Kui Buri elephant safari | half day
The reserve is widely renowned as the best place in Thailand for spotting wild elephants and gaurs. To give you the best experience, this tour provides a perfect mix of wildlife tracking and enjoying the natural scenery—featuring an open-air safari drive, and stops at key wildlife viewing areas.
At a Glance
Booking Tip: As we have a limited number of specialist wildlife guides, booking well in advance is highly recommended to secure a guide for your preferred date.
Detailed Day Itinerary
Meet up & Registration
Tour starts at the elephant observatory site in Kui Buri after registration and getting assigned an open-air vehicle.
Wildlife Tracking
The tour will begin by driving slowly into the reserve on the main dirt road north heading to the main grassland areas. While driving slowly, we will search for any wildlife including birds or any other smaller/bigger animals.
Elephant Viewing Area
Our first stop will be a viewing area where we leave the vehicle in hope to spot wildlife, mainly elephants.
Gaur Viewing Area
We will later on continue to the next viewing area at the end of the road, best known for spotting gaurs, but also elephants and sometimes bantengs.
Tour ends
The tour continues until 5:30 to 6:00 pm in the park, ends at the elephant observatory site.
Where & When?
Kui Buri National Park lies about 1.5 hours driving distance from Hua Hin and nearly 4 hours from Bangkok. We can offer private transfers from Bangkok, Hua Hin or other destinations. The park is open all year round.
What to Pack & Preparation Tips
- Attire: Lightweight, breathable clothing in neutral or muted colors is recommended to blend in with the environment and protect against the sun and insects.
- Sun & Insect Protection: Mosquito repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
- Gear: A camera or binoculars are highly recommended for observing elephants and gaurs from a distance.
How much?
All rates are per person in Thai Baht (THB) for a completely private group.
| Pax | Rate per person |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4,700 THB |
| 2 | 2,600 THB |
| 3 | 1,900 THB |
| 4 | 1,600 THB |
| 5 | 1,400 THB |
| 6 | 1,300 THB |
Reviews from our guests
By: Ursula Klein | posted Fri 25 Sep, 2026
We had a wonderful tour and had the opportunity to watch some elephants for at least half an our. Our tour guide was very passionate and knowledgeable.
We strongly recommend the tour.
By: Alyssa Munro | posted Tue 15 Sep, 2026
My family and I did a private tour including a private transfer to and from Hua Hin and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The whole day moved smoothly and we didn't need to worry about anything. When we arrived at the park we met our guide, Som, who was absolutely the best. She worked tirelessly to point out interesting things that would have gone unnoticed without her guidance, and during stops she helped talk with other groups that did not have English speaking guides with them. It was a rainy day when we visited and every group was having troubles finding elephants. We never felt any doubt that we would miss out. We trusted that Som would make sure we would see anything of interest. In the end we were able to spot a herd of 13 elephant mothers and babies. It was a wonderful day and we couldn't have been happier.
> Tour operator's response
Thanks Alyssa, for your kind review.
We're very happy to have guide Som in our team.
We're glad to hear you had a successful trip in Kui Buri.
Thank you for booking with us!
By: Fabian Glaser | posted Thu 27 Aug, 2026
yes it was fantastic, we saw many elephants and birds and cows, and the guide Som was brilliant.
was a great experience and I will repeat with additional Thai parks.
Thanks a lot!!
Fabian
By: Hon Chan | posted Sun 23 Aug, 2026
We had an incredible tour with lots of surprises. Our guide was amazing and helped us understand how the national park was founded. With a safe driver and a local guide, we started the tour to try to see the elephants.
Within the first few kilometers, we couldn't believe that we discovered a group of elephants—one of them was a baby elephant. During the tour, we saw gaurs, more elephants, jackals, and different birds (including hornbills).
The trip was well-organized, and we stopped at different viewpoints. The finale came near the end of the trip when an elephant crossed the road right close to us.
Thanks and highly recommend the tour with the guide from thainationalparks.com
By: Guillaume CHERMETTE | posted Sun 16 Aug, 2026
Very nice guide, who wants you to see and understand the wilderness around you.
However, this is super expensive compared to other prices we can find at the same place
> Tour operator's response
Hi Guillaume,
Thank you for your review.
We're glad to hear you've enjoyed the tour.
Indeed, it's quite a lot cheaper to book the local tour option, as we've mentioned in our first message to you.
However, then you will typically not be accompanied by an English speaking guide, which will be quite a different experience.
Thank you for booking with us!
By: Serge Tessier | posted Sun 9 Aug, 2026
Amazing moments and friendly guides! We highly recommend a visit in Kui Buri!! Avoid shows or other attractions where Elephants are not free in their environment.
By: bianca | posted Sun 2 Aug, 2026
everything was fine. our guide gave us a lot of information and spent really enough time to watch out for elephants.
it was well organized. thanks!
By: Ruben Willems | posted Sun 2 Aug, 2026
We had a wonderfully time, we were so lucky to see so many elephants living in the wild. All thanks to our great guides. Really worth while.
By: Ryan Faricy and Tim Lewellyn | posted Sat 1 Aug, 2026
We had the privilege to see a dozen elephants on our tour, one within the first 10 minutes. Our guides and driver were excellent and it was a very enjoyable experience. Many thanks!
By: Regina Riotte | posted Sat 25 Jul, 2026
Som was a fantastic guide! She knew everything and more.
We loved the parc and scenery.
To be honest compared to a normal tour (prize) it was quite expensive but we were informed in advance - only realised later.
