Best Adventure Tours in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai became popular as Thailand's cultural heart because of its rich history and streets packed with ancient temples. But did you know it's also one of Thailand's top destinations for adventure activities? The lush mountains and dense jungles surrounding the city make it a prime destination for thrill-seekers, providing an exhilarating blend of adventure and natural beauty. There's an adventure activity for every type of traveler in Chiang Mai, from ziplining through ancient forests to whitewater rafting.
If you're visiting the city and looking for the best adventure tours in Chiang Mai, you're in the right place! Here is our round-up of the top six adventure tours in Chiang Mai and its surrounding areas.
Ziplining Through the Jungle
A jungle zipline trip is one of the most euphoric adventure tours you can do in Chiang Mai - the acres of dense jungle surrounding the city make it one of the best places in the country to try ziplining. There are a handful of ziplining adventure tours on offer at the below zipline parks:
Jungle Flight
Arguably one of the best ziplines in Chiang Mai, Jungle Flight offers an immersive experience in the treetops of an ancient rainforest. It's home to the longest zipline in Thailand, measuring a whopping 1000 meters in length, and 14 other zipline tracks. Jungle Flight is also where you'll find the largest zipline roller coaster in the world - the perfect activity for thrill seekers.
The adventure park is located about an hour outside Chiang Mai, deep in the heart of the Thai rainforest. Tours can be booked here, with packages including transfers and a buffet lunch starting for only 2800 THB.
Skyline Adventure
Skyline Adventure is another great place to try ziplining in Chiang Mai. They offer a course made up of 21 ziplines, abseiling, and a giant swing, so it's an excellent place for a full-day adventure tour. In addition to ziplining, you'll find Thailand's longest jungle luge car, an exciting ride that trundles downhill at heart-pounding speed.
A trip to Skyline Adventure costs 2450 THB and includes return transport to your accommodation in a private minivan. Book here.
White Water Rafting
Whitewater rafting is another incredibly popular adventure activity in Chiang Mai for thrill seekers. The cascading mountains and lush jungle landscapes surrounding the city are home to many rivers, some of which contain thrilling rapids perfect for rafting—particularly the Mae Taeng River, which is renowned as one of the best in the area as it has both Class III and IV rapids.
Participants receive safety briefings and gear before embarking on a guided journey through turbulent waters, passing through picturesque valleys and remote villages. The combination of natural beauty, physical challenge, and teamwork in navigating the waters together makes it a truly memorable experience.
Khampan Rafting is the leading rafting tour in Chiang Mai. It allows guests to navigate a dozen rapids of varying strength and ferocity. Our rafting adventure tour also includes a swimming stop at the nearby Phachee Waterfall, where you can slide down a natural waterslide!
Elephant Sanctuary, Rafting and Trekking
If you want an action-packed one-day trip that includes all the highlights of Chiang Mai, we recommend our Elephant Sanctuary, Rafting, and Trekking tour. This trip takes you to the Elephant In Wild sanctuary to feed and bathe with the elephants. After this life-changing experience, we will go whitewater rafting for 5 kilometers down the Mae Taeng River, followed by a short hike to a waterfall where we can relax and swim.
Jungle Trekking Adventures
Jungle trekking is another adventure tour that beckons travellers to Chiang Mai. The region's lush landscapes make it possible —it's renowned as the best destination in Thailand for trekking and hiking. The jungles and countryside surrounding the city play host to a multitude of diverse trekking routes through dense jungles, verdant mountains, and traditional hill tribe villages. The experience allows trekkers to immerse themselves in nature, witness stunning waterfalls, and encounter unique wildlife.
Many popular trekking destinations surround Chiang Mai, and booking single-day and multi-day treks is possible.
Mae Wang National Park
This National Park is an excellent choice if you want to embark on a multi-day hike, with one, two, or three day itineraries available to book. The park is known for its cascading waterfalls, serene hillscapes, and local hill tribe communities with which visitors can spend time. While the itineraries for each different tour vary, the one thing they all have in common is incredible viewpoints, fantastic local food, and an adventurous escape from the city.
Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon is known as the 'roof of Thailand' and is the highest mountain in the country. As you can imagine, this makes for some pretty epic views! Our one-day eco-trekking tour covers all the top spots within this vast national park, including nature trails around the highest point in Thailand, Wachirathan Waterfall, the Twin Pagodas, and a visit to the White Karen Hill Tribe.
