RAFTING · CHIANG MAI RAFTING TOURS

Chiang Mai Rafting: the 15 Best Bamboo and River Days

22 trips  ·  from $46 a head

The Mae Taeng valley sells rafting, bamboo and an elephant camp as one long day, and the order matters more than the price. These 15 say how much river time you get and which sanctuaries are worth the stop.

Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting - Mae Wang Waterfalls for an early swim
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

1.Elephant Sanctuary, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 9,160 reviews · 9 hours · from $60Our pick

Meet rescued elephants at Pon Elephant Thailand, feed them bananas, walk through the forest, and bathe with them in the river. Guides such as Nop, Paul, Yaya, and Sunny add warmth and useful elephant knowledge. The day also includes Mae Wang Waterfalls, Thai lunch, and bamboo rafting.

“This day was incredible, from the pick up to the drop off! We were picked up directly at our hotel. An hour drive in a comfortable air conditioned van. Our day started with amazing moments with beautiful elephants. We had the opportunity to learn about them, feed them sugar cane, take pictures, cuddle them and walk with them down to the water to give them a bath and a good scrub, which was a memorable experience for us! A good lunch was served,a walk down to the waterfall which was a beautiful site. We then proceeded to a location 10 min away to get on our bamboo raft down a…”

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Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour - New Elephant Home: learning before getting close
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Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour

2.Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting and Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 870 reviews · from $58Top rated

Spend about eight hours climbing Bua Tong’s sticky waterfall, visiting New Elephant Home in Mae Tang Valley, and rafting through forest scenery. Guides such as Paul, Fluke, and Mr. Poppy lead the day, with lunch and entrance fees included.

“Best tour ever, and the guid paul was exceptional and so helpful, trully the activities in here were awesome”

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Half Day Visit and Whitewater Rafting Adventure - Changing clothes before meeting the elephants
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Half Day Visit and Whitewater Rafting Adventure

3.Half Day Visit and Whitewater Rafting Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 290 reviews · from $56

Spend 6.5 hours with Smile Elephant Chiang Mai, learning about elephant care, feeding and bathing the animals, making a herbal ball, eating Thai food and seasonal fruit, then rafting 5km on the Mae Taeng River. Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai city is offered.

“What a wonderful experience with these elephants! We loved feeding them and bathing them. We learned so much about how they are taken care of. The rafting was pretty fun too despite the water level being a little low.”

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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Bamboo Raft & Padthai Cooking - The 1.5-hour drive from Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Bamboo Raft & Padthai Cooking

4.Elephant Sanctuary Bamboo Raft & Padthai Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 245 reviews · 10 hours · from $54

Leave Chiang Mai for Living Green Elephant Sanctuary near Inthanon National Park. Feed and walk with rescued elephants, cook vegetarian Pad Thai, and raft the Wang River with local guides. Guides such as Rainbow, Mark, Jon, and Tuctuc are praised for their care and humor. Bring a waterproof phone case.

“Honestly such a highlight of our trip, our guide was so friendly and kind with the elephants. The animals seemed happy and well looked after- and seeing a baby elephant was honestly a dream come true!! The bamboo rafting was a highlight too”

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Whitewater Rafting Adventure - Getting ready at the 8Adventures base camp
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Whitewater Rafting Adventure

5.Whitewater Rafting Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 205 reviews · from $97

Join 8Adventures for a six-hour rafting day from Chiang Mai, with hotel pickup, safety gear, lockers, showers, lunch, and a 10-kilometer jungle route. Guides such as Lo lead you through class III and IV rapids, while younger or less experienced rafters can skip the hardest section by van.

“Excellent communication from the terrific team of experts. Everything well explained. Good kit and always felt safe. Great fun and the pictures are great and good value too. Would recommend.”

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Whitewater Rafting and ATV Adventure - Starting from Chiang Mai at 8:00 am
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Whitewater Rafting and ATV Adventure

6.Whitewater Rafting and ATV Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 181 reviews · from $192

Spend a full day at 8Adventures Camp riding an ATV through the Mae Taeng Valley and rafting Class III-IV rapids. You get safety training, helmets, life jackets, lunch, drinks, towels, showers, and pickup within 3 kilometers of central Chiang Mai. Captain Oo is one of the rafting guides.

“Everything was truly perfect. The views on the trail…seeing the elephants. The excitement rafting. Both were a very thrilling but the staff was REALLY knowledgeable so I felt totally safe and cared for. It was the perfect day-long activity. Would 10/10 recommend and do again!”

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Full-Day Guided Tuk Tuk Chiang Mai Adventure and Rafting - Mae Wang by three wheels
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Full-Day Guided Tuk Tuk Chiang Mai Adventure and Rafting

7.Full-Day Guided Tuk Tuk Chiang Mai Adventure and Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · from $193

Spend about 10 hours in Mae Wang with a small group of up to 18 people. Guides such as Bigg, Nam, and OA teach you to drive a three-passenger tuk tuk, then lead you to a mountain temple, elephant home, Thai lunch, and bamboo rafting.

“AWESOME EXPERIENCE, this is a must if in Chiang mai. They are very safe, have you do an obstacle course with the tuk tuks, after that have auch a unique experience driving through remote areas with tuk tuk. The feeding and bathing with elephants is wild and so fun, and end it with river rafting”

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4 in 1 Elephants Long Neck Rafting and Sticky Waterfall Tour - Climbing Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall
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4 in 1 Elephants Long Neck Rafting and Sticky Waterfall Tour

8.4 in 1 Elephants Long Neck Rafting and Sticky Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · from $88

Spend about 10 hours exploring four sides of northern Thailand: climb Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall, visit an ethical elephant sanctuary, see Karen Long Neck traditions, and choose white-water or bamboo rafting. English-speaking guides such as Yoong and Mr. K lead the day.

