How to Best Experience Yi Peng Lantern Festival 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Have you seen pictures or videos of thousands of lanterns floating up into the night sky? That is Thailand's famous lantern festival, called Yi Peng or Yee Peng, celebrated annually in Chiang Mai. Attending the festival is on many people's bucket lists. If you want to enjoy the magical experience to the utmost, this article will help you.

When is Yi Peng Festival 2023?

Yi Peng Lantern Festival takes place annually on full moon evenings in month 2 of the Lanna lunar calendar, and the Gregorian calendar date changes from year to year. It usually falls in November.

In 2023, it will be celebrated on November 27th and 28th.

The mass sky lantern release event organized by Chiang Mai Arts and Design (CAD for short), named Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival, is one of the largest and most visually stunning events in Chiang Mai and is worth a visit once in a lifetime.

Would you like to participate in this grand event? Book a ticket right now.

Tickets for Chiang Mai CAD Yi Peng Lantern Festival 2023

Limited tickets are available – reserve your spot today!

Since 2019, we've proudly held the position of Premium Partner with Chiang Mai CAD, and in 2023, we're thrilled to be the EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER of premium tickets.

With our exceptional tickets, you'll enjoy unparalleled festival access and exclusive perks, ensuring an unforgettable experience. Join the 10,000+ clients from around the world who have trusted us to make their festival dreams come true.

Notably, Chiang Mai CAD does not have an official website, and all ticket sellers are agents, with us proudly being the largest among them.

Asia Higlights team at Chiang Mai CAD

Here are the prices for the three kinds of tickets:

• Premium ticket + transfer + dinner: US$ 199 (ONLY with Asia Highlights)
• VIP ticket + transfer + dinner: US$ 179
• Standard ticket + transfer + dinner: US$ 139

Premium tickets are most recommended, as you will get closest to the stage and the chanting monks, receive priority shuttle transport with a business van and have a buffet dinner all-you-can-eat pass for a special food zone.

Transfer and dinner are included in the ticket prices. Click to see more on the celebration timeline and questions you might have about experiencing Yi Peng Festival.

Ms Bella is very prompt and helpful Ms Bella is very prompt and helpful in answering to my queries. Well done. Also thanks to Asia Highlights for awarding my winning ticket. More LM Hang, Sept. 2022

We bought 10 tickets for lantern We bought 10 tickets for lantern festival, at the end airline rescheduled our flight. We are so upset and no choice have to give up the lantern festival schedule and proceed for refund. Bella is the sales person that liase with us, she did a very good job, help us proceed for refund. She is responsive and reliable. More Jolie Tan, Sept. 2022

Really excellent service!! Really excellent service!! they still had an allocation of tickets available for the Yi Peng festival when other sellers had already run out. highly recommended More David Shackcloth, Sept. 2022

Excellent Customer Service Bella at Asia Highlights was very helpful to me. After I placed my order for the Lantern Festival I'm Chiang Mai a friend decided to possibly come join me. Bella responded right away and stated she would hold a ticket for her and then would exchange mine original seat for one next to hers! So amazing and now I get to experience this once in a lifetime event with my bestie. More Dawn Malbon, Sept. 2022

Valuable customer service I booked a ticket for Yipeng festival in Chiangmai in Nov 2022 and I was supported by Bella Liu. Appreciate your customer service when the girl answer all my queries promptly and gently, even when I canceled the transaction because of my mistakes. If I have a change, I would recommend your side to my friend! More Thu Thanh, Sept. 2022

Highly recommended by a friend Highly recommended by a friend who had used their services before. They have proven to be efficient and responsive in getting me answers to my NUMEROUS questions as this is my first time visiting this Yi Peng Festival. I hope they will not disappoint during my visit!! More Paul Ang, Oct. 2022

The process seemed seamless Bella is was my agent assisting with my ticket for the festival. However, I was unable to make it there. And made the process seemed seamless. Thank you for your help. More Lovely one, Oct. 2022

Highly recommend Asia Highlights I would highly recommend Asia Highlights as a company. We booked tickets with them for the chiang mai lantern festival. They offered the lowest prices compared to all the other websites we looked at (a 10% reduction), the process was fast and efficient. They stay in touch and respond fast and answer all questions. Then when one of our members cancelled, they issued a refund with no questions asked. Great service from Bella Liu! More Zohail Qazi, Oct. 2022

Helpful and making my trip planning easy Belle is very professional in helping me to decide on what I can do as a solo traveller. She is very helpful and making my trip planning easy. Your trip to Thailand already feel good even at the planning stage. More Angelane Eng, Oct. 2022

