Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Laos: Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane
8 days from Luang Prabang to Vientiane: four nights in the old royal capital with Kuang Si and a boat to Pak Ou, the Laos-China Railway to the karsts of Vang Vieng, and a last day in the capital.
8 days · Luang Prabang to Vientiane · up to 12 guests
The main cascade at Kuang Si Falls, near Luang Prabang Photo: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-11-08_Kuang_Si_Falls_10.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Luang Prabang to Vientiane
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking on flat old-town streets, 2 to 4 hours on foot on touring days, with about 330 steps up Mount Phousi, a steep stair to the upper Pak Ou cave, slippery forest paths at Kuang Si and Tham Phu Kham, and about 2 hours of gentle paddling on the Nam Song. Every climb and the kayak have a sit-out option.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 270 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best November to February
Highlights
Why this trip
- The dawn alms procession in Luang Prabang, watched quietly from across the street, then Mount Phousi before the crowds
- Four nights in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage town, so the old town is never rushed
- A river boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves and their thousands of Buddha images
- Kuang Si at opening, with a swim in the turquoise lower pools before the day minibuses
- Wat Xieng Thong in the quiet first hour on your last morning
- The Laos-China Railway through the mountains to Vang Vieng
- Kayaking the Nam Song beneath the limestone karsts of Vang Vieng
- That Luang, Patuxai, Wat Si Saket and COPE in Vientiane, with a farewell dinner by the Mekong
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 270 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang International Airport to the old town
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Luang Prabang
Your trip starts at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ), about fifteen minutes from the old town, where a driver meets you and takes you to your hotel. Luang Prabang was the royal capital of the Lan Xang kingdom and later of the Lao kings, and it sits on a narrow peninsula where the Nam Khan flows into the Mekong. Its mix of gilded monasteries and French colonial shophouses has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
Afternoon
Rest after the flight, then meet your guide and the group in the late afternoon for a short walk along the Mekong riverfront as the sun drops behind the hills on the far bank.
Evening
Over a welcome dinner of Lao dishes, sticky rice, laap and river fish, your guide explains the week ahead and how the dawn alms procession works, so everyone knows where to stand and what not to do tomorrow. If you land too late for the walk, we meet at dinner.
Included
- Pick-up at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ)
- Sunset walk along the Mekong riverfront with your guide
- Welcome dinner and a briefing on alms-giving etiquette
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
The alms at dawn and the old town
The alms procession, Mount Phousi, the Royal Palace Museum and Wat Mai
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luang Prabang
Morning
For anyone who wants to see it, we walk out at about 5:30 am, before first light, to watch the Tak Bat alms procession. Lines of monks and novices in saffron robes walk barefoot down the street in silence, and local people kneel to place sticky rice in their bowls. We watch from the far side of the street, quietly and without flash, as the monasteries ask.
Evening
From there it is a few minutes to the steps of Mount Phousi, about 330 of them, which we climb as the ticket booth opens to see mist lifting off the two rivers, hours before the sunset crowd fills the summit. Breakfast is back at the hotel. At 8 am we are at the Royal Palace Museum as it opens, the residence of the last Lao kings, with the Haw Pha Bang chapel in its grounds, then next door to Wat Mai and its gilded relief panels. A sit-down lunch follows, and the afternoon is yours. The night market fills Sisavangvong Road from about dusk.
Included
- The Tak Bat alms procession, observed from across the street with your guide (optional, early)
- Mount Phousi at the start of the day
- The Royal Palace Museum and the Haw Pha Bang chapel
- Wat Mai
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
Optional experiences
- Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (small museum of Lao ethnic groups; opening days confirmed at booking)
- An evening performance at the Royal Ballet Theatre, on the nights it runs
Easier option: Sleep in and skip the alms and Phousi; join the group at the Royal Palace Museum at 8 am.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on flat streets, plus about 330 steps up Mount Phousi. Cover shoulders and knees for the palace and temples.
Up the Mekong to Pak Ou
Luang Prabang by river boat to Ban Xang Hai and the Pak Ou Caves, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luang Prabang
- By boat
Morning
A relaxed start, then we board a long wooden river boat at the landing below the old town in the cool of the morning. Going upstream against the current takes about two hours, past sandbanks, riverside vegetable gardens, fishermen casting nets and buffalo in the shallows. We stop at Ban Xang Hai, a village known for lao-lao rice spirit and weaving, then cross to the Pak Ou Caves, two caverns in a limestone cliff where the Nam Ou meets the Mekong. For centuries people have brought Buddha images here, and thousands of them, wooden and gilded, large and small, fill the lower cave, Tham Ting. A steep stair climbs to the deeper upper cave, Tham Theung, where you need the torch your guide brings.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a simple restaurant on the river bank facing the cliff. The boat runs downstream faster, and we are back in town by mid-afternoon with the rest of the day free.
