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Chiang Mai lantern festival tour package — thousands of khom loi sky lanterns rising over the Old City at night
Chiang Mai Lantern Festival Tour Package · Yi Peng 2026

Chiang Mai Lantern Festival Tour Package — prices, itineraries & the VIP release guide

Yi Peng 2026 dates, INR prices, four private itineraries across Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Bangkok, and the reserved-ticket details that separate a designed festival trip from a scramble for a seat — written by our travel desk.

Updated 1 Dec 2025 ·9 min read ·By Siam Sojourns Travel Desk

Yi Peng 202624–26 November

VisaVisa-free for Indian passports

Festival packages from₹58,900 / person

Lantern ticketReserved seating, included

In this guide
  1. Why Chiang Mai for the lantern festival
  2. Festival packages & prices
  3. The itineraries, day by day
  4. What's included
  5. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai & Bangkok
  6. Festival dates & best time
  7. Trip cost
  8. Signature experiences

Chiang Mai lantern festival tour packages answer the one question every traveller asks after seeing a single photo of Yi Peng: how do we actually get a spot at that release, and not just a seat in a crowd a kilometre away? A private Chiang Mai lantern festival package pairs a reserved release ticket with Old City temples, Doi Suthep's mountain views and — depending on your dates — the White Temple in Chiang Rai or a riverside night in Bangkok. Below: four private itineraries with INR prices, what a genuine festival package includes, the confirmed 2026 dates, and the booking details most guides leave out.

Yi Peng 2026 is confirmed for 24–26 November. The date follows the full moon of the Lanna lunar calendar, so it shifts every year — book your dates only once we've confirmed them against the year you intend to travel.

Why Chiang Mai is Thailand's most photographed festival

Three things set Yi Peng apart from every other Thai festival. First, the visual: thousands of khom loi sky lanterns released in near-unison is a spectacle with no real equivalent elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Second, the access problem: the iconic mass release isn't in the city centre, isn't free, and sells out two to three months before the date — which is exactly where a planned package earns its cost. Third, the range around it: Chiang Mai's Old City temples, Doi Suthep and, a short drive further, Chiang Rai's White Temple all sit inside the same trip.

"Everyone has seen the photo. Almost nobody has a plan for actually being in it."

That's the gap a private Chiang Mai lantern festival tour package closes. Your release ticket is reserved the day your dates are confirmed, your guide times the Old City temples to avoid the festival-week crowds, and your evenings are yours — never a shared coach's schedule.

Sky lanterns rising over Chiang Mai during the Yi Peng festival
The release moment — the whole trip is built around these few minutes.

Chiang Mai lantern festival tour packages — prices (2026)

Every journey below is private, priced per person on twin sharing, and includes a reserved lantern-release ticket. Travel dates are fixed to the festival window; everything else — nights, add-ons, stays — is reshaped around you. Prices are land packages; flights from India are arranged on request.

Chiang Mai Lantern Festival Escape — reserved lantern release and Old City temples 4N / 5D Most booked

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Lantern Festival Escape

Old City temples, Doi Suthep at sunset, an ethical elephant sanctuary and a reserved lantern-release evening.

From₹58,900 / person

Lanna Lights package — Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai White Temple 5N / 6D

Chiang Mai · Chiang Rai

Lanna Lights — Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

The lantern release, then a private day trip to Chiang Rai's White Temple, Blue Temple and the Golden Triangle.

From₹72,500 / person

VIP lantern release — Chiang Mai luxury package with boutique resort 4N / 5D

Chiang Mai

VIP Lantern Release — Chiang Mai Luxury

Front-row VIP release seating, a private photographer for the moment, and a boutique riverside resort.

From₹84,900 / person

Bangkok and Chiang Mai lantern grand tour package 6N / 7D

Bangkok · Chiang Mai

Bangkok & Chiang Mai Lantern Grand Tour

Grand Palace and riverside dinners first, then the Old City and the lantern release up north.

From₹98,500 / person

Per person, twin sharing · land package · lantern-release ticket included · festival-week supplements apply (20 Nov – 30 Nov).