Thank you Iris Wang & Bella Liu… MI am very grateful that Iris Wang reached out to me this morning to check on my inquiry. I thought "no hope" in getting the tickets to Yee Peng Festival organize by CAD. Fortunately, together with Bella Liu, I managed to secure all our tickets. No one left behind. This trip to Chiang Mai will be a memorable one. Iris & Bella, you've made my day. Thank you much! More Little Puppy, Oct. 2022

Very accommodating and helpful Bella was super helpful in getting my ticket to the Yi Peng festival exchanged and was very accommodating. Quick and easy transaction and received ticket within 24 hours. Good communication throughout the process. Asia Highlights as a whole is also very informative and contains helpful advice that has helped me plan my travels in Thailand. More Helen Powell, Nov. 2022

The experience was great! I had booked Chiang Mai Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival with Asia Highlight Travel, my travel advisor was Bella Kiu, the experience was great, got my tickets , communication was seamless. They created a WhatsApp group , that was my 1st experience with online booking, I was so excited until I saw a WhatsApp someone looking forward to get to Chiang Mai, OMG I realised that's another city far away where we were holidaying. I contacted Bella, explain my challenge. I must say she values money and arranged my refund. Thanks Bella I will definitely attend this Festival in the coming years and will book with your agent. Great customer experience indeed, trustworthy is the key. More Siskazi Lindeni, Nov. 2022

I advice Bella as the best!! I contacted to Bella from Asia Highlights that to buy tickets to Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai when i was in my country. She helped me very much. I had some tehnical problem to pay online by my card. She helped me to book the tickets of my dream, and when i came to Chiang Mai before 3 day of Festival, i could pay in theire agency there and to recieve the tickets online without any problem. You can trust this agency, and i advice Bella as the best!! More Elena, Nov. 2022

Great experience! We used Asia Highlights to book our tickets to the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival in Nov. 2022. Bella was very helpful and responsive to all our questions. They handled all the arrangements very professionally and we had a wonderful time! We would definitely recommend and use them again! More Chriatie, Nov. 2022

Ask For Bella And/Or Nguyen at Asia Highlights This is Nov 2022, I've been dying to visit Vietnam and I've been patient so this is definitely worth the wait. Yes this is going to be my 70th country to visit and really looking forward to a beautiful closure of the year. Asia Highlights, I'm extremely happy and couldn't be more glad. l'll keep it simple and precise; I appreciate Bella's and Nguyen support 100%. When I reached out to Asia Highlights, I straight away requested Bella to contact me after reading several recommendations/reviews about her outstanding support from other clients. This was to process my tourist visa approval letter to travel to Vietnam. I didn't want to waste more time considering I was previously disappointed by how my request was handled by another tour agency. Bella and Nguyen jointly handled the situation very professional, they were very supportive even getting out of their way to advise me and finally the approval came in on time. I highly recommend both of their team efforts and follow ups all along. I like how Asian Highlights handle their customers requests. Awesome customer obsession right there! More Beatrice Njau, Nov. 2022

Memorable Experience!!! TI booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!! More Bowen, Nov. 2022

Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. We got early bird ticket and Bella was assisting us through whatsapp. Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. Thanks Bella, for being patient explaining everything to me. Highly recommended. More Lily Hartati, Nov. 2022

What's the Difference Between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong?

When you research Yi Peng, you may read about another Thai lantern festival called Loy Krathong or Loi Krathong, and you may feel confused about the difference between the two.

Although the two festivals occur almost simultaneously, the main difference is that they involve the release of different lanterns.

Yi Peng is a Lanna (Northern Thai) tradition celebrated only in Northern Thailand, with the biggest events being held in Chiang Mai. It involves the release of sky lanterns to send away bad luck and usher in good fortune.

Yi Peng Festival

Loy Krathong, on the other hand, is celebrated throughout Thailand, including the north. It features water lanterns offered to the river gods for a bountiful harvest and an apology for water pollution.

Loy Krathong Festival

One thing to note is that they're celebrated at around the same time but not exactly. In 2023, Yi Peng will be celebrated on November 27th-28th, while Loy Krathong will be celebrated on November 28th. If you plan your itinerary well, you can experience both festivals. Chiang Mai is the best place to experience the two festivals.

How Are Yi Peng and Loy Krathong Celebrated in Chiang Mai?

There are a ton of activities every day and night in Chiang Mai starting several days before Yi Peng. Activities in Chiang Mai city include street parades, religious services, cultural displays, and fireworks.

For Loy Krathong, the main event is releasing your floral lantern (krathong) onto the river. You can simply go to the popular Ping River in the evening and release your krathong. No tickets are required.

For Yi Peng, the main event is the lantern release. Chiang Mai CAD (Culture, Arts, and Design) and Yi Peng Lanna International at Mae Jo are two famous mass lantern release events in Chiang Mai.

