Elephant tour in Chiang Mai: feed and bathe.

At Pon Elephant Thailand the team starts with a briefing on the elephants and on how to behave around them. A nature walk with the rangers follows, then feeding: Napier grass, sugarcane and bananas, plus herbal treats you help to prepare. The last part is the one most photos show, a swim and bath with the elephants in the river.

The whole outing lasts 5 to 5.5 hours, with guides who speak English and Thai. The operator says no elephant is made to take part in any activity, and that bad weather can change the plan, so on any given day the sequence and timing may differ.

The park is run by PON ELEPHANT (THAILAND) CO., LTD., the operator named on the listing. Its elephants live in open ground between thatched shelters, a river and the forest edge, which is where the walk and the bath take place.

If you are not taking the transfer, the listing lets you meet at the park itself. That suits travelers with their own car or driver. Everyone else is better off with the meeting point in town, which spares you the rural roads and gives you a nap on the way back.

Read the reviews and the same themes keep returning: guides who know a great deal about the elephants, explain patiently and keep the group laughing; staff who offer to take photos for a solo traveler; minivans that are comfortable for the drive. Parents mention children who loved the feeding.

A note of realism helps too. One reviewer worried that the long drive into the jungle would leave little time with the elephants, then found the opposite. The drive is part of the deal, so bring water and something to read.

Elephants eat with great concentration, and watching a trunk sort a bundle of grass is half the fun. The keepers show you how to hold the food and where to stand; follow them closely, because a hungry elephant reaches further and faster than you expect.

Feeding is the most widespread contact at Thai venues. World Animal Protection found hand feeding offered by 92.2% of the venues it assessed. If you would rather keep a distance, our guide to the different tour types sets out the watching-only days as well.

Come ready for it. The listing suggests swimwear, comfortable clothes that can get dirty and a full change of clothes, and it does not include a towel. Put swimwear on under your clothes before the pickup, and pack a plastic bag for whatever gets soaked.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises avoiding floodwater and contact with muddy water, particularly after heavy rain, and covering open cuts. A waterproof plaster on any scratch before you go in is a simple precaution.

That list reflects what the morning involves: walking on uneven ground, standing near large animals and wading into a river. If any of it applies to you or someone in your group, a different format may suit you better; our families page names a small-group day marked wheelchair accessible.

The park's own rules are clear as well. Riding the animals, alcohol and drugs, party groups and bachelor or bachelorette groups are all on the list of things not allowed.

Riding has not disappeared from Thailand. World Animal Protection found 43% of the country's captive elephants still used for rides in 2024/25, down from 92% in 2010. It says using elephants for rides or tourist interactions requires cruel training.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand stresses another side of the story: the elephants in Thailand's camps are captive, not wild, and need human care to survive. Our page on riding sets out both views and the numbers behind them.

It also asks for biodegradable sunscreen and insect repellent. Both are worth buying before you leave town. A hat and a refillable bottle complete the list.

Leave valuables at the hotel. Phones are best kept in a waterproof pouch or handed to a guide during the bath, and flip-flops are easier to manage on the riverbank than trainers you want to keep dry.

Rain arrives in May and peaks in August, when 17 days of 1 mm or more bring the city 223 mm. Wet-season mornings are green and fresh, but paths turn muddy and plans can change in bad weather, as the listing warns.

Whatever the month, a morning start helps. The CDC recommends shade from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and a sunscreen of SPF 15 or more.

If you love food, a 9-hour day at the same park pairs the elephants with a Thai cooking class for a group of at most 10. And if you would rather watch than touch, there are days built around observation; our tour types page compares them all.

Each format has its own page on this site, with hours, starting prices and what each listing includes. Start with the one that matches the day you have in mind.

It suits people who do not mind getting wet and muddy, and who enjoy a lively group. It is less suited to travelers who want quiet, distant observation, or anyone covered by the listing's suitability warnings.

The terms are flexible. Booking holds your place without payment up front, and cancelling is free until 24 hours ahead. That leaves room to watch the forecast and decide close to the day.