Best Yee Peng Mass Lantern Releases in Chiang Mai

Yee Peng is often at the top of the list of festivals to see for travelers in Thailand. Witnessing thousands of flying lanterns suspended in the sky during Yee Peng in Chiang Mai is a magical and enchanting experience that feels straight out of a Disney film.

To help you plan your travels, this guide aims to explain everywhere in Chiang Mai you can go to see a mass lantern release.

What is Yi Peng?

Yi Peng (sometimes spelled Yee Peng) is Thailand's Sky Lantern Festival which takes place on the night of the full moon in November every year. In 2023, it will be celebrated on November 27th-28th. Yi Peng is not celebrated all over Thailand, but only in the northern regions of the country where the people of the Lanna ethnic group live and especially in Chiang Mai.

Yi Peng is commonly confused with another festival that occurs on the same day called Loy Krathong. Both of these celebrations are lantern festivals. The main difference is that during Loy Krathong, people release floating lanterns called krathongs as opposed to Yi Peng's flying lanterns called khom loi. Loy Krathong is celebrated all over Thailand whereas Yi Peng is regional.

Chiang Mai is the only place in Thailand where travelers can experience both Yi Peng and Loy Krathong on the same night. Many mass lantern release events offer guests both khom loi and krathong lanterns during the ceremony. Click to see How to Best Experience Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai.

10-Day Best of Thailand at Yi Peng Festival Mini-Group Tour 2023 (US$2179)Date:Nov.24 – Dec.3, 2023

China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.

Great Experience WOW! I’ve traveled Asia some & I must say Sharon & Asia Highlights made this trip so much more enjoyable and easy More Stephen Hollis, Aug 2023

Alisa has has been great to work with Alisa with Asia Highlights has has been great to work with. Very friendly and responsive. More Ana Rausch, Aug 2023

Using Sharon right now to book our… Using Sharon right now to book our upcoming trip to Thailand. She has booked everything that we asked for. Has answered all of my inquiries, which has been many! Looking forward to having a great girls trip in Thailand More Tracy, Aug 2023

Thailand, Singapore, Bali In Thailand, Tanny and Nori(Suparp), were both incredible! They were both fun, funny, and full of knowledge and made sure we got the full experience. They went the extra mile and always made sure we had cold bottled water and towels to cleanse our hands. In Singapore, Nicole was an absolute gem. She was so kind and knowledgeable and guided us in the right direction to make our day as enjoyable as possible. She helped us choose a top notch local lunch and coffee spot in China Town and taught us so much about the country! In Bali, Emon was an absolute joy. He was very knowledgeable and kind and absolutely made sure we were feeling comfortable and was willing to be flexible with us. He was fun to converse with and made our time traveling between destinations so enjoyable! I cannot recommend Asia Highlights enough! Accommodations, travel arrangements and guided tours were all a breeze. More Cassi Thunker, Jul 2023

Very supportive Very supportive ! I have received eticket for Sky Lattern Festival very fast More Chi?n Nguy?n Ng?c, Jul 2023

My experience in Chang Mai with Asia Highlights I greatly enjoyed my experience with Asia Highlights for a trip I booked to Thailand.All of my interests were catered too. My guide in Chang Mai Gemma was excellent.I truly felt the soul of Thailand culture and Buddhism. More Richard, Jul 2023

A pleasure to plan with Well, this has been a painless and pleasurable process to find such a wonderful company. I had specific dates and places to be and Sharon worked with me diligently to refine the schedule and costs to suit my travel needs and budget. She informed me of a special tour on the dates I am to be in Thailand and I added that to my previous plans. More Chris Williams, Jul 2023

Large multi-generational holiday in Thailand The holiday was wonderful. Our guides, Mr Monchai (Bangkok), and Ms Tipagorn (Tippy) (Chiang Mai) were exceptional. Travelling in a large multigenerational group with many children requires patience and our guides truly understood that. Mr Monchai and Ms Tippy shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. While everyday was busy, having them greet us with patience and a smile truly made this a memorable holiday. The hotels we stayed at were equally wonderful and went above and beyond to celebrate not only my parents 50th anniversary but also celebrate 2 milestone birthdays that occurred. We will cherish this holiday for many years to come. We hope to use Asia Highlights again. More CL, Jul 2023

