Care Pride Elephants: Full-Day Tour Experience
Activity provider: Elephant Pride Sanctuary
Reviewed Sept 2026
- Free cancellation
- Instant confirmation
This full-day tour picks up from your Chiang Mai hotel lobby between 8:15 and 8:30am and drives south toward Doi Inthanon National Park, where Elephant Pride Sanctuary keeps its herd on land the operator describes as more than 9,600 square metres, set back from the road. The sanctuary describes itself as a small, family-run operation, passed down through generations of local caretakers.
The herd are former working elephants: Thailand banned logging in protected forest areas in 1989, and animals that had worked that trade needed somewhere to go. The sanctuary says it feeds its herd 150-200kg of grass and corn stover a day, trucked in roughly eight loads a month. Across the 8-hour day you’ll learn how the elephants are cared for and watch them in the sanctuary rather than ride them, with three Thai meals and seasonal fruit included along with drinking water.
Insider Tip: the drive out and back eats a chunk of the 8 hours, so this suits travellers who want a full day with the elephants over a quicker half-day option.
- Duration: 8 hours, hotel pickup 8:15-8:30am
- Group size: up to 16
- Meals: 3 Thai meals plus seasonal fruit
- Location: south of Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon National Park area
For a shorter day, this elephant sanctuary tour offers a half-day option. Both start from Chiang Mai.
Itinerary
8:15-8:30 am: Pickup of all guests at the hotel lobby, then a drive by air-conditioned car to the south of Chiang Mai, to the Elephant Pride Sanctuary at Inthanon National Park. Guests learn about elephants, how to care for them in the jungle, their personalities and how they live at the sanctuary. Elephant Pride is a small sanctuary organized by a local family from generation to generation. The elephants are kept in the jungle, on sanctuary land of more than 9,600 square meters, away from the roadside. In 1989 the Thai government announced the cancellation of logging in the prohibited forest area, which closed the remaining natural forest. That is why elephants can be retired and rescued from hard work and rentals in the jungle. The sanctuary buys grass and corn stover, 8 trucks per month, averaging about 150-200 kg per day. Guests' payment counts as a donation to help the sanctuary keep the elephants in good living conditions.
Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Insurance
- Drinking water
- 3 of thai foods and seasonal fruits
Good to know
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Before you go
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Frequently Asked Questions
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