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Elephant sanctuary price in Chiang Mai, tour by tour
The elephant sanctuary price in Chiang Mai depends mostly on hours, group size and what is included. Here are the starting prices of the main listings, and how to read them.
Check availabilityfrom $26 · free cancellation
Editorial team, elephanttourchiangmai.comUpdated October 26, 20266-minute read1 sources
Quick answer on cost
- 01Cheapest here
- The feeding half day, 5 to 5.5 hours, from $26.
- 02Typical full day
- A 7-hour group day with a waterfall, from $48.
- 03A night away
- The 2-day homestay starts from $119.
- 04Private
- A private 8-hour couples' day starts from $358.
- 05Children
- One small-group day charges under-9s half price.
What drives the price of an elephant day
The elephant sanctuary price in Chiang Mai is less mysterious than it first looks. Three things move it more than anything else: how many hours the day lasts, how many people share the guide and the van, and what is bundled in, from lunch to a waterfall stop, a cooking class or a night in the hills. Compare like with like and the spread makes sense. A half day that drops you back in town by early afternoon is a different product from a full day with lunch and a waterfall, and both differ again from a night at a camp, even when the elephants are the same.
All the figures quoted here are starting prices copied from the listings themselves, and the real figure for your date and option can be higher. Prices change with the season, the pickup option and the number of travelers, so treat them as a guide to the relative cost of each format rather than a quote. The page converts each one into the currency you pick.
Elephants are a large business in Thailand. Research by Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Economics, cited by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, puts the tourism income they generate at over 6 billion baht a year.1 The price you pay covers the food, the keepers, the land and the transport behind a few hours with the herd.
The cheapest way to see elephants from Chiang Mai
If you are looking for the cheapest elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai among well-reviewed listings, the feeding half day this site recommends is the obvious candidate. It starts from $26, lasts 5 to 5.5 hours and has 6,185 reviews averaging 4.87. Reviewers rate its value for money at 4.9.
The low price comes with a choice. Either you are collected at a city meeting point, or you travel to the Pon Elephant Thailand park in Mae Wang yourself, with no transfer. The listing includes insurance, fruit for the elephants and drinking water, but not a towel or a change of clothes.
Next up the ladder is the Kerchor Eco Elephant Park, a 5.5-hour trip with pickup included and 2.5 hours at the park with lunch, from $45. Its value-for-money rating is 4.8. Close behind is the 7-hour group day with a waterfall at $48.
Value for money
How reviewers rate value, out of 5
rating
Price ladder
Chiang Mai elephant tours by starting price
| Tour | Hours | Included highlights | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeding half day | 5 to 5.5 | Insurance, fruit, water | from $26 |
| Kerchor Eco Elephant Park | 5.5 | Pickup, lunch | from $45 |
| Waterfall group day | 7 | Waterfall, 3 hrs with elephants | from $48 |
| Mae Taeng care program | 4 to 5 | Hotel pickup, buffet lunch | from $54 |
| Elephant Jungle Sanctuary | 3 to 6 | Pickup, lunch | from $57 |
| Elephants & cooking | 9 | Cooking class, meal | from $60 |
| Lanna Kingdom small group | 5 to 8.5 | Lunch, up to 10 people | from $72 |
| Mae Wang homestay | 2 days | Night, dinner, raft | from $119 |
Starting prices as listed; your date, option and group change the total.
By budget
A low, a middle and a high-end choice
Lowest price
Mid-rangeWaterfall group day
3 hrs with elephants, waterfall
- Hours
- 7 hrs
- Value score
- 4.9
- Price
- from $48
Top of the rangeDecision helper
Where should your money go?
Match your budget to what matters most.
Feeding half day
From $26, with reviewers scoring its value for money at 4.9.
Mae Taeng care program
Hotel pickup and a Thai buffet lunch, from $54.
Lanna Kingdom day
Children under 9 pay half; adults from $72.
Mae Wang homestay
A night at a camp in the Mae Wang Valley, from $119.
Mid-range days and what they add
The full days on this page sit in a band between about $48 and $72. The 7-hour group day gives you 3 hours among the elephants plus 1 at the Mae Wang Waterfall, and its reviewers rate the value for money 4.9.
The Mae Taeng care program, 4 to 5 hours with hotel pickup and a Thai buffet lunch, starts from $54. A visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai with lunch and transfer, 3 to 6 hours, starts from $57. The 9-hour day with a Thai cooking class starts from $60.
At the top of the band, the small-group day at the Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary, capped at 10 people, starts from $72. You pay more for fewer people around the elephants and around the lunch table.
Checklist
Before you compare prices
01
On the listing
- Is the price per person or per group?