I never used a travel agent in my life I never used a travel agent in my life, but Sharon for Asia Highlights did a phenomenal job helping planning and coordination a family vacation. The best part of working with Sharon was that she maintained an open line of communication and provided answers to my question well within 12-24 hours. Additionally, Sharon was flexible and customized our vacation to my families needs. Overall great experience. More Antione Barry, Jul 2023

Great company to plan a trip to Southeast Asia! Sharon Haung has been wonderful to work with! Very patient and accommodating. Responds immediately given time change and is prepared, prompt, and professional. More Debi Hinerfeld, Jul 2023

We took a 15 days trip (10 days Vietnam and 5 days Thailand … It was an amazing experience the guides and drivers were there awaiting for us at each airoport for a transfer to the hotels also on time for all the tours all the guides were so lovely , very experienced and spoke very good English , one of the days on tour in Thailand I lost my phone in a temple in Bangkok mr chai went out of his way in a middle of thousands of visitors and managed to find an bring it back to me I found that amazing , also while on a trip I contacted Jason li out tour organizer few time via whatup and he replied and helped on the spot I recommend asiahilights 150% The quality of the service hotels the guides the drivers outstanding From start to finish ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ???? More SIMO el ghobar, Jun 2023

Wonderful Guides and Experience Our large group arrived in Bangkok with Tanni as our guide. She was wonderful! An absolute joy to spend time with. She is knowledgeable, kind, and extremely funny. I don’t know what we would have done without her! After Bangkok, we traveled to Chang Mai, where Indy was our tour guide. She was a delight! She is kind, knowledgeable, and so patient. Our trip to Thailand was an adventure of a lifetime and these two women helped make it memorable. I would definitely use Asia Highlights for any future travel in Asia. More Jessica Bennett, Jun 2023

Guide - Chai We travelled from Vietnam to Bangkok and were blessed to have a guide named Chai. He was a superb guide and it is a pity we couldn't bottle him and take him home. He was very knowledgeable and an absolute gentleman. He could not have done enough to facilitate us and imparted so much knowledge about the Temples, Buddism and the History of Thailand in general. Not only did he give us a great overview of the past and current ways of living in Thailand but I also feel I came away a much better person having interacting with him. I will carry many of his teachings with me for the rest of my life and know that having met him was a very special blessing in my life. More Customer, Jun 2023

Our guide Tanni was kind Our guide Tanni was kind, knowledgeable, funny and beyond accommodating for our group. We felt like we'd made a friend and it enhanced our trip in the most positive way. Everything was coordinated perfectly which is not easy to do in a large traveling group. Excellent experience! More Marissa Manson, Jun 2023

We are only on day 5 of our 15 day trip… Our first stop so far was in Hanoi where our guide Trong was just so awesome! He shared about his culture and family life which showing us sites through a city tour. He was so funny making lots of jokes and always made sure we were having fun while learning about everything! He checked on us frequently even when we were no longer with him since we then went on a cruise in Halong Bay! Halong Bay and the cruise on Paradise Elegance went way above anything I expected. The scenery was breathtaking, the ship was so beautiful and clean with such fresh, good food! And I can’t sing enough praise for the staff who took care of us- especially Anna and Belle! They went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed every aspect from eating meals with Anna to every other detail with Belle! I highly recommend Asian Highlights to help plan these extraordinary trips! This already has been a trip of a lifetime and we still have so much more to see all thanks to Cathy!! More Diane Creitz, Jun 2023

Tanni for the win! 14 of my closest friends and family descended upon Bangkok ready to see the town. Asia highlights and Tanni took us on a tour that changed our lives. We experienced so much everyday. Tanni was amazing! She did all the thinking for us, so we all could just be present and enjoy the moment. I can’t recommend this company, and especially Tanni enough. More Megan McGlynn, Jun 2023

This isn't my first trip with Asia… This isn't my first trip with Asia Highlights. They are great at helping me plan, working my requests into the itinerary, and booking it all. We travel with friends and just got back from a trip to Thailand and Vietnam. Albee did a great job with all the details and we had a wonderful time. We will use them for our next adventure! More Katie Potesta, Jun 2023

Amazing service Although we have not been our trip yet I wanted to still write a review based on customer service and the ease of booking. Alisa has been extremely prompt and responsive with planning our trip to Thailand. She has had great recommendations and guidance to add to our custom itinerary. Highly recommend using Asia highlights! -Alex More Alex, May 2023

