $69 a head

This small-group day trip combines Dantewada’s photo-friendly gardens, a 35-minute bamboo raft ride on the Mae Taeng River, and a 75-minute visit to Bua Thong Sticky Waterfalls. Guides such as Minty, May, Amy, and Star are warm and attentive, with photos, water, lunch, and air-conditioned transport included.

“What a fantastic day out. Minty and Key were our guides for the day and helped make it really special. The waterfall cafe stop was great for a few photos and the sticky waterfall was lots of fun (some of our group had time to walk up twice). But the highlight of our day was the bamboo rafting where we were lucky enough to be joined in the river by some playful baby elephants from a nearby sanctuary. The scenery was fantastic and seeing the elephants play and appear happy with the ability to roam as they wished was really nice. Minty and Key took our safety on the waterfall…”

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6.ATV, White Water Raft, & Sticky Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · 1 day · from $85 a head

Spend a full day north of Chiang Mai combining Sticky Waterfall, a one-hour ATV ride, and white-water rafting on the Maetang River. An English-speaking guide, minivan transfers, equipment, Thai lunch, drinking water, and entrance fees are included. Expect a busy day, shared transport, and river conditions that can affect the rafting.

“Brilliant day and such lovely and welcoming guide. Well worth it for a full day with 3 activities and he accommodated our big group of 19 people!”

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7.Sticky Waterfall and Rafting Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 61 reviews · 1 day · from $83 a head

Join guides such as Mr Joe or Mr K for a full day from Chiang Mai, combining Bua Thong Sticky Waterfalls, level 3 to 4 white water rafting, and a calm bamboo float on the Mae Taeng River. Hotel pickup, lunch, safety gear, water, and transfers are included. Expect wet clothes, photos, rural scenery, and possible elephant sightings.

“I initially booked the sticky waterfall and rafting day trip, but due to bad weather, my booking was cancelled. The hosts kindly offered to change me to a different day which also included quad biking. It was really fun and the tour guide was very friendly!”

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8.Whitewater Rafting and Waterfall Trekking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 58 reviews · 10 hours · from $112 a head

Leave Chiang Mai by air-conditioned minivan for Mae Taeng District, where guides such as Tin, Sack, Sam, and Tom lead a jungle trek, waterfall swim, and 10-kilometer rafting run. Expect class III and IV rapids, safety gear, lunch, showers, and a full day outdoors. You need to swim and be reasonably fit.

“Very nice experience, worth money spent on it. Trekking offered very nice views and local guide was explaining/sharing a lot of interesting information about plants and animals. Waterfall, worth the effort. Rafting, very exciting experience, staff very professional”

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9.2-Day Tour with Rafting, Elephants, and Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 2 days · from $173 a head

You’ll leave Chiang Mai with an English-speaking guide and a group of up to 12, raft the Mae Wang River, hike through jungle and Karen villages, sleep beside a waterfall, and feed, bathe, and watch elephants at a sanctuary. Guides including Chin, Jack, and Tip add a friendly local touch, though the route is muddy and physically demanding.

“We did the 2-days trip with my gf and it was absolutely amazing. We started with Bamboo rafting which was nice and refreshing. Our guide Chin was fun and with a super positive attitude, he can put a smile on anybody. He shared interesting facts during the hike in the jungle and showed us some of the wildlife. The camp in the jungle was incredible right next to a beautiful waterfall. The next morning we went visiting the Karen village and then we spent the afternoon in the elephant sanctuary. It was honestly the best place to have a wonderful time with the elephants. You can see they are well…”

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10.Elephants, Waterfall, and White Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $77 a head

You’ll leave Chiang Mai around 8:00 for Mae Taeng, where a guide introduces you to rescued Asian elephants in a free-roaming forest setting. After feeding and walking with them, you’ll eat Thai lunch, hike to a cool waterfall, and raft 5 km of the Mae Taeng River. Expect a physical day with wet clothes, insects, uneven paths, and plenty of jungle scenery.

“the activity was pretty cool, you see a lot of nature, the waterfalls were gorgeous, the hiking was pretty, i feel like this tour is not for the people who don’t have mobility, some parts of the hike were difficult to go through, the rafting is pretty fun, and the elephants are really pretty and friendly, definitely will go again, it’s gorgeous and you have a lot of fun!”

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