Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary
These Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary tours are ethical elephant tours at Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai in the Doi Inthanon foothills, with hotel pickup from Chiang Mai, where guests watch the elephants from a distance and feed vitamin balls at the feeding table; guests cannot touch the elephants, and there is no bathing, riding or walking with elephants. You book them directly on ThaiEleHub.com, the booking hub for these tours.
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary tours
4 products
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai tours
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary is a dedicated ethical elephant experience in the Doi Inthanon and Mae Wang area of Chiang Mai, designed for travelers who want a quieter, more respectful connection with rescued elephants.
Big Boy is a calmer, smaller-group visit: guests watch from a distance and place vitamin balls on the feeding table. Guests cannot touch the elephants. Optional bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River is available on the full-day route. There is no riding and no pressure on elephants to perform. The day includes learning from local Karen caretakers in a natural forest setting.
If you are choosing between camps, read the Living Green vs Big Boy comparison before you book. ThaiEleHub is the booking hub, not the camp operator.
Yi Peng 2026 in Chiang Mai: Big Boy x Yi Peng, 24–25 Nov. It is not the regular half-day.
Why travelers choose Big Boy
- Watch from a distance and place vitamin balls on the feeding table. Guests cannot touch the elephants.
- Ethical, lower-interference activities in a peaceful Chiang Mai setting
- Karen community insight, storytelling and local care traditions
- Half-day options plus optional bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River
Frequently asked questions
Is Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary ethical?
Yes. No bathing with elephants, no riding, and no walking with elephants are offered, as these activities require controlling the elephants which goes against the sanctuary's principles of respecting their natural behavior and freedom. Guests watch from a distance and place vitamin balls on the feeding table. Guests cannot touch the elephants.
What makes Big Boy different from the main Chiang Mai collection?
Big Boy is the quieter Chiang Mai option — watching from a distance plus vitamin balls at the feeding table — with a stronger emphasis on elephant autonomy and Karen-led learning. Our half-day programme is suitable for all fitness levels and runs at a comfortable pace.
Which Big Boy tour should I choose?
Choose the morning or afternoon half-day encounter for a shorter sanctuary visit, or choose the full-day route if you also want optional bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River or waterfall scenery.
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephants, Sticky Waterfall & Pad Thai Day TourFull day at Big Boy sanctuary with Sticky Waterfall and Pad Thai cooking. Chiang Mai hotel pickup, no riding. Adult ฿1,800. Child ฿1,300 (ages 4–8).
Chiang Mai hotel transfer inside the listed area · Cooking workshop materials and ingredients · Local lunch and drinking water · Accident insurance
฿1,800 / adult · ฿1,300 / child (ages 4–8) · pay ฿450 deposit per guest today · 07:30 depart
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephants, Bamboo Rafting & Pad Thai Day TourFull day at Big Boy sanctuary with Mae Wang bamboo rafting and Pad Thai cooking. Chiang Mai hotel pickup, no riding. From THB 1,800.
Chiang Mai transfer inside the listed area · Elephant welfare and safety briefing · Local guide, drinking water and insurance · Local meal
฿1,800 / adult · ฿1,300 / child (ages 4–8) · pay ฿450 deposit per guest today · 07:30 depart
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Half-Day Afternoon EncounterAfternoon at the Karen-run Big Boy sanctuary, Chiang Mai. Pickup 11:30–12:00, feeding, Pad Thai. No bathing · No riding · No walking with elephants. Adult ฿1,500. Child (4-8) ฿1,100.
Chiang Mai transfer inside the listed area · Elephant welfare and safety briefing · Local guide, drinking water and insurance · Local meal
฿1,500 / adult · ฿1,100 / child (ages 4–8) · pay ฿375 deposit per guest today · 11:30 depart
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Half-Day Morning EncounterWatch the herd from a distance and feed vitamin balls at a table. Adult ฿1,500, child 4–8 ฿1,100. No riding. Hotel pickup. Pad Thai lunch.
Chiang Mai transfer inside the listed area · Elephant welfare and safety briefing · Local guide, drinking water and insurance · Local meal
฿1,500 / adult · ฿1,100 / child (ages 4–8) · pay ฿375 deposit per guest today · 07:00 depart
Quick answers
How much do Big Boy Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary tours cost?
Adult fares on this page are ฿1,500 to ฿1,800 per person, and child fares are ฿1,100 to ฿1,300. Each tour card shows its own adult and child fare.
How much deposit do I pay online?
25% of the fare per guest. The rest is paid on the tour day.
What time is hotel pickup?
Pickup on these tours starts between 07:00 and 11:30, depending on the tour. Each tour page lists its exact pickup window and return time.
Do any of these tours include elephant riding or shows?
No. None of the tours on this page include elephant riding, circus-style shows, tricks or forced performances.
Can I bathe with the elephants on these tours?
No bathing with elephants, no riding, and no walking with elephants are offered, as these activities require controlling the elephants which goes against the sanctuary's principles of respecting their natural behavior and freedom.