Since 2020, it has been forbidden to release sky lanterns in the downtown area. If you want to see the sight of a sky completely full of flaming wish lanterns, you need to book a ticket for a lantern release event.

What to Expect for Chiang Mai CAD's Yi Peng Lantern Festival in 2023?

1. Enjoy Spectacular Cultural Shows and Performances

Before the lantern release, you can get an immersive cultural experience at the Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival. This includes various cultural shows such as the fire show, traditional northern Thailand dance, and a Thai orchestra.

There are also mini-shows by local hill tribes around Chiang Mai, such as the Hmong, Karen, and Akha peoples.

2. Taste Cuisines from around Thailand

While exploring the culture of the northern Lanna people, get a taste of delicacies from all over Thailand. You will also find a wide variety of local fruits, snacks, and drinks.

Furthermore, most of the menus are cooked on spot! Enjoy the cooking demonstration and try the freshly cooked food with no limits.

3. Experience a Once-in-a-Lifetime Mass Lantern Release

In your ticket package, 2 sky lanterns and 1 krathong each are included. The highlight of the event comes from the beginning of the countdown to when the sky lanterns slowly lift into the sky. Make your wishes and release your lanterns into the sky together with all the guests creating a most magnificent moment in the festive night.

Before or after the sky lantern release, you can float your krathong at Loy Krathong Floating Zone. It is also enchanting to see thousands of water lanterns floating downstream.

Schedule for Yi Peng Mass Lantern Release 2023

04:00 pm- 04:30 pm: Pick up at Maya Shopping Center and transfer to the CAD Cultural Center Lanna Ethnicity, On Klang Subdistrict, Mae On District.

04:30 pm - 06:30 pm: Arrive at the Venue, present your e-ticket to register your ticket at the main entrance. Take part in captivating activities, including the traditional Loi Kratong ceremony.

06:30 pm - 07:30 pm: Enjoy authentic Thai Lanna Buffet Dinner, snacks, desserts, non-alcohol beverages. (Veggies food available)

07:30 pm: Enter the ritual area in from of the great pagoda. Witness an awe-inspiring display of drumming, candlelight shows, religious ceremonies, and monks chanting.

08:15 pm: Launch lanterns and enjoy the breathtaking spectacle.

08:45 pm: End of the celebration, transfer back to Maya Shopping Center.

This schedule is for reference only, and it is subject to the venue arrangement of the festival day.

How Many Days to Spend in Chiang Mai?

2 full days (Nov. 27th and Nov. 28th in 2023) in Chiang Mai is a must for experiencing both Yi Peng and Loy Krathong.

Even though mass lantern releases will take place on November 27th and 28th, we recommend doing the mass lantern release on November 27th. Then you can attend the folk activities, which are only held on November 28th (the day of Loy Krathong), such as the parade in the city center near Tha Phae Gate, the candle ceremony at Wat Pan Tao, and the release of krathong ('floating lantern') on the Ping River.

Chiang Mai is a city full of various unique experiences. You may want to spend more days there to do these activities:

• Visit an elephant sanctuary in the jungle to have a close encounter with elephants
• Take an evening tour of Doi Suthep mountain and visit the sacred Wat Phra That temple
• Have a Street Food Tour, exploring Chiang Mai's colorful night markets
• Have an extended trip out to the remote Thai border area of Chiang Rai, etc.

We have especially designed several tours including Yi Peng Festival. Our tours include tickets for the Chiang Mai Sky Lantern Festival, unique Thai cultural experiences, and the best sights of Thailand from the northern hill tribes to sunny southern beaches. Check the following exclusive mini-group or private tours, or more Chiang Mai tours for inspiration.

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

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

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

Yi Peng Festival Travel Tips

1. Plan early.

The Yi Peng Festival is so famous that it's best to get ready for it as early as possible. Book your tickets and hotel accommodations months in advance. Tourism doubles during the time of the festival.

Tickets for Yi Peng Festival 2023 are on sale now. You can reserve tickets for 2023 now with us and get early-bird prices.

2. Follow the dress code for the event.

No shorts, sleeveless tops, or miniskirts are allowed. We recommend you get dressed up in Lanna style with a longyi as bottoms and top that covers your shoulders.

3. Bring your camera and phone for pictures.

It's a challenge to get good photos in bad light and with a lot of people. If you want to have dramatic pictures, you can book a professional photography service in advance.

4. There's no alcohol at the event.

Alcohol drinking or selling is not allowed at the celebration.

5. Ask for help to release your lanterns.

A traditional Lanna lantern is big in size, and it usually takes two people to launch. You will find some volunteers at the venue who will be happy to help you out.