Photo: This Photo was taken by S…, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Five days built around the full moon night of Loy Krathong and the Lanna festival Yi Peng: the old city and its temples by day, lanterns and a river of small floating baskets by night, a day out on the hill, and a slow morning after.
The full moon of the 12th lunar month, usually in November. Dates change every year, so check ahead for the one you are going.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A gentle first day on foot inside the old city. The great temples with their golden roofs, a monument at the center of the old town, a temple of golden teak that will glow after dark, and a first evening with the lanterns just starting to appear.
Sai oua is the herb sausage of the north, grilled and sliced, and eaten here with a ball of sticky rice and a few fresh herbs. Small stalls near the temples sell it early in the morning.
Local tip The sausage is spiced with chili and lemongrass, so ask how hot it is, and say so if you do not eat pork.
The most important temple of the old city, with a graceful hall in the northern style, a much loved Buddha image and painted walls. Go early, before the day trippers, and sit for a minute in the hall.
Go when Morning, before the tour groups.
Local tip Take off your shoes at the hall door and sit quietly for a minute to look at the painted walls. Keep your shoulders and knees covered, and do not point your feet at the Buddha.
The great temple at the heart of the old city, where a huge brick chedi stands partly in ruin. In the festival season it is often hung with paper lanterns, and monks may be preparing for the evening ceremonies.
Go when Midday for the ruin, and again after dark for the light.
Local tip Walk once around the great chedi and look at the elephants carved on it. Lanterns and chanting may be part of the evenings, so stay at the edge and keep your voice low.
Egg noodles in a coconut curry broth with crisp noodles on top, pickled greens and a squeeze of lime. The dish the north is best known for, served in small shops around the old city.
Local tip Choose chicken or beef, and tell the staff about any allergy first. Add the pickles and lime a little at a time.
A bronze monument to three kings of the north in a square at the center of the old town. It is a place for a quiet pause, with flowers left at its base by people who stop to pay their respects.
Go when Early afternoon, while the square is still.
Local tip Stand back while people leave flowers and incense, and keep off the steps of the monument.
A small temple of golden teak next to Wat Chedi Luang, hung with lanterns in the festival season. After dark the carved wood and the soft light make it one of the most beautiful corners of the old city.
Go when Evening, when the lanterns are lit.
Local tip Look at the carved gables from the courtyard, and do not touch the old wood. A few quiet minutes are enough, and a slow second look after dark is worth it.
Shared northern dishes served on a low round tray: a chili dip, curries, fried pork and vegetables, with sticky rice. Many restaurants in the old city offer it, often with music or a dance in the evening.
Local tip Tell the staff about any allergy before the dishes come, and share a little of each rather than ordering too much.
A day on the ordinary side of the festival. Old temples in the north of the old city, then the market where people buy banana trunk, flowers and incense for their baskets, and an evening at a night bazaar that may be hung with lanterns.
Fresh rice noodles in a tangy pork and tomato broth with dried flowers and a sprinkle of herbs. A bowl for a cool morning, served in small family shops.
Local tip Tell the staff about any pork or shellfish allergy first. Taste the broth before you add the pickles.
Often described as the first temple of the old city, with a chedi held up by a ring of stone elephants, in a quiet courtyard. In the days before the festival, people come to pray and make merit.
Go when Morning, before the families arrive.
Local tip Look at the row of elephants round the chedi. Give people at prayer plenty of room, and ask before photographing anyone.
A small temple with a chedi built like a stack of white balls, in an unusual style, north of the old city. A short, quiet stop on a walk.
Go when Midday, on a walk through the north.
Local tip Circle the chedi once and look at how the white balls rise. It is small, so a few minutes are plenty.
A mild red dip of minced pork and tomato, eaten with raw and steamed vegetables, crisp pork rinds and sticky rice. A homely northern lunch.
Local tip Tell the staff about any pork allergy first. It is milder than most dips, so try a little with each vegetable.
The big local market near the river, with stalls of flowers, banana leaves, candles and incense heaped for the festival. Walk through and see what goes into a basket. Pay respect to the stallholders, and ask before a photo.
Go when Afternoon, when the stalls are full of flowers.
Local tip Look for banana trunk, leaves, flowers and incense, and ask before you take a photo. If you buy a basket, ask what it is made of, and choose one of natural materials only. The market may be crowded in the days before the festival.
Sweet sticky rice with coconut cream and ripe mango, a dessert from the market stalls. The mango is at its best in the hot season, so in November it may be a different fruit.
Local tip Ask what fruit is in season. The coconut cream is rich, so share a portion.
A night market of stalls selling crafts, clothes and snacks, with places to eat close by. In the festival season it is busy and may be hung with lanterns, and it is a gentle way to spend an evening before the big night.
Go when Evening, after dinner.
Local tip Wander before you buy anything. It is busy in the festival season, so keep your bag in front and bargain with a smile.
Skewers of grilled meat, fried dumplings, sweet pancakes and a bowl of noodles from the food stalls near the bazaar, eaten standing or at a low table.
Local tip Choose stalls with a steady line and food cooked in front of you. Tell the staff about any allergy first.
The full moon night. A calm morning at a temple of merit-making, then the evening, when people set small decorated baskets of banana trunk and flowers on the river. Go to the bridge and the riverbank for the baskets and the lights. Dates and details change, so check ahead.
