Our pick9-hour day, Mae Wang
Garden herbs, Thai dishes, feeding
- Hours
- 9 hrs
- Group
- Up to 10
- Price
- from $60
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Guide · Elephants and food
Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary and cooking class: one day, both
A Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary and cooking class combined into one long day saves you a second booking. Here is how the sessions run, what you cook and which listing fits your plans.
Check availabilityfrom $26 · free cancellation
Editorial team, elephanttourchiangmai.comUpdated October 26, 20266-minute read3 sources
Quick answer for food lovers
- 01Our pick
- 9 hours, up to 10 people, garden herbs and Thai dishes, from $60.
- 02Morning session
- Starts 7:30 to 8:00 AM, back around 5:00 PM, market visit and lunch.
- 03Afternoon session
- Starts 12:30 to 1:00 PM, back around 9:00 PM, dinner but no market.
- 04Longer option
- 10 hours with a Pad Thai workshop and bamboo rafting, from $51.
- 05Who it suits
- Travelers with little time who want both experiences in one booking.
Why pair the elephants with a cooking class
Chiang Mai is a favorite place to learn Thai cooking, and a natural base for meeting elephants. Doing both in separate bookings means two early pickups, two long drives and two days gone. Several operators now combine a Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary and cooking class into a single day, with the kitchen set up close to the elephants.
The appeal is partly practical. You travel out once, spend the hot middle of the day under a roof with a wok rather than in a van, and come home with a full stomach and a few recipes. It is also a gentler rhythm for anyone who finds a whole day with large animals tiring: the cooking gives everyone a break and a different kind of hands-on task.
The catch is length. These are full days, usually 9 hours or more, and they start early or end late. If your time in the north is short and both items are on your list, the combination makes sense. If you only care about one of them, a dedicated half day or a dedicated class will give you more of it.
Morning session
The 9-hour day, start to finish
-
7:30 to 8:00 AM
Meet in town
At the operator's office, or the pickup option.
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Mid-morning
Market and farm
A market visit and an organic farm tour on this session.
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Midday
Cook and eat
Herbs from the garden, then dishes such as Pad Thai and Khao Soi for lunch.
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Afternoon
Elephants
Briefing, feeding, herbal treats and a river bath.
-
Around 5:00 PM
Back in Chiang Mai
Return to town after about 9 hours.
The 9-hour day at Pon Elephant Thailand
The combined day recommended on this page runs 9 hours in a group of at most 10 at Pon Elephant Thailand, about 1 hour 20 minutes by van from Chiang Mai. You meet at the Pon Elephant Thailand office in town 10 to 15 minutes before the start, or you choose the pickup option.
On the cooking side the listing names herbs picked in an organic vegetable garden, the five basic flavors of Thai food (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy) and dishes such as Pad Thai, Khao Soi and Tom Yum. On the elephant side it names a briefing, a walk with the herd, feeding them, preparing herbal treats and a river bath. The guide speaks English.
It starts from $60 and has 428 reviews averaging 4.93. Plans can change: cancelling is free while more than 24 hours remain, and payment can wait until after you reserve. For comparison, the feeding half day at the same park, without the class, starts from $26.
Reviews
How many travelers reviewed each combined day
reviews
Side by side
Elephant days with a cooking class
| Day | Hours | Cooking | Extra | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pon Elephant Thailand | 9 | Pad Thai, Khao Soi, Tom Yum | Market or farm | from $60 |
| Living Green | 10 | Pad Thai workshop | Bamboo rafting | from $51 |
| Big Boy, near Doi Inthanon | 7 | Pad Thai session | No-control policy | from $52 |
Restated from each listing; starting prices change with date and option.
Pick your kitchen
Garden herbs, a raft or a hands-off herd
Our pick
Longest
Least contactDecision helper
Which elephant and cooking day?
Choose by timing, contact and extras.
Morning session
The market is part of the morning session only.
Afternoon session
Starts 12:30 to 1:00 PM and ends with dinner.
Living Green day
10 hours with a Pad Thai workshop and bamboo rafting.
No-control day
No riding, no controlled walking, no mandatory bathing.
Morning or afternoon session
The choice of session changes the day more than you might expect. The morning session starts between 7:30 and 8:00 AM and returns to Chiang Mai around 5:00 PM, with a market visit, an organic farm tour and lunch. It suits early risers and anyone who wants the evening free for the night markets.
The afternoon session starts between 12:30 and 1:00 PM and returns around 9:00 PM. It keeps the organic farm tour and serves dinner instead of lunch, but there is no market visit, because the market part would fall in the evening. It suits late sleepers and travelers arriving in Chiang Mai the same morning.
Heat is worth weighing too. In April, the hottest month, Chiang Mai's average daily high is 36.7 °C; in December it is 29.2 °C.1 On the listing the cooking comes first and the elephants follow, so in the hot season plan for water, a hat and shade breaks during the time with the herd.
