Practical guide
Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Chiang Mai
No riding, no shows, and the sanctuaries where you watch rather than wash.
Chiang Mai has more elephant sanctuaries than anywhere else in Thailand, and nearly all of them say they're ethical, because the word isn't regulated. The welfare groups draw the line in the same place. No riding, no shows, no chains or hooks, no breeding for tourism, and, for the strictest lists, no bathing or close contact either, so you watch the elephants rather than handle them.
By those criteria the observation-only sanctuaries come first (ChangChill, Burm and Emily's and Kindred Spirit), then Elephant Nature Park and Big Boy, where you prepare food but don't bathe the elephants, and then the hands-on places that still sell bathing. A half day costs about ฿1,600–2,500 with hotel pickup, and Elephant Nature Park's full day is ฿3,500.
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Key Facts
Look, don't touch
World Animal Protection's rule is to visit only places where you can look, not touch. Elephant Welfare Alliance members don't allow hand-feeding either.
฿1,600–2,500 a half day
With hotel pickup and lunch. Elephant Nature Park's full day is ฿3,500 and its overnight ฿5,800.
1.5 hours out, or more
Most sanctuaries are in the hills of Mae Wang, Mae Taeng or Doi Inthanon. The strictest two are stays in Mae Chaem, about three hours away.
Book two to four weeks ahead
In the November to February high season the good half days fill early.
Children welcome at most
Elephant Nature Park charges half price for ages 3 to 11. Burm and Emily's doesn't take children under 10.
Booking offices aren't sanctuaries
Many addresses in the Old City are booking offices. The elephants are an hour or more away.
What Makes an Elephant Sanctuary Ethical
Three independent lists do the sorting for this guide, and they agree more than they differ. World Animal Protection publishes an elephant-friendly list and tells visitors to go only where they can look, not touch, because an elephant that lets strangers ride, bathe or touch it has been trained to. The Elephant Welfare Alliance, which World Animal Protection advises, admits only venues that run without riding, performances, tourist bathing, direct hand-feeding or close-contact entertainment. Responsible Travel keeps a list of sanctuaries it does and doesn't support, and it drops places that breed elephants for tourism.
That gives three levels. Observation-only sanctuaries let the herd forage, bathe and socialize on its own while you walk at a distance with a guide. Feeding-first sanctuaries add food preparation and feeding from a platform or over a barrier, which World Animal Protection still lists as high welfare but not yet elephant-friendly. Hands-on sanctuaries add bathing, mud spas and walking right beside the elephants. None of them offers rides, but the welfare groups now treat bathing as the next thing to drop, and so do I.
My view is simple. If you want the elephants to be the point rather than the photo, book an observation-only day or a feeding-first one. If your heart is set on bathing, know that every welfare list I used advises against it.
How I Put These in Order
Sanctuaries on World Animal Protection's elephant-friendly list and the Elephant Welfare Alliance come first. Then come places those lists class as high welfare, or that Responsible Travel supports, where you don't bathe the elephants. Then the hands-on sanctuaries, with any Responsible Travel supports ahead of any it doesn't. Within each level, the place more independent roundups name goes first, and ties go to the one you can do as a day trip. Every price is the sanctuary's own, checked on its website.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary pays to sponsor listings on this site. That doesn't change where it sits here, which follows the same criteria as every other sanctuary.
The Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Chiang Mai, in Order
Observation-only first, then the feeding-first sanctuaries, then the hands-on ones that still sell bathing.
1. ChangChill, Mae Wang, about 1.5 hours southwest
Best observation-only day tripA riding camp that stopped the rides, tried a bathing-and-feeding model, then closed and reopened as an observation-only sanctuary. Four elephants roam the land at two sites, Hillside and View Doi, and a visit is a guided forest walk to watch them graze and socialize, with time to meet the mahouts.
