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Traveling to Thailand in the winter months? Then chances are you will be in Chiang Mai when the Chiang Mai Flower Festival takes place! In this post I will tell you all about what to expect from this festival, when it takes place and if it’s worth to visit!
Chiang Mai Flower Festival, Thailand
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is a vibrant and colorful celebration that takes place annually in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The festival is a three-day event that showcases the stunning natural beauty of the region’s blooming flowers and plants.
It’s one of the best things to do in Chiang Mai and, as a conscious traveler, you can enjoy a variety of activities, such as a parade featuring elaborate floral floats, beauty pageants, and live music performances.
Flower Festival Thailand
Additionally, the festival is an opportunity to experience traditional Thai culture, with food vendors selling local delicacies and artisans displaying their crafts.
→ Also read: Elephant Sanctuaries Chiang Mai: Are They Ethical?
Flower festival in Chiang Mai: Bikes with ornamental plants and flowers
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is celebrated to honor the beauty and abundance of flowers in the region and to promote the local floral and horticultural industries.
The festival aims to showcase the diverse array of flowers and plants that thrive in Chiang Mai’s fertile soil and favorable climate. It also marks the end of the cool season.
Chiang Mai Flower Festival, Thailand
Furthermore, the festival also wants to showcase the expression of the traditions of the ancient Lanna Kingdom through the beautifully decorated floats and traditional music and dances at the festival.
These traditional dances and music however are not the only things you can see at the parade. Western-style influences have made their way into the festival and you can now also see American-style marching drumbands and cheerleader-like dancing.
→ PRO TIP: Traveling soon? check out my ultimate packing list for Thailand!
Chiang Mai Flower Festival Thailand: Traditional dances performances
Here are some practical facts with everything you need to know before visiting the Chiang Mai Flower Festival. Note that, when the festival takes place, a lot of streets around Chiang Mai will be closed to traffic so it might be hard to get to the center of town if you arrive in Chiang Mai during the festivities and especially when the parade is happening.
Additionally, there are cultural performances and food and craft vendors set up along the parade route and in various locations throughout the city.
Girl on the back of a bike
Chiang Mai Flower Festival is an annual festival that is held during the first weekend of February. It marks the end of the cool season and generally starts on Friday during the day and lasts until Sunday evening.
The parade is the most exciting part of the festival for travelers visiting Chiang Mai and takes place on Saturday afternoon.
→ Also read: The Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai: Is It Worth It?
Drumbands
The entrance to the Chiang Mai Flower Festival is completely free of charge. Since the main feature is a parade that is held on the streets around the old town, you can just walk from your accommodation to the parade and festivities.
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival takes place at various locations throughout the city, with the majority of the events centered around the Nong Buak Haad Public Park, which is located in the southwest corner of the old city.
The Chiang Mai Flower festival parade
On Friday, you can visit an agricultural fare but the real festivities start on Saturday when the parade is held. The parade starts at the Nawarat Bridge and winds through the city streets, via Thapae Road, Kotchasarn Road, Changlor Road, and then to Arak Road ending at the Nong Buak Haad Public Park near the Chiang Mai Municipality Office.
Additionally, there are cultural performances and food and craft vendors set up along the parade route and in various locations throughout the city, for example at Tha Pae Gate.
Here are the websites I personally use whenever I travel to Thailand:
Booking.com: For the best guesthouses, homestays, or small hotels
Hostelworld: To find the best hostels located in the cities
Homestay: For a unique immersive homestay experience in the big cities or the countryside
12GO and Bookaway: The best transport websites for long-distance buses and train travel in Thailand
Thai Railway: To check timetables and connections for trains
Grab: The Uber of Southeast Asia is a convenient and cheap ride-hailing app
Skyscanner: For affordable flights to Bangkok or Phuket
Viator and Get Your Guide: book all kinds of activities from a vegan cooking class in Bangkok to a half-day meditation retreat at a waterfall temple with a monk.
Thailand is very easy to enter because you can stay in the country for up to 45 days with a tourist visa on arrival. If you want to spend more time in Thailand, check out the official Thai e-Visa website.
If you’re looking for travel insurance, the one with the best benefits online is without a doubt Heymondo! It’s very easy to ask for a quote on the website and if you book with this link you’ll get 5% off!
Get access to mobile data straight away when entering the country with a Thai E-sim or an Asialink E-sim when traveling through multiple countries. If you are already in Thailand, the best local prepaid sim card is AIS.
Traditional music and dances
Yes, the Chiang Mai Flower Festival is absolutely worth a visit! I wouldn’t travel all the way to Thailand just to experience this festival but if you happen to be traveling around Thailand in February, then it’s a fantastic idea to include this festival in your itinerary.
Flower festival queen participants and traditionally dressed Thai woman
The festival is definitely worth a visit if you are interested in nature, culture, and art. It offers a unique opportunity to witness the natural beauty of the region’s flowers and plants, as well as the creativity and craftsmanship of local artisans who create the gorgeous floats.
Young Thai girl sitting on one of the flower floats
It must take hours of work to decorate these and, since the flowers need to be fresh, it has to be done just before the parade starts!
Traditionally dressed Thai girls and women
The festival is also an excellent opportunity to experience traditional Thai culture through food, music, and dance performances, and to see firsthand how the festival is an important cultural event for the local community.
It reminds me a bit of a carnival in Europe and Mardi Gras in New Orleans but with a focus on flowers and to mark the end of the cool season.
→ Also read: How to Travel From Chiang Mai to Bangkok by Train
You can find a wide array of accommodation options in Chiang Mai and, aside from the old town, there are various cool neighborhoods to stay in Chiang Mai outside of the moats.
Chiang Mai Flower Festival took place from the 2nd to the 4th of February in 2024. The official Chiang Mai Flower Festival dates for 2025 haven’t been announced yet but will take place from the 31st of January to the 2nd of February or the weekend after.
It’s absolutely worth it to visit this festival if you happen to be slow traveling in the area around that time!
Decorated floats
There you go! I hope you enjoy this guide to the annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or drop me a message through my contact page.
Also, don’t forget to check out my resources page with my favorite booking platforms and tips to start planning your trip. Additionally, have a look at my favorite travel gear if you want to pack more consciously!
ENJOY!
Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links. If you click on them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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