Chiang Mai: Kayak Under The Stars – 6 Km To The Heart Of The City

The guide was very friendly and attentive and it was a nice serene experience. It was a peaceful introduction to Chiang Mai.

I had a group of 16. Everything was 5 stars from the pick up to drop off, the crew was great!! A wonderful sunset 2 hr paddle from countryside with sunset & stars to the lights of the city. They moved us all out of the river, packing up and departing with 16 pax.. They did a great job and we loved it!!

Charming guide, A, kept is simple and safe. A unique experience I am glad I had.

This was a nice relaxing paddle at the end of the day to wind down after lots of activities. The sky put on a beautiful lightning show for us. Wish I was staying longer to join the day excursions.

Just a very simple little journey by Kayak with a lovely guide. It made me feel very peaceful and happy.

Amazing experience! Had a wonderful guide, Tony, who gave me easy to follow instructions. He explained a number of different sights. There were a lot of places along the river that looked even more beautiful when I was kayaking at night! Highly recommend!!!

Really lovely mozy down the river. Pace is set by the group so you’re with. Guide was kind. Recommend

Kayaking in the dark - what could go wrong? Falling down the gap between the jetty and the land, injuring my leg, was what went wrong for me. We wore lights on our heads, but they were set to a dim red for use on the river. No bones broken but a huge deep bruise up the outside of my thigh, it was 3 days before I could walk without significant pain. For safety the jetties need to be illuminated when used at night. Still did the kayaking (which is really peaceful except when passing a bar or restaurant).

A beautiful night on the river with amazing views. Watched the sunset fall over the trees then drifted down to the city, to see lights and music. Loved it!

Let’s do some Positives, 1. It was peaceful and great experience. Negatives- we were exhausted after a 14 hour flight and we had to get the boats unloaded, fix seats and load up after the exhausting trip. Physical fitness must be very good to compete the 6 km rowing and so it’s not for everyone. Our guide happened to be the owner and he came alone when he couldn’t do the load/unload part of our trip was a bit surprising to us. We also took another activity from the same vendor and it was great. The Chiangmai Bikes and kayaking offers good things too.

We had a great time kayaking around the Chiang Mai canal. It was our first time kayaking at night so it was a unique experience for us. We got to see all of the city lights as well as the Christmas and New Year’s lights. Our guide was very friendly and gave us some insight to his life in Chiang Mai

It was fun being on the river at night but you can’t see much. The entry and exit points were muddy & slippery so difficult to get in & out of the kayaks.

The guide was super, took us further up the river because the water was flowing faster so did the day tour at night 14km in 1.45 hrs. We are competent at kayaking. We had thunder and lightning which was great to watch from the water. The river had flooded but they were careful about where we went in and how we got out. All safety precautions were in place with lights on life jackets and the kayaks. The guide had great English and pointed out the wildlife along the river.

Wow, this trip was fantastic. So well organised and the guides were super friendly. I booked an evening Kayak session and although it was only me, it couldn’t have been any better. I was picked up from my hostel by the lovely Rin (driver) and Jane (Guide). They were very welcoming and we had some good chats before starting our kayaking. The kayaks were comfortable and the river Ping was easy to row on. This activity is suitable for beginners as I had only ever done stand up paddle boarding and I found it pretty easy. Jane was super knowledgeable about the history and culture of Chiang Mai, I learned a lot on this activity. As the sun started to set, the lights became so beautiful to row past. We waved by people enjoying their boat cruise or dinner in passing restaurants. It was a lovely experience. Jane had the most infectious personality, we were even singing songs as we rowed! At the end, Rin was awaiting us to help disembark the kayak and return me safely to my hostel. I can’t thank Jane and Rin enough for a wonderful experience in Chiang Mai.

Everything was set up for us on this trip. That made it great. After a 15 min ride, we were on the river. Our guide made sure we all had a good experience by moving back and forth between everyone and explaining where we were and what we were seeing. Well worth the time and money.

Pick up was as planned. The kayak trip itself is fairly boring, very little to see along the way. For an inexperienced kayaker this would be quite hard, it is over 1 hour long.

Very organized and a delightful way to see Chiang Mai. The guides were excellent! We were 6 people in our group and we had 2 guides keeping us on course. Highly recommend

It was a peaceful paddle on a beautiful night with the shadows of the trees accompanying us. The trip was well organized and the guide and staff were more than competent making for a drama-free experience. Kayakers Don’t miss this opportunity.

Hands down most enjoyable part of the excursion was our guide! Great staff all around but he made the trip!! Loved seeing a quiet side of Chaing Mai night life but not sure I would go in the water when I could see it 🤪. Our guide was informative, helpful, very funny and personable and I am sad we didn't think to get a picture with him, or write down his name! Would come back for another adventure with him!!

On-time pick-up; the guides stayed with the group and made sure everyone was safe and comfortable. It's my second time kayaking with them and will go again! I wish we had started earlier to enjoy the sunset because we launched after the sun had set.