It's the one sanctuary near the city that World Animal Protection lists as elephant-friendly at both sites, and the Elephant Welfare Alliance and Responsible Travel back it too. If you have one day and want the strictest version, this is it. Half days and full days run at both sites, with an afternoon visit at Hillside, and you arrive around 10:00 to 10:30. Prices are on its booking page.
- Getting there
- About 1.5 hours by road. Ask about pickup when you book. The trails are steep and muddy, so closed shoes.
2. Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary (BEES), Mae Chaem, about 3 hours west
Best stayA family-run refuge for retired elephants on more than 300 acres, and one of the strictest in the country. Bathing, patting and hand-feeding ended in 2018, so you hike the land and watch the herd from a distance.
Most people come on an all-inclusive stay of 2, 4 or 7 days from ฿6,000, with transfers, a bed and meals. With your own transport there's a one-day Observation Walk on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays for ฿2,500. It's on World Animal Protection's elephant-friendly list and the Elephant Welfare Alliance, and Responsible Travel supports it. Children under 10 aren't accepted.
- Getting there
- Pickup inside the Old City moat between 08:30 and 09:00 on stays.
3. Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, Mae Chaem, west of Chiang Mai
Best for a village homestayA community sanctuary run with more than 200 Karen villagers around Ban Naklang. You hike into the forest to find the herd and watch it feed, then sleep with a Karen family. It's elephant-friendly on World Animal Protection's list and an Elephant Welfare Alliance member.
There are no day trips. The 2-day program costs ฿5,300 each for two or more people, the 3-day ฿7,500, and a 5-day trip ฿15,000, all with transport, the homestay and meals. I'd treat it as a stay rather than an outing.
4. Elephant Nature Park, Mae Taeng, about 60 km north
Best-known observation dayThe rescue center most other sanctuaries copied, and the one every roundup I read names. Visits are built around watching the herds, hearing each elephant's history and seeing them in the river and mud pits, with feeding from a platform. Nobody bathes or rides the elephants.
World Animal Protection lists it as a high-welfare venue, and its guide adds, in its own words, "Due to a legal investigation, this venue is temporarily removed from the elephant-friendly list." I haven't found what the investigation concerns. Responsible Travel supports it. The half day is ฿2,500, the full SkyWalk day ฿3,500 and the overnight ฿5,800, with children 3 to 11 at half price and hotel pickup from about 07:30.
- When to go
- Morning or afternoon half days, or the full day back by about 17:00.
5. Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary, Near Doi Inthanon, about 1.5 hours
Best value feeding-first half dayA Karen-run sanctuary with rules stricter than most hands-on places. There's no riding, no controlled walking, no mandatory bathing and no commanding the elephants. You prepare their food, roll herbal vitamin balls and help plant habitat while they graze and mud-bathe on their own. Responsible Travel supports it.
The half day is ฿1,600, or ฿1,100 for children aged 4 to 8, and full days with bamboo rafting or the Sticky Waterfall start at ฿1,800. Transfers are free within 5 km of the Old City. The Soi Sri Poom address is its booking office.
6. Living Green Elephant Sanctuary, Booking office on Rachadamnoen Road
Hands-on, with bathing left to the elephantsA hands-on sanctuary where you feed and walk with the elephants and join them in the river, and it says the bath always respects the elephants' choice. Responsible Travel supports it for no riding and no forced bathing.
Half days are ฿1,600 and full days ฿1,800–2,000, one with bamboo rafting and one with a hike on Doi Inthanon. It ranks below the places above because bathing is part of every main program.
7. Into the Wild Elephant Camp, Southern Chiang Mai
Hands-on with lunch and transfersTwo independent Chiang Mai roundups name it, and Backpackers Wanderlust reports feeding and bathing, a half day at ฿1,700 and a full day at ฿2,400 with transfers and lunch. It's on none of the welfare lists I used, so check its own site for the current program before you book.
8. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Mae Wang and San Pa Tong, southwest
Hands-on, with an observation optionElephant Jungle Sanctuary pays to sponsor listings on this site. That doesn't change where it sits here, which follows the same criteria as every other sanctuary.
There's no riding. The Half Day Experience, six hours from ฿1,900, includes feeding, a mud spa and bathing, and the Overnight (฿5,900) and Feed and Shower (฿1,390) programs include bathing too. Its Watch Me program, six hours from ฿1,900, is the observation option, and it's the one I'd book here.
It sits last because most of its programs include bathing, it's on neither World Animal Protection's list nor the Elephant Welfare Alliance's, and Responsible Travel doesn't support it, citing reports that the Chiang Mai site may be breeding elephants for tourism. Pickup is free within 5 km of the Old City, and the Tha Phae Road address is its booking office.
Chiang Mai's Elephant Sanctuaries Compared
| Sanctuary | What you do | Visitor bathing | Adult price | Transfers | From the city | Welfare lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChangChill | Guided forest walk, watching | No | On its booking page | Ask when booking | About 1.5 hours | WAP elephant-friendly, EWA, Responsible Travel |
| Burm and Emily's (BEES) | Hike and watch from a distance | No | Stays from ฿6,000, walk ฿2,500 | Included on stays | About 3 hours | WAP elephant-friendly, EWA, Responsible Travel |
| Kindred Spirit | Hike to the herd, Karen homestay | No | 2 days from ฿5,300 | Included | Long drive west | WAP elephant-friendly, EWA |
| Elephant Nature Park | Watching, feeding from a platform | No | Half day ฿2,500, full day ฿3,500 | Hotel pickup | About 60 km north | WAP high welfare, Responsible Travel |
| Big Boy | Food prep, habitat planting, watching | Not mandatory | Half day ฿1,600, full from ฿1,800 | Free within 5 km of the Old City | About 1.5 hours | Responsible Travel |
| Living Green | Feeding, walking, river bath | Yes | Half day ฿1,600, full ฿1,800–2,000 | Ask when booking | Not stated | Responsible Travel |
| Into the Wild | Feeding, walking, bathing | Yes | Half day ฿1,700, full ฿2,400 | Included | Southern Chiang Mai | None |
| Elephant Jungle Sanctuary | Feeding, mud spa, bathing (Watch Me is observation) | Yes, on most programs | Half day from ฿1,900 | Free within 5 km of the Old City | Mae Wang, southwest | None; Responsible Travel doesn't support it |
No sanctuary here offers riding. Prices are adult rates from each sanctuary's own site, except Into the Wild (Backpackers Wanderlust). WAP is World Animal Protection; EWA is the Elephant Welfare Alliance. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is a paying sponsor of this site, and its place follows the same criteria.
Half Day, Full Day or a Stay
A half day is enough for most people. It's about three hours with the elephants plus the drive, lunch and hotel pickup, at ฿1,600–2,500. A full day earns its extra cost when it buys distance from the crowds, which is why I'd pick Elephant Nature Park's ฿3,500 day over its half day, or a full day at ChangChill.
The strictest sanctuaries are stays, not outings. Burm and Emily's and Kindred Spirit are three hours or more into the hills of Mae Chaem and sell programs of two days or longer with the transport, beds and meals included. If you have the time, a night at one of them is the closest thing to seeing elephants simply living.
Volunteering is possible too. Elephant Nature Park runs a week for ฿15,000, Kindred Spirit takes interns for one to eight weeks, and Elephant Jungle Sanctuary sells a three-day volunteer program for ฿7,900.
Arriving in Chiang Mai
Top-Ranked Hotels in Chiang Mai
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Chiang Mai. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2Anantara Chiang Mai Resort4.7 (2,377 reviews)
A luxury riverside resort in the heart of Chiang Mai, blending colonial elegance with Thai heritage.
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#4Meliá Chiang Mai4.7 (2,054 reviews)
A premium hotel on Charoen Prathet Rd offering elegant rooms, a spa, and rooftop bar with city views.
