RAFTING · THAILAND RAFTING TOURS

The 15 Best Rafting Trips in Thailand

53 trips  ·  from $41 a head

Bamboo below Chiang Mai and Khao Lak, white water on the Mae Taeng when the rain has been, and elephants in the same booking more often than not. These 15 are priced and honest about how much of the day is on the river.

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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Khao Lak: Rafting, Elephant Bathing & Sea Turtle Center Tour - Pickup from Khao Lak and the morning plan
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Khao Lak: Rafting, Elephant Bathing & Sea Turtle Center Tour

2.Rafting, Elephant Bathing & Sea Turtle Center Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,519 reviews · 5 hours · from $73

Join an English-speaking guide such as Boom, Adam, Marta, or Run for a five-hour Khao Lak outing with bamboo rafting, sea turtle conservation, Ton Pling Waterfall, Thai lunch, and hands-on elephant feeding and bathing. Hotel pickup, drinks, fruit, insurance, and admission are included.

“Absolutely fabulous day, the 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed it. Rafting was relaxing, turtles were very cute, & amazing to see the conservation programme first hand … lunch was amazing and the elephants … oh my, what a finale to our day. Thank you so much, a forever memory made.”

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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

3.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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Khao Lak: Khao Sok Bamboo Rafting and Elephant Bathing Trip - An early start from Khao Lak
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Khao Lak: Khao Sok Bamboo Rafting and Elephant Bathing Trip

4.Khao Sok Bamboo Rafting and Elephant Bathing Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 719 reviews · 7 hours · from $79

Spend seven hours with an English-speaking guide on a small-group trip from Khao Lak. Visit the Takua Pa market, feed and bathe elephants at a rescue camp, see Phanthurat Temple, eat Thai food, and drift down the Sok River on a bamboo raft with coffee served in bamboo cups.

“the tour guide was really friendly and chatty. took many pictures for us. she helped us out a lot when we needed to go to the chemist. brilliant tour guide. can't think of any improvements”

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Khaolak: Bamboo Rafting, Waterfalls, and Turtle Conservation - Why the rafting feels better than a standard river ride
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Khaolak: Bamboo Rafting, Waterfalls, and Turtle Conservation

5.Bamboo Rafting, Waterfalls, and Turtle Conservation

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 622 reviews · 3 hours · from $48

From Khao Lak, you will raft for about 50 minutes through jungle waterways, watch for snakes, frogs, monkeys, and birds, visit a sea turtle conservation center, then swim at Ton Pling Waterfall. English-speaking guides such as Winnie, Dede, and Kob add local context, while hotel transfers keep the outing simple.

“Fantastic afternoon! Winnie our driver was so kind and helpful and took us to 3 brilliant activities in a comfortable air conditioned car. We loved the bamboo rafting the most - our rafter pointed out snakes and toads in the trees, and we even stopped to swim and jump in the river from the rope swing! Winnie then took us to see the sea turtle conservation and tsunami memorial where she was very knowledgeable. The waterfall swim at the end was so peaceful and refreshing. Highly recommend! Top tip: remember to bring cash in a dry bag on the bamboo raft if you want to tip your rafter at the…”

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From Phuket: Elephant Care Experience with Rafting & Zipline - Rafting 5 kilometers on the Song Phraek River
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From Phuket: Elephant Care Experience with Rafting & Zipline

6.Elephant Care Experience with Rafting & Zipline

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 422 reviews · from $77

Travel from Phuket or Khao Lak to Phang Nga for a cruelty-free elephant-care session, 5-kilometer rafting trip, zipline, rope bridge, and Thai lunch. You prepare food, feed the elephants, and may bathe them in the river. Guides such as Eggy, Eakki, Martin, and Miki are known for adding useful local insight and good humor.

“It was a super fun day! The guides were knowledgeable and fun, lunch was fantastic, the river rapids were a blast!”

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Khao Sok: Elephant Rescue Center with Lunch & Bamboo Rafting - Khao Sok Viewpoint and the first mountain views
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Khao Sok: Elephant Rescue Center with Lunch & Bamboo Rafting

7.Khao Sok: Elephant Rescue Center with Lunch & Bamboo Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 306 reviews · 8 hours · from $84

From Khao Lak, join a small group of up to 10 for an eight-hour Khao Sok outing. Meet rescued elephants, prepare medicinal food, feed and bathe them, cook papaya salad, enjoy a Thai lunch, and drift down the Sok River with guides such as Didi, Otto, or Winnie.

“Our trip was fantastic. Our guide, Ron and our driver Mr A were both great. Ron told us lots of interesting facts and was really fun. The experience with the Elephants was incredible and the rafting was brilliant. Its well worth the money for a full day out. The lunch was lovely too, really good food. 👍”

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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

8.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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Khao Lak: Bamboo Rafting & Sea Turtle Conservation Center - One hour on a bamboo raft
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Khao Lak: Bamboo Rafting & Sea Turtle Conservation Center

9.Bamboo Rafting & Sea Turtle Conservation Center

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 282 reviews · from $42

Spend about three hours in Khao Lak’s jungle with hotel pickup, a calm bamboo raft ride, the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Center, and Ton Pling Waterfall. Guides such as K, Charlie, Boom, and Lydia add local insight. Expect wet shoes, a small group, and a relaxed half-day outing.

“Fantastic trip with guide Charlie. Pick up from hotel was efficient with pick up time being emailed previously. Taken to the bamboo rafting, were were gently positioned into the raft to float along in peace and quiet with only jungle noises. I have Read more”

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Phuket: Bamboo Rafting & ATV Ride (Optional) - Sea Turtle Conservation Center: a short, quiet first stop
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Phuket: Bamboo Rafting & ATV Ride (Optional)

10.Bamboo Rafting & ATV Ride (Optional)

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 253 reviews · 10 hours · from $54

Spend a full day traveling from Phuket to Khao Lak for bamboo rafting, the Sea Turtle Conservation Center, a basic Thai lunch, Monkey Cave, and Tonsai Waterfall. Add a 15 or 30-minute ATV ride for extra speed. Guides such as Hana and Hanan are praised for keeping the day friendly and organized.

“Loved all the activities apart from the elephant bathing, the elephants did not seem well looked after and was definitely not ethical. would have preferred to stay longer with the monkeys”

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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

11.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

12.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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Phuket: White Water Rafting and Jungle Adventure with Lunch - The van ride from Phuket to Phang Nga
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Phuket: White Water Rafting and Jungle Adventure with Lunch

13.White Water Rafting and Jungle Adventure with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 192 reviews · 10 hours · from $49

Travel from Phuket into Phang Nga’s jungle for guided white-water rafting, an ATV ride, zipline, Monkey Cave visit, waterfall swim, and lunch. The rafting is the main event, with trained leaders, safety drills, and an optional longer route for an extra 500 baht. Guides such as Iman, JJ, and Elle have led past departures.

“Rafting Excelent ATV booring Zipline booring Monkey Cave excelent”

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Phuket: White Water Rafting, Zipline, and Elephant Sanctuary - The road to Phang Nga and the first stop
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Phuket: White Water Rafting, Zipline, and Elephant Sanctuary

14.White Water Rafting, Zipline, and Elephant Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 189 reviews · 9 hours · from $115

Spend a full day in Phang Nga with white water rafting, a 30-minute ATV ride, a short zipline and Skywalk, Thai lunch, and close elephant contact. Guides such as Martin, Iggy, and Eakki are praised for keeping the busy schedule friendly and well organized.

“Activity was great! Just remember to bring a spare change of clothes for after the water rafting”

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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

15.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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