Venue
south-west corner of the Old City, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Chiang Mai Flower Festival guide
Flower floats in Chiang Mai's cool season.
In short
The Flower Festival suits garden lovers and families, with show gardens, plant stalls and a Saturday-morning parade of flower-dressed floats. It is usually the first Friday to Sunday of February, but the province had not announced 2027 dates by October 2026 and 2026 moved a week later. Wait for confirmation before buying flights.
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is northern Thailand's salute to its cool-season gardens: three days of show gardens, plant stalls and a Saturday-morning parade of floats dressed in fresh flowers. It has filled the park in the Old City's south-west corner every February since 1977.
It is a local festival with a royal accent. Lanna music and dance run through the programme and the displays pay tribute to the royal family. For one weekend a city park becomes the most carefully tended garden in the north.
Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 7 February 2027
Where: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Venue: Nong Buak Haad Public Park
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Fair, Parade
Currency: Thai baht (฿ THB)
Time zone: UTC+7, no daylight saving
Language: Thai
Map
Close to the venue
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Attraction · 6.6 km
- 137 Pillars House Hotel · 2.8 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
What to wear for cool mornings, heat and temple visits
February mornings in Chiang Mai are cool and the parade starts early, so bring a light layer you can shed once the sun is up. By midday the park is hot and shade is scarce: wear a hat and sunscreen and carry water.
- Comfortable closed shoes, as you will stand and walk for hours.
- Shoulders and knees covered if you plan to visit temples on the same day; a scarf or sarong in your bag does the job.
- A small bag worn in front.
Arriving early for a view at Tha Phae Gate
Tha Phae Gate is the most popular place to watch the floats, and the front row goes early. Be there by about 7:00 for a clear view, which means leaving your hotel in the dark.
The crowd is dense and good-natured, but keep children close and bags zipped. Be wary of anyone selling "reserved" spots or tickets for a parade that is free to watch.
Photographers do best on Sunday morning in the park, when the gardens are quieter and the light is soft. Ask before photographing people in traditional dress.
What happens on the day
- Friday evening
Opening ceremony
The festival opens in Suan Buak Haad and the show gardens open to the public. A good evening for the gardens before the crowds.
- Saturday, 07:30
The floats set off
In 2026 the floats left Nawarat Bridge at 7:30, half an hour before the formal 8:00 start. The procession takes roughly two hours to pass any one point.
- Saturday, mid-morning
Floats parked at the park
Cut through the Old City lanes to catch the tail of the parade near the park, where the floats are lined up for close viewing.
- Saturday evening
Lanna performances
The park stays busy until late, with Lanna performances on the park stage and food stalls along the moat.
- Sunday
The calm day
The gardens are easier to walk and the plant stalls are still trading. The festival closes in the evening.
Waiting for official dates before booking flights
Do not buy flights on the strength of the traditional weekend. The festival usually takes the first Friday to Sunday of February, but the 49th edition in 2026 moved a week later, and 2027 dates had not been announced by mid-October 2026. Travel sites pencil in 5 to 7 February. Treat that as a guess until the province confirms it, and choose a flexible fare if you must book now.
Give the trip more than the festival. Three days covers the parade and the gardens with time to spare, and the cool, dry weeks of February are some of the best for the temples, markets and hills around the city. Our guide to Chiang Mai fills in the rest of your stay.
How damask roses shaped the festival and its floats
Since the first edition, the dates have followed the cool season, the weeks when the pink damask roses on the hills near Doi Inthanon are in full flower. The idea is simple. The cool months are when the north's gardens peak, so the city puts them on parade. Floats are covered in thousands of fresh blooms: dendrobium orchids, chrysanthemums, daoruang and the local damask rose.
Royal tributes run through it. Recent themes have paired Lanna culture with the monarchy, and in 2026 the displays used flower varieties named in honour of Queen Sirikit. The result is a parade that doubles as a public display of loyalty and of provincial pride.
Inside the park, landscape designers build whole gardens that last only for the weekend, complete with waterfalls and patios, beside beds of tulips and orchids. Growers sell seedlings and cut flowers, and OTOP stands offer local products from across the province. The 2026 programme added Lanna dance, a choir singing at Tha Phae Gate, a children's painting contest and a photography competition. None of it is built to last, which is half the reason to come.
