Laos: North to South

Arrive in Vientiane, and transfer to the hotel on your own. Check into your hotel in the afternoon, then relax or explore.

Please note that the hotel room is at your disposal starting at 14:00.

Meet your guide at the hotel lobby in the morning to explore Vientiane. Discover the capital's distinct identity, where European influence blends with Oriental style. Visit Vat Sisaket, the city's largest and best-preserved temple. Head to Vat Phra Keo Temple, located in a garden and originally built to house the Emerald Buddha. Admire the finely carved panels, elegant colonnades, and sloping roofs typical of Northern Thailand and Laos.

See the Pha That Louang cloister, a masterpiece of Laotian architecture and a national symbol built around an imposing stupa. Climb the Patuxay Triumphal Arch for panoramic views of Vientiane.

Travel by private car to Vang Vieng in the afternoon. Upon arrival, hike up to a viewpoint to watch the sunset over the karst rock formations. Take in the changing colors of the sky in this scenic landscape before your guide leads you back to Vang Vieng for the evening.

Elevation gain: 427 feet / 131 meters
Hiking length: 30 minutes, including ascent
Hike Distance: 0.37 miles / 0.6 kilometers

Meet your guide in the morning at the hotel lobby. Travel by tuk-tuk out of town and float down the Nam Song River past karst limestone formations. Arrive at a riverside village to observe the daily life of the Khmu people. Visit an elderly blacksmith to see traditional techniques passed down through generations. Watch him craft knives and try the process yourself.

Head to a local family home for a typical Khmu lunch in their house or garden. Learn about their culture and animistic traditions. Observe how they make "Lao Hai," a local rice wine. In the afternoon, follow your guide through rice paddies to a cave on the other side of the river. Pause at a rice-farm hut to taste rice wine and discuss Laotian agriculture. Return to the village and travel back to Vang Vieng.

Distance of the transfer (one way): Approximately 15 kilometers  / 9 miles, 30 minutes.
Duration of the full activity: approximately 7 - 8 hours 
 

Transfer to the Vang Vieng station in the morning for the train to Luang Prabang. Meet your guide at the station in Luang Prabang to begin the city tour. Visit the Royal Palace, which houses the National Museum, to view the royal collection and the Phrabang Buddha. Stop at the Heuan Chan House to see a traditional house dating back over 100 years and learn about Laotian and French colonial architecture. Continue to Vat Xieng Thong, the temple of the Royal City, to view its shrines and traditional art.

Head to the Weaving Craft Center at Ock Pop Tok in the afternoon. Watch artisans at work and learn about silk weaving, dyeing, batik, and bamboo techniques. Relax in the tropical garden overlooking the Mekong River and mountains.

Driving distance from Luang Prabang Train Station to the  City: 12 kilometers / 7 miles, 30 minutes
Driving distance from Vang Vieng Train Station  to the City: 5 kilometers / 3 miles, 10 minutes

Note: Please show your passport and train ticket upon entry and during the train ride. Keep your ticket handy to exit the station. Expect an airport-style security check at the entrance; dangerous or flammable items such as aerosol deodorants, spray shampoos, knives, alcohol, and mosquito sprays are prohibited and subject to confiscation.

Travel with your guide to the temple in the early morning to see the Tak Bath ceremony. Watch devoted residents kneel on the sidewalk and offer food to monks clad in saffron-orange robes. Observe this peaceful, respectful moment where no words are exchanged between the monks and the residents. Head to a local market, an animated place in the morning, before returning to your hotel for breakfast.

Drive 50 minutes from Luang Prabang to Ban Nong Heo Village. Spend time discovering the Khmu village, featuring traditional houses, free-roaming water buffaloes and ducks, and farmers and blacksmiths going about their daily tasks. Take an easy hike through the countryside, passing hill forests and plantations with views along the way. Taste fresh sugar cane juice picked directly from the field by your guide. Arrive at Ban Thapene, the village located at the entrance to the Kuang Sy Waterfalls.

Visit a village famous for the production and art of Sa paper in the afternoon. Learn about this traditional handmade paper produced using the bark of the mulberry tree. See how this centuries-old technique reflects the connection between Lao culture and sustainable natural resources. Return to your hotel in Luang Prabang.

Hiking length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Hike Distance: 2 miles / 4 kilometers
Driving distance: 20 kilometers / 12 miles 

Note: Travel to the Tak Bat ceremony takes place from 05:30 to 06:30. Wear modest clothing, do not cross the monks' path, take photos from a distance, and maintain a quiet atmosphere

Optional Activity
A Taste of Laos -  Awaken your taste buds on a gastronomic walking tour near the city center. Enjoy a bowl of Khao Soi or Pho, followed by Salapao (steamed buns with egg and pork). Try Namvan, a refreshing sweet dessert drink. Walk through a temple and into smaller streets to share Namejun (Spring Rolls) and Tam Makteng (Cucumber Salad). End the culinary adventure at the night market with Kaojee and Khao Nom Kok.
Note: This tour ideally starts between 5 pm and 6 pm.

