Arrive in Chiang Mai during the Lantern Festival period, when visible festive activity is already taking shape across the city. After landing, you will be met on arrival and assisted with your transfer, keeping the first day focused on a smooth start.

The remainder of the day is free to rest and settle in after your journey. As evening approaches, Chiang Mai’s atmosphere is shaped by lantern displays across different areas, giving you an initial sense of the seasonal celebration before the scheduled festival program.

The Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai is closely associated with Yi Peng, a northern Thai tradition linked to the historic Lanna cultural region.

Begin with a guided visit to Chiang Mai’s key temples: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and Wat Umong. Each stop introduces a different part of the city’s religious and architectural heritage, giving you a structured look at important sacred sites.

In the evening, join the Yi Peng Lantern Festival at CAD Cultural Center Lanna on a join-in basis, with VIP seating and designated pick-up and drop-off. The program includes cultural performances, a Lanna-style buffet dinner, monk chanting, and the release of lanterns into the night sky.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of Chiang Mai’s most significant Buddhist temples and is strongly associated with northern Thai religious identity.

Travel outside the city to an elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai. After a short briefing on safety and activity guidelines, spend time observing the elephants in a natural setting and taking part in close interaction, including feeding them and walking alongside them.

In the afternoon, help prepare sticky rice mixed with herbs as food for the elephants. Continue with more interaction time, including assisting them toward a bathing area, before returning in the late afternoon after the sanctuary experience.

Asian elephants are native to Thailand and have long been connected to the country’s working history and cultural identity.

Join a half-day Thai cooking class at a local cooking school in Chiang Mai. The experience begins with a visit to a nearby market, where you choose fresh ingredients that will be used during the class before continuing into the cooking session.

With guidance from a chef, prepare several traditional Thai dishes and learn basic cooking methods and flavor combinations. After cooking, enjoy the dishes you have made for lunch, then return, with the remainder of the day free for independent activities in Chiang Mai.

Thai cooking commonly emphasizes balance among core flavor elements, including sweet, sour, salty, and spicy tastes.

Your time in Chiang Mai comes to an end after the Yi Peng Lantern Festival and local cultural experiences included earlier in the trip. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time before departure.

When it is time to leave, head to the airport for your onward journey. This final day keeps the schedule flexible, allowing the timing of your airport transfer to align with your flight arrangements.

Chiang Mai International Airport serves the city and the wider northern Thailand region.