Checklist
Bring these for elephants and a kitchen
01
For the elephants
- Clothes that can get muddy
- A full change for the kitchen
- Sunscreen and a hat
02
For the cooking
- Your chili level, decided in advance
- A note of any food allergies
- A phone for photos of each step
Cost calculator
Price the combined day for your group
Pick a day and the number of travelers.
People
Total from$119
per head from $60
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
Elephants and a cooking class in one Chiang Mai trip
Until you tap play, the video stays unloaded.
Other elephant and cooking combinations
A longer alternative is a 10-hour day to Living Green Elephant Sanctuary, with 1.5 hours in the van in both directions, a visit, lunch with a Pad Thai workshop and bamboo rafting. It starts from $51 and has 423 reviews averaging 4.86. If rain makes the river too high for rafting, 200 THB per person is refunded on site.
That listing adds another weather rule: on a cold day the elephants skip their bath. Wear clothes you do not mind getting dirty or wet, and bring a change for the cooking and the ride home, as it asks.
A 7-hour day to Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary near Doi Inthanon National Park names a Pad Thai cooking session too, with 1.5 hours in the van each direction and a 1-hour lunch. Its listing describes a no-control policy: no riding, no controlled walking, no mandatory bathing and no commands. It starts from $52 with 121 reviews.
What you cook and eat
The dishes named on these listings are the classics of a Thai menu. Pad Thai, stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tamarind and peanuts, appears on every one of these listings. Khao Soi, the curry noodle soup of northern Thailand, and Tom Yum, the hot and sour soup, appear on the 9-hour day.
Ask the cook to adjust the chili to taste, especially with children or anyone sensitive to spice. Tell the guide about allergies early, especially to peanuts, shellfish or fish sauce, which turn up in many Thai recipes. Vegetarian versions of most dishes are easy to make if you say so at the start.
Expect to eat what you cook, so go lightly on breakfast. The garden visit on the 9-hour day is a chance to learn the herbs that give Thai food its smell: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and holy basil. You may want to cook the dishes again at home, so take photos of each step.
Elephants first: what the animal part includes
It is easy to treat the elephants as the warm-up act on a cooking day, but they are the reason to book this kind of day. On the 9-hour day the listing names a briefing, a walk with the herd, feeding, preparing herbal treats and a swim and bath in the river, after the cooking. The half day at the same park offers the same elephant program without the class, so compare the two if the cooking is optional for you.
Feeding is the most widespread form of contact at Thai venues. World Animal Protection found hand feeding offered by 92.2% of the venues it assessed, and with 92% of the elephants, against 42% for washing.23 If you prefer less contact, the no-control day near Doi Inthanon is built around watching, though its listing still includes a cooking session.
Whatever you book, listen to the keepers' briefing on where to stand and how to hold the food, and wash your hands well before you start chopping vegetables. Elephants, mud and kitchens do not mix, so the change of clothes is not optional on these days. A small plastic bag for muddy clothes keeps the rest of your day pack clean, and a hair tie helps once you are standing over a hot wok.
Booking and planning tips
Pick the session first, then fit everything else around it. A morning session leaves the evening for a walk through the old town; an afternoon session leaves the morning for a temple or simply a slow start. Neither leaves much room for anything else, so avoid booking a dinner reservation or a show on the same day. If you are staying outside the old city, check how long the ride to the meeting point takes at that hour and leave a comfortable margin.
Check the pickup arrangements on the listing you pick. The 9-hour day meets at the operator's office in town unless you choose pickup, while the Living Green and Big Boy days include pickup. If you meet in town, allow for traffic in the old city in the morning rush.
All the combined days on this page offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Use that window to watch the forecast: heavy rain can change the rafting on the Living Green day.
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.
Can I do an elephant sanctuary and a cooking class in one day?
Yes. A 9-hour day at Pon Elephant Thailand combines feeding the elephants with a Thai cooking class and garden herbs.
What dishes do you cook?
Classic Thai dishes. The 9-hour day names Pad Thai, Khao Soi and Tom Yum; the Living Green and Big Boy days name Pad Thai.
Is there an afternoon session?
Yes, on the 9-hour day. It starts 12:30 to 1:00 PM, returns around 9:00 PM and serves dinner, without the market visit.
How much does an elephant and cooking day cost?
From about $51. Starting prices on this page run from $51 for the Living Green day to $60 for the 9-hour day.
How big are the groups?
Small on the 9-hour day. It is limited to 10 participants, which leaves time for questions at each cooking station.
What happens if it rains?
Rafting may be refunded. On the Living Green day, if the river is too high for rafting, 200 THB per person is refunded on site.
Do I need cooking experience?
No. The classes are made for visitors; tell the guide about allergies and how much chili you want at the start.
Sources
Where the information comes from
- 1World Meteorological OrganizationWMO Climate Normals, Station WMO 48327 Chiang Mai (Thai Meteorological Department), 1991 to 2020↩
- 2World Animal ProtectionBred to Entertain: Thailand elephant tourism assessment (2026 report)↩
- 3World Animal ProtectionBred to Entertain: Thailand elephant tourism assessment (2026 report)↩
