ATV, Tubing & Elephants
Highlights
Ride a quad through the Mae Taeng jungle, float the river, and finish by watching elephants in their natural riverside setting — a full day of adventure, all ethical and observe-only.
The one-hour ATV ride is run by our trusted local partner with a full briefing, a practice lap, a lead and tail guide and all the safety gear. The trail runs through jungle and along the river near the Elephant Nature Park.
After lunch at camp you tube down a calm stretch of the Mae Taeng and step out at a small elephant camp to watch the elephants from a respectful distance. No riding, no feeding, no shows.
Two ways to do this tour
- Round-trip hotel pickup in Chiang Mai
- 1-hour guided ATV ride
- Thai lunch at base camp
- River tubing on the Mae Taeng
- Elephant observation
- SaGee Waterfall slide — not included on this rate
- Drive yourself to base camp (free parking)
- 1-hour guided ATV ride
- Thai lunch at base camp
- River tubing on the Mae Taeng
- Elephant observation
- SaGee Waterfall slide — included
Each rate has a price for riding your own ATV and a lower one for riding as a passenger. The transfer group returns to the city right after the elephants, so the waterfall slide is only on the self-drive rate.
See how to book this tour ↓What’s included
- Round-trip hotel transfer from selected Chiang Mai areas (With Transfer option)
- ATV instructor, lead & tail guide, full safety gear
- English-speaking river guide & supervision
- Life jacket & tubing equipment
- Local accident insurance
- 1-hour guided ATV ride
- River tubing on the Mae Taeng River
- Elephant observation at the riverside camp (observe only)
- Lunch at base camp
- Drinking water & light snacks
- Hot showers & changing rooms at base camp
- Waterproof phone pouch (free to borrow)
- Personal expenses & extra drinks
- Tips & gratuities
- Comprehensive travel insurance
What to bring
- Swimwear (worn under your clothes)
- A change of clothes
- Ordinary trainers or closed shoes for the morning activity — plus flip-flops or sandals for the river afterwards
- Light rain jacket in rainy season · warm layer in cooler months
- Sunscreen & insect repellent
- Reusable water bottle
- Waterproof phone case or small dry bag
- Any required medication · small cash for extras
- A towel for the hot showers
- Waterproof phone pouch, goggle strap & hat
- Lockers (free with your own lock, or rent a padlock for ฿100)
- Valuables, large amounts of cash or jewelry
- Non-waterproof cameras · drones (without prior approval)
Good to know
Activity level. Moderate. The ATV is run by our partner with a briefing, practice lap and lead/tail guides; full safety gear and insurance included. Priced per person as ATV driver or passenger.
Footwear. Ordinary trainers or any closed shoes are fine for the morning activity — you do not need special boots. For the river afterwards, flip-flops or sandals are all you need; no water shoes, nothing to buy.
Elephants. You walk into the riverside forest with the elephants and your guide — but it is observe-only: the keepers do all the feeding and care, and there is no riding, no bathing with the elephants and no shows. They are living animals in a natural setting, so where they roam and how they behave varies from day to day. Follow your guide and keep the group calm and quiet around them.
Health & safety. Non-swimmers welcome with a life jacket and briefing. Pregnant guests up to 6 months only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Water & weather. Tubing time and route vary with river level and weather; the trip may be adjusted for safety, especially in rainy season.
Transfers. With Transfer covers selected Chiang Mai service areas only. Self-Drive doesn’t include city transfer; late arrivals may need rescheduling.
Timing. Pickup is usually 07:30 — sometimes 08:00 if yours is the only group that day. On a full-day tour with transfer you are normally back in the city around 6:30 pm: earlier with a small group and clear roads, later if traffic is heavy. Times on this page are a guide, not a guarantee.
Age. Minimum age 1 with an adult for tubing; ATV riders follow the partner’s rules.
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours (1 day or less) are charged 100%.
The elephant camp
The elephants you watch live at Care for Elephants, a small riverside sanctuary in our valley. It was founded in 2015 by Ben, who grew up in a village beside Elephant Nature Park and worked there before opening his own camp for retired elephants.
Its elephants are retired from riding and logging work. They spend their days foraging in the jungle and swimming in the river. No riding, no chains, no performances.
You don’t stand and look from across the water. You walk into the riverside forest where the elephants live and move with them as they browse, dust themselves and wade in the shallows — seeing how elephants actually spend their day.
On our tour you observe only. The camp’s keepers handle all feeding and care, and there is no riding, no bathing with the elephants and no shows. Your guide walks with you and tells their story.
The extra you pay on this tour covers the camp’s care costs and the elephants’ food — which we buy from farmers in our own village. Our guide, kitchen team and river crew live here too; our drivers are from Chiang Mai.
Don’t take our word for it — look into the camp yourself:
More info
Your day, step by step
Quad ride in the morning, lunch at camp, then the river finishing with observe-only elephants — no riding, no feeding, no shows. Choose ATV driver or passenger.
This combination runs on request — message us on WhatsApp for dates and to reserve. Float time varies with the water level.
We collect you from your hotel in central Chiang Mai and head up into the Mae Taeng valley. Self-drive guests meet us at base camp instead — free parking on site.
Meet your guide at our riverside camp, change into something you can move in and leave your things in a locker. River gear comes later — your morning is on land.
A five-minute ride down the valley to our ATV partner’s base, where your quad and safety gear are waiting.
Briefing and practice lap first, then jungle and riverside trails with a lead and tail guide — often spotting elephants along the way.
Refuel with a Thai lunch back at base camp before the afternoon on the river.
Your guide runs the river safety briefing and fits your life jacket and tube — plus a free waterproof phone pouch to borrow.
A quick two-minute ride from camp to the riverside tubing start point, where your tube is waiting.
Drift downstream with your guide alongside, tubes roped together as one group, through quiet jungle towards the elephant camp and Elephant Nature Park.
About 200 m before the end of the float, step ashore at the elephant camp and walk into the riverside forest with your guide, moving with the elephants as they browse and wade. Observe only — no riding, no feeding by guests, no shows.
Slip back into your tube for the final stretch of river, floating down to the pick-up point at the edge of Mueang Kued village.
Climb out at the end of the float and hop in the pickup truck for the short ride back to base camp.
Warm up under a hot shower and change into fresh clothes before the ride back to Chiang Mai.
Getting there & pickup
With Transfer: we pick you up from your hotel in selected Chiang Mai service areas. Your exact pickup time and point are confirmed by email after you book.
Self-Drive: drive straight to our base camp — about 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes north of the old city. Free parking on site. Please arrive about 10 minutes before your start time for check-in and the safety briefing.
Not sure which option fits you? Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll help you choose.
