Yi Peng Chiang Mai 2026: Dates, Tickets & Where to Go

Featured image: FredTC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Yi Peng in Chiang Mai: the short answer

Yi Peng is a Lanna Buddhist festival held on the full moon of the second month of the Lanna calendar. Both ticketed events covered below list November 24 and 25, 2026. Lunar dates can shift, so confirm them on each organiser's page before you pay for anything.

Sky lanterns are the famous image, but you can't simply buy one and launch it from your guesthouse. City authorities restrict releases, and the big synchronized launches happen at paid venues. Everything else, from temple ceremonies to floating a krathong on the Ping River, costs little or nothing.

For wider timing questions, see our guide to the Best Time to Visit Chiang Mai: Month-by-Month Guide. This page stays on the festival itself.

What Yi Peng is and why it happens

In the Lanna language, "Yi" means two and "Peng" means full-moon day. Together they name the full moon of the second Lanna lunar month, which usually lands in November.

Releasing a khom loi, or sky lantern, is traditionally read as making merit and letting go of bad luck. Lanna households also light small lamps called Phang Pratheep as an act of gratitude. You will see them on house fronts and temple walls across northern Thailand during the festival period.

Villagers have also made sapao, small handcrafted sailing ships, at temples and carried them to the river on festival evening. Many people now float a central-Thai-style krathong instead. In the days before the full moon, houses and temples are decorated with arches of banana trunk or sugar cane, often called the Forest Entrance, hung with lanterns and flowers.

• Yi: two
• Peng: full-moon day
• Khom loi: the paper sky lantern
• Phang Pratheep: small clay-style lamps lit at homes and temples
• Sapao: a small handcrafted boat offered at the river

Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong: what's the difference?

Yi Peng sends wishes up into the sky. Loy Krathong sends them down onto the water. Yi Peng is a northern Lanna tradition, while Loy Krathong is celebrated across Thailand. In Chiang Mai the two overlap, so one November night can include both.

Can you release a sky lantern in Chiang Mai?

Not freely. Chiang Mai authorities restrict lantern releases inside the city because of airspace safety, fire risk and debris landing on rooftops, power lines and farmland. Releases are allowed at approved venues and in set time windows.

For that reason, the reliable route is a ticketed event outside the centre. Ask your hotel or the local tourism office about current zones and times before you buy a lantern from a street seller. Unofficial releases can put you and others at risk.

Haze belongs to a different part of the year. If you are weighing seasons, our note on the burning season explains why that smoke period comes later and does not apply to a November festival.

CAD Khomloy vs Sky of Wishes: tickets compared

Two ticketed events dominate searches. CAD Khomloy runs at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On District. Its listing shows November 24 and 25, with an event window of 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Travelers report the drive from the city centre at roughly 45 minutes.

Sky of Wishes is held in San Pa Tong. Its own site lists gates opening at 15:00 and a drive of 35 to 40 minutes from Chiang Mai city. Tickets go through its partner TicketMelon and are listed as final and non-refundable.

Treat every cell below as something to verify on the official booking page. Prices were taken from the Sky of Wishes site in November 2026 and can change. CAD prices are not shown here, so check its official page directly.

• Couples on a budget: Standard at ฿3,900 gives the lanterns and stage access.
• Families: children under 8 enter free at Sky of Wishes, so only adults add to the bill.
• Photographers: Premium at ฿7,900 is listed as a panoramic-view zone.
• Travelers without a ride: Premium includes a hotel shuttle, which can offset the price gap over VIP at ฿5,900.
• Splurge nights: Elite at ฿14,900 adds a private door-to-door transfer and Chef's Table dining.

How to do Yi Peng without a ticket

A free Yi Peng is real, just quieter. Walk the Old City to see Phang Pratheep lamps and hanging lanterns at temple gates. Look for the banana-trunk and sugar-cane Forest Entrance arches in the day or two before the full moon.

Temple ceremonies include monk chanting and Lanna music. Check each temple's notice board for times, since schedules vary.

For the water side, float a krathong from the Ping River banks. Spots reported include Nawarat Bridge, the Iron Bridge area and the riverside near the Old City. Vendors usually set up from the afternoon of festival day, and basic krathongs are reported at about ฿20 to ฿30.

Workshops for krathongs and lanterns run at guesthouses, temples and community centres. Expect 30 to 60 minutes, per traveler reports. Choose banana-leaf krathongs over foam, which leave more waste in the river.

Event-night logistics: timeline, transfers, what to wear

Shuttle pickups for the big events reportedly run between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Reports describe the last shuttle as a firm cutoff, so arrive about 30 minutes early. Sky of Wishes opens its gates at 15:00. Peak river activity is reported at about 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

A half-day plan for a ticketed night looks like this. Confirm each step with your e-ticket.

Evenings turn cooler than daytime, so pack a light layer and comfortable shoes for standing and queuing. For typical November conditions, read our Chiang Mai weather guide. You can also check the Thai Meteorological Department forecast a few days ahead.

• 1:00 to 4:00 pm: pickup at your hotel or the meeting point on your ticket.
• About 30 minutes before your shuttle: be at the pickup.
• Late afternoon: arrive, register and explore craft stalls.
• Evening: dinner, stage programme and blessings.
• After sunset: lantern release, then queue for the return shuttle.
• Late night: back in town, with the river still busy until the krathong peak.

Where to stay and how to get around

Pick your base by trade-off. The Old City puts you within walking distance of temples and the river, but ticketed venues need a shuttle or car. A hotel near the Ping River shortens the walk to krathong spots. Staying nearer a venue cuts the post-event ride, but you give up easy evening walks.

Hotels fill early in this period, so book accommodation before you buy lanterns. If your plans are loose, see our guide to Chiang Mai in December: Weather, Crowds & What to Know for the cool-season mood after the festival.

Rooftop bars can offer a distant view of lanterns, but release zones are limited. Don't count on a sky full of lanterns from the Old City.

Risks and mistakes to avoid

Flights are the most overlooked risk. Reports say Chiang Mai airport can adjust or delay flights around the main nights of November 24 and 25. Leave a buffer day on either side of any onward connection, and check the airline's notices.

Other things to plan for:

• Booking late: tickets and hotels can sell out months ahead.
• Using unofficial sellers: book only through the organiser's page or its named ticketing partner.
• Assuming refunds: Sky of Wishes lists all purchases as final.
• Releasing lanterns in town: restricted zones are enforced for safety.
• Leaving debris: lanterns can carry wire and wax that land on roofs and fields.
• Underestimating traffic: allow extra time for the return ride after the release.
• Forgetting a layer: evenings by the river can feel cooler than expected.

Which option suits your trip?

Choose a ticketed event if the mass release is the reason you came and you can commit to a half day. Choose the free Old City plan if you value temples, lamps and the river over spectacle. Many travelers do both by taking one night for each.

If you are choosing between festivals for the year, our guide to Songkran in Chiang Mai: Dates, Where to Go and Tips covers the city's other major celebration. It falls in a different, much hotter season.