Your Guide to the Thailand Lantern Festival – “Yi Peng”
I’m sure you’ve seen it. Thousands of lanterns painting the night sky, floating gracefully past the temples and rivers of Northern Thailand. Whether it be on Instagram, YouTube, or in the movie “Tangled”, the Thailand Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai has quickly risen in popularity, stealing the hearts of of travelers worldwide. So you may be wondering, is the Thailand lantern festival in Chiang Mai worth seeing? The answer is YES. Below we will share information about the Yi Peng Lantern Festival, what to expect, and where to buy your tickets.
What is the Yi Peng Festival?
The Yi Peng Festival, also referred to as the Thailand Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, is a Northern Thailand celebration held on the full moon of the 12th Thai Lunar Month. The Yi Peng Lantern Festival occurs each year in November and is recognized by the city-wide presence of lanterns. The colorful lanterns are hung throughout Chiang Mai’s public spaces, restaurants and homes. Although these lanterns are a sight to see on their own, the floating sky lanterns are the piece de resistance.
Wondering where to see the Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai? You have two options.
Mass Lantern Release (Paid) – Yi Peng Festival
The mass lantern release in Chiang Mai is a paid, ticketed event that ranges anywhere from $75 – $200 USD per person. Although prices are steep, this is the only way to guarantee seeing thousands (5,000 to be exact!) of lanterns paint the nighttime sky directly in front of your eyes. There are 3-5 different Yi Peng Festival Mass Lantern Release events that happen each year and tickets sell out very quickly. We recommend using AsiaHighlights.com to secure your tickets which typically go on sale around August.
The Yi Peng mass lantern release in Chiang Mai includes a full Thai dinner, local art displays, a traditional Lanna dance performance, a Buddhist ceremony, and of course a mass lantern release. I could go on explaining the events of Yi Peng and the Thailand Lantern Festival, but I think it’s better to see for yourself. Watch our complete video guide to the Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai Thailand here.
Citywide Celebration (Free) – Yi Peng Festival
If the mass lantern release is outside of your budget, there are plenty of places to witness both sky lanterns and floating river lanterns for free in Chiang Mai’s old city. Although Yi Peng and it’s sky lanterns get all the attention, it’s the Loy Krathong festival that actually has a larger presence throughout Thailand and the city of Chiang Mai. To learn more about Loy Krathong, click here.
Many locals and tourists head to one of two spots to witness the beauty of the Thailand lantern festival in Chiang Mai for free. The first spot is Tha Phae Gate, located on the west wall of Chiang Mai’s old city. Although this spot is pretty tourist-heavy, there are other amazing activities in the area like a carnival, night market, and street food to keep you busy after releasing your lantern.
The next spot is the Ping River, just a 20 minute walk west of the The Phae Gate. Here, you will see a much stronger local presence alongside thousands of floating river lanterns (krathongs). A great place to release your sky lantern is along the west river bank, across the bridge. Here you can release your sky lantern, watch the fireworks, and immerse yourself in the unique, local Thai celebration.
Read more about the Loy Krathong festival here >> Read Asia Highlights Blog Article
So Which Option is Best?
If you have the funds, we recommend experiencing both the ticketed and free event like we did. AsiaHighlights.com has a wealth of tickets available for the mass lantern release at the Cowboy Army Riding Club and Yi Peng Lanna International. We chose the Cowboy Army Riding Club event which was held the night after the full moon. Because of this, we were free to witness the local celebration that takes place throughout the city on the actual night of the full moon. We couldn’t have been happier to witness both celebrations!
The 2019 Yi Peng Festival will be held on November 11th-13th in Chiang Mai. We recommend booking your hotel and planning far in advance to avoid surge pricing. Guarantee your ticket to the 2019 Yi Peng Festival by monitoring the “buy tickets” link above! That page will be updated as soon as tickets become available for the 2019 Thailand Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai. Happy travels!
The year 2019 Yi Peng Festival will be held on Monday and Tuesday November 11-12th in Chiang Mai. not on 13 Nov
Thanks for sharing the info. From what we see online, Loy Krathong falls on Wednesday, November 13 (festival begins on November 11, ends on November 13). It is a light festival (or known as Lantern Festival) in Thailand on the full moon day in November 😊