Phuket Bamboo Rafting & ATV Tour Review: Is it worth it?

If you're wondering whether a Phuket bamboo rafting and ATV tour is worth doing with kids, this review is for you.

When researching Phuket excursions, we found plenty of tours focusing on one activity. ATV tours and rafting trips were all available separately. What caught our attention was a tour that combined these two into a single day and promised a more adventurous side of Phuket than beaches, pools and island hopping.

Quick Answer: Is This Phuket ATV & Bamboo Rafting Tour Worth It?

Yes, particularly for families with school-age children who enjoy variety and don't mind a full day out.

We did this tour with our son Joshua, who was 8 at the time, and it ended up being one of the most memorable days of our Phuket trip. It isn't a luxury experience, and there is quite a bit of travelling between attractions, but the combination of bamboo rafting, ATV riding, waterfalls and wildlife kept the day interesting from start to finish.

If you'd like to see the full tour itinerary for yourself, I've included the tour link here. One thing I particularly liked is that you can customise the experience and remove certain activities if they don't suit your family. We chose to do the full tour, including the rafting, ATVs, turtle sanctuary, waterfall stop and wildlife experience, but there is flexibility if you'd prefer not to include everything.

This guide covers:

• What the day is actually like

• Whether it works with children

• Which activities are worth it

• How much travelling is involved

• What to pack

• Whether we'd book it again

If you're planning your Phuket itinerary, this pairs well with: Phuket Family Itinerary: Beaches, Islands & Adventure

Just a quick note: some links throughout this guide are affiliate links. This doesn't affect the price you pay, and we only recommend tours, hotels and travel products we've used ourselves or would happily book again.

Should Families Book This Tour?

Yes, with the right expectations.

This is a full-day Phuket adventure tour rather than a single attraction. You're not spending half a day on any one activity. Instead, it's a collection of shorter experiences spread across the day, including bamboo rafting, ATV riding, a turtle sanctuary, Monkey Cave, and a waterfall stop, with travel time between each location.

It's worth noting that an elephant sanctuary was included when we took the tour in 2025 but has since been removed from the standard itinerary. The tour now focuses more heavily on the other core activities, so it's worth checking the latest itinerary before booking if the elephant experience is important to you.

For us, that variety was actually the biggest strength.

Joshua (aged 8 at the time) never had the chance to become bored because every hour or so we were doing something completely different. One moment we were floating through the jungle on bamboo rafts, the next we were watching monkeys around a cave temple, and shortly afterwards bouncing along muddy ATV tracks.

I think this tour is particularly well suited to:

• School-age children who enjoy trying different activities (the tour operator stated it is not suitable for children under 4)

• Teenagers who would otherwise get bored sitting by a pool or on the beach

• Families looking for a day that feels active and adventurous

• Families wanting a mix of wildlife, nature and soft adventure

The bamboo rafting was probably the biggest surprise and ended up being one of Joshua's highlights from the entire Thailand trip. The ATV riding and Monkey Cave also worked well because they offered something completely different and helped keep the day varied.

I think families with toddlers may find the day harder work.

The activities themselves aren't particularly difficult, but it's a long day, there are multiple transfers and you're constantly moving between locations. By the time you factor in hotel collection, travel between stops and the return journey, you're committing most of the day.

The other thing to understand is that this isn't a relaxing excursion. Expect mud, rain (depending on the season), wet clothes, wildlife, transport between attractions and plenty of activity. We spent at least a couple of hours across the day travelling in the air-conditioned minibus between locations.

Fortunately, the organisers helped break things up with regular snacks, drinks and a buffet lunch, which kept energy levels up and made the transfers feel less noticeable.

If your family enjoys trying new things and doesn't mind a busy itinerary, this tour offers far more variety than most single-activity excursions. That's ultimately why it worked so well for us. Rather than another day around the pool, it gave us a completely different side of Phuket and some of our most memorable family moments from the trip.

What Does the Day Actually Look Like?

We were picked up at around 8:30am from our hotel in northern Phuket. We reached the first activity around 30–40 minutes later, which felt very manageable and meant the day got underway quite quickly. Because most of the activities take place in northern and central Phuket, I think this tour is best suited to families staying near Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon or the airport area. If you're staying in the far south of the island around Kata, Karon, Rawai or Chalong, your pickup could be considerably earlier and you'll spend more time in the minibus throughout the day. Pick-up times will vary depending on where you're staying, but overall it felt like a reasonable start time for a full-day tour and still allowed us time for breakfast before collection.

Transport was provided in a small minibus carrying around six other guests, which felt more personal than some of the larger coach-style tours we've done elsewhere.

Throughout the day, the tour included:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

• English-speaking guide

• Snacks and drinks throughout the day

• Bamboo rafting

• Turtle sanctuary

• ATV session

• Buffet-style lunch

• Waterfall stop

One thing worth knowing before booking is that there is quite a bit of travelling involved. Each activity takes place at a different location, so you spend a reasonable amount of time in the minibus moving between stops. Most transfers were between 20 and 40 minutes. It never became frustrating, but it's worth viewing this as a collection of experiences rather than one continuous attraction.

