Yi Peng and Loy Krathong are night festivals. The lanterns, the krathong floating and the parades all begin after dark, which hands visitors a warm and unstructured afternoon in a city that is quietly getting ready around them. Here is how to use those hours.
When exactly are the lanterns in 2026?
Chiang Mai's Yi Peng and Loy Krathong programme runs from 23 to 25 November 2026, with the headline evening on Tuesday 24 November, the full moon. Free lantern releases at Tha Phae Gate, krathong floating on the Ping and the illuminated float parades all sit after dark. That leaves the daylight hours across all three days open.
The city runs the festival from 23 to 25 November 2026, with the full moon falling on Tuesday 24 November. Ticketed mass releases sit outside the centre, and the free public release at Tha Phae Gate draws big crowds.
Three full days of daylight come with that, and most festival guides skip them.
What is there to do in the daytime during Yi Peng?
Wander first. Temples hang their lanterns days early, markets sell krathong from mid morning, and the streets around the old city fill with folded banana leaf and marigold. Once you have seen that, pick one shaded, unhurried activity that keeps a group together and finishes when you decide it does. A ticketed day tour eats the whole afternoon.
The trap is overbooking. A day trip to a waterfall or an elephant sanctuary returns you tired and sunburnt, with no appetite for standing in a crowd late into the evening. The festival evening is the main event, so the afternoon should protect it.
Gardens, a long lunch, a swim and gentle games all do that job. So does anything with proper shade.
How should you plan around the weather and the light?
Late November is the best weather Chiang Mai gets. Afternoon highs land near 30C and rain has largely finished, so shade matters far more than a raincoat. The important number is sunset: the sun goes down around 17:45 in late November, which sets a hard edge on everything outdoors and starts the festival clock.
Rain probability drops from about 21 per cent early in November to roughly 5 per cent by the 30th, with afternoon highs in the region of 30C, and sunset in late November arrives at around 17:45. Build the day backwards from that.
What can a whole group do together in the afternoon?
Choose one thing everybody plays at once and that ends when you want it to. Mini golf fits that shape: a round of 18 holes takes about one to two hours, so it fills the afternoon without swallowing it. Mini Golf CNX is a garden course in Chiang Mai, open every day from 09:00 to 18:00, and you walk in without booking.
Festival week groups are usually mixed. Grandparents, small children and friends who have just flown in do not want the same thing, and a garden mini golf course is one of the few activities where none of them is left out. There is shaded seating for anyone who would rather sit, and cold drinks, snacks and ice cream on site.
There are lawn games too, including cornhole, board games and frisbee, so the group that finishes first has somewhere to go. If you are travelling as a birthday party or a larger group, message ahead so space is set aside.
The course closes at 18:00, which leaves the evening clear for the lanterns.
Mini Golf CNX at a glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Holes | 18, garden course |
| Opening hours | Every day, 09:00 to 18:00 |
| Booking | None needed, walk in |
| Length of a round | About 1 to 2 hours |
| On site | Cold drinks, snacks and ice cream |
| Seating | Shaded garden seating |
| Also on the lawn | Cornhole, board games, frisbee |
| Groups and birthdays | Welcome, message ahead so space is set aside |
What should families with children do on festival days?
Front-load the day. Crowds at Tha Phae Gate are dense, the lantern releases run late, and dinner tends to slip, so children who have been dragged through a full itinerary rarely last. Give them a shaded afternoon that burns energy on their own terms, then eat early. Being able to stop when they are finished is worth more than any booked schedule.
Our guide to Chiang Mai with kids covers the rest of the year, and the evening ideas guide is useful for the nights either side of the festival, when the city is still decorated but the crowds have thinned.
Book nothing else for those three afternoons. The lanterns are worth arriving fresh for.