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Laos and Cambodia: Luang Prabang to Siem Reap

12 days down the Mekong from Luang Prabang: the railway to Vang Vieng and Vientiane, the Bolaven Plateau and the 4,000 Islands, the dolphins at Kratie, Phnom Penh and Angkor.

12 days · Luang Prabang to Siem Reap · up to 12 guests

Dawn at Angkor Wat from the north pool, where the trip ends on day 12 Photo: Random username 083794703875938, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E1%9E%90%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%84%E1%9F%83%E1%9E%9A%E1%9F%87%E1%9E%93%E1%9F%85%E1%9E%94%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%91%E1%9E%A2%E1%9E%84%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%82%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%9C%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%A1%E1%9F%A4_-_Sunnrise_at_Angkor_Wat_14.jpg)

The facts

At a glance

Length
12 days, 11 nights
Start and end
Luang Prabang to Siem Reap
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Moderate

Mostly easy walking of 3 to 8 km a day on temple paths and village lanes, with uneven steps at Kuang Si, a long, steep stone stairway at Wat Phou and steep stairs at Angkor. Day 8 is an optional flat cycle of about 15 km on Don Khone, with a tuk-tuk for anyone who prefers it. Heat and humidity add more than distance; every demanding part can be sat out.

Meals included
11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 2 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 490 (estimated price)
Season
November to February

Highlights

Why this trip

  • Kuang Si at opening, before the minibuses, with the bear rescue centre at the gate
  • The train through the karst hills to Vang Vieng and on to Vientiane
  • Coffee farms and waterfalls on the cool Bolaven Plateau
  • Wat Phou, the Khmer temple on a mountain slope, in the morning before the heat
  • Two nights on Don Khone: the Khone Phapheng falls, Li Phi and the old French railway by bike
  • A boat on the Mekong at Kampi to look for the river's last Irrawaddy dolphins
  • Sunrise at Angkor Wat, then the Bayon and Ta Prohm

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 490 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

LAOSCAMBODIATHAILANDVIETNAMMekongTonle Sap12345678Luang PrabangDays 1 to 4Kuang SiDay 3Vang ViengDays 4 to 5VientianeDays 5 to 6PakseDay 6Bolaven PlateauDays 6 to 7Wat PhouDay 7Don KhoneDays 7 to 9Khone PhaphengDay 8Stung TrengDay 9KampiDay 9KratieDays 9 to 10Kampong ChamDay 10Phnom PenhDays 10 to 11Siem ReapDays 11 to 12Angkor WatDays 11 to 12

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang International Airport to your hotel in the old town

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Luang Prabang
  • Drive about 15 min
A narrow wooden plank walkway running beside the rusty steel girders of an old bridge, with palm fronds overhead
Photo: Peter Hershey peterhershey, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luang_Prabang_bridge_(Unsplash).jpg)

Fly into Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ), about 4 km from the old town, where a driver meets you after immigration for the short drive in. Luang Prabang sits on a narrow peninsula where the Nam Khan runs into the Mekong, and the whole town, with its gilded monasteries and shuttered colonial shophouses, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1995.

Evening

If you land early, walk down to the Nam Khan and cross the old steel bridge on its narrow plank walkway for the view back over the rooftops, or climb Mount Phousi for sunset over the river. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the twelve days ahead: the train, the two flights, the border and what to pack for the islands. Then we walk to dinner together at a Lao restaurant in the old town. Plan to land by mid-afternoon; the exact briefing time is sent with your final itinerary.

Included

  • Pick-up at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner in the old town

Optional experiences

  • Mount Phousi at sunset (small entry fee, about 330 steps)

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

  1. Luang Prabang3 nights
  2. Vang Vieng1 night
  3. Vientiane1 night
  4. Bolaven Plateau1 night
  5. Don Khone2 nights
  6. Kratie1 night
  7. Phnom Penh1 night
  8. Siem Reap1 night
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: November to February is the cool, dry season: warm days, chilly mornings in the north and on the Bolaven Plateau, and little rain. The Khone falls are at their fullest early in the season, and the dolphins at Kampi are easier to see as the river drops.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who want the whole Mekong, not only Luang Prabang and Angkor
  • A first trip to Laos and Cambodia, with the travel days planned for you
  • A mix of temples, waterfalls, river life and free time
  • Travellers who would rather take a train or a short flight than a long bus day

Not for you if you want

  • Travellers who want a beach at the end: there is none on this route
  • A long stay at Angkor: this trip gives it an afternoon and a morning, and our Cambodia trip gives it more
  • Step-free access: Wat Phou, Kuang Si and Angkor all involve steep or uneven steps
  • Travellers who need fast internet and city nightlife every night

