Best Of Chiang Mai: Private Tour In A Day

I had a wonderful tour and experience with the elephants and then the temples on the Doi Suthep mountain. My tour guide Suriya was amazing! He taught me so much about Buddhism and Thailand and was very helpful during the elephant experience, taking photos and making sure I got to feed them. Would definitely recommend!

absolutely wonderful experience - our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly - good walking shoes are a must - an ethical experience

we just returned from the sanctuary - our guide YAYA was absolutely brilliant - she really conveyed the care for the elephants and was enthusiastic and helpful. choosing the correct footwear is key, preferably a shoe that holds the foot, can get wet (particularly if you do the rafting) and can also handle the uneven walking. the sanctuary was explained fully and we really got up close to the elephants who are clearly adopted by their handlers - well done Pon elephant sanctuary

Great day with Ronnie and Mr Aom (excellent driver). The sticky waterfalls were fantastic and completely doable (go in the morning to avoid crowds). The Buo Tang Cave was a peaceful stop, and the Golden Pagoda was worth a viewing, and the view of Chiang Mai city was panoramic. Ronnie was engaging and helpful, and took many photos.

Great day had , Jimmy our tour leader was fantastic & gave us all a lovely happy day ! Elephants were lovely & very well looked after .

It was a very good experience,very satisfied

My husband and I booked Pon directly on their website and chose the Elephant, waterfall tour. Amy at Pon was a great, considerate and funny guide, giving us background of the places we go to and shared her personal stories. We got picked up right at our hotel. We really enjoyed the waterfall and spending time with the elephants. Before we book, we made sure it's a ethical one, and are pleased to find the elephants so enjoying themselves and are well taken care of. We also really appreciate that Amy helped us take our photos (and tried the best to get good ones!) and took care of our dietary needs as vegans.

This was an amazing way to see Doi Sutep and visit the sticky waterfalls. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to visit these two places. Our tour guide, Paul, was very knowledgeable, friendly, professional and could speak English well. We liked being able to go at our own pace and appreciated being able to change our lunch destination which was one of our favorite places to eat! Thank you for the memorable experience.

Temple experience was great. Meh to the sticky falls. Crowded and too touristy overall, not really worth the long trip to get there.

Paul was a great guide all along. Very knowledgeable and very enjoyable person. Had a great day. Thank you

Ronnie was terrific! He was both funny and informative. Highly recommend this day trip when visiting chiang mai.

Our tour was great and highly informative. Paul was very helpful and accommodating. We had 8 people in our group and the can was very spacious and comfortable.

Team YaYa. Visiting this sanctuary was so much fun. The elephants all seem so happy and interacting with them was amazing. But, the best part of my trip was our tour leader Yaya. She was amazing.

This tour was a wonderful experience and highly recommended. Our guide, Paul, was delightful, and extremely knowledgeable, not just of the sites visited, but of Thai culture, Buddhism, Thai history. He was a wealth of information and answered our many questions throughout the day. He even helped us experience some Buddhist traditions. He was very flexible and was able to accommodate our timetable and get us to the airport at the end of the afternoon in a very timely way. I have had tour guides for tours in many countries, and Paul was the best I have ever had.

We stayed in the Anapa Room from August 2025 and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The room was spacious, spotless, and thoughtfully equipped—with a desk / table, fridge, and everything needed to make tea or coffee. The bathroom was large and the shower wonderfully roomy—such a luxury! The location is ideal, just minutes from Papeete airport, yet peaceful and quiet. Ingrid’s hospitality was truly exceptional—she’s friendly, kind, and goes above and beyond to make guests feel welcome. Her breakfast was a highlight, especially the delicious local coconut bread. If you're looking for comfort, convenience, and genuine warmth, this is the place. Ingrid is hands down one of the best hostesses I’ve encountered. Highly recommended!

Our guide Ronnie was great from the start. He reached out the night before to confirm our pickup time, and was very prompt at the exact pickup time he advised. He explained in great detail everything we experienced. The first stop was the temple tour, and he walked us through all of the customary experiences, and helped us with the blessings for the Buddha. After lunch we went to the Sticky waterfalls and Ronnie escorted ua through while using our phone to take pictures. It was really convenient and great. We were very appreciative!

This day trip was amazing. We were welcomed by Aom and she was the best guide. She was a great host, giving us great information throughout the entire day along with a few laughs to keep us going. Highly recommend the day tour - we did the bamboo rafting and waterfall tour.

Great day out. We loved seeing the elephants. Very ethical. Chay was a great driver. He was very nice and looked after us extremely well.

went on a experience day here, booked through get your guide. This experience was great, the staff were all really friendly, the two staff members in particular (The man who supporters Liverpool football club and has a tattoo, and the guy who is at the same station and was talking about manchester) were brilliant, so informative on the elephants and you can tell they are hard workers. The trip is great value for your money, you get the full day there, transport and food. Please if you want to see elephants visit here and support them as they are great and i couldn’t recommend them more!

We did Elephant Sanctuary, Monk Trail & Doi Suthep Tour. And what a day it has been. We’ve had an amazing experience, our tour guide Yoong was incredible, really knowledgeable and made this trip something to remember. The transport was also great (drive by mr Wan), made this trip pleasant given the 36 degrees outside.