Getting there
Flying into Thailand
Long-haul flights land in Bangkok at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK). Check entry rules for your passport on our Thailand visa page.
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Frequent domestic flights cover the trip north: see Bangkok to Chiang Mai flights into Chiang Mai International (CNX).
Direct from elsewhere in Asia
CNX has direct services from around the region, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Hong Kong.
Airport to the Old City
The airport is only about 4 km from the Old City, 10 to 20 minutes by taxi or Grab, so even a Friday afternoon arrival leaves time for the opening night.
Around town
Traffic around the moat crawls all weekend and roads near the park close. Walk wherever you can and leave hired cars and scooters at the hotel.
Where to stay during the festival
Old City hotels near the parade route fill on festival weekend, and three weeks' notice is the bare minimum once the dates are out.
A room inside the moat lets you walk to the parade before dawn and back to the park later in the day without hunting for a ride.
Chiang Mai
137 Pillars House5-star hotel
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from$400.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
5 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
February is the heart of Chiang Mai's dry season. Days are warm, with an average high of about 33°C, but nights drop to around 17°C, and rain is rare: under 10 mm for the whole month on average.
Smoke haze from seasonal burning is a December-to-April issue in the north, and fine-dust levels can run well above recommended limits. Check the air quality before you go if you are sensitive to it.
Worth packing
- A light jacket for the pre-dawn start on parade day
- Sun hat and sunscreen for the open park
- A face mask rated for fine dust, in case of haze
- Comfortable walking shoes for the parade route
- A tote bag for seedlings and market buys
Car hire in Chiang Mai
Airport transfer to Chiang Mai Flower Festival
Met at arrivals at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) and driven door to door to Nong Buak Haad Public Park.
- Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) → Nong Buak Haad Public Park
- 5.7 km · 15 min
Restaurants and food in Thailand
Places to eat in Thailand before or after the celebrations.
Yamazato
24th floor, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
Cuisine:KaisekiEdomae sushi
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Delivery
Vertigo
61st Floor, Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Road, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Cuisine:GrillInternational
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Bar
Khao Soi Mae Sai
29/1 Ratchaphruek Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Cuisine:Northern ThaiNoodles
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Raya Restaurant
48/1 Dibuk Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand
Cuisine:Southern ThaiPhuket
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Sorn
56 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Cuisine:Southern ThaiFine dining
- Dine-in
Jay Fai
327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Cuisine:ThaiStreet food
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
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Nearby things to see
Sights within easy reach of the festival.
Chiang Mai
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai
The temple sits on the slopes of Doi Suthep, around 15 kilometres from the old city of Chiang Mai, inside Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. It is one of the most sa...
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Yes, counting from the first festival in 1977 and the 49th edition held in 2026. The province had not announced its plans for the anniversary by mid-October 2026.
Thailand's general election fell on the usual weekend, so the province moved the festival back a week to 13 to 15 February.
Around 200,000 visitors a year, spread over three days. Friday and Sunday spread the load; Saturday, with the parade and the prize-giving, is the day the park feels full.
Yes. The floats compete, and the awards are announced at a ceremony in Suan Buak Haad on the Saturday evening after the parade. The winning floats stay on view in the park.
The local name for the corner of the Old City moat beside the park. During the festival the road there closes for three days and becomes a walking street market, packed with food stalls, entertainment and plant sellers.
Yes. Roadsides are planted with roses, orchids, daoruang and chrysanthemums, and many homes put flowers out for the weekend. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai also have large royal-sponsored flower gardens worth a separate visit.
No. Yi Peng, Chiang Mai's lantern festival, takes place in November. The two are far enough apart that most visitors pick one, though some return for both.
Timing & weather
Late. In 2026 the 49th edition was announced at a press conference at the start of February, only days before the opening. Watch local news and the province's announcements in January.
The pageant usually closes the final evening in the park. In earlier years a separate beauty contest ran on the Friday night after the opening ceremony.
Getting there
Not quite. It has long started at Nawarat Bridge and ended at the park, but earlier editions also ran along Kotchasarn, Changlor and Arak roads around the moat. Check the route map once it is published.
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