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

11 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Luang Prabang3 nights
  • Vang Vieng1 night
  • Vientiane1 night
  • Bolaven Plateau1 night
  • Don Khone2 nights
  • Kratie1 night
  • Phnom Penh1 night
  • Siem Reap1 night

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 11 nights: 3 in Luang Prabang, 1 in Vang Vieng, 1 in Vientiane, 1 on the Bolaven Plateau, 2 on Don Khone in the 4,000 Islands, 1 in Kratie, 1 in Phnom Penh, 1 in Siem Reap
  • Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, and the best available lodges on the Bolaven Plateau and Don Khone, all with private bathrooms
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Pick-up at Luang Prabang airport and drop-off at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport
  • Train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng and from Vang Vieng to Vientiane on the Laos-China Railway
  • Scheduled flights from Vientiane to Pakse and from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
  • A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver in each country
  • Boats to and from Don Khone, the Mekong sunset boat in Luang Prabang, the Nam Song boat and the dolphin boat at Kampi

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap
  • Local guides where sites require them, including in Cambodia, at Tuol Sleng and at Angkor

Activities

  • Luang Prabang: the alms round, the morning market, the Royal Palace Museum and Wat Xieng Thong
  • Kuang Si Falls and the Free the Bears rescue centre
  • Vang Vieng: Tham Chang cave
  • Vientiane: Wat Si Saket, the COPE visitor centre, Pha That Luang and Patuxai
  • Bolaven Plateau: Tad Fane, Tad Yuang and a coffee farm tasting
  • Champasak: Wat Phou
  • Don Khone: the old French railway by bike or tuk-tuk, Li Phi falls and Khone Phapheng falls
  • Kampi: the Irrawaddy dolphin boat
  • Phnom Penh: Tuol Sleng, the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda
  • Siem Reap: a 3-day Angkor pass, Ta Prohm, sunrise at Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon

Meals

  • 11 breakfasts
  • 10 sit-down lunches, days 2 to 11
  • 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Luang Prabang, dinner on Don Khone and a farewell dinner in Siem Reap

Not included

  • International flights to Luang Prabang and from Siem Reap
  • Laos and Cambodia visa fees
  • Travel insurance
  • Meals not listed (8 dinners)
  • Drinks
  • Tips for guides, drivers and boatmen
  • Optional activities, such as the Pak Ou caves, kayaking, a balloon flight and Choeung Ek
  • Personal expenses
  • Excess baggage on the domestic flights

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 490 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Eleven nights in hotels and lodges, 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 3 dinners, both train legs and both domestic flights, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver in each country, boats to Don Khone and to the dolphins, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides, and every visit in the day plan, including a 3-day Angkor pass.

How big is the group, and who leads it?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap, and local guides join where sites require them, including a Cambodian guide at Tuol Sleng and at Angkor.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. Most days are 3 to 8 km of easy walking, made harder by heat. The steep parts are the stairway at Wat Phou, the trail beside Kuang Si and the stairs at Angkor, and each has an easier option. The bike ride on Don Khone is flat and a tuk-tuk can replace it.

I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?

A room of your own is from CAD 490 more, shown before you book with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share, ask us and we will try to pair you with another solo guest of the same sex; if we cannot, you only pay the supplement if you choose your own room.

When is the best time to go?

November to February. It is the cool, dry season, with warm days, cool mornings in Luang Prabang and on the Bolaven Plateau, and little rain. The Khone falls are fullest early in the season. From March to May it is very hot, and from June to October the rains make some roads slow.

Do I need visas for Laos and Cambodia?

Most visitors, Canadians included, need both. For Laos, apply for an e-visa or buy a visa on arrival at Luang Prabang airport. For Cambodia, we confirm when you book whether the e-visa is accepted at the Trapeang Kriel land border or whether you buy the visa there. Bring US dollars and a passport photo.

What is the land border like?

Quiet. The Nong Nok Khiene and Trapeang Kriel crossing sees few travellers, and your guide walks you through both sides, which usually takes about an hour. Small unofficial fees have been reported at this crossing in the past; we brief you on current practice before you go.

Will we see dolphins at the 4,000 Islands?

No, and we do not promise it. The Irrawaddy dolphins of the cross-border pool below Don Khone were reported gone in 2022. We look for them instead at Kampi near Kratie, in Cambodia, where a small population survives. Sightings there are likely in the dry season but never guaranteed.

Why only one night in Siem Reap?

Eleven nights could not cover the whole river and two nights at Angkor. You get Ta Prohm on the afternoon you arrive and a sunrise and morning at Angkor Wat and the Bayon. For more time, stay on after the trip and we can arrange extra nights and a guide, or see our Cambodia trip.

Can I travel on my own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section for a quote: we can book the same hotels, trains, flights, drivers and local guides for you.

How does booking work?

Choose a start date and request to book. We check the hotels, trains and flights and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until then. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, starting from CAD 2,895 for the small group.

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