Jungle Trek, Tubing & Elephants
Highlights
Our biggest day out: trek to a jungle waterfall in the morning, float the Mae Taeng in the afternoon, and finish by watching elephants in their natural riverside setting — all ethical, observe-only.
The morning trek is a 3.5 km round-trip trail following a stream to an 11-metre waterfall where you can swim. Back at camp you refuel with a Thai lunch at base camp before the river.
In the afternoon you tube down a calm stretch of the Mae Taeng with a guide, then 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
- Jungle trek to the 11 m waterfall
- 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)
- Jungle trek to the 11 m waterfall
- Thai lunch at base camp
- River tubing on the Mae Taeng
- Elephant observation
- SaGee Waterfall slide — included
Both rates include the same tour. The transfer group heads straight back to the city at the end, so there is no time for the waterfall slide — self-drive guests can stay on and enjoy it at no extra cost.
Check dates & availability ↓What’s included
- Round-trip hotel transfer from selected Chiang Mai areas (With Transfer option)
- English-speaking local guide
- Full safety briefing & supervision
- Life jacket & tubing equipment
- Local accident insurance
- Guided 3.5 km jungle trek (round trip) to an 11 m waterfall
- River tubing on the Mae Taeng River
- Elephant observation at the riverside camp (observe only)
- SaGee Waterfall slide — Self-Drive rate only (not included with transfer)
- Thai 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
- Pickup outside selected Chiang Mai service areas
- Comprehensive travel insurance
- Tips & gratuities
What to bring
- Swimwear (worn under your clothes)
- A change of clothes
- Ordinary trainers, trekking shoes or Teva-style sport sandals for the trek — the trail crosses the stream, so expect them to get wet (flip-flops are not enough)
- 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 trek is 3.5 km round trip with several stream crossings; water shoes or Teva-style sandals are ideal. Anyone who can’t finish can rest and turn back with an assistant guide.
Footwear. Ordinary trainers are fine for the trek — just expect them to get wet, because the trail crosses the stream several times. Trekking shoes or Teva-style sport sandals work well too. Flip-flops are enough for the river later in the day, but not for the trek itself. You do not need to buy special water shoes.
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; the trek suits ages ~6+ and reasonably fit walkers.
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
A full day: waterfall trek in the morning, lunch at camp, then the float finishing with observe-only elephants — no riding, no feeding, no shows.
The trek crosses a stream several times — secure sandals or water shoes are best. Float time varies with the water level, typically 50 minutes to just over an hour.
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 short ride from camp to the edge of the forest, where the trail to the waterfall begins.
Follow a stream trail up through the jungle to an 11-metre waterfall where you can swim, then head back to camp.
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.
