Chiang Mai Night Safari: what it costs & how it works
Thai vs foreigner prices, the two tram routes and the shows — everything we'd tell a friend before visiting the Night Safari.
A zebra keeping pace with the tram on the Savanna Safari route. Photo: Chiang Mai Night Safari
The Night Safari is one of Chiang Mai's biggest attractions — a huge, government-run night zoo out past the airport, twice the size of Singapore's famous one, where trams drive you through open enclosures — after dark at its best, though the park actually opens at 11am. We went recently, and it's genuinely a fun evening — but there are a few things worth understanding before you go, starting with how the ticket pricing works.
The pricing — yes, there are two price lists
Like a lot of Thai government attractions, the Night Safari charges one price for Thais and another for foreigners — and the gap is big. The full Safari Tram ticket (tram rides plus all the walking zones and shows) costs ฿1,200 for a foreign adult and ฿600 for a child — while Thais pay ฿300 and ฿150. Kids under 100 cm go free; the child rate covers 101–140 cm.
Two ways to soften it: book on the official online portal (ticket.chiangmainightsafari.com), which takes 20% off — ฿960 instead of ฿1,200 — or check resellers like Klook and KKday, which land in the same ฿700–1,050 range depending on promos. And if you live here and hold a Thai driving licence, it's worth showing it at the counter — people regularly get the Thai price with it, though it's officially at the staff's discretion.
What you can see on foot
There's also a cheaper walk-only ticket: the Jaguar Trail (฿400 foreign adult / ฿50 Thai). That gets you a pleasant 1.2 km loop around Swan Lake — jaguars, otters, porcupines, flamingos and a bunch of smaller nocturnal creatures — plus the walkable Tiger World enclosure. The walking zones open from 11am, so you can do them in daylight. It's a nice stroll, but honestly: the trams are the reason to come, so if you're paying foreigner prices anyway, the walk-only ticket is only worth it if you're on a tight budget.
The tram rides — the main event
The full ticket gets you two tram routes, ridden back to back — about an hour all together. First the Savanna Safari: giraffes, zebras, hippos, kangaroos, elephants and various antelope, many of them completely unbothered by the tram — expect a giraffe head at eye level. Then the Predator Prowl: tigers (including white and golden ones), lions, black bears and hyenas, behind moats rather than fences, so the views are open. One honest caveat: it's partly luck. Some animals are simply asleep or tucked away when you roll past — that's just how animals work at 8pm.
The narration matters: there are separate Thai-language and English-language trams, each leaving roughly every 30 minutes from 5.30pm to 9pm — you don't need to tell anyone anything, you simply join the queue for the language you want: one line for the Thai tram, one for the English one. There are also daytime rounds between 2.30pm and 4pm, but the whole point of this place is doing it after dark.
The shows — all included
The Safari Tram ticket includes every show, and they run several times an evening: the Tiger Show (3.30pm, 5.30pm, 7.30pm), the Wild Animal Show (4.30pm, 6.35pm, 8.15pm), a Dancing Show (6pm, 7pm, 8pm) and the Musical Fountain — a water-and-laser thing by the lake (6.15pm, 7.15pm, 8.45pm). You won't catch everything in one visit, and that's fine — pick a show or two around your tram slot.
Good to know
The park runs 11am–10pm (last entry 9pm). The plan that works: arrive around 5pm, catch the 5.30pm Tiger Show or grab an early English tram before the tour groups land, then finish with the fountain. Budget 2–4 hours all in.
Feeding baskets for the giraffes and deer are usually sold before you board (about ฿40) — though feeding gets paused from time to time, so don't promise the kids. Staff will also snap your photo on the tram and offer prints at the exit; a polite no thanks works fine.
And to be upfront about it: like most zoos of this kind, the Night Safari gets criticism over animal welfare — some enclosures are small, and the shows aren't for everyone. If performing animals aren't your thing, skip the shows and stick to the trams, or give it a miss entirely — an ethical elephant sanctuary day might sit better with you.
Getting there: it's in Hang Dong, about 12 km south-west of the Old Town — 25 minutes on a scooter, with free parking at the gate — right next to Royal Park Rajapruek. There's no public transport out here; a Grab runs ฿150–200 each way, so having your own wheels genuinely pays off for this one.
Quick questions
How much does Chiang Mai Night Safari cost?
The full Safari Tram ticket is ฿1,200 for foreign adults (฿600 children 101–140 cm; under 100 cm free), while Thais pay ฿300/฿150. Booking on the official online portal takes 20% off — ฿960 — and resellers like Klook land in a similar range. A walk-only Jaguar Trail ticket is ฿400 for foreigners.
Is there an English tram at the Night Safari?
Yes — Thai-narration and English-narration trams run separately, each departing roughly every 30 minutes between 5.30pm and 9pm. You don't need to ask anyone — just join the queue for the language you want; there's one line for each.
What's the difference between the two tram routes?
The Savanna Safari covers giraffes, zebras, hippos, kangaroos and elephants — animals that come right up to the tram. The Predator Prowl covers tigers, lions, bears and hyenas behind moats. The full ticket includes both, ridden back to back in about an hour.
How long do you need at the Night Safari?
2–4 hours. Arrive around 5pm, catch a show, ride the trams after dark and finish with the Musical Fountain. The park runs 11am–10pm with last entry at 9pm.
How do you get to the Night Safari from the Old Town?
It's about 12 km south-west, in Hang Dong next to Royal Park Rajapruek — roughly 25 minutes on a scooter with free parking at the gate. There's no public transport; a Grab costs ฿150–200 each way.
Can foreigners get the Thai price?
There's no official policy, but residents regularly get the Thai price by showing a valid Thai driving licence at the counter — it's at the staff's discretion, so don't count on it.
