14 Waterfall Treks in Chiang Mai to Build a Trip Around

1.2-Days Jungle Trek, Waterfalls and Karen Village

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

Spend two days hiking through Mae Win jungle and White Karen farmlands, swimming at waterfalls, and sleeping in a simple village cottage. English-speaking guides such as Kong, Pat, Pong, Jo, and Nu lead small groups of up to 13, with meals, transport, and insurance included.

“Kong our guide was fantastic, he made the trip so easy and interesting too. Saw some great sites along the way, waterfalls etc. Was very enjoyable and relaxing and great way to experience the jungle. It was very strenuous journey, we travelled with some young adults and we all felt very safe and in good hands. I would not recommend this trip for anyone who wasn’t fit and who can’t cope with a lot of uphill climbs or hiking for @6hrs each day . Accomodation was very basic but adequate and all part of the unique experience. This 2 day trip is a must do if you are physically able…”

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2.Chiang Mai ATV & White Water Rafting & Trekking to Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 1 day

Travel from Chiang Mai to the Maetang River for a two-hour jungle hike to a waterfall, Thai lunch, five-kilometer white-water rafting, and one hour on a 200cc ATV. English-speaking guides such as Tony and Tata lead the small-group day, capped at 10 people.

“atv could have been a little faster, was extremely slow, but it 2as beautufull and guide was very nice. Rafting was great, didn't feel like 5km or 1 hour”

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

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

Leave Chiang Mai by van or open-air truck for a hill-tribe village where rescued elephants live without chains, hooks, riding, or forced tricks. Prepare food, feed and walk with them, join a river bath, eat a local meal, and visit Mae Wang Waterfall. Expect a flexible day shaped by the elephants.

“Amazing,so worth the money all the staff were lovely and accommodating,great food!”

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4.Whitewater Rafting and Waterfall Trekking Tour

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

Join 8Adventures for a full day in Mae Taeng District. You’ll hike through orchards and jungle to a 10-meter waterfall, then tackle 10 kilometers of rafting with guides such as Sam, Tin, and Sack. Expect safety gear, lunch, showers, and a long but well-organized day.

“The whole day was an amazing experience from start to finish! We started off with the white water rafting, Sam my captain along with the other staff made sure it was safe and very enjoyable! We then had a really tasty lunch followed by our trekking tour with Tin to see the waterfall. It was so refreshing to be able to go underneath the waterfall, the trek was also enjoyable with lots of nice photo opportunities. Overall would highly recommend!”

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5.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, and a calm Mae Taeng River tubing ride. Choose the five-meter Saa Gee Falls slide or an ethical elephant observation visit. Hotel transfers, towels, showers, and safety gear are included.

“Great day out. I did the hike to the waterfall, the waterfall is ok but the jungle scenery is lovely. The tubing is great, just chilling in the sun, floating down past the various elephant sanctuaries. While they say sittings are not guaranteed they’re about 99% guaranteed, I must have seen about 15. Finally there was a short walk to a waterfall which you can slide down into the pool at the bottom (it’s about 5m drop) The Center for the activity is where lunch etc happens and is very clean with showers, (towel provided) western style toilets and places to relax. All in all a great day out”

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6.Elephant Sanctuary & Jungle Trek w/ Waterfall

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

Travel south from Chiang Mai in a small group of up to 12 for bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River, elephant feeding and bathing, a jungle walk to a waterfall, and lunch in a Shan village. Guides speak English and Thai, with Witoon and Tony praised for their warm, playful style.

“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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7.Trek to a Jungle Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $64Top rated

Start at 8Adventures Camp for a guided 1.6 km jungle walk to a 10-meter waterfall. Guides such as Zak and Noey have led guests through local flora and fruit trees. You can swim, enjoy lunch and water, and return along the same trail. Pickup is offered, with groups capped at 15.

“Beautiful trekking to a waterfall with a friendly and experienced guide. Delicious meal and a bottle of water included. Pick up and drop off at the hotel in a nice car with safe and friendly driver. 100 % satisfied and absolutely worth the money. A "must do" activity when you are in Chiang Mai !!!”

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8.Mae Ya Waterfall & Pha Dok Siew Trail Trek

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

Spend about 9.5 hours exploring three Chiang Mai waterfalls and the Pha Dok Siew trail. Your English-speaking guide, such as Tom, Austin, or Phon Phon, leads a roughly two-hour forest walk to Ban Mae Klang Luang for Karen coffee and lunch. Pickup is available near Chiang Mai’s old city.

“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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9.Guided Jungle and Waterfall Trek with Transfer

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

Leave Chiang Mai by air-conditioned van for Mae Taeng District, then walk beside the river with a local guide. Expect a gentle three-hour jungle trek, plant and wildlife stories, a 10-meter waterfall swim, lunch, snacks, water, and hotel transfers.

“The trek was wonderful and a awesome waterfall. Would recommend it.”

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10.1-Day Trekking Experience to Village & Waterfall

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

Spend 11 hours south of Chiang Mai on a guided 10 km trek through jungle, rice fields, and White Karen villages. You will swim at waterfalls, eat a picnic-style Thai lunch, and return by early evening. The hike takes 5 to 6 hours and suits active walkers.

“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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11.Doi Inthanon-Trekking Pha Dok Seaw-Waterfall-Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · from $44

Spend about nine hours in Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand’s highest point, with a guide, local lunch, Twin Pagodas, a jungle trek to Pha Dok Seaw Waterfall, Karen village, rice terraces, and coffee farm. Hotel transfers and accident insurance are included.

“Fabulous hike. Great guide. Fun group. Highly recommend. Fun day and great to be outdoors. BV. B v vv”

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12.Doi Inthanon-Trekking Keiw Mae Pan-Waterfall-Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $43Best value

Leave Chiang Mai for Doi Inthanon National Park with an English- and Mandarin-speaking guide. Walk the seasonal Kew Mae Pan Trail, visit the King and Queen Pagodas, stop at a waterfall and hill villages, and eat lunch at a local restaurant. Groups are capped at 12.

“Ondanks het tegenvallende weer was de sfeer in de groep opperbest en was het een vermakelijke tour. De gids vertelde veel maar was niet voor iedereen bereikbaar.”

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13.Full-Day Tour of Lahu Village and Waterfall Trek

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

Travel from Chiang Mai to Baan Huay Kub Kab, trekking 2.5 to 3 hours to a Lahu village with an English or Thai-speaking guide. Cook a local lunch at a hill tribe home, explore village life, then walk downhill to a waterfall for a swim before returning by local truck.

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14.Karen Tribe & Dual Waterfalls – Private Day Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · 1 day

Lee and Moo lead a private day from Chiang Mai into Mae Wang, where you walk through paddy fields, forests, and Karen villages, stop at two waterfalls, help prepare lunch, and finish with 45 minutes of bamboo rafting. The route is physical and 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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