We actually went in September 2023, not 2024. This was one of the true highlights of our Thailand trip. A full day that showed us so much! And our guide was wonderful All I can do is smile when I look back at the pictures and remember how beautiful the day was and how much we saw and learned.

This was such a fun experience! We chose to go to the temple first. Our tour guide Ronnie came with us up the cart, gave us a tour around and explained as much as possible. Then we were left alone to wander around. We had lunch at the Elephant Terrace Restaurant which was included in the package. The food was soooo good! Then we went to the waterfall which was actually quite busy with locals at the time. It was such a fun experience especially since it started to get hot when we went. Our tour guide and driver were so nice and kind. They offered to take us to other places to om the way to the waterfall and back to the hotel as we were ahead of time which was such a nice offer too.

We the "Best of Chiang Mai" tour. Our tour guide Paul was fantastic, he was very knowledgeable and friendly. He took photos of us climbing the waterfall which we appreciated. The day was perfect! Thanks Paul 😊

Yun was the best tour guide we could have asked for! She was a wealth of information and allowed us to learn and have fun throughout the day. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Yun was such a fantastic travel guide for us. There were only three of us on the tour and she was such a wealth of information! She made sure we were very well taken care of, made sure we had fun, and went out of her way to make the experience memorable. I would definitely recommend this tour!

We had an amazing full day with great activities. From feeding and washing the elephants to the beautiful waterfalls and the bamboo rafting. Our guide Suriya speaks amazing English and has a wonderful sense of humour. He has a complete knowledge about the elephants and the history of the country and the Shan state. I can't recommend the elephant sanctuary tour enough and I hope you are lucky enough to have Suriya as your guide.

We had a full day tour including the elephant sanctuary, monk Trail and Doi Suthep temple. We appreciated very much the experience and the detailled explanatiins of Paul, an eccellente guide!

Had a great time on this tour! Maggie our guide was very informative and interacted with us creating a wonderful experience. Wish I could give more stars, as this tour was unexpectedly a highlight of my trip to Chiang Mai!!! Maggie was awesome!

It was overall a really good experience. Maggie was a great guide! I sort of assumed there would be a bit more nature during the Doi Suthep piece due to it being in a national park, but there wasn't anything about that in the description, so it makes sense. There was one lookout over the city, but there was a bit of smoke, so it was good, not great. However, the pieces that were in the tour were really well done! We learned a lot and got lots of our questions answered. The sticky waterfall was so much more fun than expected! We had a blast! Maggie was very helpful for my wife who was 26 weeks pregnant, making sure she was safe and that we weren't going too fast. She also did a great job of explaining the structure of the day, including how long our car rides would be.

We can't say enough good things about our tour guide Paul. To start we requested an add on to our itinerary which was accommodated and we were never rushed to move from one place to another. Paul has a vast knowledge of Thailand history, geography, flora, fauna and Thai and Buddhist culture. He is a walking encyclopedia! We learned so much about Thailand that we never would have on our own. Thank you Paul!

I am going to give a really honest review about this place. When i first booked this tour i wanted to do something where I can see the elephants but of course not ride them. I wanted to do something that was ethical where I could see them up close. After reading countless reviews I figured this one seemed alright. The hike to the waterfall was awesome, the hike to see the first set of elephants was ok. Sure they seemed ok but they encourages us to splash them with cold water. And I felt so stressed out for the elephants with a bunch of tourist in front of them getting splashed nonstop for hours and getting their photos taken and told to stand still. To me this was the most unethical portion of the encounters. It did not seem like they were mistreated but I am not sure as to what “training” they endured to obey all these commands. I didnt splash them i gently pet them and took some photos from afar. The rest of the elephants seemed of and were not being splashed just fed. Some we couldnt touch at all. The rafting at the end was so nice and relaxing. I really enjoyed that. With that being said, you decide if it is ethical. I know they need money to help care for these majestic animals, i just hope they are treated good .

I did the Elephant Sanctuary, Monk Trail & Doi Suthep Tour with Ronnie, and it was amazing! Ronnie was super friendly and helpful, teaching us a lot about the places and culture. The experience with the elephants was incredible, as we were a small group of just four people and had the elephants and the sanctuary all to ourselves. It was truly fantastic, and I highly recommend it!

The company completely forgot us. We had to call and eventually they picked us up. They told us our tour we originally booked and paid for was no longer available. They offered another one of their tours which was the elephant and waterfall. It felt very commercial as they are pushing hundreds of people through the sanctuary. We did another elephant tour at Care Pride Sanctuary which was much better.

Came on a day trip, saw a lot of elephants, fed them. Whilst they don't use chains or hooks etc. On leaving, I saw numerous handlers riding the elephants away. Since riding is not considered ethical, it left me feeling like I should have done a lot more research. The reviews I saw, looked like it was a good day out and ethical. The elephants were healthy but who knows if they're happy.

