Begin your festival getaway in Chiang Mai, where you meet your airport representative on arrival. After the meet-and-greet, transfer to your hotel and check in. The rest of the day is free, giving you time to unwind after travel or take a short walk around the neighborhood.

As the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival approaches in late November, Chiang Mai begins to show the signs of celebration. Lanterns and colorful floral displays appear across the city, creating a festive atmosphere from your very first day.

Yi Peng is a northern Thai festival traditionally associated with the full moon of the twelfth lunar month in the Lanna calendar.

After breakfast, leave Chiang Mai and travel into the surrounding hills to visit a Hmong village. Learn about the traditions of one of northern Thailand’s ethnic communities as you see local handicrafts, traditional clothing, and everyday village life.

Continue to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s best-known temple, set on a mountainside above the city with wide views across the landscape. In the evening, take part in the Yi Peng Lantern Festival at Lanna Dhutanka, beginning with Buddhist prayers and guided meditation before hundreds of lanterns are released together into the night sky.

The Hmong are one of several ethnic minority groups living in northern Thailand’s mountain regions.

Start the morning on a walking route inside Chiang Mai’s old city. Begin close to the Mae Ping River, then continue to Warorot Market, where daily life centers on fresh produce, spices, and local food items. From there, move toward Tha Phae Gate, the eastern entrance into the old walled city.

Inside the city walls, pass the Three Kings Monument and visit Wat Chedi Luang, known for its large ancient pagoda and long history. Continue to Wat Phra Singh, recognized for its Lanna-style design and a well-known Buddha image. Later, the schedule remains open for Yi Peng and Loy Krathong activities across Chiang Mai, including candle lighting rituals, cultural performances, and krathong floating along the Ping River.

Loy Krathong is associated with floating decorated baskets on water as a symbolic act of respect and release.

Travel out of Chiang Mai in the morning to the countryside location of Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. After a brief introduction to the rescued elephants, begin with time spent feeding and interacting with them in a natural environment.

Continue with a mud spa activity, then move with the elephants to the river area for bathing. Lunch is served at the sanctuary before you return to Chiang Mai in the early afternoon. The rest of the day remains free.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary operates as an elephant care venue focused on interactions with rescued elephants rather than riding activities.

In the morning, transfer to Wat Suan Dok, a well-known temple in Chiang Mai, for a full-day program focused on Buddhism and meditation. The session includes guided meditation, periods of quiet reflection, and conversations with monks about daily temple life and local spiritual practice.

Lunch is included during the program. In the late afternoon, a return transfer is arranged. No prior meditation experience is required, and participation at the temple is based on a donation system at your discretion.

Wat Suan Dok is associated with Chiang Mai’s Buddhist monastic community and is known for hosting meditation and monk discussion programs.

After several days in Chiang Mai and time at the Yi Peng Lantern Festival, your journey comes to an end. The final morning is kept simple, with no scheduled sightseeing listed before departure.

At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport for your onward flight or return home. The departure plan focuses on completing the trip smoothly after the festival, temple, cultural, elephant sanctuary, and meditation experiences included earlier in the journey.

Chiang Mai International Airport is the main airport serving Chiang Mai and northern Thailand.