Rainforest Zipline: Short Course, 18 Stations
An hour on the cables in tropical rainforest an hour from Chiang Mai: 18 stations, sky bridges, a net ladder and two abseils, with Thai buffet and transfer included.
- Duration
- Half day (approx. 3.5-4 hours door to door, of which about 1 hour on the course)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Max group
- 20 pax
- Minimum age
- 5 years
- Weight limit
- 0–120 kg
An hour out of Chiang Mai the landscape changes completely: the rice fields give way to genuine tropical rainforest on steep hillsides, and this course is strung right through it. The short circuit takes you across 18 stations in about an hour — a compact, continuous run of zipline cables, two sky bridges, a net ladder and two rope abseils, with 360-degree views over ridge after ridge of forest as you go.
The cables here are long by Chiang Mai standards. The short course includes flights of 200, 350 and 400 metres, which is enough distance to stop thinking about the harness and start looking around — and from the upper platforms what you see is unbroken canopy running to the horizon in every direction, with the mountain ranges stacked up behind. The two sky bridges are the calm bit in the middle: elevated walkways strung between trees where you can stop, breathe and take photographs.
The two abseils are the other half of the appeal. Rather than sliding, you step backwards off a platform edge and lower yourself down a rope through the trees, which is a slower and, for most people, considerably more frightening proposition than any zipline. The net ladder is the physical challenge of the circuit — a rope-net climb between levels that gets the arms working.
Safety here is the selling point rather than an afterthought. All the hardware is Petzl, made in France and the same brand used by professional climbers and mountain rescue teams, and every station runs a dual-cable system so you are attached at two independent points the whole time. The guides are trained in CPR and first aid, and they clip and unclip you at each platform rather than leaving you to manage the carabiners yourself. The age range is deliberately wide — five to sixty-five — and the maximum weight is 120 kg, which is the most generous limit of any zipline course in the province. The site sits in tropical rainforest about an hour from the centre of Chiang Mai, and there are four pick-up windows a day: 08:00-08:30, 09:30-10:00, 11:30-12:00 and 13:00-13:30. Transfer both ways is included and can be by van, SUV, car or pick-up depending on group size. A Thai buffet meal and a bottle of water are part of the price, eaten at the cafe and restaurant beside the course, which looks out over the forest.
- 18 stations in about an hour of continuous activity
- Zipline cables of 200, 350 and 400 metres
- Two sky bridges — elevated walkways with 360-degree rainforest views
- Two rope abseil descents through the canopy
- A net ladder climb between course levels
- Petzl equipment from France with a dual-cable system at every station
- Wide eligibility: ages 5 to 65 and a 120 kg weight limit, the most generous in the province
- Thai buffet meal, bottled water and round-trip transfer included
What's included
- ✓ Round-trip hotel transfer by van, SUV, car or pick-up
- ✓ Full access to your chosen course
- ✓ Thai buffet meal
- ✓ One bottle of water
- ✓ Petzl safety equipment fitted on arrival — harness, helmet and twin-cable attachment
- ✓ Guides at every station, trained in CPR and first aid
- Gratuities for guides (entirely optional)
- Professional photos and videos
- Additional food and drinks beyond the buffet and one water
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses
- Anything not printed in the package description
- 08:00
Hotel pick-up in Chiang Mai
Collected from your hotel in one of four windows — 08:00-08:30, 09:30-10:00, 11:30-12:00 or 13:00-13:30 — by van, SUV, car or pick-up depending on group size. The drive takes about an hour.
- 09:00
Arrival, harness fitting and safety briefing
At the office and cafe you are fitted with your Petzl harness and helmet, and the guides run the briefing: how the dual-cable attachment works, how to position your body on the line, how to slow down and what the hand signals mean.
- 09:20
First stations — settling in
The circuit opens on shorter flights so that the harness stops feeling strange before the long cables. Guides clip and unclip you at every platform.
- 09:45
Sky bridges and the net ladder
Two elevated walkways strung between trees, where the pace drops and the views take over, and a rope net ladder climb between levels that is the most physical part of the circuit.
- 10:05
The long cables — 200, 350 and 400 metres
The main event of the short course. Long enough to relax mid-flight and take in the ridges of rainforest running away in every direction.
- 10:30
Two abseil descents
Twenty and forty metres of rope descent, stepping backwards off a platform and lowering yourself through the canopy under the guides’ control. Different sort of nerve entirely.
- 10:50
Thai buffet lunch at the forest cafe
Out of the harness and into the on-site restaurant for the included Thai buffet and your bottle of water, looking out over the forest you have just crossed.
- 11:45
Return transfer to your hotel
About an hour back into Chiang Mai. Later departures follow the same running order shifted by the pick-up time.
The short course is 18 stations, about an hour, with two sky bridges, a net ladder, two abseils and cables up to 400 metres, for 1,800 THB. The full course is 34 stations, about two hours, with four sky bridges, three abseils and cables that run to 500, 700 and 900 metres, for 2,250 THB. For 450 THB more you roughly double the time on the course and get much longer flights — if you are travelling this far out of town, most people find the full course the better buy.
Ages 5 to 65, and a maximum of 120 kg per person. That 120 kg limit is the highest of any zipline course in the Chiang Mai area — most cap out at 100 or 110 kg — so this is the course to book if other operators have turned you away.
On the short course the cables measure 200, 350 and 400 metres. They run above the canopy on a hillside, so the height under you varies with the terrain and is substantial on the longer spans. The abseil descents are 20 and 40 metres.
Closed sports shoes and clothing you can move in. The harness passes around your waist and between your legs, so shorts or leggings are far more comfortable than a skirt or loose trousers. Tie long hair back, leave dangling jewellery behind, and bring sunscreen and insect repellent — it is rainforest.
Yes on both counts. Five is the printed minimum age, the circuit builds from short cables to long ones, and the guides handle every clip and unclip so you never touch the safety system yourself. The dual-cable system means there are always two independent attachment points. If someone in the group decides they do not want a particular abseil, the guides will work around it.
Yes — it is rainforest, and light rain is normal. Guides hold the group during heavy rain, thunder or lightning and resume once the cables are safe. If a whole departure has to be cancelled for weather we reschedule you or refund in full.
Yes. The short course plus an ATV session is sold as a combined package for 2,900 THB, and there is also a standalone 30-minute ATV ride for 1,500 THB. ATV drivers must be at least 15; children of 7 to 14 can ride as passengers.