Structured facts for Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary
- Entity
- Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary
- Location
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Experience type
- Ethical elephant sanctuary visit
- Animal policy
- Guests cannot touch the elephants; they watch from a distance. No bathing · No riding · No walking with elephants
- Common activities
- watch from a distance, vitamin balls at the feeding table, habitat care; guests cannot touch the elephants. Optional bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River
- Best for
- families, couples, nature-focused travelers, first-time Chiang Mai visitors
- Booking
- Available through ThaiEleHub.com
- Last updated
- July 2026
Best for
Nature-focused travelers, couples, families, Doi Inthanon route planners and visitors who prefer a quieter no-control elephant experience.
Not best for
Travelers who want elephant riding, staged shows, guaranteed bathing photos or high-contact entertainment.
Tomorrow ·
Online booking closes 10 hours before departure. A departure inside that window is not offered here. Availability after the cutoff is not shown live.
- MorningAdult ฿1,500 · Child ฿1,100
Pickup 07:00 · Return 14:00 · Chiang Mai hotel pickup · Cancel at least 24 h before tour start (deposit refund minus Stripe 6.5% fee)
- AfternoonAdult ฿1,500 · Child ฿1,100
Pickup 11:30 · Return 18:30 · Chiang Mai hotel pickup · Cancel at least 24 h before tour start (deposit refund minus Stripe 6.5% fee)
Real itinerary
Times below are pulled from the current product pages — the same pickup and return windows guests see when they book, not estimates.
| Program | Pickup | Return | Duration | Full price / adult | Full price / child | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning — Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Half-Day Morning Encounter | 07:00 | 14:00 | 7 hours | ฿1,500 | ฿1,100 | Travelers with limited time who want to finish early and use the afternoon for temples, markets, or rest. |
| Afternoon — Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Half-Day Afternoon Encounter | 11:30 | 18:30 | 7 hours | ฿1,500 | ฿1,100 | Travelers whose morning is already booked (temple sunrise, workshops) or who arrived in Chiang Mai late the night before. |
| Full-day — Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephants, Bamboo Rafting & Pad Thai Day Tour | 07:30 | 17:00 | 9.5 hours | ฿1,800 | ฿1,300 | Travelers who want a deeper day — feeding, forest observation, meal preparation, and time to slow down. |
| Full-day — Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai Elephants, Sticky Waterfall & Pad Thai Day Tour | 07:30 | 15:30 | 8 hours | ฿1,800 | ฿1,300 | Travelers who want a deeper day — feeding, forest observation, meal preparation, and time to slow down. |
Family and weather planning
Minimum child age and family suitability
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai welcomes visitors of all ages. Children aged 4–8 receive a reduced rate and infants aged 0–3 visit free of charge. Close parental supervision is required during all interactions with the elephants. Half-day child fare is ฿1,100 (25% deposit ฿275). A half-day route is the calmer first choice for families with young kids; older children usually handle the full-day combinations without issue. Information last verified: 9 Oct 2026.
Wet season, rainy day and green season arrangements
Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai runs sanctuary days through the wet months in the Doi Inthanon foothills, Chiang Mai. Thailand's green season is roughly May to October, when light rain often makes the landscape cooler and the elephants more active.Programs adjust footwear, rain gear, and the schedule to conditions on the day rather than cancelling — heavy weather can shift the itinerary, and the sanctuary confirms details on the tour morning. See our rainy-season guide and why May–June can be a better time to visit. Information last verified: 9 Oct 2026.
Entity fact block
- Entity
- Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary
- Location
- Doi Inthanon foothills, Chiang Mai — outside the city, managed by the local Karen community. Transfer time depends on traffic and your hotel
- Entity relationship
- A Karen-run sanctuary bookable through ThaiEleHub
- Experience type
- No-riding, quieter camp: guests watch from a distance and place vitamin balls on the feeding table. Optional bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River
- Animal policy
- Guests cannot touch the elephants; they watch from a distance. No bathing · No riding · No walking with elephants
- Available programs
- Morning (7 hours) · Afternoon (7 hours) · Full-day (9.5 hours) · Full-day (8 hours)
- Pickup
- Chiang Mai city hotels — round-trip transfer into the Doi Inthanon foothills. Time depends on traffic and your hotel. Pickup times start at 07:00 or 11:30 or 07:30 depending on program.
- Current price
- ฿1,500 – ฿1,800 per adult depending on program
- Payment
- 25% per-guest deposit today on ThaiEleHub; remaining balance paid locally on the tour day per the booking terms
- Booking support
- ThaiEleHub
- Contact
- info@thaielehub.com
- +66 98 858 9666
- Last verified
- 9 Oct 2026
- Independent sources
- Live ratings, current reviews, traveler photos and award status are maintained on the third-party platforms below. Open the source to verify current status before booking — ThaiEleHub does not republish rating numbers on this page.
Official website · Google Maps · TripAdvisor · Facebook
Last verified: