Things to do in Laos

The 18 best things to do in Laos

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1. 1Luang Prabang

   Watch the dawn alms procession in Luang Prabang

   Sai Bat, the morning alms round, is a long-standing Lao Buddhist tradition. Every morning, saffron-robed monks and novices walk out with their alms bowls, and people who have already prepared sticky rice and other food place a portion in each bowl as the line passes, all in complete silence. It starts at around 5:30 to 6:30 AM from March to October and 6:00 to 7:00 AM from November to February. The main procession passes Wat Xieng Thong, the primary school and the National Museum, and most visitors watch along Sakkaline Road. That stretch can get crowded with tourists, so a quieter side street gives a calmer view. The whole thing lasts about an hour.

   Tip: Stay at least 5 m back with no flash, keep shoulders, chest and legs covered, never touch the monks or follow them on a bus, and only make an offering if it means something to you.

   Free to watch
   Sources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
2. 2Luang Prabang

   Step inside Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang's royal temple

   Wat Xieng Thong was founded by King Setthathirath in 1560 on the tip of the peninsula above the Mekong, near where the Nam Khan joins it. Its sim, the ordination hall, is the classic Luang Prabang style: a low, sweeping three-tiered roof, gold-stenciled walls and, at the back, a glass mosaic of a great tree. It was the only temple spared when the town burned in 1887. Look for the Red Chapel with its reclining Buddha, which went to Paris in 1931 and came home in 1964, and the Royal Funerary Chariot Hall of 1962, with the carved, gilded carriage and urns of the last kings. It is about a 10-minute walk from the Tourism Information Center along the main street.

   Tip: Go in the morning for the best light, cover shoulders to knees, and take off your hat and shoes before entering the buildings.

   LAK[fee]; pay at the gateKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
3. 3Luang Prabang

   Swim below the turquoise tiers of Kuang Si Waterfall

   Kuang Si drops more than 70 m through a series of tiers into pools in the forest about 30 km from Luang Prabang, a ride of 40 to 60 minutes. In the dry season, minerals such as copper turn the water a milky blue; in the wet season it runs deep green and you hear the falls before you see them. Signs mark the pools where swimming is allowed, with changing rooms nearby. Right at the entrance, a sanctuary run by Free the Bears cares for moon bears rescued from bile farms and the wildlife trade, and the Kuang Si Butterfly Park sits 300 m before the entry. Shared vans and tuk-tuks make the trip, and the falls open from 8 AM to 5 PM.

   Tip: Go early in the day, swim only in the signed pools, and wear modest swimwear, since bikinis and going shirtless away from the water are seen as rude.

   LAK[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
4. 4Luang Prabang

   Climb Mount Phousi for sunset over the Mekong

   Phousi is the sacred hill in the middle of Luang Prabang's old town, with the Mekong on one side and the Nam Khan on the other. From the entrance in front of the National Museum, 328 steps lined with frangipani trees climb to Wat Chomsi's gilded stupa, built in 1804, and a 360-degree view over the temple roofs, the two rivers and the green hills beyond. Sunset is when most people come up, and on the way down you can drop into the night market at the foot of the hill. The hill is open from about 6 AM to 6 PM, depending on the season.

   Tip: Arrive well before sunset to get a spot at the top, dress as you would for a temple, and leave any alcohol behind, since drinking is strictly banned on the hill.

   LAK[fee]; 328 stepsKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
5. 5Luang Prabang

   Take the river boat to the Pak Ou Caves

   The Pak Ou Caves, known locally as Tham Ting, are two caverns in a limestone cliff facing the mouth of the Nam Ou. Since Buddhism came to the area, people have carried Buddha statues into the lower cave to make merit, and thousands now crowd its ledges. A staircase leads through the forest to the upper cave, where the royal family once came at Lao New Year to pour water over a sacred Buddha. The trip upstream on the Mekong takes about 1.5 hours, and most boats stop at Ban Xang Hai, where villagers make lao-lao rice whiskey over open fires in clay jars. The daily boat leaves at 8 AM for a round trip of about 3.5 hours.

   Tip: Buy your boat ticket at the office in Ban Vat Nong, or go by road to Pak Ou village and take the short boat across, and ask the driver for a short run up the Nam Ou to see its cliffs.

   LAK[fee]; pay at the caveKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
6. 6Luang Prabang

   Browse handicrafts at the Luang Prabang Night Market

   Every evening, a few hundred meters of Sisavangvong Road close to traffic and fill with around 250 handicraft vendors, making this the widest collection of crafts in Laos. Stalls sell textiles and quilts from the country's ethnic groups, ceramics, silver, paintings, coffee and tea, and even cutlery made from recycled bombs. The market runs from the Tourism Office past the National Museum, and food lanes branch off the sides with sticky rice, grilled chicken, papaya salad, steamed fish in banana leaf and baguettes from the French era. It is open daily from 5 PM to about 10 PM, and buying here supports the families who make the goods.

   Tip: Come straight down from Phousi after sunset, eat in the side lanes first, then shop once the evening cools.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
7. 7Luang Prabang

   Tour the former Royal Palace at the National Museum

   Luang Prabang's National Museum is the former Royal Palace, built between 1904 and 1909 in a blend of French Beaux Arts and Lao design and home to King Sisavang Vong and King Sisavang Vattana, the last monarch, until 1975. It has been a museum since 1976. Inside the grounds, the ornate Ho Pha Bang pavilion, finished in 2013, holds the Pha Bang, an 83 cm standing Buddha of gold, silver and copper that is the most sacred Buddha image in Laos. Do not miss the royal garage with its old Lincoln Continental and Edsel. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the Phralak Phralam Theatre in the grounds stages the Lao Ramayana with a live orchestra.

   Tip: Plan around the hours, 8 to 11:30 AM and 1:30 to 4 PM, since it closes for lunch and for cleaning on the last Thursday of each month.

   LAK[fee]; closed at lunchKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
8. 8Vientiane

   Circle the golden Pha That Luang stupa in Vientiane

   Pha That Luang is the most important national monument in Laos, a symbol of the country and of Lao Buddhism. The site has been sacred for centuries, but the stupa you see was built in 1566 by King Setthathirath, the same king who founded Wat Xieng Thong, and restored in 1953. The gilded spire rises 45 m in the shape of an elongated lotus bud and is believed to hold a relic of the Buddha. Once a year, around the November full moon, Boun That Luang fills the grounds for several days with a candlelit wax castle procession from Wat Si Muang, a dawn alms giving to monks from across the country and fireworks on the last night.

   Tip: It is closed on Mondays and from noon to 1 PM, so go on a Tuesday to Sunday morning between 8 AM and noon.

   LAK[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
9. 9Vientiane to Luang Prabang

   Ride the Laos-China Railway between the three cities

   The Laos-China Railway runs 422.4 km from Vientiane to Boten on the Chinese border, built for speeds of up to 160 km/h, and it has made a classic first trip simple: Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang in one line. Each leg, Vientiane to Vang Vieng and Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, takes about an hour; check the current timetable before you book. Vang Vieng sits about 150 km north of the capital among limestone peaks. Luang Prabang's station is in Phik village, about 15 km and 30 minutes from town.

   Tip: Book in the official LCR Ticket app, which has multilingual support, then collect the paper ticket at the station with your QR code, and allow 30 minutes for the ride out to Luang Prabang station.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Lao News Agency (KPL, state news agency); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Vientiane Times (state newspaper); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
10. 10Vang Vieng

    Paddle or float the Nam Song in Vang Vieng

    Vang Vieng is a small town on the Nam Song, ringed by sheer limestone peaks, and the river is the reason to stay. Kayaking and tubing trips drift through rice fields and karst scenery and stop at caves along the banks, and rock climbing, cave trips and hot air balloon rides fill the rest of the day. The best known cave is Tham Chang, at the south end of town: villagers hid there during the civil war because its height gave them a view over the valley. You reach it by crossing a bridge over the river and climbing steps up the cliff. Hmong villages and riverside temples are close by for a slower afternoon.

    Tip: Wear a life jacket on any river trip, and stay off the river after heavy rain, when currents get strong and levels can rise within hours.

    Pay as you go
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
11. 11Vang Vieng

    Swim the Blue Lagoon and explore Tham Pou Kham

    Across the Nam Song from Vang Vieng and down a dirt road past the villages, the Blue Lagoon is a cool, deep pool of very blue water. You can lounge on the grass, climb down a wooden ladder or jump in from a big overhanging tree, and the water is cold enough to wake anyone up. At the same site, Tham Pou Kham, the Golden Crab Cave, opens through a small entrance into a cavern where a reclining Buddha greets visitors among wet rock formations. A small shop and restaurant run by villagers serves meals and snacks. The lagoon is about 25 minutes by tuk-tuk or 45 minutes by bicycle from town.

    Tip: Bring a flashlight for the cave, and go early on hot days, when the cold water is most welcome.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
12. 12Vientiane

    Wander the giant statues of Buddha Park

    Buddha Park, or Xieng Khuan, is a riverside sculpture garden that a monk named Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat began in 1958. He studied both Buddhism and Hinduism, so more than 200 concrete statues mix Buddha images with Hindu gods, demons and animals: a 40 m reclining Buddha, Indra on his three-headed elephant, and a deity with 12 faces and many arms. The highlight is a pumpkin-shaped tower about three stories high. You enter through a demon's mouth and climb inside to a view over the whole park. A local eatery at the Mekong end serves papaya salad, fried bananas and cold drinks. Take a tuk-tuk from the city center.