I have never hear of this company… I have never hear of this company before , and after reading all these reviews ,I decided to give it a try . The professionalism and communicative skill received by one of the agent , Sharon of Asia Highlights , convince me that She was the right travel agent for my trip in Asia . Very quickly she communicated with me and got all the detail of my desire vacation . Sharon made me a great itinerary with great experiences that I am dreaming to experience and I am looking forward to it . Thanks Sharon for been so great and crafting me a dream vacation with great suggestions. More orge alvarez, May 2023

Coco Yang worked tirelessly to… From the moment I landed in Bangkok, Ms Noi Ying was there to welcome me and get me settled into my hotel. We enjoyed several days together touring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. In Chiang Mai, Mr Ekachai took my son snd I on an amazing trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and to visit a community Lanna home, gardens and a hands-on cooking class preparing an authentic Thai meal. Lisa arranged a last-minute speedboat tour of 5 breathtaking islands in Phuket. From start to finish, the guides exceeded my expectations!! Thank you, Asia Highlight!! Debbie Woods More Debbie Woods, May 2023

Top Places that Offer Yi Peng Mass Lantern Releases

Mass lantern releases are often located outside of the main city and release thousands of flying lanterns at once making for a majestic atmosphere and incredible photos.

Mass Lantern Release Comparison Overview

1. Chiang Mai CAD

Chiang Mai CAD (Culture Art and Design) is a government-sponsored organization that puts on an incredible mass lantern release event every year. In 2023, the lantern release will take place on the 27th and 28th of November. Each ticket includes 2 khom loi sky lanterns, an all-you-can-eat buffet, a krathong floating lantern, a Buddhist release ritual, and local Thai Lanna performances.

The Chiang Mai CAD Lantern Release gets early approval from the government to operate each year meaning that you can already buy tickets for the 2023 celebration! Some of the other lantern releases only begin selling tickets a few months prior to the event.

Price:

Tickets start at $122 per person and range up to $180 per person for Premium tickets with shuttle transfer to and from the event. The main difference between the Standard, VIP, and Premium tickets is where your seat is located and which dining area you have access to.

The CAD Chiang Mai release stage is a circle with seats located all around the stage so there are really no "bad" seats.

5-Day Chiang Mai Yi Peng Festival Mini-Group Tour 2023 （US$1069) Date: Nov. 26–30, 2023

2. Yi Peng International near Mae Jo University

Yi Peng International is the event held near Mae Jo University by Lanna Dhutanka which is a Buddhist organization that promotes the practice of meditation. The lantern release here is a fundraiser with the profits going towards the welfare of the local hill tribe communities.

Tickets to this mass release come with one lantern. As this event is hosted by a Buddhist organization it has more of a religious focus. Yi Peng international offers 3000 seats and includes the Buddhist release ritual and group meditation.

Tickets for the Yi Peng International lantern release usually go on sale around 2 months before the event and sell out within two weeks. If you are planning on attending this event, it's important to check the website regularly.

Price:

$290 for a standard ticket with a shuttle transfer and $350 for a VIP ticket with a shuttle transfer. The main difference between the levels of tickets is how close you will be to the stage.

3. Yee Peng Doi Saket

The main advantage of the Yee Peng Doi Saket celebration is that it is located at the Doi Saket Hot Springs which is a beautiful area around 20 kilometers outside of Chiang Mai surrounded by mountains, rice fields, and a river.

One ticket to this event gets you a meal from the all-you-can-eat buffet and 1 sky lantern for standard ticket holders and 2 for VIP ticket holders. The event can hold 2500 people and will likely take place over two nights.

Price:

Around $110 to $140 depending on Standard or VIP tickets. The main difference between the two tickets is the number of lanterns you receive and how close you are to the stage.

4. Chiang Mai Sky's Lanterns Northern Study Center

There isn't too much information online about the mass lantern release at the Nothern Study Center.

Tickets also include access to a set Thai dinner, traditional dance shows, and performances. Everyone who attends this event must first meet at the Mercure Hotel where the organization will pick you up in buses and transport you to the event location. No private transfers are allowed.

Price:

$125 for a Standard ticket and $185 for a VIP ticket. Transfer from the Mercure Hotel to the Northern Study Center costs around 300 baht ($9.50).

