Mae Wang valley
Elephant sanctuary, waterfall and bamboo rafting
- Feeding and river bath, no riding
- Bamboo raft down the Mae Wang
- Best for
- A full day with elephants and water, no riding
- Skip if
- You want a short morning, or uneven ground is a problem
5 tours
Adventure and Sport
Five active days in the hills: quad tracks, forest ziplines and a raft down the river.
The hills north of Chiang Mai are red laterite, which turns to dust in the dry months and to something closer to chocolate sauce after rain. Both are fun on a quad. No licence is required on any of these tracks: you get a briefing, a helmet and a guide who rides in front.
Ziplines here run through genuine forest canopy rather than over a cleared slope, with platforms built into the trees. The Kingkong Smile course includes lunch and hotel transfers, which removes the one annoying part of a zipline day: getting yourself out to Mae Rim and back.
Most of these days pair two or three activities, because a quad track on its own is ninety minutes and a zipline course is about an hour. What you are booking is a half or full day out of the city with transfers, of which the activity is the middle part and the drive is the rest.
None of it needs experience or equipment of your own. Helmets, harnesses and life jackets come with the trip and the briefings are given in English. Bring closed shoes you are willing to write off: laterite stains, and the red does not come out.
The five we list
Mae Wang valley
ATV, elephant feeding, waterfall and rafting with lunch
- The fullest day
- Lunch and transfers included
- Best for
- Elephants, ATV riding and a full day outdoors
- Skip if
- You want a slow, quiet day in the valley
Jungle track
ATV quad ride, hidden waterfall and bamboo raft
- No licence needed, briefing on site
- Waterfall stop away from the crowds
- Best for
- Driving yourself, with a quiet waterfall after
- Skip if
- Engine noise in farming country sits badly with you
Mae Rim canopy
Kingkong Smile zipline with lunch and transfers
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch included
- Best for
- Half a day of height, transfers and lunch included
- Skip if
- Heights are a genuine problem rather than a thrill
Dan Tewada
Dan Tewada Land, bamboo raft and waterfall
- Newest trip on this list
- River raft plus waterfall stop
- Best for
- A river raft and a waterfall in the same day
- Skip if
- You want a short day
Bamboo rafting shows up as the closing act on several of these days, and it is calmer than the name suggests: a poled raft on flat water, not whitewater. It is also the wettest part of the trip, so pack your phone accordingly.
If you only have room for one adventure day, the combined ATV, elephant feeding, waterfall and rafting trip covers the most ground. If you'd rather do one thing properly, the standalone quad ride gives you far more time actually on the machine.
One thing worth knowing before you pick a date. The tracks are at their best a day or two after rain and at their dustiest in March and April, and in the burning season the hills north of the city can sit under haze for weeks. That does not stop the quads, but it does take the view away.
Common questions
Do I need a driving licence for the ATV?
No. These are off-road tracks on private land, with a briefing and a lead guide. Automatic transmission, so there's no gear-changing to learn.
How wet do you get on the bamboo raft?
Feet and shins guaranteed, everything else likely. Dry bags are provided on most trips but bring your own if your phone matters to you.
Is there a weight limit on the zipline?
Most courses cap around 120 kg and require a minimum age, typically 8 or 10. The exact limits are on each booking page.
Can children do these?
Ziplines usually take children from eight or ten with a minimum weight; on the quads a child can ride as a passenger well before they can drive one, and drivers are generally sixteen and up. Every booking page states its own limits, and they are not negotiable once you are there.
What happens if it rains?
Quads and bamboo rafts run in the rain, which is half the appeal. Ziplines stop for lightning, not for water. If the operator cancels you are refunded through the booking platform; if you cancel on the morning because of the forecast, the tour's own cancellation terms apply, and they are shown before you pay.