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#5Mad Monkey Chiang Mai4.8 (1,595 reviews)
A social party hostel in central Chiang Mai with a pool, bar, organized events, and a lively backpacker crowd.
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The Elephant Camps to Skip
Responsible Travel doesn't support Patara Elephant Farm, which it describes as a breeding farm that offers rides, Mae Sa Elephant Camp, where it reports tricks and possible captive breeding under new management, and Kanta Elephant Sanctuary, for deep-water bathing with large groups and young children. Backpackers Wanderlust adds Thai Elephant Home and Chiang Dao Elephant Camp to its avoid list.
The wider test is quick. Skip anywhere that offers rides of any length, shows or painting, baby elephants on display, or bathing as the headline, and be wary of a sanctuary name you can't find on any of the welfare lists. Several unrelated businesses use near-identical names, so book on the sanctuary's own website.
Booking, What to Wear and When to Go
Book two to four weeks ahead between November and February, and a few days ahead the rest of the year. Big Boy and Elephant Jungle Sanctuary collect free within 5 km of the Old City and charge a little more farther out.
Wear closed shoes you don't mind ruining, light long pants for the forest, and bring insect repellent, sunscreen and a change of clothes. You won't need a swimsuit at the observation-only and feeding-first sanctuaries, because you won't be getting in the water.
Any month works, but the trails turn to mud in the rainy season from about June to September, and the burning season haze from late February to April makes long forest walks less pleasant.
The welfare lists this page sorts by, in their own words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Chiang Mai.
By the welfare lists, ChangChill is the best day trip, because World Animal Protection and the Elephant Welfare Alliance list it as elephant-friendly and you only watch the elephants. For a stay, Burm and Emily's. Elephant Nature Park is the best-known and is observation-led, with feeding from a platform.
ChangChill, Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary and Kindred Spirit, the three Chiang Mai sanctuaries on World Animal Protection's elephant-friendly list and the Elephant Welfare Alliance. Elephant Nature Park and Big Boy don't offer bathing but do include feeding or food preparation.
The welfare groups say no. World Animal Protection advises visiting only places where you can look, not touch, and the Elephant Welfare Alliance excludes tourist bathing. The elephants still bathe, on their own, and at the stricter sanctuaries you watch from the bank.
About ฿1,600–2,500 for a half day with hotel pickup and lunch, ฿1,800–3,500 for a full day, and ฿5,300–6,000 and up for the stays at Kindred Spirit and Burm and Emily's. Elephant Nature Park charges ฿2,500 for a half day and ฿3,500 for the full day.
It doesn't offer riding, but most of its programs include bathing and a mud spa, it isn't on World Animal Protection's or the Elephant Welfare Alliance's lists, and Responsible Travel doesn't support it, citing reports of possible breeding at the Chiang Mai site. Its Watch Me program is observation-only. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is a paying sponsor of this site, which doesn't change that answer.
It's observation-led, with no riding or bathing, and Responsible Travel supports it. World Animal Protection lists it as high welfare but notes that it's temporarily off its elephant-friendly list during a legal investigation, and I haven't found what that investigation concerns.
Yes, if you choose one where the elephants aren't working for you. A morning watching a herd forage with a guide who knows each animal's history is the wildlife half day I'd put first on any Chiang Mai trip.
Closed shoes that can get muddy, light long pants for the forest, and a hat. Bring insect repellent, sunscreen and a change of clothes. Big Boy includes Karen clothing to wear on the day.
Yes. Elephant Nature Park runs a one-week program for ฿15,000, Kindred Spirit takes interns for one to eight weeks, and Burm and Emily's sells stays of up to seven days.
At most sanctuaries, yes. Elephant Nature Park charges half price for ages 3 to 11 and Big Boy has a children's rate for ages 4 to 8, but Burm and Emily's doesn't accept children under 10.
More on elephants and Chiang Mai.
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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