“This was easily the best tour I have taken in more than 10 years travelling through South East Asia. Absolutely fantastic guide (Mr K), a small group and really fun activities. The elephant sanctuary was great and the elephants treated very well. The rafting was a blast, as was the Sticky Waterfall. I would highly recommend this tour, especially with Mr. K. 🙂”

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Chiang Mai: Bamboo Rafting with Hotel Transfers - What the four-hour schedule really means
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Chiang Mai: Bamboo Rafting with Hotel Transfers

9.Bamboo Rafting with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 111 reviews · from $46Best value

Take a four-hour half-day trip from Chiang Mai with a private basic-English-speaking driver, a calm bamboo-rafting ride, and elephant sightings near the river. Drivers such as Lek, Joi, and Joy have earned praise for friendly service. Bring swimwear, sunscreen, and a towel.

“We enjoyed this activity. The transfer was smooth however note that from central chiang mai it takes over an hour so you spend a lot of time travelling compared to bamboo rafting. Our guide was friendly and helpful and took many photos of us and sent them via WhatsApp. The cafe there was also nice where you can eat or get a drink and sit and watch everyone else’s bamboo rafting. Recommend for anyone in chiang mai.”

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Chiang Mai ATV & White Water Rafting & Trekking to Waterfall - Leaving Chiang Mai and reaching the Maetang River
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Chiang Mai ATV & White Water Rafting & Trekking to Waterfall

10.Chiang Mai ATV & White Water Rafting & Trekking to Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 1 day

Spend a full day outside Chiang Mai with a one-hour ATV ride, five-kilometer rafting trip on the Maetang River, and a two-hour jungle trek to a waterfall. English-speaking guides such as Tony and Tata lead the day, with lunch, equipment, insurance, and minivan transfers included.

“the atv and the rafting was a very amazing experience, the view to the waterfall is breathtaking. we really recommend to do this trip.”

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Chiangmai : A Bamboo Raft Safari , Sticky waterfalls, - Dantewada’s artificial falls and garden setting
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Chiangmai : A Bamboo Raft Safari , Sticky waterfalls,

11.Chiangmai : A Bamboo Raft Safari , Sticky waterfalls,

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 8 hours · from $69

Join guides such as Minty, May, or Amy for an eight-hour Chiang Mai nature day. Visit Dantewada’s photo-friendly waterfalls, raft quietly on the Mae Taeng River near elephants, then climb Bua Thong Sticky Waterfalls. Lunch, transport, water, and 15 phone snapshots are included.

“Star was an amazing guide. She is very quirky and funny! All 3 places were a great experience, nice transportation, and a hot lunch at a restaurant was included. They also provided waters the whole time, you didn’t need to pay anything additional during the tour! Saw lots of elephants on our rafting trip, which was amazing!”

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Chiang Mai: ATV, White Water Raft, & Sticky Waterfall Tour - Starting at Tha Pae Gate
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Chiang Mai: ATV, White Water Raft, & Sticky Waterfall Tour

12.ATV, White Water Raft, & Sticky Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · 1 day

You will visit Sticky Waterfall, eat a Thai lunch, raft 5 kilometers on the Maetang River, and drive a 200cc ATV. An English-speaking guide, transfers, equipment, and drinking water are included. Expect a lively, active day with some time spent on the road.

“Brilliant day and such lovely and welcoming guide. Well worth it for a full day with 3 activities and he accommodated our big group of 19 people!”

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Ethical Elephant Visit and White Water Rafting in Chiang Mai - The ride from Chiang Mai to rural Mae Taeng
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Ethical Elephant Visit and White Water Rafting in Chiang Mai

13.Ethical Elephant Visit and White Water Rafting in Chiang Mai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $58

Spend six hours from Chiang Mai with E-co Adventure Camp, feeding and walking beside rescued elephants without riding or chains, then rafting the Mae Taeng River and eating at a family-run Thai restaurant. Pickup is offered, groups are capped at 12, and vegetarian meals are available.

“This was an amazing experience! Pickup from our hotel 5 minutes after 8, and made one stop on our way to Eco Adventure camp. It was about 1.5 hours to get there. Once we arrived we changed into the elephant garb. And we fed thRead more”

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Chiang Mai: Mae Taeng River White Water Rafting - Base camp: lockers, practice, and a clear safety talk
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Chiang Mai: Mae Taeng River White Water Rafting

14.Mae Taeng River White Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 67 reviews · from $96

Ride 10 kilometers of the Mae Taeng River with certified guides, safety gear, lunch, and hotel transfers. Expect jungle scenery, Class III and IV rapids, calmer stretches, and changing water levels. Guides such as Deer, O, and John are praised for their humor, care, and local knowledge.

“O was so friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed the activity even though it wasn’t a full river with big rapids. There were times to relax and also for the adrenaline to pump”

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Chiang Mai 3-Hour ATV & White-Water Rafting Adventure - Starting on the 40-kilometer ATV route
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Chiang Mai 3-Hour ATV & White-Water Rafting Adventure

15.Chiang Mai 3-Hour ATV & White-Water Rafting Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 64 reviews · 10 hours · from $189

Spend a full day outside Chiang Mai with 8Adventures, combining an ATV ride through countryside and mountain villages with 10 kilometers of Mae Taeng River rafting. Expect safety training, English-speaking guides, lunch, hotel transport, towels, and a small group of up to 12.

“Great experience! Very well organized adventure with numerous safety precautions in place to help participants feel safe. During the ATV ride, we were taken up to a remote village on top of a mountain, a place that one would never think of visiting alone!”

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New in Chiang Mai Rafting Tours

★ 5.07 Hour Sticky Waterfall and Double Rafting AdventureFrom $8433 reviews

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