The trip is amazing. Picked up from our hotel by our fantastic driver Chay, nothing was too much trouble, he was excellent, even lent me some flip flops! We highly recommend the full day version with waterfall and rafting. It is worth coming to the Chiang Mai area for this trip alone. The elephants looked happy and well cared for. PON Elephant Thailand is taking care of animals. Lunch was really tasty & lots of free water available. Our guide Nana was the best! If you have the opportunity to choose a guide - choose her. She told us many interesting facts about elephants, the whole of Thailand and was very funny! We highly recommend this full day adventure trip!

Mr Chang made this tour brilliant, excellent day out, brilliant curry , great elephants and thoroughly recommended Bamboo rafting is great And just brave the waterfall you won’t regret it

We had a wonderful day with Ronny. Learnt lots about the temple we visited, including a blessing from a monk. The sticky waterfall was relatively easy to climb, with various points you could stop at. Need to be pretty able-bodied to climb the whole thing with steep sections. Ronny took us to a delicious spot for lunch, and took many great photos.

Did the day tour with my wife and 4 others. Was an amazing experience and totally worth every baht. Our tour guide Noi was excellent and taught us some history of Chiang Mai.

Absolutely fantastic trip. We had Yoong as a tour guide who was so informative, caring and had a great sense of humour. We could not recommend this trip more highly!

I had an amazing day out with Pon Elephants. Our tour guide Noi was kind and insightful. He shared insights into the lives of the elephants and the tour stood out for its ethical approach. This sanctuary is a must-visit destination in Thailand!

Can’t recommend this tour enough. My group of friends and I had a great time on this trip. It exceeded all expectations. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. Our tour guide Avi was amazing from start to finish of the day. We couldn’t have had a better guide! Couldn’t recommend this tour enough!!

We had the most amazing experience from start to finish. We did the elephant and waterfall tour and will honestly never forget it. The guides were all so friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Words can't explain how good this trip was, honestly just stunning!!

The entire tour was amazing and memorable. Out tour guide Yoong (said Mosquito is the meaning of the shorten version of her name and loves using it) was funny, very friendly, knowledgeable, explaining the history of the Monks, the Buddha, Buddhism, the history of Chiang Mai and its original people. Climbing the stairs to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was not as difficult as I anticipated it would be. Buatong Waterfall-Chet Si Fountain National Park was absolutely beautiful. Mosquito was encouraging and thoughtful throughout our climb down and up the waterfall. You did not feel rushed. This is a tour we will take again with Yoong/ Mosquito and her driver. Yoong is a very valuable tour guide Allison and Jackie

We had an unforgettable day exploring Chiang Mai with Noi, our exceptional tour guide. His profound knowledge of Thailand and Chiang Mai, combined with his enthusiastic responses to our countless questions, truly enriched our experience. Having served as a novice monk, Noi offered invaluable insights into Buddhism from a firsthand perspective. The tour featured highlights such as Doi Suthep, the Jade Factory (though I would personally recommend skipping this), and the captivating Sticky Waterfalls. Our visit to Chiang Mai would have been incomplete without this remarkable tour. Thank you, Noi!

This tour was the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai! Our guide, Yoong, was beyond great. She is knowledgeable, funny, energetic, and clearly loves her city & her work. She invited us to participate in traditions (like being blessed by a monk at Doi Suthep) - making us feel comfortable and welcome to participate. She explained everything to us and answered our questions. Can’t say enough about how great she was! And our driver Pon was also great. Lots of fun and amazing experience to visit the temple, the waterfalls (WOW) and a delicious lunch!

Amazing animal sanctuary. Transportation was provided in a very nice van. Sticky waterfall was also great. Ronnie is the best!

A fantastic day tour with a great guide. Jackie made sure we had everything we needed at all times and was amazing with our two children, especially at the falls. Jackie gave an in depth history at the temple, and throughout all the sites we visited. Thanks Team!

Great experience very personalized. The attention and well spoken English of our tour guide Maggie made the experience much better! She took many pictures of us ☺️ Our driver Yari was also great, we slept the whole way back. The elephants seem happy and well taken care of. We did everything on our time. We saw 02 baby elephants and 02 big elephants by ourselves (the other groups were looking at other elephants) so our whole trip was personalized.

We booked a 1 day private tour via their website of ethical elephant caretaker followed by a tour of doi sathep temple. Communication was excellent from the outset. We were picked up by Yuung and a driver in a VIP bus and taken to the elephant sanctuary first. What a fantastic place it is. You get to interact with the elephants in a respectful way and learn so much about them. We were allowed to feed the baby of the group and her mother, then were introduced to the rest of the herd, followed by a walk through the forest with them to the river where we helped to bathe them. Then it was off to make some herbal medicine balls which we then hand fed. It was so special being able to get up close whilst maintaining respect for these majestic animals. After enjoying our time there, we were taken for lunch at a local restaurant which was very tasty and whisked off to doi suthep. We all learnt so much from Yuung throughout the day and they were very good company throughout. Doi suthep is a very old and much revered temple on top of a mountain just outside of Chiang mai. It was an interesting and educational experience. We all agreed it was a brilliant trip made unforgettable by out guides! If we had longer to spend in Chiang Mai we would have definitely booked more tours with them as they offer so many.