I am not an experienced Kayaker, this is a leisurely trip on the Ping River, The trip delivers what it says it will a chance to see Chiang Mai from the water. As you enter the city you see many nice buildings that are lit up at night. This is a good way to get out and spend a peaceful evening. Enjoy

The trip was beautiful. Very friendly guides. They took care of safety very well. Nice and clean boats! Great experience to do. Advice: ofcourse with this activity you get a little wet. Take a plastic bag with you for your wallet and phone!

I do not recommend this to anyone! Not only was it not a pleasant ride and physically challenging, but the staff kept making inappropriate and rude comments to all my friends. Having in mind that they receive tourists from all around the world, the company and staff were not culturally aware and kept making us pay fee after fee that was not disclosed beforehand. Terrible experience.

This was a highlight of my time in Chiang Mai. Our guide, “Jane”, was OUTSTANDING. For him, his expertise, knowledge, patience and personality, I give 5 full stars. I told him that had only kayaked once before and he was careful to stay near me while on the water, helping me feel safe and confident. The only issue I had was the fact that Trip Advisor did not accurately advertise the price of the excursion and I had to pay additionally on site. This is not how trips should be handled and I would have appreciate the website being transparent. Othetwise, I much enjoyed the evening.

Honestly none of it. Was awful. They were rude, disrespectful, and borderline misogynistic. The experience itself was way too long and they were also late in picking us up

Took us very long time to get on the river and there was a hidden rental and insurance fee of 250 Bhat.

Just attended the night time kayaking, what a wonderful treat for Christmas Eve. I have never kayaked before and was a little nervous but the staff were wonderful at explaining what to do; patient, funny and a wealth of local knowledge. Couldn’t fault the team, absolutely awesome experience. Thank you so much. Really peaceful and surreal experience to do at night!

This was a fantastic relaxing way to enjoy an evening. We had a very good guide with excellent English. His knowledge of the wildlife was really good and he was quick to point out interesting things. He was attentive to everyone in the group and made everyone feel included. Would thoroughly recommend

Just like someone else has previously commented, I can’t believe this doesn’t have more reviews! I honestly did not stop smiling for the entire two hours. The team picked us up from our hotel promptly at 6pm and this went so smoothly. We climbed aboard and went to their head officer, where we had a choice of double or single kayak and were fitted with life jackets. We were then joined by the rest of the people who had booked our time slot and went on about a 15 minute drive to the entry point of the Ping River. Aiden gave us a quick tips and tricks lesson on how best to use our paddles, and then we were all given lights for our life jackets, kayaks and some head torches. We were launched into the water with no troubles and we set off. My husband and I paddled up the front of the group with Tony, another member of the team, who was super friendly and helpful, helping me get my head torch on the right setting, and pointing out some keys points of interest on the river, like this area where many cute birds nest under a bridge. The route was so great, it was like nothing I’ve ever done. It was initially so calm and tranquil , and gradually it got more colourful and lively as we got closer to the city. We saw tiny bats flying over the water trying to catch bugs, and got to see fireworks going off on either side of the river as we visited during Lantern Festival time. The entire two hours on the river, we only encountered one river cruise boat and we simply just moved to the side to let it pass - we pretty much had the whole river to ourselves. If you’ve never kayaked before or wanted to do something gentle and chill, this is perfect for you. It was really memorable and honestly a highlight of my trip, I’m so glad we booked it! The team were also very communicative- I messaged them during the day to check what clothing would be best and they got back to me straight away. We visited in November and put on lots of bug spray thinking there would be heaps of mosquitoes but we didn’t see any! 10/10 experience, thank you to the team!

Great experience! We got picked up right on time, the guides were great. It was my 2nd time kayaking and their knowledge and experience gave me a lot of confidence. They whisked us away in a truck and took us just outside of Chiang Mai where the adventure began. After a brief safety lesson they got us on our kayaks and we were off. It was nice to paddle at my own pace as the river did most of the work so I mostly just enjoyed the scenery of riverside villas and restaurants with their twinkling lights. The guide made a point to chat with each of us, asking about plans for our trips, etc. My only complaint was that it was over too soon! We made it to the end of the ride and the guides helped us onto shore and we loaded into another truck to be dropped off at a place of our choosing. It was a lovely experience, good for beginners and worth every penny!

70% of the total course is quiet and you can hear grasshoppers. The remaining 30% of the route is lit by the lights of the bars, live music, and buildings along the river. Kayaking can be a bit physically demanding. Your guide, Jen, keeps a close eye on you for safety and cracks good jokes. I think it's a calm tour, quite fitting for Chiang Mai.

We arrived and were checked in with staff who were welcoming and walked us through the process. Once all the people were picked up we drove out of the city a bit to launch. Guides matched us with boats and sent us off into the river. There was no safety lecture or Kayak skills demonstration. The paddle itself did not provide much to see. Perhaps my expectation was greater than it should have been. Lights on the banks and bridges were nice but otherwise you spend a good amount of time in the dark. At times kayakers we’re left behind for several minutes without a guide in the back. We also were left on the river last without a guide in support as we lined up to exit. That should be standard operating procedure. The take out was just a muddy bank. Guides were helpful but it was slippery and hard to get out of the boat. The staff worked hard, are good kayakers and were very pleasent. It’s just an OK experience though.

