Chiang Mai Flower Festival
Flower-covered floats, garden displays and a parade through Chiang Mai in early February. Dates, highlights and tips.
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is held on the first weekend of February, when the cool season brings northern Thailand’s gardens into full bloom. It has been a fixture of the city’s calendar for decades.
What happens
The highlight is a parade of floats covered in flowers, accompanied by marching bands and people in traditional Lanna dress, usually on the Saturday morning. The route runs from near the Nawarat Bridge to Suan Buak Haad Park, in the south-west corner of the Old City, where flower displays, plant markets and competitions continue over the weekend.
Tips
- Find a spot along the parade route early on Saturday morning.
- The festival coincides with the high season, so hotels in the Old City book up early.
- Early February usually has clear weather, before the smoky season that often affects the north from late February.