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A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Phuket, Thailand
A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary PES

From $83.73

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Skip the unethical elephant encounters in Phuket and visit a sanctuary where the animals are allowed to live their final years roaming freely without being harmed by tourists. Located on 30 acres of lush, tropical land bordering the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in North East Phuket, visiting the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary helps support their mission of compassionate and ethical elephant tourism.
  • Ethical elephant experience in Phuket
  • Learn how harmful elephant tourism can be
  • Watch elephants roam freely and have the chance to feed them
  • Your visit helps to support the mission of the elephant sanctuary

What's Included

  • Lunch
  • Welcome Snacks, Coffee, Fruits, Juices & Filtered Water
  • Boots, Socks, Umbrellas, Rain Coats, Mosquito Spray
  • Bottled water
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Roundtrip Transfers - If option is not selected

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

  • Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
    100, Moo 2,, Paklok, Thalang, ภูเก็ต 83110, Thailand

    Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, 100, Moo 2, Paklok, Phuket, Thailand. If you selected Program Only (No Transfer), please meet us at our office in Paklok. Parking is available.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

09:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

This program includes shared roundtrip transfers from anywhere in the Phuket Province. Pick-up and drop-off location must be identical. Exact pick-up time will be advised via email. Private transfers are also available. Please contact us to inquiry about the costs for your specific location.

What To Expect

Enjoy an ethical elephant encounter at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. Get up close to rescued elephants while supporting the sanctuary’s conservation efforts.

You’ll be picked up from your Phuket hotel (with the shared transfer option) and taken to the sanctuary. The experience starts with a presentation and video at the Tree Top Sanctuary, where you can enjoy a welcome snack and refreshments and gear up with provided boots, socks, rain coats, mosquito spray, and umbrellas.

Meet and learn about the different elephants while they are fed with bananas, pineapples, and cucumbers. Afterwards, follow the elephants into the jungle. Stop at the observation platforms, where you can watch the elephants bathing, playing, and socializing from a safe distance.

Afterwards, enjoy a Thai vegetarian meal before being driven back to Phuket and dropped off at your accommodations.

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 85 travelers
Operated by Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Rachelle_H
This tour was great. Our pick up went well, we had to wait just a few minutes. Everything at the experience was so well organized and very professional. The breakfast and lunch were delicious. Our guide was so informative and we spent a lot of time observing and learning about the elephants. It was fun feeding the elephants too. Highly recommend this tour. Great value for your money.