How to choose: tight on leave — the 4N/5D Escape covers the festival and Chiang Mai's essentials. Want the White Temple too — the 5N/6D Lanna Lights adds Chiang Rai in a single extra day. Want front-row seating and a boutique stay — the VIP Luxury package. Arriving via the capital — the Grand Tour opens in Bangkok before flying north.

The itineraries, day by day

Chiang Mai Lantern Festival Escape

4N / 5D · from ₹58,900 pp

Chiang Mai (4N)

  1. Arrive Chiang Mai. Private airport welcome, transfer to your boutique hotel in or near the Old City. Evening free to settle in.
  2. Old City temples. Private guided morning at Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang; afternoon drive up to Doi Suthep for the mountain-top temple and sunset over the city.
  3. Lantern festival day. A relaxed morning; evening at the reserved khom loi lantern release, followed by krathong floating on the Ping River.
  4. Ethical elephants & waterfalls. A private visit to a no-riding elephant sanctuary, then Mae Sa Waterfall; evening free at Chiang Mai's night market.
  5. Departure. Breakfast, private transfer to Chiang Mai airport.

VIP Lantern Release — Chiang Mai Luxury

4N / 5D · from ₹84,900 pp

Chiang Mai (4N), boutique riverside resort

  1. Arrive & unwind. Private transfer to a boutique riverside resort; evening at leisure.
  2. Old City & the mountain. Private guide through the Old City temples; Doi Suthep at golden hour, ahead of the evening crowds.
  3. The VIP release. Reserved front-row seating at the main lantern-release venue, with a private photographer to capture the moment; riverside candlelit dinner after.
  4. Your free day. A Thai cooking class, a spa afternoon, or the ethical elephant sanctuary — your car and driver stay on call.
  5. Departure. Private transfer to Chiang Mai airport.

Bangkok & Chiang Mai Lantern Grand Tour

6N / 7D · from ₹98,500 pp

Bangkok (2N) → Chiang Mai (4N)

  1. Arrive Bangkok. Riverside hotel, evening Chao Phraya dinner cruise past lit temples.
  2. Bangkok's grand temples. Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun with a private guide, timed ahead of the crowds.
  3. Fly to Chiang Mai. Private transfer to your Old City hotel; evening free.
  4. Old City & Doi Suthep. Private guided temples, then Doi Suthep for sunset over the valley.
  5. Lantern festival day. Evening at the reserved khom loi release, followed by riverside krathong floating.
  6. A day kept free. Ethical elephant sanctuary, a cooking class, or simply the night markets — your last day, on your terms.
  7. Departure. Private transfer to Chiang Mai airport.

Every day bends: extend Chiang Rai into an overnight, add a second Bangkok night, or swap the sanctuary for a Muay Thai evening. Your trip designer redraws the route with you at no planning cost.

Doi Suthep temple overlooking Chiang Mai at sunset
Doi Suthep at sunset — the mountain-top temple every itinerary visits before the festival evening.

What a Chiang Mai lantern festival tour package includes

  • A reserved lantern-release ticket — booked the day your dates are confirmed, not left to chance
  • Handpicked 4★ or boutique stays — inspected by us, chosen for Old City proximity before price
  • All-private AC transfers — airport, hotels, festival venue; any arrival hour handled gracefully
  • Private sightseeing with English-speaking guides — no joined groups, ever
  • Daily breakfast and a krathong floating experience on the festival evening
  • One trip designer + 24/7 on-trip support — a real person in your timezone, throughout
Quoted separately: international flights (fares rise as the festival nears, so we book these as early as possible on request), travel insurance, and lunches/dinners beyond those listed. Every quotation is itemised — no surprises at the desk.

Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai & Bangkok — how they fit together

Chiang Mai — Old City temples and the lantern release

Chiang Mai — the festival

Old City temples, Doi Suthep and the lantern release itself. The base for every itinerary on this page.

Chiang Rai — the White Temple

Chiang Rai — the day trip

The White Temple, Blue Temple and the Golden Triangle — a full day, or an overnight for a slower pace.

