When I was hiking the Monk’s trail to Wat Pha Lat and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, I met a traveler who said he really wanted to check out the Sticky Waterfall because it’s pretty popular on TikTok. I looked at it after the hike, and decided to make a visit to the waterfall from Chiang Mai.
In this article, I will share with you how I got to the Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai, what to do at the waterfall, and whether it is worth visiting. Let’s get into it.
This is a unique waterfall because it flows over limestone rocks that are covered in grippy mineral deposits (mainly calcium carbonate). These deposits give the rocks a rough texture, allowing you to climb up and down the waterfall barefoot with ease, unlike most slippery waterfalls.
You can check out these articles about Chiang Mai:
- Best Places to Stay in Chiang Mai
- 4-5 Days In Chiang Mai Itinerary
- 23 Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai
- How to get to Chiang Mai & Get Around
Where is Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall?
Sticky Waterfall, also known as Bua Tong Waterfall, is located in Sri Lanna National Park, 60 km north of Chiang Mai City Center, about 1-1.5 hour drive away. The water has 4 levels and you can walk up the waterfall without slipping due to its unique limestone surface.
Basic info about Sticky Waterfall:
| Opening hours | 8.30am to 5pm everyday |
| Entrance fee | free |
| Duration | Around 2 hours at the waterfall, 2-3 round trip between Chiang Mai Old Town and the waterfall |
| Difficult | Easy to moderate |
| Best time to visit | Dry season (November to April) when the water flow is not so powerful and it is safer to climb up than the rainy season. |
How to get to Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai?
There are several ways to get to the Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai including hiring a private driver for a few hours, taking a guided tour, renting a scooter, or joining a shared transfer.
Hire a private songthaew driver
Hiring a private driver is one of the best and quickest ways to get to the Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai. It is a great option if you are traveling as a group or you have a generous budget. The cost is around 2000 baht including two way transfer and waiting time.
You can find the red pick up truck everywhere in old town Chiang Mai. You tell the driver where to go and negotiate the price with them.
I found my driver when wandering at the Chiang Mai Gate Market. I paid 1800 baht for a round trip between Chiang mai and the waterfall. He drove me to the waterfall, waited while I explored, and then took me back to the old town. I could spend as much time as I wanted.
Shared Transfer
You can consider taking a shared songthaews if you are on a budget. Many hostels organize trips to the waterfall for 200 baht round trip. They will let you spend a couple of hours at the waterfall, which is enough to explore the area.
Organise tour
There are many half day and full-day tours to the Waterfall. The tours will take you to the waterfall itself, or combine with other attractions such as Bua Tong Cave, Dantewada Land of Angels, Wat ban den, or temple tours in Doi Suthep and Chiang Mai old town.
If you just want to visit only the waterfall, it usually takes half a day to explore. If you want to combine it with other attractions, it will take a full day. The cost for a full day is obviously more expensive than the half day trip. It ranges from 600-2000 baht for the joint group tour.
Rental scooter
Renting a scooter is one of the cheapest and most free ways to get to Sticky Waterfall. If you have driving experience, you can rent a scooter for 200-300 baht a day. There are many motorbike rentals in the city center of Chiang Mai. Make sure to read the reviews and choose the reputable ones.
Grab/ Bolt/ InDrive/ Taxi
It is possible to use riding shared services such as Grab, Bolt, and InDrive to get to the Waterfall but the cost can be more expensive than other options. Keep in mind that the waterfall is located in the countryside area and it can be difficult to get transport back to Chiang Mai.
It is quite far away (60km) and lots of drivers will not take this route. If you get accepted by the Grab driver, you can negotiate with him if he can wait for you or pick you up later.
In my opinion, Taking Grab or Bolt to the Sticky Waterfall isn’t worth the hassle. You can easily hire a private driver for less money and avoid worrying about transportation back to the Old Town.
What to do at Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall?
There are several areas in the ground of the Sticky Waterfall, including the viewpoint at the top, the 4-level waterfalls, the 1km long natural trail, and Chet Si Cold Spring.
I recommend spending the time at the waterfalls first, then walking to the cold spring, then checking out the natural trail. The trail was closed and under construction during my visit in early December 2024.
The 4-level Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall
The waterfall has 4 levels. Level 2 is 100 m from level 1, level 3 is 40m from level 2, level 4 is 20 m from level 3. The total distance is 160m. The walk from level 1 to level 4 on the stairs is around 10-15 minutes.
The best way to explore the sticky waterfalls is walking down the stairs that run parallel with the waterfalls, from level 1 to level 4. Then from level 4 climb up to level 3,2, and 1.
The waterfalls and the stairs have lots of shades from all kinds of tropical trees including banana, bamboo, and papaya.
Some parts of the waterfalls are quite steep and have rope to support you to climb. There are handrails at some sections but they were covered by green moss. There are some nice shaded areas where you can sit under the stream of the water, swim and chill.
Chet Si Cold Spring
From the top of Sticky Waterfall, you can walk from around 5 minutes to reach the Chet Si Cold Spring, or the seven colors spring. It is a small pond, in my opinion, but it is worth looking at if you have time. The short walk through the dense forest is also peaceful and beautiful.
Bua Tong Waterfall – Chet Si Fountain Natural trail
The 1 km natural trail connecting starting at level 1 finishing at level 4 is also worth checking if you like hiking. It takes 45 minutes to hike, involving some high slopes. It was closed during my visit Dec 2024.
Facilities at the Sticky Waterfall
The entrance of the Sticky Waterfall is huge with lots of shades. There is a large parking area, a visitor center, toilets, cafes, restaurants, and a grocery store. They have lockers where you can keep your belongings there safely.
The onsite restaurant serves good Thai food at a reasonable price. The cafe has stunning views of the surrounding mountains. There is a picnic area very close to the top of the waterfall.
Is the Sticky waterfalls in Chiang Mai worth it?
In my opinion, The Sticky waterfall is well worth the visit! It’s a unique natural waterfall, rarely found in other parts of Thailand. It is a fun and free experience to climb up the cascades without slipping due to the sticky limestone formations.
It is not only a great place for swimming, climbing but also offers plenty of opportunities for Instagram photos and TikTok Shorts.
The downside is that it is located quite far from Chiang Mai City Center and you will need to organize transport to get to the waterfall. This can be easily done as there are lots of transport and tour options in the city center of Chiang Mai.
Other things to do after visiting Sticky Waterfall
I only hire a driver for visiting the sticky waterfall, but you can also add more attractions to your itinerary. For example, there are several popular points of interest along the way such as Tiger Kingdom or Siam Insect Zoo.
If you haven’t explored the famous temples in Chiang Mai Old Town, you can consider adding it to the list after the waterfall. You can ask your driver to take you to the most popular temple in the old town, including Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Chiang Man.
If you don’t hire a private driver and haven’t visited the temples on Doi Suthep, I highly recommend taking the day tour to Doi Suthep and Sticky Waterfall. I visited these temples, Wat Pha Lat and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, by hiking the monk’s trail, and really liked it.
Another popular tour to Sticky waterfall includes a visit to Dantewada Land of Angels. If you love cooking, you can still take a A Half Day Evening Cooking Class after visiting the Sticky Waterfall.
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This is my guide on how to visit the Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai and what to do there. I hope after reading my article, you know how to get to and what to expect at the waterfall. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comment box below.