- Is hotel pickup included or an extra option?
- Is lunch included?
- Are there child prices?
02
Extra costs
- Cash for tips and drinks
- A taxi to a meeting point
- A towel if the listing excludes it
Cost calculator
Add up the cost for your group
Pick a tour and the number of travelers.
People
Total from$51
per head from $26
Check availabilityfree cancellationPer-person starting prices from the listings, turned into your currency at the ECB reference rate; the booking page shows the final sum.
Video
A full day with elephants near Chiang Mai, start to finish
Until you tap play, the video stays unloaded.
Overnight and private: the top of the range
A night at a camp sits higher up the scale, since the price covers a bed, the evening meal and a second day with the guide. The 2-day homestay in the Mae Wang Valley starts from $119, the dome-room stay near Doi Inthanon National Park from $87, and the 2-day trek with a jungle house from $162.
Private days sit in a different bracket. A private 8-hour day for couples, with a private car from your hotel, feeding, bathing and a Thai lunch you cook yourself, starts from $358. That price buys exclusivity rather than extra elephant time. It can make sense for a honeymoon or a special birthday, when having the guide, the car and the kitchen to yourselves is the whole point.
Whether either is good value depends on what you want. If the evening at camp or the privacy is the point of the trip, the extra cost buys something a day tour cannot. If you mainly want time with the animals, a well-run half day or full day gives you most of that for a fraction of the price. Splitting the difference is possible too: a mid-range full day with lunch and pickup often feels more relaxed than a cheap half day followed by a taxi back from the hills.
What is included, and what is not
Starting prices only compare fairly once you know what each covers. The feeding half day includes insurance, fruit for the elephants and water, and leaves out the towel and a change of clothes. The care program in Mae Taeng includes hotel pickup and a Thai buffet lunch. A Viator day from Chiang Mai includes entrance fees and lunch.
Some listings carry small conditions that matter for your budget. On the Living Green day with a Pad Thai workshop, 200 THB per person is refunded on site if rain makes the river too high for rafting. The 7-hour group day asks for a passport number for its insurance.
Budget a little extra for the day itself: cash for tips, drinks or a souvenir, and possibly a taxi to a meeting point in the old city. The feeding half day lists cash among the things to bring. Carry small notes and keep a little aside for a drink on the drive home.
Prices for children and families
Family costs vary more than adult ones because each listing treats children differently. The Lanna Kingdom small-group day welcomes children under 9 with a 50% discount. A Viator day from Chiang Mai has separate price bands for infants up to 3 and for children from 4 to 9.
Other listings price everyone the same, so check the booking page with your exact party before you compare totals. The calculator on this page multiplies a starting price by your group size; it is a quick way to see the order of magnitude, not a final quote.
For a family, the gap between a half day and a small-group full day can be large, and the shorter day is often the better choice with young children anyway. Our family guide covers the other factors, from heat to safety, that matter as much as the price.
Getting good value
Value is not the same as the lowest price. Look at the reviewers' value-for-money score where the listing shows one: 4.9 for both the feeding half day and the 7-hour group day, 4.8 for Kerchor and for Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai, 4.7 for the care program.
Book early for the dates you want and use free cancellation as your safety net. The main listings on this page let you cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before, and most allow you to hold a place today and settle the bill later.
Finally, do not choose on price alone. A cheap day that includes activities you are uneasy about is poor value for you, however low the figure. Settle first on the kind of contact you want, and only then hunt for the best-reviewed listing offering it.
Your morning out
Grass, sugarcane and a river bath with the herd.
A meeting point in Chiang Mai or at the park, fruit and water included, free cancellation until a day before.
You ask,we answer.
What does a Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary day cost?
From about $26. The feeding half day starts from $26; full days run from about $48 to $72.
What is the cheapest elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai?
The feeding half day here. Among the well-reviewed listings on this page, it has the lowest starting price, $26, with 6,185 reviews.
Do children pay less?
On some listings. The Lanna Kingdom day gives under-9s a 50% discount; a Viator day has infant and child price bands.
Is lunch included in the price?
On many full days. The care program includes a Thai buffet lunch, and the Viator waterfall day includes entrance fees and lunch.
How much does a private elephant day cost?
From $358. A private 8-hour couples' day with a private car starts from $358.
Is an overnight elephant stay expensive?
From $87 to $162. The dome-room stay starts from $87, the homestay from $119 and the trek with a jungle night from $162.
Can I cancel if prices or plans change?
Yes, up to 24 hours before. Drop out at least 24 hours before departure and the main listings charge nothing.
Sources
Where the information comes from
- 1Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom)TAT organises forum to enhance "Elephant Care Tourism" (18 August 2020)↩