Drive through the Luang Prabang countryside to the village of Ban Muang Keo. Learn the art of traditional flower arrangement and the symbolism behind these offerings. Visit a local temple to experience the spiritual atmosphere and receive a monk's blessing. Explore the village to observe local daily life.

Relax with an aperitif on a beach by the Mekong River, then eat a traditional Lao lunch accompanied by local coffee. Hike for 30 minutes through the forest to reach the caves via a secluded entrance. View the thousands of Buddha statues inside these caverns and learn about the site's history. Board a boat for a 2-hour cruise downstream back to Luang Prabang.

Distance from Luang Prabang to Ban Pak Ou: 30 kilometers, 1 hour by car
Distance from Pak Ou Caves to Luang Prabang: 30 kilometers and 2 hours by boat

After breakfast, check out and travel to the Luang Prabang airport for your flight to Pakse. Meet your guide upon arrival and drive east to the Bolaven Plateau, a high-altitude region known for its cool climate, coffee plantations, and waterfalls.

Visit the Tad Fan waterfalls to view twin streams dropping 120 meters from the jungle. Walk around a coffee plantation to observe local workers or shop for traditional crafts. Head to the Tad Yuang waterfalls within the National Biodiversity Conservation Area. Descend the stairs to the bottom for a view of the falls or relax at the panoramic restaurant to taste the famous local coffee.

After breakfast, head to Paksong, the Laotian capital of coffee production and gateway to the Bolaven Plateau, located at an altitude of 1,300 meters. Travel by Jeep to discover the region's hidden spots. Meet a local farmer and visit a waterfall to swim or relax. Walk through the plantations and observe a traditional coffee roasting demonstration.

Take a short walk along small paths through fields and forests to reach the lunch site. Eat delicious local dishes amidst the natural scenery. Board the Jeep again for an excursion to the far reaches of the plateau. Visit remote bamboo villages inhabited by the Laven and Souay ethnic minorities.

Distance and duration: 20 kilometers / 12 miles from the hotel in Bolaven.

Spend the morning at leisure in Bolaven. Leave the highland scenery behind and drive down to Pakse for lunch, stopping on the way to see local blacksmiths and visit a tea or coffee shop. After lunch, take in the Southern Laos countryside and travel by road to Don Khong Island. Visit Vat Hatxaikhun and Ban Ponsaad on the drive to Siphandone, an archipelago of 4,000 islands known for its laid-back atmosphere.

Driving distance from Bolaven to Pakse: 50 kilometers / 31 miles, 1 hour
Driving distance from Pakse to Don Khong: 150 kilometers / 93 miles, 3 hours

After breakfast, travel by car to the south of Don Khong Island and visit a local family in a lowland Lao village. Learn about the production of traditional homemade rice paper and rice noodles. Travel by boat to Don Som Island and stop at Ban Thapho to learn how to make farmers' hats from palm leaves.

Take a short boat trip to the old Keng Koum temple and view its mix of Buddhist and Hindu influences. Head further down the Mekong River to Don Thorlathee Island to see bamboo weaving handicrafts sold by local villagers. Cruise to Don Xang Island for a stroll in the natural environment before heading to Don Khone Island. Cross to the Nakasang boat pier on the mainland and return to Don Khong Island by car.

Head back north to Champasak following breakfast. Visit the Vat Phou temple complex, a pre-Angkorian UNESCO World Heritage site. Transfer by electric car to the base of Mount Phou Kao past two artificial lakes. Walk along the ancient axis to the first terrace and view ruined Khmer Hindu palaces adorned with fine sculptures. Climb antique stairs lined with frangipani trees to the third temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. See the natural spring and stone animal carvings behind the temple before walking back down.

Discover the countryside with a walk starting at Vat Muang Kang to Wat Phanon. Explore the oldest active temple in Champasak and observe the mix of French colonial and Lao Buddhist architecture. Stroll through the gardens past a wooden monk dormitory. Follow a path shaded by bamboo trees through traditional villages to see locals making sticky rice boxes and handicrafts. Take in views of the Mekong River before arriving at Vat Phanon.

Driving distance from Si Phan Don to Champasak: 150 kilometers / 93 miles, 3 hours
Driving distance from Champasak to Vat Phou: 8 kilometers / 5 miles, 20 minutes 

Spend the morning at leisure or explore the nearby villages on foot, depending on your flight schedule. Embark on a cruise from Don Daeng Island back to Champasak, then travel to Pakse airport for your departure flight.

Transportation: Champasak to Pakse airport is 40 kilometers / 24 miles or a 50-minute drive.

Note: Check-out at the hotel will be at noon at the latest.