14-Day Cultural Thailand Tour with the Lantern Festival Unlocking the Aura of the Lantern Festival

5. Wat Doi & Kruba Srivijaya Monument

This mass lantern release is held at the Wat Doi and Kruba Srivijaya Monument around 35 kilometers from downtown Chiang Mai. This is by far the smallest release event with only 750 seats available. Each ticket comes with 1 sky lantern and a set Thai dinner.

There isn't much information online about this lantern release either, but it does take place at a popular Buddhist temple so you can expect the vibe to be more religious. The celebrations include a ritual and exploring a local market.

Price:

Standard tickets go for around $93 and VIP tickets for $125.

Free Yi Peng Celebrations

Please note that khom loi sky lanterns are forbidden to release in urban areas for safety reasons. You can experience other celebration events and try to release krathong floating lanterns in the rivers.

1. Nawarat Bridge

Nawarat Bridge is where most of the Chiang Mai locals go to release their krathong floating lanterns on the nearby Ping River. (khom loi sky lanterns are forbidden to release.)

Here you can catch great photos of the floating lanterns and release them yourself. You'll also find plenty of street vendors selling lanterns for around 30-50 baht each ($1 to $1.50). Make sure to try and buy lanterns made from biodegradable and eco-friendly materials.

2. The Iron Bridge

The second-best free spot to release your krathong floating lanterns during Yi Peng in Chiang Mai is the Iron Bridge. This bridge also crosses the Ping River so you will have a chance to see the beautiful floating Krathongs, but is less crowded than the Nawarat Bridge.

3. Tha Phae Gate

The Tha Phae Gate is full of festivities during the week surrounding the Yi Peng celebrations. Here you'll find food vendors, firecrackers, fireworks, and crowds of foreigners and locals who've all come out to celebrate.

The Tha Phae Gate is also where the Yi Peng opening ceremony takes place as well as many of the festival parades. You can release lanterns here from 7 pm to 1 am on the two nights of the festival. The only difficult part about celebrating here is getting there as it's the most congested part of the city during Yi Peng.

4. Three Kings Monument

The Three Kings Monument is a great place to go for a more traditional Yi Peng ceremony as the release of Sky Lanterns is a recent addition to the festival. At the Three Kings Monument, travelers can watch a candle-lighting ceremony and a Buddhist worship ritual.

You can also head here on the first day of celebrations to watch the hundreds of dancers all performing Lanna Traditional Dance in beautiful costumes.

5. Wat Phan Tao

Wat Phan Tao is a Buddhist temple where travelers can go to take in a truly enchanting and beautiful ceremony. Here you can watch as orange-clad monks surrounded by a meandering stream light candles and slowly release khom loi into the sky while chanting and offering blessings.

Tips for Attending Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai

• Book hotels early if you wish to experience the event! Yi Peng is the busiest time of year to visit Chiang Mai. The small city receives many tourists traveling to enjoy the lantern festival hotel rooms sell out rapidly! Learn how to choose a nice hotel in Chiang Mai.
• Prepared for the streets to be crowded. Chiang Mai doubles in population during the week leading up to Yi Peng. You should be prepared for the streets to be crowded with other travelers, cars, and tuk-tuks.
• You can only release lanterns at certain places and between 7 pm and 1 am on that day.
• If you are an avid photographer you should stay in Chiang Mai for at least three days and try to attend a mass lantern release for the iconic photos and a local release for a more laid-back and cultural experience.
• Remember to be respectful because this is a Buddhist holiday. When attending any holiday events or lantern releases it is important to wear clothes that cover the shoulders and knees.
• Don't miss Yi Peng Lantern Festival food. During the festival, the Lanna-style Thai cuisine can be seen everywhere in Chiang Mai. Here are some Lanna dishes you should not miss: khao soi gai, the spicy Northern Thai curry noodle soup, and gaeng hang lay moo, a Northern Thai pork curry of Burmese origin to the fiery nam priks (relishes) and herbaceous and sour sausages.

2-Day Romantic Thailand Lantern Festival Tour A Once-in-a-lifetime Experience with Your Loved Ones

Experience Thailand with Asia Highlights

Asia Highlights welcomes the chance to help you design your perfect trip to Thailand. Whether that includes experiencing Loy Krathong, Yi Peng, another festival, or just some time relaxing on the beach. Check out some of our example itineraries below for inspiration!