Top 10 Waterfall Treks in Chiang Mai

1.Chiang Mai: 2-Days Jungle Trek, Waterfalls and Karen Village

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 103 reviews · 2 days · from $96Our pick

Spend two active days hiking through Mae Win and Mae Wang, stopping at waterfalls, Karen villages and farmland. Your English-speaking guide leads a small group of up to 13, with a simple cottage stay, local meals, campfire, stargazing and time to swim. Pack light, bring warm layers, and expect long uphill walks.

“Great trip from start to finish. Met some great people from all over the world.”

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2.Chiang Mai Untouched Elephant: Nature Walk & Waterfall Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 77 reviews · 5 hours · from $51Best value

Join Jimmy and local mahouts for a natural day with rescued elephants near Chiang Mai. Prepare food, feed and walk the elephants, then help with a river bath before eating a home-cooked meal and visiting Mae Wang Waterfall. Expect a flexible rural experience, rough transport, and outdoor activity rather than a tightly timed tour.

“Good experience , need to let clients know it will be a 2 hr drive from Chiang Mai in the back of an open air truck. Also, it was a 7 hrs experience not 4, which caused us to miss another function. Bring towels, bathing suit, change of clothes.( not listed on website “ to bring “ list. Actual experience with elephants fulfilled a dream though.”

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3.Chiang Mai: Whitewater Rafting and Waterfall Trekking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 58 reviews · 10 hours · from $112

Spend 10 hours beyond Chiang Mai with guides such as Sack, Tin, Sam, and O. Trek through orchards and jungle to a 10-meter waterfall, then tackle 10 kilometers of class III and IV rapids in Mae Taeng. You get transport, safety gear, lunch, showers, towels, and time to swim.

“The day was so much fun!! We started the day with the trek and our guide, Sack (he used the reference of a potato sack to remember it haha) was so lovely and passionate about nature. He stopped many times to teach us about the plants and their purposes and even shared his childhood stories. It made the walk so much more enjoyable than just a trek to a waterfall. One there we dipped in the water and enjoyed a snack and the view. After a lovely lunch we headed for the water rafting activity. A lot of supporting staff, attention to detail and security, ensuring we were all aware…”

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4.Chiang Mai Adventure: Trekking, Tubing & Waterfall Slide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 20 reviews · 7 - 10 hours · from $70

Spend a full day in Mae Taeng with an English-speaking local guide, a 2.5-hour jungle trek to Tard Mok Waterfall, Thai lunch, river tubing near Elephant Nature Park, and a natural slide at Saa Gee Falls. Choose the elephant observation option instead, or meet at base camp without Chiang Mai transfers.

“This was the best day on our trip to Thailand, even though we still have a week in the south. I'm that certain! The owner and everyone that works there were so nice, especially our guide. He was so energetic and fun! It was so we'll planned out as well. Drinks, snacks, good meal, nice hot shower and clean towels after getting wet and a bit muddy. They lent flip flops for me and my girlfriend when we forgot to take our swim socks with us. We were also lucky, because there was only 3 of us on this trip, so it was really private and intimate. The hike to…”

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5.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Jungle Trek w/ Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 1 day · from $61

Travel south from Chiang Mai to Mae Wang for bamboo rafting, rescued-elephant care, a jungle walk, waterfall swim, and Shan village lunch. English and Thai-speaking guides, including Witoon and Tony, lead small groups of up to 12. Hotel pickup, transport, meals, tickets, and accident insurance are included.

“Elephant feeding and bathing was the highlight of our trip, would d highly recommend this tour, tour guides were excellent and made the trip fun”

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6.Chiang Mai: Mae Ya Waterfall & Pha Dok Siew Trail Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 9h 30m · from $80Top rated

Spend about 9.5 hours exploring three Chiang Mai highlights with an English-speaking guide. Visit Wachirathan and Mae Ya waterfalls, hike the Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail, and finish at Ban Mae Klang Luang for Karen village life, local coffee, rice-field views, and lunch. Guides may include Tom, Austin, Thomas, or Phon Phon.

“Really nice day with Austin. We were only two, it was like a private tour. However, the price of the tour was a bit expensive.”

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7.Chiang Mai: Guided Jungle and Waterfall Trek with Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews · 6 hours · from $64

Spend six hours exploring Mae Taeng District with a local English or Thai-speaking guide. Walk beside the river, learn about plants and wildlife, make simple bamboo crafts, swim beneath a 10-meter waterfall, and enjoy lunch, snacks, and water. Hotel pickup and drop-off from Chiang Mai are included.

“This trip was great fun. our guide made it all the better by teaching us about some of the trees and plants along the way. he also made us a bamboo cup, a leaf hat, a bamboo ring and taught us how to make a whistle and grass instrument He also allowed us to taste some very sweet sap.in a flower. When we got to the waterfall he took pictures of us both and will WhatsApp them to us. The terrain was fairly easy going with a bamboo stick which was provided. After the trek a lot velt lunch was provided. I recommend this trip.”

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8.Chiang Mai: 1-Day Trekking Experience to Village & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · 11 hours · from $61

Spend 11 hours hiking in Mae Win and Mae Wang, south of Chiang Mai. Your English-speaking guide, possibly the guide known as Jungle Boy, leads you through jungle, rice fields, White Karen villages, and four waterfalls. Expect 5 to 6 hours on foot, a Thai picnic lunch, and two good chances to swim.

“een mooie tocht door de natuur. wel had ik meer gehoord door echte jungle te lopen. dit was alleen na de tweede waterval het geval. toch al met al genoten. we hebben 2 keer heerlijk gezwommen bij prachtige watervallen.”

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9.Chiang Mai: Full-Day Tour of Lahu Village and Waterfall Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $93

Spend a full day walking from Chiang Mai Province into Lahu country near Mae Taeng. A local English-speaking guide leads the 2.5 to 3-hour uphill trek to Ban Huay Kub Kab, where you help cook a Thai lunch at a hill-tribe home. After visiting the village, walk about two hours downhill to a waterfall for swimming before returning by local truck.

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10.Chiang Mai: Karen Tribe & Dual Waterfalls – Private Day Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · 1 day

Travel from Chiang Mai with guides Lee and Moo to Mae Wang for a private day of forest paths, paddy fields, Karen village life, waterfalls, and bamboo rafting. You’ll hike for several hours, swim if conditions allow, share a local lunch, and finish with a gentle 45-minute river ride. The route can change with weather.

“Ce private Day avec Lee et Moo était juste extraordinaire. Nous avons beaucoup appris sur cette région et avons découvert de magnifiques endroits et paysages sur les hauteurs de Chiang Maï. A Mae Wang nous avons traversé le village du peuple Karen sans croiser une « femme girafe »mais en ayant pu découvrir le tissage qu elles réalisent (la femme qui tissait ne portait pas les colliers). Pour le déjeuner, l épouse de Lee avait concocté quelques plats et elle nous attendait pour réaliser le dernier avec ses conseils - 🙏. Accueil et déjeuner excellents. Puis départ vers la 2e cascade de la balade avant de rejoindre le véhicule qui…”

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