Exclusive Jungle Trekking
If you genuinely want to experience life in Northern Thailand's jungles, there's no better Chiang Mai adventure tour than this one. The exclusive jungle trekking tour ticks off a handful of the area's bucket list activities, including feeding and bathing elephants at the Karen Elephant Project. You'll stay overnight in a remote Karen hill tribe village, getting a glimpse of life in the hills and forests this region is known for. The tour also includes stops at breathtaking waterfalls and plenty of scenic viewpoints, as well as an hour of bamboo rafting along the Mae Wang River.
Biking Adventures
Chiang Mai offers some incredible mountain biking trails for those who prefer two to get thrills from pursuits involving wheels. Numb Downhill Mountain Bike is one of the most exhilarating adventure tours in Chiang Mai, and if you're an adrenaline freak - it's not to be missed!
The full-day trip takes place in the steep descents of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, and your professional guide will take you through some of the best downhill biking trails in Chiang Mai.
Please note that this tour is only suitable for advanced mountain bikers. If you want to try an adventure tour that involves cycling but don't have any experience with mountain biking, why do you not try a city bicycle tour instead? Hopping on a pedal bike and exploring the quaint streets of the old town is the perfect way to experience Chiang Mai's charm. This cycling tour is led by a knowledgeable guide and stops at many of the city's main attractions, including multiple temples and the Warorot Market.
ATV Off-Road Adventures
An ATV adventure tour is one of the best ways to experience Chiang Mai's natural beauty. These tours, led by experienced guides, take you through rugged landscapes, scenic rice fields, and charming villages, providing a unique perspective on the region's natural beauty and cultural richness. Riding an ATV allows for a thrilling adventure as you navigate winding trails, splash through streams, and climb steep hills. Safety briefings and practice sessions ensure even beginners feel confident.
This ATV tour includes three hours of riding, with stops throughout the day at picturesque viewpoints and local attractions, like waterfalls, caves, and the famous Royal Project Farms. This allows for plenty of photo opportunities and breaks from the thrillingly bumpy ride.
Kayaking Adventure Tours
There's no adventure quite like kayaking, and Chiang Mai's lakes and rivers are a pretty spectacular place to experience this for yourself. Gliding along the water offers a unique vantage point over Northern Thailand's mountainous landscapes and green jungles. You can explore Chiang Mai like a true adventurer on a kayak tour.
Three of the best places to experience a kayak adventure in Chiang Mai are the Chiang Dao River, the Mae Wang River, and the Mae Ngat Dam Lake. Each destination offers a different difficulty level for kayaking, ensuring an option that suits everyone.
Chiang Dao Jungle River
The Chiang Dao Jungle River Tour is the perfect choice if you're seeking a serene adventure. Here, you'll spend 4 - 5 hours kayaking a distance of 24 KM along the magical waters of the Northern Ping River. It's incredibly peaceful here, and if you get lucky, you can spot elephants amidst the overgrown banks. This area is a haven for wildlife; the echoing noises add to the serene ambiance.
Mae Wang River Rock Hopper
In the mood for something more heart-pounding? Try the Mae Wang River Rock Hopper tour instead. This trip takes thrill-seekers through the class 1 and 2 rapids along the Mae Wang River, found at the foothills of Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain. After a safety briefing with experienced instructors, you'll spend a few hours cascading down the fierce waters, trying your best to stay inside your kayak. It's not for the faint-hearted - but it will undoubtedly make your trip to Chiang Mai a memorable one.
Mae Ngat Dam Lake
This kayaking tour is the perfect choice if you're new to kayaking or traveling with kids. The gentle waters of Mae Ngat Dam Lake make it a brilliant spot to enjoy kayaking without any pressure. The tour also includes a stop at a floating houseboat where visitors can relax and swim.
As you can see, Chiang Mai is a haven for adventurers, offering unparalleled experiences that cater to thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike. Whether you're soaring through the treetops on a zipline, navigating the rapids of the Mae Taeng River, or trekking through the jungle, every adventure tour in this region promises to be unforgettable. The diverse landscape of Northern Thailand, combined with its rich cultural heritage, ensures an adventure tour to suit every type of traveler in Chiang Mai.