A large male Asian elephant walks through the bushes towards the camera, a man stands in the foreground watching.

Ethical elephant tours Vietnam

Experience elephants the kind way

At Yok Don National Park in Vietnam, something remarkable is happening.

Elephants once forced to carry tourists now roam free, supported by a pioneering program that places animal welfare, community empowerment, and sustainable tourism at its heart.

What makes our program ethical?

Unlike traditional tourism, our approach puts the elephants’ needs first. There are no rides, no tricks, and no contact with visitors. Just elephants living as nature intended:

  • Roaming freely through forests
  • Bathing in rivers and mud
  • Socialising with other elephants
  • Choosing how they spend each day
Elephant standing in dense green forest vegetation, facing the camera in natural habitat.
Two elephants walking through shallow water in a forested area on a sunny day.
Group of people observing an elephant walking through a dry forest during a wildlife trek.
Two elephants standing together in a lush green field surrounded by trees in a forest habitat.

Visitors join experienced guides at a respectful distance, learning about each elephant’s story while witnessing them in their natural habitat.

Person standing in a forest near an elephant reaching for leaves from a tree, surrounded by dry foliage.
Close-up of two elephants in a forest, one touching the other with its trunk in a natural habitat.
Elephants walking through a river, one holding green leaves with its trunk, surrounded by lush greenery.
Group of people in orange life jackets sitting in a boat on a river, waving and smiling during an outdoor excursion.

Book your ethical elephant tour

Our Ethical Elephant Tours are run in partnership with Yok Don National Park. Tours are small-group, low-impact, and led by trained local guides.

Every visit helps support local livelihoods and elephant welfare. Together, we can prove that kindness is the future of travel.

Book your once-in-a-lifetime trip

 

‘You’re walking through the forest and suddenly see this big grey thing and think, "what is that?" and then you realise it’s an elephant and everyone stops and goes silent.’

John Haslam, visitor

Elephant with tusks reaching up to eat leaves from a tall, green tree in a forest habitat.
Elephant with tusks standing among bamboo in a forest, observed by a person nearby.
Close-up of an elephant’s face and eye, with green grass in the foreground.
Elephant splashing and bathing in a river surrounded by lush green foliage.

Working with communities, not against them

We collaborate with local mahouts – elephant caregivers – many of whom come from generations of families who relied on elephant riding for income. Through our program, they’ve become conservation guides, educators and champions of ethical tourism.

By supporting their transition, we help build a future where communities thrive alongside wildlife.

‘It makes me proud to show the elephants being free. I feel I’m giving something back to them now.’

Elephant mahout

Person taking a photo of an elephant eating grass in a green forest setting.
Two elephants standing close to each other near a tree in a dry forest.
Two elephants bathing together in a river surrounded by lush greenery.
Two people talking in a forest, observing an elephant standing among green plants and trees.