Laos Tour Package – 7 Nights / 8 Days

After breakfast, begin the city tour with a visit to Wat Xiengthong, the most important of the Luang Prabang monasteries and a masterpiece of classic Lao temple architecture, followed by Wat Sene (Wat Sene Xoukharam) and Wat Visoun, the oldest operating temple in the city.

Continue to the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, which houses the royal collections and the Prabang Buddha image from which the town takes its name.

In the afternoon, board a boat for a cruise along the Mekong River, taking in the peaceful countryside and dramatic riverbanks along the way, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. Set into a limestone cliff at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers, the two caves are crammed with thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha images of all shapes and sizes, left there by pilgrims over the centuries.

On the way, stop at the village of Ban Xanghai and at Ban Xang Khong / Xieng Lek, where the local rice wine is produced and where handicrafts and traditional Saa paper are made.

In the late afternoon, climb up Mount Phousii — some 328 steps — for the best panoramic view over the town and the surrounding rivers and mountains at sunset.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, transfer to Kao Niaw Farmstay for a hands-on morning of rural Lao life. Choose one of the following experiences:

Option 1 — Rice planting and harvesting. Take part in the rice paddy experience among ancient rice terraces. Learn about rice farming from the local Lao people, meet the buffalo that work the land, try your hand at planting rice and at ploughing the paddies. It is an eco-friendly, hands-on experience and a genuine window into how rice shapes daily life here.

Option 2 — Bamboo weaving. Learn the craft of bamboo weaving alongside local villagers, and with it something of rural life and sustainable living in Laos.

Option 3 — Lao cooking experience. Begin with a visit to the garden to gather ingredients, then cook and eat authentic Lao food. The session covers varieties of Jeow, the fundamental Lao spicy dipping sauces; Mok Pa, fish steamed in banana leaf; lemongrass stuffed with chicken and herbs; Laap, the national dish; and a Lao dessert. You will also learn how sticky rice is prepared and the etiquette of eating it — how it is shared, rolled and dipped.

Lunch is included at the farmstay.

After lunch, continue to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall, where the water tumbles over multi-tiered limestone formations into a series of turquoise pools set in dense forest. There is time to walk the paths, cool off in the pools and take photographs. Within the same grounds, visit the Bear Rescue Centre, home to Asiatic black bears rescued from poachers and wildlife traffickers.

On the way back, stop at Ban Na Ouan, a Hmong village, for a glimpse of hill-tribe life and traditions.

In the evening, explore the Luang Prabang Night Market, where hill-tribe traders lay out handwoven textiles, silver, paper lanterns and handicrafts along the main street.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Rise early for the Tak Bat, the daily alms-giving ritual in which hundreds of saffron-robed monks walk in procession through the streets at dawn to collect offerings of sticky rice from kneeling residents. It is one of the most photographed and most moving sights in Laos — please observe respectfully and at a distance.

Afterwards, visit the morning market, where villagers bring in fresh produce, herbs, river fish and forest goods, then continue to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, dedicated to the many ethnic groups of Laos and their crafts, and to Heuan Chan Heritage House, a beautifully preserved traditional Lao home.

After an early lunch, transfer to the railway station for the EMU train to Vang Vieng — train C91, departing 12:28 and arriving 13:34.

On arrival in Vang Vieng, visit Tham Chang Cave (also known as Tham Jang), set in the hillside above a spring, and continue to Tham Phou Kham and the Blue Lagoon, a startlingly blue pool beneath the trees where you can swim.

In the late afternoon, board a small fishing boat for a sunset cruise on the Nam Song River, with the karst mountains turning gold above the water.

Overnight in Vang Vieng.

Optional early start: pick-up at around 5:30–6:00 AM to join the hot air balloon for the greatest view over Vang Vieng, drifting above the karst peaks as the mist lifts off the valley. This is an optional activity and is not included in the package price — the quotation lists it at USD 140 per person, subject to weather and availability. Afterwards return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, transfer by car to Ban Pha Thao, about 15 km north of Vang Vieng, for roughly a two-hour hiking and caving experience through the limestone landscape.

Explore Tham Hoi (Snail Cave), whose entrance is guarded by a large Buddha figure and which is said to run some four kilometres into the mountain; Tham Nam (Water Cave), where a stream runs out of the rock; Tham Xang (Elephant Cave); and Tham Nang Fa Cave.

Source note on Tham Xang: ”Located in a scenic karst area to the northeast of Thakaek, Tham Xang is one of many famous caves known for its remarkable limestone formation. The area surrounding offers beautiful scenery and from the view of the top of the cave entrance you can see the stretching Mekong River.”

Afterwards, take to the water and kayak down to the end point, with the panorama of the karst mountains reflecting on the Nam Song River as you drift back towards central Vang Vieng.

Overnight in Vang Vieng.

After breakfast, check out and travel by road to Vientiane, a journey of approximately one and a half hours along the highway.

On arrival, begin the city tour at the Lao Art Museum, a newly established landmark dedicated to celebrating and preserving the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Laos.

Continue to Vat Phra Keo, formerly the royal temple that once housed the Emerald Buddha and now a museum of religious art, and to Vat Sisaket, the oldest surviving temple in Vientiane, whose cloister walls hold thousands of miniature Buddha images in small niches.

Then visit Pha That Luang, the great gilded stupa that is the most important religious monument in Laos and the national symbol of the country.

Check in to the hotel. Overnight in Vientiane.

After breakfast, visit Patuxay, the city’s most prominent landmark. Often compared to the Arc de Triomphe, it offers an excellent panoramic view over Vientiane from the upper terrace.

Continue out of town to the Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), a remarkable riverside sculpture garden holding hundreds of Buddha statues, including an enormous reclining Buddha image some 40 metres in length, alongside unique statues of humans, godheads and animals drawn from both Buddhist and Hindu mythology.

Later, visit the COPE Centre, which works with thousands of people living with mobility-related disabilities — including survivors of unexploded ordnance — to access prosthetic and orthotic services. It is a quiet, thoughtful and often affecting place, and one of the most worthwhile stops in the capital.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free leisure time until your transfer to the airport for the onward flight.

End of our services.