Nice experience. Friendly and chatty staff, happy to answer questions about the area and Thailand. Smooth process throughout.

Excellent experience. No experience but kayaking down a jungle river at night with my 15 year old son. The kind of experience you have to go outside Europe to enjoy. Well run pick ups and drop offs. Definitely recommended.

You kayak about half of the time outside the main city at dusk, which is not very scenic. Once you get into the city, where it becomes more interesting and can see lights and restaurants and hotels, it is time to pull the kayaks out. I would have loved to hear more information about the wildlife or history of the city. We did get the guides to open up with more information by asking lots of questions.

My husband and I went with our kids, 10 and 7 years old. We all enjoyed the leisurely kayaking in the lovely and rustic Ping River. Our guide was very fun and took lots of pictures family pics for us. He let the kids sit with him in the back of the pick up truck on the trip getting there, they were delighted! It was very simple and rustic, be prepared to get wet from paddling, but a very cool and special experience!

Whilst the guides were lovely and did a great job, the journey itself was a nightmare. This is marketed as a leisurely activity, but realistically it’s more suited to intermediate to advanced kayakers. The tour begins way up river and takes about an hour to get into Chiang Mai by kayaking through trees with nothing to really see. By the time we got to the city lights, we were exhausted and underwhelmed. The river itself is filthy and polluted, with trash and dead aquatic animals spotted all throughout. You’ll end up covered in this water by the end of the trip so you leave feeling tired and dirty.

Had a lovely relaxing kayak in the evening and saw bats, snakes and frogs. Our host was brilliant and we had some great chats. They also dropped us off at the night markets where we got something to eat to end the night. Felt really safe and comfortable and saw some lovely views. I would definitely recommend doing thus.

The trip was spiritually strong. I was moved by the presence of Buddha. I hope Buddha can bring more people to experience this wonder.

This could’ve been a much better experience had our guide not rushed us down the river, often kayaking out of sight in the dark, and not explaining how this type of kayak worked. At the end, he took his kayak out, and the rest of us had no idea where he went and were continuing to paddle down the river! It seemed like he just wanted to get it over with which made the whole experience much less peaceful and enjoyable than it could’ve been. He also talked about his personal life which he is very unhappy about and also about how somebody recently committed suicide, jumping from a bridge into the river. Not what my partner, and I or the other travelers wanted to hear about…

Night light kayaking is very nice with not too hot weather. Tour guy is very talkative & helpful . If u would like to enjoy a relaxing evening it’s a good choice

Our guide Jane was awesome. He had already done a full day of tours and has to cover the original guide bc he got injured. And Jane still did a great job guiding us down the river and keepi mg us very entertained. Also recommended a great bar to end the trip with. “ the good view bar” #1 bar in chiang mai. It really was. Highly recommend

A straight 5 out of 5 experience, from the first communication to welcome and overall operation. "Arturo" made it super easy and fun to navigate 7km along the Ping River. A great mindful yet active activity with beautiful lights over the bridges and hotels along the river. A must-do experience when in Chiang Mai!

This tour was so much fun and so interesting!! Great tour guide, perfect length of time, nice and easy paddle down the river, and the lights along the river were beautiful. Definitely do this tour if you have a spare evening!!!

Double kayak could took on water the whole trip. We had to stop three times to drain it. Was very unstable. Guide did not communicate or explain much. It was dark for most of the trip and the river did not smell very good at times. The lights from the bridges and bars near the end of the trip was nice but this is an experience that I would not recommend.

Other reviewers like it. We did, too - for the same reasons. It was such an efficient operation. No photos as we were recommended not to take our phones - although there is a sturdy plastic bag with cord you can pay for to put your phone in. The only piece of (constructive) criticism is that we could have been told more about what we were passing along the river. I accept that we split up a bit but, if our leader (Aiden) had some commentary to impart, it would have added to the experience. We were only 4 plus the leader on the evening we did it.

We had to wait close to an hour for the others in our group were gathered at the offices of the Kayak operators. After finally gettting to the starting point, we started down the river. There were not many sights on the river or bright lights as described or depicted on the site. It was just kayaking down a river, at night...mostly in darkness. I probably wouldnt have done this activity during the day.

Amazing experience, picked up from hotel and driven to the office from there we collected the life jackets and kayak’s and headed off to an entry point on the river. The whole experience was amazing, gently kayaking down the river. Our guides looked after us and gave us the most amazing experience.

This is a must do. I can't believe there aren't more reviews of this. They pick you up from your hotel, take you to the center, take you to the start of the ride, and drop you off at or near your hotel. They take care of everything. Myself and a couple of others booked it the same day we took the tour. I had never kayaked but this was a great trip. Very peaceful and a totally different view of Chiang Mai. Upon arrival back into town, everything is lit up and really nice. It is hard to beat the value of doing something like this. A great way to spend a couple of hours in the evening before going to a night market.