Rafting, Elephants and ATV from Phuket in One Day: Is It Worth It?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 3 October 2026
Yes, if you want a properly active jungle day from Phuket: five kilometres of rafting with an instructor, 250cc quad bikes on a track with bridges and a tunnel, an elephant ride and a waterfall swim, between a 06:50 pickup and a 16:30 departure back. It suits less well young children, who ride the quads as passengers, and anyone who'd rather bathe the elephants than ride them.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafting, elephant spa and ATV in one day | One day, around nine hours | 2,050 ฿ | 1,750 ฿ |
| Rafting and the elephant spa | One day, nine hours or more | 1,550 ฿ | 1,350 ฿ |
| The Avatar world: jungle, elephants, rafts and hot springs | One day, 07:00–19:00 | 2,950 ฿ | 2,650 ฿ |
| Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants | One day, around ten hours | 1,650 ฿ | 1,450 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The day, hour by hour
Pickup is at 06:50, with stops for other hotels along the way. At 09:00 you reach the Suwan Kuha cave temple — monkeys, stalactites, bats and the reclining Buddha — and at 10:00 a lakeside park with caves, a playground and monkeys to feed. The rafting briefing is at 11:20, and at 11:30 you're on the river for five kilometres through the jungle, with instructors.
At 12:50 come the quad bikes: 250cc machines on a track with bridges, a tunnel and obstacles. Thai lunch is at 13:40. At 14:10 the elephant village, with the baby elephant show and an elephant ride. At 16:00 a waterfall to swim in, and at 16:30 the bus leaves for the hotels.
Why it's worth it
Because you get rafting and ATV in a single day, which would otherwise mean two separate days out. The order works well too: the temple and the park first, the river and the quads before lunch, the elephants and the waterfall in the afternoon.
The price covers almost the whole day. Hotel transfer both ways, the guide, lunch, insurance, national park entrance fees, the elephant ride, five kilometres of rafting with an instructor, the 250cc ATV, the cave temple and the waterfall stop are all included. On the day you pay only for extras you choose.
Why it might not be
It's a physical day. The card says plainly that reasonable fitness makes the active parts much more enjoyable, and that basic experience with motorbikes or quads helps on the 250cc machines. You'll get wet on the river, so a change of clothes isn't optional, and you need closed shoes you don't mind ruining — flip-flops come off in the river and are no use on the track.
The elephant programme here is the ride. If you'd rather bathe the elephants, the rafting day without quads lets you choose bathing or a ride, one of them included. Children ride the quads as passengers with an adult rather than driving, so for a young family the ATV part is less of a draw.
What's included, and what you pay on the day
Included: hotel transfer both ways, the guide, Thai lunch, insurance, national park entrance fees, the elephant ride, five kilometres of rafting with an instructor, ATV riding on 250cc quads, the cave temple and the waterfall stop.
Not included: an additional elephant ride (300 ฿), souvenirs and personal spending, drinks with lunch, temple clothing hire if you need it, a rain jacket, and professional photo and video. Bring a towel, swimwear, sunscreen, a hat, a change of clothes, closed shoes, something that covers shoulders and knees for the temple, and a camera in a waterproof case. The price is in the table on this page, in baht.
Who it suits
Teenagers, groups of friends and couples who like a bit of adrenaline. If one of you wants the quads and the other doesn't, the rafting day without ATV covers the same temple, river, lunch and waterfall.
- Rafting and quad bikes in one day, elephant ride included — rafting, elephant spa and ATV
- Rafting without quads, with bathing or a ride — Rafting and the elephant spa
- Elephants, a bamboo raft, ATV trails you can skip, and hot springs — the Avatar world
- An elephant ride with a zoo and a fruit market, no quads — Khao Lak safari
ATV day or the rafting day without quads?
The two days share their frame: the same 06:50 pickup, the Suwan Kuha cave temple, the lakeside park, five kilometres of river, lunch, the elephant village and the waterfall, with departure at 16:30. The ATV day adds the 250cc quads at 12:50 and makes the elephant programme the ride. The rafting day keeps the quads out, includes one elephant programme of your choice, bathing or a ride, and sets a minimum age of six for the rafting.
Which elephant activities each of our jungle days includes is set out on does the rafting, elephant and ATV tour include elephant bathing. Every jungle day is on Phuket jungle tours. Rafting in the wettest month is covered on Phuket tours in October.
Guide, children and booking
Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and under-fours travel free. The temple asks for covered shoulders and knees, and cover-ups can be hired for a small fee.
Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send the tour, the date and your hotel, and we confirm the pickup time.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Do I need experience to ride the quads?
Not strictly, but it helps. The quads are 250cc, and the card says basic experience with motorbikes or quads makes the track much easier.
Can children drive the quads?
No. The quads are powerful machines and the track has obstacles, so children ride as passengers with an adult.
Is elephant bathing included?
No. On this day the elephant programme is the ride and the baby elephant show. The rafting day without quads lets you choose bathing or a ride.
What shoes should I wear?
Closed shoes you don't mind ruining. Flip-flops come off in the river and are no use on the ATV track.
Are national park fees included?
Yes, national park entrance fees are in the price, along with lunch, the rafting, the ATV and the elephant ride. An additional elephant ride costs 300 ฿.
Is an English-speaking guide available?
Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.
Is the Phuket rafting and ATV tour worth the extra 500 baht compared with rafting only?
If you want to ride, yes. The extra buys the ATV track on 250cc quads, with bridges and a tunnel, and on this version the elephant programme is the ride; on the cheaper rafting day you choose bathing or a ride instead. The temple, the five kilometres of river, lunch and the waterfall are the same.
Is a 5 km or 7 km rafting trip from Phuket better?
We only run the five-kilometre stretch, so we can't compare it with a longer one. Ours is a mountain river with modest rapids, an instructor steering each raft, life jackets and helmets, and a minimum age of six.
What is the cancellation policy for a Phuket rafting and ATV day trip?
If you cancel less than 24 hours before departure, miss the transfer or don't show up, the payment is not returned. If the trip is cancelled for reasons outside your control, it moves to another date or the payment comes back. Payment itself is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.