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Hike through Pha Chor's wind-carved sandstone canyons in Mae Wang National Park, then cool off with cliff jumps and kayaking at the turquoise Grand Canyon Water Park.
Highlights
- Walk through Pha Chor's wind-and-rain-carved sandstone canyon
- Swim in the turquoise waters of a flooded former quarry
- Try cliff jumping or kayaking at Grand Canyon Water Park
- Comfortable round-trip van transport included
- Small-group day trip with free time built in
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Pha Chor Nature Trail & Chiang Mai Grand Canyon Water Park
Full description
Just south of Chiang Mai, Mae Wang National Park hides one of northern Thailand's strangest landscapes: Pha Chor, a maze of sandstone pillars and gullies carved over centuries by rain and wind into shapes that feel more like the American Southwest than tropical Thailand. Wooden walkways and trails weave between the eroded cliffs and honeycombed rock faces, giving you time to wander the canyon at an easy pace, snap photos from the viewpoints, and take in a side of the region that most visitors never see.
From there, the tour heads to a very different kind of canyon. Chiang Mai's Grand Canyon Water Park is a former stone quarry that filled with rainwater over the years, leaving behind sheer rock walls wrapped around a pool of strikingly clear, turquoise water. What was once an industrial pit is now a laid-back swimming spot with floating platforms, kayaks, and cliff-jumping points for those who want a bit of adrenaline with their afternoon swim.
The two stops make for a nice contrast: quiet nature and geology in the morning, splashing around with an ice-cold drink in hand by afternoon. Transport between everything is handled in an air-conditioned van, and you'll have genuine free time at the water park to swim, relax on the rocks, or just watch the jumpers from a shaded spot. It's an easy, well-rounded day out for anyone looking to get outside of the city.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup at meeting point
Meet your driver at McDonald's or Three Kings Monument (selected at checkout) for the start of your day trip.
Drive to Pha Chor Nature Trail
Travel by air-conditioned van into Mae Wang National Park, home to the striking sandstone formations of Pha Chor.
Explore Pha Chor's sandstone canyons
Walk the trails and boardwalks through eroded cliffs and rock pillars, stopping at viewpoints to take in the canyon's unusual shapes and colors.
Drive to Grand Canyon Water Park
Head back toward the city to the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon Water Park, a flooded former quarry known for its clear turquoise water.
Free time at Grand Canyon Water Park
Enjoy free time to swim, kayak, relax on the floating platforms, or try cliff jumping from the quarry's rock ledges.
Drive back to the city
Board the van for the return trip to central Chiang Mai.
Drop-off at meeting point
Tour ends with drop-off at Three Kings Monument or McDonald's.
Detailed Itinerary
Your day begins at 8:00 AM with pickup from one of two fixed meeting points in central Chiang Mai: McDonald's or Three Kings Monument, whichever you select at checkout. From there, your guide and driver take you by air-conditioned van roughly 75 minutes south into Mae Wang National Park, home to Pha Chor, one of the region's most photographed natural landmarks.
Pha Chor looks nothing like the surrounding jungle. Centuries of rain and wind have eroded the soft sandstone here into tall pillars, ridges, and honeycombed cliff walls, creating a landscape that has earned comparisons to a miniature Grand Canyon. Wooden walkways and marked trails let you move through the formations at your own pace over roughly an hour and forty-five minutes, with several viewpoints along the way for photos of the layered rock and the surrounding valley. It's a quiet, unusual stop that shows off a completely different side of Chiang Mai's countryside than the temples and mountains most tours focus on.
From Pha Chor, the van continues for about 45 minutes to the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon Water Park. Despite the name, this canyon is man-made: a stone quarry that was mined out and later filled naturally with rainwater, leaving behind steep rock walls surrounding a pool of remarkably clear, blue-green water. You'll have around two hours of free time here to make of what you like. Swim laps along the cool water, paddle a kayak between the cliff faces, lounge on one of the floating platforms, or work up the nerve to jump from one of the designated cliff-jumping points. Lifeguards and staff are on hand, and there's plenty of space to simply relax in the shade if swimming isn't your priority.
Once your time at the water park wraps up, the van takes you back toward the city, a final 30-minute drive that brings the tour to a close with drop-off at your chosen meeting point by around 2:30 PM. Because pickup and drop-off are handled at two set public locations rather than door-to-door, be sure to arrive a few minutes early so your driver doesn't have to wait.
Includes
- English-speaking guide
- Round-trip transport by air-conditioned van
- Entrance fee to Chiang Mai Grand Canyon Water Park
- Entrance fee to Pha Chor, Mae Wang National Park
Excludes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (fixed meeting points only)
- Lunch and food
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Rental of kayaks or other water activity equipment where charged separately
Important information
Meeting point
McDonald's or Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai (select at checkout)
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
The canyon formations at Pha Chor were unreal, so different from anything else we saw in Chiang Mai. Our guide was patient and made sure everyone got good photo spots before we headed to the water park for a swim.
Cliff jumping at the Grand Canyon Water Park was the highlight of our whole trip. The water was so clear and the staff supervising the jumps made it feel safe. Meeting point at Three Kings Monument was easy to find.
Loved the mix of hiking and swimming in one day. Kayaking around the quarry walls was really peaceful. Only downside was we had to buy our own lunch, wish that had been clearer beforehand.
Our guide knew so much about how the canyon was formed, made the walk through Pha Chor way more interesting than just walking around taking photos. Van pickup at McDonald's was right on time.
Great day out with a small group, felt personal rather than a big tour bus experience. The water park was more beautiful than I expected, turquoise water surrounded by rock walls. Bring water shoes, the rocks are sharp.
Perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. I didn't jump off the cliffs but my friends did and said it was thrilling. Guide was friendly and flexible with our schedule all day.