• ElephantsFeed & bathe, no riding
• TrekkingApprox. 2 hrs, moderate
• DurationFull day, approx. 12 hrs
• DepartsDaily, 07:00 pick-up
• Group sizeMax 13 per van
• GuideEnglish speaking
• LunchPad Thai, veg on request
• Pick-upChiang Mai hotels

Tour Itinerary

Estimated times — may change without prior notice.

1. 07:00–07:45

   Hotel pick-up

   We collect you from your hotel in Chiang Mai downtown or the surrounding area.

2. 07:45–09:15

   Scenic drive into the countryside

   A 90-minute drive through rural Chiang Mai — mountains, rivers, paddy fields, farms and plantations along the way.

3. 09:15–10:00

   Arrive at Living Green Elephant Sanctuary

   Orientation with your guide, then change into traditional northern Thai clothing.

4. 10:00–11:15

   Meet and feed the elephants

   Spend time with the herd in their natural habitat, feed them and enjoy plenty of time up close.

5. 11:15–12:00

   Bathing time at the river

   Head down to the water with the herd for the part of the day most guests remember best — splashing about and cooling off alongside them. The river here is shallow, only shin-deep, so it is easy to wade in. With several elephants around, there are nearly always a few in the mood for a long soak and happy to share it with you. We simply follow whichever elephants want to be there.

6. 12:00–12:45

   Pad Thai lunch

   Sit down to a plate of freshly cooked Pad Thai, then say goodbye to your big friends. Prefer vegetarian? Just add it to the additional request box when you book.

7. 12:45–13:15

   On to Doi Inthanon National Park

   Around 30 minutes' drive up into the park.

8. 13:15–14:00

   Thailand's highest point

   Reach the 2,565 m summit of Doi Inthanon and feel the cool mountain air and mist.

9. 14:00–15:00

   King and Queen Pagodas

   Visit the iconic Twin Pagodas and stroll their terraced botanical gardens, planted with a wide variety of flowers and framed by wide mountain viewpoints.

10. 15:00–17:30

    Pha Dok Siew trek and Karen coffee roastery

    Trek the celebrated Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail (also spelled Pha Dok Saew) — around two hours of walking through forest and past photogenic rice terraces, with a stop at Pha Dok Siew Waterfall. The walk finishes at a small Karen-run coffee roastery in Ban Mae Klang Luang, where you can taste the local coffee and buy beans to take home.

11. 17:30–19:00

    Return to Chiang Mai

    Leave Doi Inthanon for the roughly 90-minute drive back to the city and your hotel.

Practical Information

What's Included

Entrance Fees — Your Choice

Doi Inthanon National Park and the King and Queen Pagodas issue separate tickets, which together come to THB 400 per person. Your guide handles both on the day, so you never have to queue at a gate. The fees are not part of the base tour price, so you choose how to settle them:

Entrance fees are set by the authorities and may change without notice.

Cancellation Policy

Cancel at least 24 hours before your tour departs and you will be refunded, less a THB 200 processing fee per booking. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure, and no-shows, are not refundable — your seats cannot be resold at that point, and this is how we keep the tour price competitive.

What to Bring

Know Before You Go

• You will get wet, but you won't be swimming. The river at the sanctuary is shallow — roughly shin-deep — so swimwear isn't necessary. Bring a change of clothes and a towel and you're set.
• The elephants set the pace. Which elephants come into the water, and for how long, is always their decision — nothing is staged and no elephant is ever made to take part.
• Group size: your van carries a maximum of 13 guests, but at the sanctuary you will share the activities with guests arriving in other vehicles — usually around 20 to 40 people in total. The trek later in the day stays with your own small group.
• Fitness: you will trek for roughly two hours on uneven and sometimes slippery ground, so a reasonable level of fitness is needed. Prefer to skip the trek? You can wait for the group at the Karen village.
• Meals and allergies: lunch is Pad Thai. If you would like a vegetarian version, or if you have any food allergies, please note it in the additional request box when you book so the kitchen can prepare for you.
• Travelling with children: children aged 3–11 book at the child rate and are welcome to join. It is a long day — roughly three hours of driving, some of it on winding mountain roads, plus about two hours of trekking — so it suits older children better than toddlers.
• Infants: an infant travels on an adult's lap and is not given a seat of their own, so please factor that into the long drive when deciding. Get in touch before booking if you would like to talk it through.
• Dress code at the King and Queen Pagodas: please dress respectfully. No flip-flops (sneakers, sports shoes or other closed shoes are fine), no tank tops (T-shirts are fine) and no short trousers (long jeans or trousers are fine).
• Pick-up outside the standard zone: if your hotel is beyond roughly 3–5 km from downtown Chiang Mai, we will let you know at the payment stage whether we can collect you there or whether we need to agree a meeting point.

About Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park sits about 90 km south-west of Chiang Mai and is home to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand at 2,565 metres — which is why it is often called the "Roof of Thailand". The summit area is cool and misty all year and can be several degrees colder than the city, so a jacket is worth packing whatever the season.

The park's best-known landmarks are the two royal pagodas, Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Naphaphonphumisiri, widely known as the King and Queen Pagodas or Twin Pagodas. Each is surrounded by terraced botanical gardens full of temperate flowers, with sweeping viewpoints over the surrounding ranges. Beyond them the park protects cloud forest, waterfalls and community-run nature trails, including the Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail, which is managed and guided by the Karen community of Ban Mae Klang Luang and winds down through their rice terraces to the village, where they roast and sell their own coffee.

The cool season from November to February is the most popular time to visit, with clear skies and the best chance of morning mist over the valleys; the green season brings fuller waterfalls and lush rice terraces. This small-group tour covers the park's headline sights in one day, with hotel pick-up from Chiang Mai so you don't need to arrange transport or drive the mountain road yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions