What this trip is really like
For anyone landing in Vientiane: one night for the capital and the Buddha Park, then the flight north for three nights of river, temples and waterfall.
Landing in Vientiane rather than Luang Prabang, you spend day one seeing the capital's landmarks and the striking Buddha Park, then head north for a longer three-night stay in Luang Prabang instead of the usual two — essentially our combined itinerary with its sequence and emphasis swapped. It suits travellers whose international flights connect through Vientiane, or anyone who would rather spend extra time in the old UNESCO quarter than sightsee further in the capital.
That extra Luang Prabang night buys you a fuller schedule of temples and museums, plus a half-day trip by boat along the Mekong as far as Pak Ou Caves, calling at a rice-wine village en route. November through February remains the season we recommend across Laos, bringing cooler evenings for the sunset climb up Phousi Hill and clearer pools at Kuang Si Falls.
Trip highlights
- A city tour of Vientiane calling at Wat Sisaket, Patuxay Monument and Wat Prakeo
- Buddha Park, with hundreds of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures
- Domestic flight from Vientiane to Luang Prabang
- A Mekong boat trip to Pak Ou Caves, stopping at the rice-wine village of Ban Xang Hai
- Sunset climb up Phousi Hill's 328 steps
- Kuang Si Falls on a dedicated second Luang Prabang city-tour day
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land in Vientiane, city on foot
Built in 1818, Wat Sisaket is the oldest temple left standing in Vientiane, its cloister galleries holding thousands of Buddha figures — one stop on an afternoon tour that also passes the Patuxay Monument, often likened to Paris's Arc de Triomphe. The afternoon closes with a sunset cruise on the Mekong and a call at Wat Prakeo, also called Haw Phra Kaew, once the royal temple and home to the Emerald Buddha.
Day 2 — Buddha Park, fly to Luang Prabang
Buddha Park, on Vientiane's edge, holds a great many Buddhist and Hindu statues brought originally from India; the morning is spent there. Checkout is followed by a short flight north to Luang Prabang; your guide will be waiting at the airport to take you to the hotel.
Day 3 — Temples and the Mekong to Pak Ou
Mornings begin at the National Museum, housed in the former Royal Palace, then continue past a run of Luang Prabang temples to Wat Xiengthong, recognisable by its low, sweeping roof. A Mekong cruise after lunch calls at Ban Xang Hai to watch rice wine being distilled, on the way to Pak Ou Caves, where pilgrims have left gold-leafed Buddha statues. Sunset is marked from the top of Mount Phousi, reached by its 328 steps.
Day 4 — Kuang Si and the villages
Kuang Si Falls anchors the second day around Luang Prabang: a tiered waterfall roughly thirty minutes from town, its turquoise pools set among trees, with marked trails for short walks and plenty of spots to swim.
Day 5 — Departure
The trip closes with your onward or return flight out of Luang Prabang International Airport, having taken in the capital's landmarks and the cultural heart of Luang Prabang in turn.
What's included
- Rooms with breakfast, twin-shared, in guesthouses and small hotels we know personally
- Meals listed in the programme, drinks excluded
- A Lao guide who speaks English, from the north where most of these trips run
- Private air-conditioned vehicles for the road sections
- Slow boats, river crossings and every entrance fee written into the plan
- Two bottles of drinking water per person on touring days
Not included
- International and domestic airfares and airport taxes (we can book them on request)
- Visa services — approval letter, stamp fee or fast-track if you want it
- Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades
- Meals not in the programme, drinks, and personal spending such as laundry, calls and tips
- Optional outings and anything not written into the plan
Book this trip
- Days
- 5 days / 4 nights
Sending this does not charge you. We hold the space and confirm within 24 hours.
How we handle visas, payment and cancellations is written out on our Laos travel information page — no surprises later.
Send us your dates and who is travelling. We check the hotels and guide we would use, suggest changes if the season calls for them, and come back with a firm price. Nothing is charged until you say yes.