    Tip: Climb the pumpkin early in the visit while you have energy, then cool off at the riverside eatery before the ride back.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
13. 13Vientiane

    Learn the story of the bombing at COPE

    Between 1964 and 1973, Laos was hit by an average of one B-52 bomb-load every eight minutes, and much of the unexploded ordnance still lies in the ground. The COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane tells that story through the people it affects. Its exhibits cover the history of UXO, how it shapes rural life and how COPE and the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation provide prosthetics and rehabilitation. Worn-out artificial limbs hang from the ceiling, and short documentaries play in a cinema built like a wartime cave bunker. It sits in the grounds of the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation on Khouvieng Road. In Luang Prabang, the UXO Visitors Centre tells the same history with real bombies and survivor stories.

    Tip: Show a taxi driver the address on Khouvieng Road across from the Green Park Hotel, and buy a coffee or ice cream at the Karma Cafe, which funds COPE's work.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on KlookSources: COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
14. 14Vientiane

    Count the Buddha images at Wat Si Saket

    Wat Si Saket, built in 1818 by King Anouvong in the center of the old city, is the only ancient temple in Vientiane that survived the Siamese destruction of 1828, and it still stands in its original form. Its cloister walls are lined with small niches and shelves holding 6,840 Buddha images. Nearby, Hor Phra Keo was built in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, which Siam later took. Rebuilt in 1936 and now a museum with no resident monks, it holds the finest national collection of Buddhist sculpture, and its terrace looks over the Presidential Palace gardens. Vientiane's old temples, museums and monuments sit a short walk apart along the Mekong.

    Tip: Visit both before lunch: Wat Si Saket closes from noon to 1 PM and on public holidays, and Hor Phra Keo also breaks at noon.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)
15. 15Luang Prabang

    Meet the peoples of Laos at TAEC

    The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, or TAEC, is a small museum in a historic building at the foot of Phousi Hill, dedicated to the ethnic diversity of Laos. Its permanent displays introduce ethnic groups from the country's four language families through their traditions, beliefs, crafts and daily lives, with objects, photographs, videos and stories from the communities themselves. Labels are in English and Lao, with free translations in several other languages, and the boutique sells crafts made by the artisans it works with. Since opening in 2007 it has welcomed over 200,000 visitors. Pair it with the night market, a minute's walk away.

    Tip: Join the guided tour on Tuesday or Friday at 3 PM or the Saturday bamboo weaving workshop at 3 PM, and note that it closes on Mondays from April to October.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
16. 16Luang Prabang

    Cross the Mekong to the temples of Chomphet

    Across the Mekong from the old town, Chomphet District hides a string of quiet temples linked by a walk through the hills. Wat Xieng Men, the most colorful, dates to the 16th century and was modeled on Wat Xieng Thong, with French floor tiles in black, gray and white and a small locked house sheltering more than 200 Buddha statues. Up 123 steps, Wat Chomphet, built in 1888, has the best view back over the river and town. Further on, Wat Long Khoun is where Lao princes came to meditate before taking the throne. The ferry crossing takes 5 to 10 minutes, and a full walk past the temples takes about 1.5 hours.

    Tip: Go in the late afternoon for the views from Wat Chomphet, and buy your ticket at Wat Long Khoun, which also covers the temples next to it to the north.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
17. 17Luang Prabang

    See the watermelon stupa at Wat Visoun

    Wat Visounnarath was founded in 1512 by King Visounnarath and is one of the oldest temples in Luang Prabang. In front of its sim stands That Pathoum, built in 1514 by the king's wife and nicknamed That Makmo, the watermelon stupa, for its rounded dome, a shape found nowhere else in Laos. The sacred Pha Bang Buddha was kept here twice. Black Flag raiders burned the temple in 1887, and King Sakkalin rebuilt it by 1896. Look for the carved wooden window railings, which recall the Khmer-era temple of Wat Phou in southern Laos, and the large seated Buddha inside. It sits in Ban Visoun, an easy walk or bike ride from the main street.

    Tip: Cover shoulders to knees and remove shoes before entering the sim.

    LAK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Luang Prabang, official provincial tourism website (tourismluangprabang.org)
18. 18Vientiane

    Climb Patuxay, then shop at Talat Sao

    Patuxay, the memorial monument on Lane Xang Avenue, was built in 1957 and is Vientiane's most prominent landmark. Its shape was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but up close the decoration is all Lao, including the Kinnaly, a mythical bird woman. Stairs inside lead to the top for a panoramic view of the city. About 700 m south, Talat Sao, the Morning Market, is the place to shop for Lao textiles: handwoven skirts, silks, wall hangings, wood carvings and jewelry, plus a slice of everyday city life. Patuxay is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, and the market keeps the same hours.

    Tip: Climb Patuxay first, while the morning is cooler, then walk the 700 m down to Talat Sao for fabrics.

    LAK[fee]; climb to the topKnow the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org); Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Lao PDR (tourismlaos.org)

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