We arrived back at our hotel at roughly 5:30pm, so it definitely counts as a full day.

Bamboo Rafting: The Best Part of the Day

If I had to choose a standout experience, this would be it. Before the trip, bamboo rafting wasn't the activity I was most excited about. Afterwards, it was probably the thing we talked about most.

The raft is guided by a local who steers you down the river while you simply sit back and enjoy the scenery. It's peaceful, scenic and surprisingly immersive.

Joshua loved it. Partly because it felt adventurous and partly because it was different from anything we'd done elsewhere in Thailand.

Life jackets were provided and the experience felt very safe throughout. At one point our guide even pointed out snakes in the surrounding trees, which Joshua thought was fantastic.

A photographer followed each raft and offered framed photographs afterwards for around £5. We don't normally buy these, but actually thought it was good value and ended up bringing one home.

What to Pack For Bamboo Rafting

A few people on our tour arrived unprepared and quickly regretted it.

I'd strongly recommend:

• Water shoes

• Change of clothes

• Small travel towel

• Waterproof phone case

• waterproof bag it you want to keep your stuff with you, we left the majority of our things locked in the mini van

You will get wet, even without rain. We visited during August and we had light rain during the rafting section. Ironically, it didn't really matter because everyone was already soaked. Thankfully there were toilets and changing facilities available immediately afterwards.

ATV Riding: More Family Friendly Than Extreme

The ATV section was probably the activity that differed most from what I expected.

When you see ATVs listed on a tour itinerary, it's easy to picture high-speed off-road driving through mud, steep hills and rough terrain. In reality, this experience is much more controlled and designed to work for a broad range of ages and abilities.

From the start, safety was clearly the priority. Everyone was provided with a helmet, there was a safety briefing before setting off, and the route followed a predefined track rather than allowing guests to drive wherever they wanted. The pace was relaxed and the guides kept a close eye on the group throughout.

For some adults, particularly those who have done ATV experiences elsewhere, it may feel a little tame.

For families, I actually think that's a positive.

Joshua was able to take part safely and enjoy the experience without it feeling intimidating. The route included muddy sections, jungle scenery and enough bumps along the way to feel adventurous, but never to the point where we felt uncomfortable. It struck a good balance between being fun and being accessible.

The experience is also relatively short, which worked well as part of a multi-activity day. Had it been much longer, I think some younger children would have lost interest. Instead, it felt like the right amount of time before moving on to the next stop.

One thing worth knowing is that there was a videographer filming throughout the ride. At the end, guests were given the option to purchase a video package. We watched a preview but decided it wasn't good value for us, although some families may appreciate having the footage as a souvenir.

The ATV section wasn't the highlight of the day—that honour goes to the bamboo rafting—but it added another dimension to the tour and gave Joshua the chance to do something he wouldn't normally get to try. For school-age children and teenagers, I think it's a fun addition to the itinerary. For thrill-seeking adults, just go in with realistic expectations: this is designed to be a family-friendly ATV experience, not an extreme adventure activity.

Turtle Sanctuary: A Nice Addition, But Not the Main Event

The turtle sanctuary was one of the shorter stops of the day, but it worked well as a way to break up the journey between the bigger activities.

We saw a variety of turtles housed in rehabilitation pools and learned a little about the conservation work being carried out. It's not a large attraction and, if I'm honest, probably not something I would have gone out of my way to visit as a standalone activity. However, as part of a multi-stop tour it felt worthwhile and didn't overstay its welcome.

For Joshua, it was something different to look at between the more active elements of the day. The visit was short enough to keep his interest, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give it.

We visited during heavy rain, but most of the sanctuary area was covered, so the weather had very little impact on this part of the tour.

Waterfall Stop & Lunch

The waterfall stop was another short break in the day and provided a chance to stretch our legs, cool down and enjoy a change of scenery.

It's not one of Phuket's headline attractions, and I wouldn't recommend travelling across the island specifically to see it. However, the surroundings were pleasant and it worked well as a natural pause between activities.

This was also where lunch was served.

The meal was fairly simple but perfectly adequate for a group tour. The buffet included:

• Rice dishes

• Noodles

• Vegetarian options

• Fried chicken

There was enough food for everyone, and it did the job of refuelling us for the afternoon ahead. Joshua was less interested in the noodles and more interested in the fact that we could buy an additional portion of chips, which naturally became the highlight of his lunch.

One thing I appreciated was that the tour operators kept snacks and drinks coming throughout the day. Between the juice, biscuits, cake bars and lunch, nobody was going hungry, despite the amount of moving around involved.

Like several parts of this tour, the waterfall and lunch stop wasn't spectacular in isolation. But combined with the rafting and ATV riding, it helped create a day that felt well paced rather than rushed from one activity to the next.

Monkey Cave: A Quick Stop That Kids Will Love

The Monkey Cave was one of the shorter stops on the itinerary, but it ended up being more memorable than I expected.