Bangkok — Grand Palace and riverside dining

Bangkok — the arrival city

Grand Palace, river cruises and rooftop dinners, for travellers who fly in before heading north to the festival.

Yi Peng 2026 dates & the best time to go

  • 24–26 November 2026: Yi Peng and Loy Krathong — the main lantern releases and temple ceremonies concentrate on the 24th and 25th
  • Nov – Feb: Chiang Mai's cool, dry season — comfortable temperatures for the temple and mountain days around the festival
  • Book 3–4 months ahead: reserved lantern-release tickets and Old City hotels sell out well before November
  • Note: the exact date follows the Lanna lunar calendar and shifts each year — we confirm it against your travel year before booking

Chiang Mai lantern festival tour package cost — honestly

ComponentTypical range (per person)
Land package — 4N/5D Chiang Mai Escape₹58,900+
Land package — 5N/6D Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai₹72,500+
Land package — 6N/7D Bangkok & Chiang Mai₹98,500+
VIP release-seating upgrade₹8,000 – ₹18,000
Return flights India ↔ Chiang Mai (festival week)₹28,000 – ₹48,000 (seasonal, indicative)

Indicative for Yi Peng 2026 travel · per person, twin sharing · every quotation itemised, flights added on request.

Signature experiences worth building the trip around

  • The reserved khom loi release — thousands of lanterns rising together, from seating booked months in advance
  • Krathong floating on the Ping River — a quiet, personal ceremony after the main release
  • Doi Suthep at sunset — the mountain-top temple overlooking the city before the festival evening
  • An ethical, no-riding elephant sanctuary — a half-day that consistently tops guest feedback
  • Chiang Rai's White Temple — Wat Rong Khun's mirrored, otherworldly architecture, an easy day trip north

Siam Sojourns Travel DeskEvery itinerary on this page is designed and re-verified by our travel desk — the same trip designers who will answer your enquiry and plan with you, start to finish.

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Yi Peng, reserved and privately.

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Yi Peng planning, answered

Questions, answered.

Yi Peng and Loy Krathong fall on 24–26 November 2026, timed to the full moon of the second Lanna lunar month. The main lantern releases and temple ceremonies concentrate on 24–25 November, with a quieter close on the 26th.

A Siam Sojourns lantern festival package includes 4-star or boutique-resort stays, all-private AC transfers, a private guide for temples and the Old City, a reserved lantern-release ticket at the main festival venue, daily breakfast and 24/7 on-trip support. International flights are quoted separately on request.

Private land packages start around ₹58,900 per person for 4 nights in Chiang Mai with a reserved lantern-release ticket, and ₹72,500 for 5 nights combining Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, on twin sharing. Return flights from India typically add ₹28,000–₹48,000 per person during the festival window.

Yes. The organised mass lantern release near Chiang Mai is ticketed and sells out two to three months ahead, while temple-based candle and krathong ceremonies in the Old City remain free to attend. Every Siam Sojourns festival package includes a reserved release ticket, booked the moment your dates are confirmed.

With four nights, Chiang Mai alone is enough for the festival and its temples. With five nights or more, Chiang Rai adds the White Temple and Golden Triangle in a single extra day. Travellers arriving via Bangkok often add two to three nights there before flying north for the festival.

Thailand currently offers visa-free entry for Indian passport holders. Rules evolve, so we confirm the latest requirement and check every document with you before you fly.

Book 3–4 months ahead. Festival-week hotels and the reserved lantern-release tickets sell out well before November, and fares to Chiang Mai rise sharply as the dates near.

Plan deeper

Explore more of northern Thailand.

This guide is part of our Thailand planning library. Compare all Thailand tour packages by route and budget, study our dedicated Chiang Mai Chiang Rai tour guide for a longer northern trip, or browse the full Thailand destination guides if the festival is one stop on a bigger journey. Every itinerary is private, per-person priced and reshaped around your dates.

Coming from the south instead? Pair the festival with our Phuket Krabi package or a dedicated Bangkok Pattaya tour. All bookable from any Indian city, with flights arranged on request.

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