Elefin Farm Chiang Mai Tour Review: Best Day Trip

Honest Review: Chiang Mai Elephant Cafe Elefin Farm, Cypress Lanes, and Baan Kang Wat Tour

When you think of Chiang Mai, an elephant experience is probably at the top of your bucket list. Having already completed an ethical elephant sanctuary program, I wanted something a bit more relaxed for my next adventure. I set my sights on the famous elephant cafe, Elefin Farm, and the highly Instagrammable Cypress Lanes. To make things easy, I booked a convenient shuttle and pickup tour that covers both spots plus the Baan Kang Wat artist village. Here is my honest review and tips on how to plan the perfect day trip!

Choosing the Tour: Criteria & Itinerary

There are several day tours available, but since June marks the start of the rainy season in Chiang Mai, Mon Jam isn't highly recommended due to muddy mountain roads. Instead, I carefully read reviews and picked the most highly-rated tour that bypassed Mon Jam entirely.

The Itinerary

10:40 AM - Elefin Farm (1 hour of free time)

11:40 AM - Cypress Lanes Cafe (25 minutes of free time)

12:20 PM - Baan Kang Wat Artist Village (50 minutes of free time)

  This is a self-guided tour with shared transport. You travel together, but you are completely free to explore each spot at your own pace.

  Ending at Baan Kang Wat is perfect because it gave us the option to stay behind, grab lunch, and explore the trendy local cafes with my mom.

🔻Book the Elephant Cafe

Self-Guided Tour Here🔻

Hotel Pickup & Vehicle Comfort

For those staying in the Old Town, pickup takes place between 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM. We were the first to be picked up right at 9:00 AM. The guide came directly into our hotel lobby to call our names. The vehicle was a spacious 12-seater van with excellent air conditioning, making the ride incredibly comfortable.

Our guide gave us a quick safety briefing in clear, easy-to-understand English, so there is absolutely no need to worry about language barriers.

  Safety Tip: Never hold food in your hands when getting close to the elephants to prevent them from grabbing at you too eagerly.

Elefin Farm (The Elephant Cafe)

After picking up the final guests in Nimmanhemin, we headed to Elefin Farm at 9:40 AM. The drive takes about an hour.

Upon arrival, we exchanged our included 100 THB coupon (about $3 USD) for a basket of elephant food. With a full hour of free time, we had plenty of time to feed the elephants, order refreshing drinks, and relax. The cafe is incredibly spacious, clean, and equipped with fans at every table.

  The 100 THB tour coupon can be used for either elephant feed or drinks at the cafe.

  Remember, this is a self-guided experience—the driver simply handles transport, leaving you to enjoy each location independently.

  Safety Warning: You are welcome to take as many photos as you like, but do not stand too close to the elephants while holding the food basket.

If you want to take a photo of the elephant wrapping its trunk around you, you can leave a small tip of 20 to 50 THB (around $0.60 to $1.60 USD) in the tip box and ask the staff. The elephants are incredibly gentle and cute!

Thirty minutes was more than enough time to feed the elephants and snap some great photos. Since we had eaten a big breakfast, we spent the remaining time strolling around the farm. There are countless photo spots, and the cool mountain breeze felt amazing.

Cypress Lanes

A quick 5-minute drive brought us to Cypress Lanes. I was excited to shoot some content here, but the guide only allocated 20 to 25 minutes of free time.

However, once we arrived, I realized why: the site is relatively small, and most people just queue up for the signature path photo. We took turns with our tour mates, and 20 minutes was the perfect amount of time.

  Crucial Tip: Cypress Lanes is closed on Thursdays!

Whether you book a tour or plan to go on your own, make sure to avoid planning your visit on a Thursday.

Baan Kang Wat Artist Village

Recommended Route: Baan Kang Wat → No. 39 Cafe → Adirak Pizza → Enough for Life

Our final stop, located about 20 minutes away, was the beautiful Baan Kang Wat artist village.

This is a must-visit spot for anyone traveling to Chiang Mai. The tour price is practically equivalent to what you would pay for a round-trip Grab ride here anyway. The standard tour offers 50 minutes of free time before dropping you back at your hotel.

Instead of heading back, we told our guide we would end our tour here. This allowed us to spend over 3 hours exploring the area at our leisure!

My Recommended Walking Route

Baan Kang Wat → No. 39 Cafe → Adirak Pizza → Enough for Life

1️⃣ First, head over to No. 39 Cafe, famous for its vibrant turquoise pond, to enjoy an iced coffee and cool off.

2️⃣ Walk over to Adirak Pizza for an incredible wood-fired lunch. The pizza is phenomenal, and the outdoor garden vibe is unmatched.

3️⃣ Finish your afternoon at Enough for Life, a gorgeous boutique shop right around the corner. Everything on this route is walkable and highly recommended!

Honest Tour Review & Verdict

Starting the morning with the elephants at Elefin Farm and wrapping up at Baan Kang Wat made for an incredibly efficient and stress-free itinerary.

Since Baan Kang Wat is already on everyone's Chiang Mai bucket list, ending the tour there lets you seamlessly transition into craft workshops, cafe hopping, and dinner without rushing back.

  Summary & Verdict

  If you want a comfortable, hassle-free way to visit Elefin Farm, Cypress Lanes, and Baan Kang Wat, you can book your spot using the link below!

🔻Book the Elephant Cafe

Self-Guided Tour Here🔻

🔻Chiang Mai Doi Suthep Night Tour🔻

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