Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai by Elephant Dream Project

My first trip to Chiang Mai on May 8, 2026, left me with unforgettable memories. From JJ's initial introduction and explanation, I could feel the park's dedication to this project. It wasn't a commercial performance tour, but rather one that truly prioritized the elephants' lives and care. The itinerary included a fruit feeding experience, but more time was spent quietly observing the elephants living freely, walking, playing in the water, and interacting. There were no forced performances or rides; instead, we accompanied and got to know them in the most natural way. I also want to tell everyone that if you come to Chiang Mai, an experience like this is truly worthwhile. Even though the journey is a bit long, I hope everyone can understand that it's precisely because they are far from the city that they have more spacious land to roam freely. Watching them live so freely, it felt as if I could sense the elephants' genuine happiness and the feeling of being well-treated.

We had the best day visiting the elephant dream project. the guide and owner of the elephants was fantastic. It truly is a real ethical sanctuary as the elephants are treated like family members and are well cared for. Lunch was great and the long van ride was well worth it in the comfy van! highly recommend!

I really like the approach of this sanctuary. When I first started looking for a tour, I specifically wanted one where I could just walk with the elephants, as I didn't want to overly disturb these gentle giants. After all, with only half a day or a full day, it's impossible to get truly familiar with them, and I didn't want to get myself dirty. My ideal scenario was simply taking photos, walking, and being near them. Despite that, it was still a very pleasant experience, holding watermelon, sugarcane, and some grass for them to enjoy as snacks. Elephants are so massive, and each one has a different personality. There's still a slight element of danger, so it's crucial to follow the staff's instructions. This sanctuary is home to an elephant family, and we saw three of them. One, Yaya, was a bit mischievous. The other two, older elephants, were more stable. Surprisingly, elephants seem to be a little afraid of cats and dogs, or perhaps they just dislike them; I'm not entirely sure.

💯 ethical elephant sanctuary! When visiting Chiang Mai, itineraries almost always include a day trip to an elephant sanctuary. As tourists/humans, it is absolutely our obligation to do our research in finding ethical elephant sanctuaries that don’t force the elephants to interact with visitors in exchange for profit. Elephant Dream Project fits the bill—visibly happy and healthy elephants, no forced interactions such as bathing or riding, owned and maintained by local Karen Tribe villagers, and visitors follow the elephants (versus other “sanctuaries” where elephants follow the visitors or Mahouts/guides). Compared to other sanctuaries, Elephant Dream Project is more lowkey and less commercial, which gave me a good impression because it appears that profit goes to elephant food and welfare. Please, support Elephant Dream Project to continue giving their elephants happy and safe lives! 🐘

super enjoyed our experience with the elephants, they are very gentle and likes to play with people. I love that the elephants here are given free will to do whatever they want and are not forced to entertain people, elephant dream project takes care of these gentle giants in a very ethical way and always reminds tourists that we should never force them and just let them do what they want. just simply take care of them.

When I was looking for an elephant sanctuary to visit in Thailand, I wanted something simple: no riding, no performances, and no forced interactions. I just want to observe and be close with them. What I loved about Elephant Dream Project is that the elephants lead and we follow. We walk with them, give them snacks, and let them decide where they want to go and what they want to do. We met a 60-year-old grandmother elephant, learned so much about these gentle giants. More than anything, this place felt like a home for them. The elephants weren’t treated as an attraction or a profit project. They were treated as family. If you’re looking for an ethical elephant experience in Chiang Mai, I highly recommend Elephant Dream Project. 🐘❤️✨

A super nice experience! The guide is super friendly, the elephants are beautiful. Walking with them in the mountains and feeding them was a wonderful experience, highly recommended. Just a heads up, the road has a lot of curves, so bring Dramamine.

The most amazing part of my stay here in Thailand. I was able to see elephants doing there own thing. They weren't forced to entertain us like many places in Thailand. I would go back to see these amazing creatures.

Today, I volunteered with elephants. When choosing an elephant sanctuary in Taiwan, I was really indecisive. Initially, I wanted to go to ENP, but there you can't have any contact with the elephants, only observe them from a distance. Plus, there were some online debates about mahouts hitting elephants, and they're quite famous internationally, so they get a lot of tourists. So, I decided to give my money to a smaller, more genuinely elephant-loving sanctuary instead. @Elephant Dream Project is run by a family that has been raising elephants for generations, for hundreds of years. The elephants are like family pets. The sanctuary director's vision is to buy a piece of land and bring all the elephant calves back to live together. Currently, there are only four elephants in the sanctuary; the oldest is 60, and the youngest is just 10. Here, you have to cut grass yourself to feed the elephants (luckily, they always pick the younger volunteers for this). Sugarcane, bananas, and watermelons are just snacks for them; most of their food comes from plants in the jungle. So, we walked with the elephants into the jungle to forage, and then watched them drink water. Today, it wasn't hot enough, so the elephants didn't want to bathe, and the sanctuary didn't force them. It's a shame I didn't get to see them relaxing while playing in the water. We stayed here until about 1 PM. Throughout my time there, I didn't see any mahouts forcing the elephants to do anything. It was interesting how the elephants understood their commands; they would follow when called by name and knew when it was time to leave. They are truly spiritual creatures. Today, we had close contact with these gentle elephants and learned more about their habits. I hope that when people visit Thailand, they will stop riding elephants or bathing them, and instead let them be free to be themselves.

I looked at many similar itineraries on the KKday platform, but ultimately chose ELEPHANT DREAM PROJECT. This itinerary doesn't include bathing or mud baths for the elephants 👍 because repeated bathing can damage their skin. It simply involves feeding them, walking with them, and watching them drink water. The park isn't large; it currently houses five elephants. The people here completely respect the elephants' natural instincts. I loved watching the elephants in their relaxed state. I highly recommend this place ❤️