When is the Chiang Mai lantern festival 2026?
The Chiang Mai lantern festival 2026 lights the sky on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November 2026, from 19:00 to 01:00. These are the only nights for sky lanterns this year.
You arrive at dusk. The moon is full, the air is cool, and at seven the first lanterns rise over the valley.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand set these windows in its notice to pilots for Chiang Mai and Lamphun (checked November 2026). The same notice adds a short daytime window on 24 November, from 10:00 to 12:00.
Celebrations in the city run from 23 to 25 November, with candles at the temples and lanterns hung in the lanes. The Yi Peng festival falls on the full moon, so the date moves each year.
Yi Peng 2027 follows the next November full moon; the province confirms the dates closer to the time. Our 2027 events calendar lists the other big dates.
Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong: what is the difference?
Yi Peng sends lanterns into the sky; Loy Krathong floats candles on the water. In Chiang Mai, both fall on the same full moon, so you get both.
- Yi Peng: the northern Lanna festival of the full moon in the second Lanna month. "Yi" means two and "Peng" means full moon.
- Loy Krathong: the national festival of floating offerings. The Thai government's festival listing gives Tuesday 24 November 2026 (checked November 2026).
- Lanterns: khom loi rise into the sky, and khom fai hang at temples and gates. Each lantern carries away bad luck and sends up a wish.
Our Loy Krathong guide covers the krathong, its meaning and the river nights in Bangkok and Sukhothai. This page stays with the lanterns of Chiang Mai.
When people plan a lantern festival Thailand trip, this is the night they mean. Nowhere else in the country releases lanterns on this scale.
Where can you see the lanterns in Chiang Mai?
You see the mass release at a permitted, ticketed event outside the city. In town, you see lit temples, hung lanterns and krathongs on the Ping River.
Ticketed mass releases. Several private events hold thousands of guests in open grounds outside Chiang Mai, with dinner, shows and one timed release. Tickets sell out weeks ahead for both nights.
The old city. Temples such as Wat Chedi Luang glow with candles, and lanterns hang across the lanes inside the moat. Our old city guide maps the walk.
The Ping River. On 24 November, families float krathongs from the banks and piers. Riverside hotel terraces give you the same view with a table and space.
Ticketed events vary a great deal in seating, food and the drive home. We book only events that show a district permit for their release, and we check the exit plan.
For the rest of your days, our guide to things to do in Chiang Mai covers the temples, the mountains and the kitchens.
How can you see Yi Peng privately?
The best lantern night is one you control: your own table, a clear view and a car waiting. These are the three ways we plan it.
A riverside hotel terrace. You dine by the Ping River on 24 November and float your krathong from the hotel's own steps. Anantara Chiang Mai and Raya Heritage sit on the river; we reserve the terrace tables first.
A private dinner on the Ping River. At dusk you board a teak river boat reserved for your group, with a Northern Thai dinner on deck. Krathongs go on the water mid-river, away from the crowded piers.
A private lantern release at a permitted site. On 24 or 25 November, inside the 19:00 to 01:00 window, your group releases lanterns at a site that holds its district permit. No crowd, no queue, and a photographer if you want one.
Add a luxury van with driver from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, for up to 4 guests; cars are matched to your plan. A photographer for the night costs from ฿10,000 a day. A private chef for a villa dinner costs from ฿11,500 a day.
Many couples choose the lantern night for a proposal. Our proposal ideas show how we set it up, and our festival VIP service covers tickets and tables.
What are the lantern rules for 2026?
Release a lantern only at a permitted event, only on 24 or 25 November, between 19:00 and 01:00. Never release one in the city or from your hotel.
The rules exist for flights and for fire. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand warns that lanterns drift unpredictably in height and direction. They affect the airspace around Chiang Mai International Airport and can distract pilots.
- Ask for the permit: a permitted event shows its district permit. If the seller cannot show one, do not pay.
- Light it together: one person holds the top, one holds the base. Wait until the lantern pulls upward, then let go.
- Watch the wind: never release near trees, roofs or power lines, and keep children behind you.
- At temples: cover your shoulders and knees and take off your shoes. Our temple dress code has the details.
- Fireworks: keep well back from anyone lighting them, and never hold one in your hand.
Flights in and out of Chiang Mai run near the release windows. Fly in on the 23rd or by midday on the 24th, and fly out after the festival.
Where should you stay for the lanterns?
Stay on the Ping River for the krathong night, or in the Mae Rim hills for quiet. Book now: festival nights fill first.
Lantern nights run 24 and 25 November, from 19:00 to 01:00, under the aviation notice. Book at least three nights, from 23 to 26 November.
On the river. Anantara Chiang Mai has lawns down to the water. Raya Heritage is a calm, craft-led hotel on the river north of town.
In the hills. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai sits among rice terraces in the Mae Rim valley. It is a quiet base after the crowds; our Mae Rim guide covers the area.
Our guide to where to stay in Chiang Mai compares every area and hotel. The Chiang Mai guide covers the city itself.
How do you get to Chiang Mai for the festival?
Fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, or charter a private jet. Arrive on 23 November or the morning of the 24th, before the evening release window.
Our Bangkok to Chiang Mai guide compares scheduled flights, private jets, the train and a chauffeur. For the arrival itself, our Chiang Mai airport guide explains the transfer.
For a group, a private jet charter lands you on your own schedule. Our driver meets you at arrivals and takes you straight to the hotel.
If you are still choosing dates, see the best time to visit Chiang Mai. Our Thailand in November guide covers the weather in every region.
People also ask about the lantern festival
These are the questions people search most in November. Short answers first.
What is the lantern festival in Chiang Mai?
It is Yi Peng, the northern full-moon festival, when people release paper lanterns to let go of bad luck. The aviation authority lists the 2026 lantern nights as 24 and 25 November, 19:00 to 01:00.
Is it worth going?
Yes, if you plan it. A permitted event with good seats, or a private release, is the night of the year. A crowded field with a long drive home is not.
Where is the lantern festival in Thailand in 2026?
The big lantern festival is in Chiang Mai, at permitted events outside the city. The rest of Thailand marks the same full moon with Loy Krathong on the water.
Do you need a ticket?
For a mass release, yes. The temples, lanes and river in the city are free to visit, but lantern releases there are not allowed.
Insider tips only a Chiang Mai planner knows
These are the moves our Thai team in Chiang Mai uses every November. Each one fits the official 19:00 to 01:00 lantern window on 24 and 25 November.
- Do the river on the 24th, the lanterns on the 25th: you get the krathong night and a calmer release night.
- Leave early, leave late: be at the event before 17:00, and wait 30 minutes after the release before you drive home.
- Sit near the exit: at ticketed events, the front rows look good in photos, but the side rows get you out first.
- Bring a light jacket: nights in the north turn cool in November, and open fields are colder than the city.
- Visit the temples by day: a guide in the late afternoon explains what you will see lit after dark. Add Doi Suthep on the morning after.
- End with a drink: our Chiang Mai bars guide lists the calm, grown-up rooms for the end of the night.
Plan it with Tanner
Every Yi Peng trip we plan starts with one question: the big release, or a private one?
Example plan: three nights. Arrive on the 23rd. Riverside dinner and krathongs on the 24th. A permitted release with your own driver on the 25th, and Doi Suthep on the 26th.
VIP Luxury Services has planned trips in Thailand since 2008. One planner books the flights, rooms, tables, tickets and cars, for a couple or a whole company. A Thai team in every main town checks the permits and the exit routes.
We tell you honestly what is not worth it, and private means private. Send Tanner your dates and group size. We get back to you right away.
