Chiang Mai’s adventure industry is large and competitive, and nearly everything can be booked ahead with hotel pick-up included. The difficulty is choosing. As a rule, pick one elephant experience, one mountain day and one river or adrenaline day, and leave a free day between the long ones — most trips start around 8 am and involve an hour or more in a minivan each way.
The picks below were chosen in October 2026 for what you do on them and for the number and quality of their reviews. Prices are indicative “from” prices in euros.
Our pick of Chiang Mai tours & tickets
from €50 Elephant sanctuary, waterfall and bamboo rafting day
A full day at a sanctuary described as home to more than 36 rescued elephants, combined with time at a waterfall and a gentle bamboo raft ride through the valley. No riding.
from €34 Doi Inthanon National Park eco-friendly tour
A day trip to Thailand’s highest peak, with the twin royal pagodas, Wachirathan Waterfall and a visit to a hill-tribe community.
from €50 Kingkong Smile zipline with lunch and transfers
A canopy zipline park in the hills outside the city with a choice of two courses, a Thai lunch and hotel transfers.
from €66 Gibbons, trekking and Mae Kampong small-group tour
A day in the mountains around the village of Mae Kampong: a forest trek with a chance of seeing wild gibbons, and local food along the way.
from €83 2-day jungle trek, waterfalls and Karen village
Two days on foot through the Mae Wang forest and farmland to waterfalls and White Karen villages, sleeping overnight in a simple village cottage.
from €34 Sticky Waterfall and Dan Tewada park day tour
A visit to the landscaped Dan Tewada park followed by the Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall, where mineral-coated rock gives enough grip to climb up through the flowing water.
from €61 Mae Taeng Valley and waterfalls cycle tour
A guided bike ride through rice fields and quiet countryside in the Mae Taeng Valley, with transfers from the city and a stop at the Sticky Waterfall.
from €68 Rafting on the Mae Taeng River with Thai buffet
White-water rafting on a stretch with grade 3 and 4 rapids, with safety equipment, guides and a riverside buffet lunch.
Booking tips
- Elephants. Choose sanctuaries with no riding, no shows and no hooks. Many now limit or have ended bathing with visitors; observation and feeding are kinder to the animals.
- Village visits. Treks that stay in a community and employ local guides spread income fairly. We do not recommend “long-neck village” stops, which some day tours include; you can stay with the vehicle.
- Water levels. Rafting is most exciting from about June to October; in the dry months the river is lower and gentler.
- Burning season. From roughly late February to mid-April smoke from field burning can make the air unhealthy and hide the views. Check air quality before booking mountain days.
- What to bring. Shoes with grip, a change of clothes, insect repellent and, in the cool season, a warm layer for Doi Inthanon’s summit.