Reviews

5.0
837 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Showing 1-10 of 837 reviews
Truly ethical experience
Wesley_Y, Apr 2024
It is truly an ethical tour as the tour focuses on educating people , first with a video on how the status of elephants diminished in Thailand from fighting alongside kings to being tortured into playing all the tricks in circuses, logging or trekking industry. We are sad to know that in circuses, elephants are tamed and chained up so that they will lose their elephant spirit and have their strong wills crushed before submitting to human to be trained for tricks. The elephants were all rescued from either of the three industries. The tour guides then brought each of the small groups on a walking tour around the sanctuary, introducing us to their ‘bedroom’, the new elephant hospital that they are building and observing the elephants at a close distance (but not disturbing them) their natural behaviours like eating and playing in the pool. The only more interactive experience is feeding them with bananas and melons. We did our research before joining the tour, we realised that bathing with elephants is not ethical even those other sanctuaries said they are. We also talked to a Thai chef at a restaurant the other day and when we asked him if he knows any truly ethical sanctuary, he mentioned Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and that the unethical ones are apparently run by mafias like from Russia/Sweden. It is good to know that it is regarded by the local as an ethical sanctuary too. The elephants looked old and we could see scarred skin, broken ears, cracked toes (from logging) and blinded eyes (from flashlights in circuses). They have tear tracks around their eyes. We cannot imagine how much pain and torture they had gone through in the past, we are happy to see them being free in the nature taken care by the carers as they might have lost full ability to take care of themselves at their old age. If anyone wants to be close to this kind-hearted animals, go to an ethical sanctuary but not any of those sanctuaries that allow you to bathe with elephants or those cruel circuses and give some support to ethical sanctuaries. The tour started and ended with snacks, lunch and beverages, so overall it is a pleasant and meaningful experience.
The only ethical way to see majestic creatures
TIA_S, Apr 2024
If you want to see Elephants during your trip, this is the way to! A wonderful sanctuary that clearly cares for the elephants under their care. No bathing, riding or unethical activities. You can enjoy seeing happy elephants enjoying their new lease on life and learn lots from friendly staff. Don’t give your money to unethical riding or bathing camps! Help this wonderful sanctuary save more magnificent Elephants!
Awesome morning with the elephants
Tracy_C, Apr 2024
I wasn’t sure what to expect and was glad I visited. The elephants have a safe secure environment in which they are given medical care, food and stimulation, they have a routine brought out of their rooms at 8am and return at 4 then checked for the health needs. They have been rescued from harsh physical work in the logging industry or the entertainment circus. Both environments and owners have miss treated them mentally and physically. They appeared to be settled in their new retirement sanctuary after being bought the oldest elephant had been 71 and the youngest 51 years old. All female apart from one male. We were not encouraged to touch them or stand to close to them. Although they are still hear as a tourist attraction the money made is to look after them and rescue other elephants. The snacks, drinks and vegetarian lunch was all very tasty with lots of variety.
Brilliant experience. Definitely do it.
Frances_W, Apr 2024
Extremely well organised with knowledgeable keepers and guides. The elephants were clearly super well cared for and happy. The staff were considerate and caring and provided water and umbrellas as it was boiling hot on the day we went. Our guide knew so much about each individual elephant and could answer every question about elephant behaviour and the sanctuaries efforts to rescue them. Lunch was also really delicious. Facilities super clean. Was obvious that everyone there cared about what they were doing. Thank you for an awesome morning.
Saved and retired Eleaphants
Marlene_M, Apr 2024
Informative video and stories of the individual elephants. What their life was before sanctuary. Love
Happy flappy elephants and guests!
DONNA_E, Apr 2024
This was the best experience ever! Such heartbreaking stories of the animals but they are definitely in the right place now. You see them hanging out with their happy flappy ears and wagging tails. They were amazing with my 80 year old mumma and provided a golf cart so she didn't miss a thing. They provided cold towels and refreshments every step and the lunch was some of the best food I've tasted. Highly recommend!!!
Educational
Lynn_S, Apr 2024
I enjoyed the tour of the sanctuary and recommend others visit with the elephants. The initial video presentation was informative and the guides were very knowledgeable.
Exceptional day
Scott_B, Mar 2024
Exceptional experience. We had an absolutely wonderful day with the staff and elephants. We plan to do this again on our next trip to Thailand. Wonderful program!
Informative and fun
Kendal_K, Mar 2024
Great background information on why sanctuary visits are better than the traditional elephant tourist options.
Amazing, informative and ethical tour with lovely elephants
Ella_V, Mar 2024
Huge recommendation to this tour and Phuket Elephant Sanctuary! Very informative feel-good morning with the elephants. If you are researching options to see elephants in Phuket, pick this ethical option and avoid the ones offering riding or mudbathing. On this tour you will see beautiful elephants up close in a natural environment and learn so much about them. Our guide Alex was really knowledgeable and clearly very fond of the elephants. The tour was excellently organized from start to finish, transfers were well arranged and both breakfast and lunch surprised us with great selections of delicious foods. We loved every bit of the tour!
Not to be missed
Louise_Z, Mar 2024
Not to be missed. Such a peaceful sanctuary for these beautiful animals. Informative and interesting guide. Animal welfare here is the top priority. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience which was finished off with a very filling and delicious lunch. Highly recommended
Amazing once in lifetime experience
Emma_C, Mar 2024
This trip was absolutely amazing the lady we had I can't remember her name I had yellow sticker she was very good and took her time with us all just amazing work they do and hownfheh have given elephants a lease of a new life and the hospitality was amazing cannot recommend this trip enough Thank you 🌟🌟🌟
Choose this sanctuary
Jack_R, Mar 2024
A true sanctuary for rescued elephants. Choose this one over the others. Food and snack offerings were excellent. Great program and tour.
Great experience!
Chelsey_S, Mar 2024
This was a wonderful experience and time learning about the elephants. They are so well cared for and loved on here. Pick up and drop off from our hotel was prompt and easy. The coffee, fruit and snacks was in abundance. The lunch meal wasn’t our favorite but lots of options. You get to feed the elephants and get pretty close to them. You do not get to touch them, they are older elephants who’ve been through a lot of abuse. It’s good to see them being taken care of. Great for families too.
One of the highlights of my vacation
Laurie_J, Mar 2024
My daughter and I had such a wonderful morning at the sanctuary. We got to learn about all the rescued elephants, fed them, and observed them in the natural habitat where they now live with humans that value and take care of them.
amazing experience
Julie_D, Mar 2024
such a privilege to be up close to elephants - a lifelong ambition realised organisation and food excellent
Beautiful day with the elephants!
Tamea_W, Mar 2024
This was an amazing tour. The elephants were amazing and we enjoyed learning about their stories and seeing them rescued and properly cared for. This tour included roundtrip transportation, breakfast, lunch and time visiting with each elephant. Glad we did it!
Fun and Knowledgeable Tour
Adam_G, Mar 2024
The guides were incredibly knowledgeable and the tour was quite informative. It was a great experience involving not just knowledge and touring the grounds, but also getting to feed the elephants. It made for lots of great pictures, too!
One of a kind experience
Diana_N, Mar 2024
Amazing experience! The staff was very kind with us and the elephants, explained everything, answered questions. The pick up was on time, the food was good. The time spend at the sanctuary was really special. We totally recommend this experience to everyone going in Phuket.
Great experience
Kevin_B, Mar 2024
Very well organised, Great to see those elephants that have been rescued living out their remaining years free from work and harm. Good vegetarian lunch as well
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