One Day & Half-day Ethical Elephant Tours in Chiang Mai

Our one day and half-day ethical elephant tours in Chiang Mai let you walk beside the elephants, bathe them, harvest their favorite sugar canes and feed them. You’ll be thanked with elephant hugs! 

All of our elephant tours are cruelty-free with no elephant rides, shows or any kind of animal abuse. Whether you are looking for a full day or half-day elephant tours in Chiang Mai, our Local Experts will make sure you have the best up close and personal experience with these majestic creatures. 

Know Before You Go

Not all elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai are ethical. Certain attractions still abuse the gentle giants with elephant shows and elephant rides many times a day. To control the elephants and have them perform tricks for travelers’ entertainment, the mahouts use bullhooks and chains  - all for the big money they bring. 

Did you know that elephants are national animal of Thailand? 

In the old days, Thai kings waged war on the back of elephants, just like how the kings of other lands rode war horses. Precious tributes between kingdoms came in form of regal elephants, especially white ones.

Today, elephants still play a major role in royal ceremonies, where they are dolled up in colorful clothes, and sometimes with a little makeup. We even had a red national flag with a white elephant before a Thai king replaced it with our present three-color-striped flag.

A lot of well-to-do and middle class Thais also owned elephants, mainly for logging and hauling heavy stuff.

So why are elephant rides bad for the animals?

Obviously, we now have trucks and planes for all the heavy haul. We also now realize that the shape of elephant’s back is not made for carrying us on a chair, let alone just us. 

The bones on elephant’s back is sharp and goes upwards from their spine. Carrying a huge chair and humans can severely damage their spines, tissues and bones for their entire life.

In addition, some commercial elephant sanctuaries don’t provide these wild animals enough natural space, fresh food and clean water. Old and sick elephants are forced to spend their days in shabby barns, with not enough shades - and you know Thailand’s heat!

So instead of putting elephant riding and watching elephant going artsy or sporty on your itinerary, please support ethical elephant sanctuaries. You can enjoy a friendly meet-and-greet without physically harming and stressing elephants in a wide open space they deserve.