Yi Peng is northern Thailand's most beautiful festival, and for many travellers it is reason enough to come to Chiang Mai. Rooted in Lanna belief, the releasing of a khom loi — a paper sky lantern — is an act of letting go: of misfortune, of the past year's troubles, of anything you wish to leave behind. When thousands rise at once over the rice fields and temple spires, the effect is quietly overwhelming. We time this private itinerary precisely to the festival evening, so you are in the right place, unhurried, as the first lanterns lift into the dark.
Around that centrepiece we have shaped two relaxed days that show the softer side of the north. You will cruise a mountain reservoir past century-old giant rain trees, climb to gilded hilltop shrines that have watched over the valley for a thousand years, and end among the misty hills of neighbouring Lampang. With a private vehicle, a licensed English-speaking guide, and a small group of four to six, there is no rushing and no queueing — only time to take it all in at your own pace.