Slices of fresh fruit and a portion of coconut sticky rice, a light start to a long day and night. Stalls near the temples sell it in small bags.
Local tip Eat well before the evening, since the crowds make it hard to find a seat later.
A temple west of the old city, with a crowd of white chedis that hold the ashes of local royalty, set in open ground. On festival days families come to make merit, so keep to the edge and keep your voice low.
Go when Early morning, before the families arrive.
Local tip Walk among the white chedis and keep your voice low. On festival days families come here, so keep to the edge of any ceremony.
A mild, rich pork curry with ginger and tamarind, a dish of the north with a Burmese touch, eaten with sticky rice. A slow lunch in the shade before the evening.
Local tip Tell the staff about any pork or peanut allergy first, since the paste and garnish can contain them.
The old brick gate on the east side of the old city. On the festival evening a parade of lit floats and people in costume has often set out from around here, though arrangements change, so check ahead. Watch from the side of the road.
Go when Late afternoon, for the crowds forming and the lights.
Local tip A parade has often set out from around here on the evening, though the arrangements change, so check ahead. Watch from the side, keep your hair away from candles and leave a way out.
A bowl of noodles in a clear broth with pork or fish balls, from the small shops near the bridge. A light early dinner before the baskets and the crowd.
Local tip Eat early, before the bridge fills. Tell the staff about any allergy first.
The bridge over the Ping River that, in the festival, is one of the usual places for setting out baskets. The crowd is dense and moves slowly, with lanterns, music and fireworks around it. Dates and arrangements change, so check ahead.
Go when Evening, early, before the crowd is thick.
Local tip The bridge and its banks are one of the usual places for setting out baskets, and they get very crowded. Keep to marked areas, hold on to your group and watch for firecrackers.
The river that runs along the east side of the city. On the full moon night people kneel on its banks to set baskets on the water, light the candle and make a wish. Keep to the marked areas and the steps, and never swim at night.
Go when Evening, for the baskets on the water.
Local tip Choose a basket of banana trunk, leaves and flowers only, never foam or plastic, and leave out a coin you do not need. Kneel on the steps, light the candle and set it down gently. Never swim at night.
A day to breathe after the night. A forest temple, the mountain temple on the hill with a view over the plain, and a quiet temple north west of the city. Take a car or a shared red truck. Roads can be slow after the festival, so keep the day flexible.
A temple set in a wood, with old tunnels, a pond and shady paths, still lived in by monks. In the cool season it is a calm, green place to wander slowly.
Go when Morning, in the cool of the trees.
Local tip Follow the paths down to the tunnels and the pond. Monks live here, so speak softly and do not stage photographs in the tunnels.
Marinated chicken grilled over charcoal, with sticky rice and a sharp dipping sauce, from the stalls on the road to the hill. Simple and good in the cool air.
Local tip Ask the staff about the chili in the sauce. Wash your hands before you eat with them.
The mountain temple on the hill above the city, with a long stair, a golden chedi and a wide view of the plain. Dress modestly. It is cool at the top in this season, and haze can soften the view.
Go when Midday, then back before the late light fades.
Local tip Climb the stair on foot if you can, then walk once around the golden chedi in the direction the others go. Bring a layer, since the top is cooler than the town.
A quiet temple north west of the old city, with a main building topped by seven spires and a shady garden. A calm place to end a day out.
Go when Afternoon, when it is shady.
Local tip Count the spires on the main building and then sit in the garden for a while. Dress to cover your shoulders and knees.
Minced pork or chicken stir fried with holy basil and chilies, served over rice with a fried egg on top. A quick, hearty dinner after a day on the hill.
Local tip Ask for it mild if you are not used to chili, and tell the staff about any allergy first.
A slow day after the festival. A museum in a teak building, a temple with a tall chedi in the north of the old city and a silver temple to the south, then your flight. The lanterns may still hang in the streets, and the river is being cleared.
The cafes of the old city serve northern grown coffee with thick toast and condensed milk or a pastry. A slow start to the morning after the festival.
Local tip The coffee is strong. Ask for it with extra ice or hot water if you want it milder.
A small museum in a teak building on the main square, about the daily life and crafts of the Lanna people of the north. A cool, calm hour, a good way to put the festival in context.
Go when Morning, the day after the festival.
Local tip Go through the rooms of old tools, cloth and household objects, then sit in the garden. The museum may keep different days in the festival week, so ask ahead.
A temple on the north side of the old city, with a tall brick chedi and carved teak. After the festival it is quiet, and a good place for a last pause.
Go when Midday, for a quiet pause.
Local tip Sit in the shade of the courtyard for a while. Keep your voice low and your shoes outside the hall.
A plate of steamed rice with one or two dishes from a pot or tray: a curry, a stir fry or a vegetable, chosen by pointing. An easy lunch from small shops near the north gate.
Local tip Look at what goes into each dish before you point, and tell the staff about any allergy.
A temple south of the old city, known for its silver work on the hall, done by hand. Dress modestly. Some halls in the north keep their inner rooms for men only, so ask before you enter.
Go when Afternoon, before you pack.
Local tip Look at the silver work on the hall from outside. The hall has rules about who may enter, so ask before you go in.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January and December are the most comfortable months for walking around Chiang Mai. This plan is built for early November, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Chiang Mai, planned for early November. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.2 to 21.2 kilometers between its stops, and 32.7 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Another plan for this city: 4 days in Chiang Mai for Songkran, the water festival
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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