Hidden Gems of Laos & Northern Thailand

Arrive in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO-listed city in the heart of Laos known for its temple culture and warm hospitality. Your guide waits in the main arrival hall with a name sign to transfer you to your hotel. 

After breakfast, meet your guide to begin a morning tour of Luang Prabang's most celebrated temples, starting with the 500-year-old Wat Xieng Thong, followed by Wat Sene and Wat Mai. From there, the route winds through side streets and back alleys, where the town's quiet daily rhythm unfolds around you. A visit to the National Museum at the former Royal Palace follows, before the climb up Phousi Hill, 328 steps to a vantage point with panoramic views of the town and surrounding landscape. As the afternoon fades, head down to the banks of the Mekong River for a relaxed sunset game of petanque. Over wine or local rice whiskey, your hosts share stories of Lao culture accompanied by live music on the traditional Lao Khene instrument.

The morning begins at the local market, where you meet chef Mrs. Noy. Cross the Mekong River by boat to Mrs. Noy's family home for a hands-on Lao cooking class, then sit down to enjoy lunch with the family. Afterward, cruise downstream to see how traditional Lao snacks are made before rounding out the culinary portion of the day with a rice whiskey tasting.

In the late afternoon, a private Baci ceremony takes place at a local house, a traditional Lao blessing involving chanting, food offerings, and the tying of white strings around the wrists. The evening continues at a temple rarely visited by foreign travelers, where resident monks offer an introduction to meditation and invite you to join them in their daily chanting.

Today, your guide picks you up early in the morning for a transfer to the pier, where your boat departs for a full-day upstream cruise along the Mekong River. Continental breakfast is served on board as you settle in. Your first stop is the Pak Ou Caves, a revered spiritual site carved into limestone cliffs above the river, housing thousands of Buddhist statues left by pilgrims over the centuries. A traditional Lao lunch follows on board.

During the afternoon, a cooking demonstration introduces you to Khao Tom Muk Khouay, a traditional Lao dessert. The boat arrives in Pakbeng as the sun drops toward the horizon.

A short boat crossing of the Mekong River brings you to the Mekong Elephant Park, where the sanctuary's team introduces you to their animal welfare approach. Venture into pristine primary forest to observe resident elephants as they forage and move freely along jungle trails.

A Lao set lunch made with produce from the onsite botanical garden is served at midday. The afternoon is hands-on: depending on the day's schedule, you may prepare nutrient-rich vitamin balls or gather fresh food for the herd. A walk through the grounds introduces you to resident artisans practicing blacksmithing, weaving, and bamboo work, and you learn about the mahouts' daily health routines before a relaxing boat transfer back to Pakbeng.

After breakfast, your guide meets you at the hotel to begin the overland transfer. The drive to the border takes approximately 1.5 hours, where your guide assists with crossing formalities. Once into Thailand, the drive to Nan Province takes just under two hours.

Nan is a quiet highland province with a distinct character shaped by Tai Lue culture and Lanna traditions, and well worth lingering in. For those looking to extend, the area offers dawn forest treks, Lanna Buddhist temple blessings, valley cycling past paddy fields, bamboo weaving with local artisans, and open-air cinema evenings beside a fire pit. Ask your Trip Planner about extension options in Nan.