As the name suggests, the main attraction here is the large number of monkeys that live around the cave entrance and temple area. Within minutes of arriving, we spotted monkeys climbing through the trees, sitting on walls and generally helping themselves to anything that looked remotely edible.

There's something about seeing monkeys in the wild that instantly grabs a child's attention, and we spent most of our time simply watching what they were doing. The cave itself is relatively small and the visit only lasts around 30 minutes, which I think is about right. It's enough time to walk around, take some photos and enjoy the experience without it dragging on.

One thing worth remembering is that these are wild monkeys, not animals in an enclosure. The guides were very clear about keeping hold of phones, bags, food and drinks, as the monkeys are known for being opportunistic if given the chance.

The cave and surrounding area also provide a nice opportunity to stretch your legs after spending time in the minibus. It isn't the main reason to book the tour, but it worked well as another varied stop that kept the day feeling interesting.

Like the turtle sanctuary and waterfall, it's probably not somewhere I'd travel across Phuket specifically to visit. As part of a day that already includes rafting, and ATVs though, it added another fun experience and was definitely one of the stops Joshua talked about afterwards.

Weather Reality: What Happens in Rainy Season?

We visited Phuket in August, right in the middle of Thailand's rainy season, and yes, it rained.

A lot. Under normal circumstances that might have ruined the day, but surprisingly it didn't.

That's largely because many of the activities already involve getting wet. During the bamboo rafting we were sitting directly on wet bamboo, paddling through the river and expecting to come away damp anyway. By the time the rain arrived, everyone had more or less embraced it.

If anything, the rain added to the adventure.

The jungle felt more atmospheric, the river looked even more dramatic and Joshua thought the whole thing was hilarious. The only real downside was comfort. Those who arrived without spare clothes or suitable footwear looked noticeably less happy by the end of the rafting section.

The good news is that most of the stops had toilets and changing facilities, making it easy to dry off and reset throughout the day.

One thing this tour reinforced for us is that rain doesn't automatically mean cancelling your plans in Thailand. Some activities, particularly beach days and island tours, can be heavily impacted by poor weather. This tour was surprisingly resilient because so much of it takes place under tree cover, in jungle environments or involves getting wet anyway.

If you're wondering whether travelling during the rainy season is worth it, read Is Thailand Worth Visiting in August With Kids? Rainy Season Guide for Families, where I break down exactly what weather we experienced across Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket during our trip.

What to Bring (and What Actually Matters)

You don't need to overpack for this tour, but there are a few things I was very glad we brought.

Essential

• A complete change of clothes – you'll almost certainly get wet.

• Small travel towel – much easier than carrying a full-sized beach towel.

• Waterproof phone case – one of the best purchases we made for Thailand.

• Cash – useful for snacks, drinks and optional souvenir photos.

Nice to Have

• Light rain jacket or poncho (especially during rainy season)

• Hat and sunscreen

• Insect repellent

• Portable phone charger

• Small dry bag for valuables

• Water shoes – particularly useful during the bamboo rafting section.

What We Actually Used Most

If I could only take three things, I'd choose:

1. Waterproof phone case

2. Water shoes

3. Dry clothes

Those three items made the biggest difference to comfort and allowed us to enjoy the rafting without worrying about water, mud or protecting our phones.

For a complete family packing list, see Thailand Packing List for Families: What We Actually Used (And What We Didn't), where I've broken down everything we packed for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, including what was genuinely useful and what never left the suitcase.

Final Verdict: Is the Phuket ATV & Rafting Tour Worth It?

Yes – if you're looking for a varied, active day that shows a different side of Phuket.

What made this tour stand out wasn't any single activity. In fact, if you booked the rafting, ATVs, waterfall or turtle sanctuary separately, I'm not sure any of them would rank among the very best things we did in Thailand.

What worked was the combination.

Throughout the day we moved between jungle scenery, wildlife, rivers, waterfalls and adventure activities without ever feeling like we were doing the same thing twice. Every time Joshua's attention might have started to drift, it was time for the next stop.

The bamboo rafting was the highlight for us and one of Joshua's favourite experiences from the entire Thailand trip. The ATVs added a bit of adventure, the Monkey Cave and turtle sanctuary provided something different, and the waterfall stop broke up the day nicely.

That said, this isn't the right tour for every family.

It's best suited to:

• Families with school-age children

• Teenagers who enjoy active days

• Families that like a mix of adventure, wildlife and sightseeing

• People who don't mind spending time travelling between locations

It's probably less suitable for toddlers and preschool-age children, both because of the length of the day and the amount of moving around involved.

For us, the day struck a really good balance between being organised and still feeling adventurous. We came home tired, muddy and wet, but with some great memories and a stack of photos.

If you'd like to see the full itinerary for yourself, I've included the tour link here. One thing I like about booking through GetYourGuide is that you can view the latest itinerary, inclusions and cancellation policy before booking. We opted to do the full experience, and it ended up being one of the most varied days of our Phuket trip.

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About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.