Included
- River boat on the Mekong to Pak Ou and back
- Ban Xang Hai village
- The Pak Ou Caves, Tham Ting and Tham Theung
- Riverside lunch
Optional experiences
- A Lao cooking class in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay at the lower cave, Tham Ting, which is a short flight of steps from the boat, and skip the stair to the upper cave.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on the boat in total. The stair to the upper cave is steep and uneven; wear shoes with grip.
Kuang Si at opening
Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Falls and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luang Prabang
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
We leave after an early breakfast and drive about 30 km south-west through villages and low hills, so we are at the gate of Kuang Si as it opens, around 8 am, ahead of the minibuses that arrive from mid-morning. Inside the entrance is the bear rescue centre run by Free the Bears, home to Asian black bears and sun bears taken from poachers and the bile trade. The path then follows a chain of turquoise pools, coloured by the limestone the water carries, up to the main fall, which drops in several streams over pale terraces about 50 m high. Swim in the lower pools where it is allowed, or sit by the water while it is still quiet.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a restaurant near the falls, and we are back in Luang Prabang by early afternoon.
Evening
The rest of the day is free, your last in the town, for a massage, a weaving workshop or a final walk through the night market.
Included
- Kuang Si Falls at opening, with time to swim in the lower pools
- The Free the Bears rescue centre at Kuang Si
- Lunch near the falls
Optional experiences
- A natural-dye weaving workshop at Ock Pop Tok in the afternoon (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay at the lower pools and the bear centre, a gentle path of about 1 km, while the others climb.
More active option: Climb the steep, often muddy trail beside the main fall to the pools above it and come down the other side, about 45 minutes.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Paths are wet and slippery near the falls. Bring swimwear, a towel and water shoes; there are changing rooms.
Wat Xieng Thong, then the train to Vang Vieng
Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng on the Laos-China Railway
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Vang Vieng
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
Your last morning in Luang Prabang starts at Wat Xieng Thong, at the tip of the peninsula, as it opens around 8 am, when there are more monks than visitors in the courtyard. Built around 1560, it was the royal monastery where Lao kings were crowned. Walk round the back of the main hall to see the tree of life worked in coloured glass mosaic, then the funeral carriage hall with the gilded hearse of King Sisavang Vong. Mid-morning we drive about 20 minutes to the station for the Laos-China Railway, opened in 2021, which runs south through the mountains in a long chain of tunnels and reaches Vang Vieng in about an hour to an hour and a half; the same journey by road used to take most of a day.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Vang Vieng, on the Nam Song with the limestone karsts rising behind the far bank.
Evening
After check-in, a short walk across the river into the rice fields, then sunset by the water.
Included
- Wat Xieng Thong at opening with your guide
- Train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, tickets bought for you
- Lunch by the Nam Song
- Evening walk across the river to the rice fields
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Keep to one suitcase and a day bag for the train. Train times are confirmed with your final itinerary.
Caves, a lagoon and the Nam Song
Vang Vieng to Tham Phu Kham, then by kayak down the Nam Song
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Vang Vieng
- Drive about 30 min
Vang Vieng is known for its backpacker bars, but the reason to come is the valley: rice fields and the Nam Song river set against sheer limestone karsts.
Morning
After breakfast we cross the river and drive about 7 km west on a rough country road to Tham Phu Kham. A steep path climbs to a huge cave with a reclining Buddha inside, and below it a clear blue-green pool fed by the stream, where you can swim.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a riverside restaurant upstream of town. In the afternoon, with river guides and life jackets, we paddle about 2 hours down the Nam Song back into Vang Vieng, past fishermen, riverside gardens and the karsts, with the current doing most of the work. We take two-person kayaks, so less confident paddlers share with a guide.
Evening
The evening is free: sunset from the riverbank is the best show in town.
Included
- Tham Phu Kham cave and lagoon
- Riverside lunch
- Kayaking down the Nam Song with river guides, about 2 hours
Easier option: Skip the kayak and ride back to town in the vehicle; rest or rent a bicycle for the flat lanes along the river.
More active option: In the morning, swap the cave visit for a guided climb to a karst viewpoint above the valley, steep and about an hour up, rejoining the group for lunch.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Kayaking depends on the river level and weather, and is replaced by a riverside walk if the river is unsafe. The cave path is steep and dark in places.
Train to Vientiane and the capital in a day
Vang Vieng to Vientiane by train, then That Luang, COPE, Patuxai and Wat Si Saket
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Vientiane
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A morning train takes about an hour from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, and our vehicle meets us at the station north-east of the city. On the way in we stop at Pha That Luang, the gold-covered stupa that is the national symbol of Laos, rebuilt in the 16th century when King Setthathirath moved the capital here.
Afternoon
After lunch, the COPE Visitor Centre tells the story of the unexploded bombs that still lie in Lao fields: the US dropped more than two million tonnes of ordnance on Laos between 1964 and 1973, and COPE makes artificial limbs for people hurt by what remains. It is a sobering hour, and an important one. Then Patuxai, the victory monument, where you can climb the stairs for the view down Lane Xang Avenue, and Wat Si Saket, from the early 19th century, its cloister walls lined with thousands of small Buddha images.
Evening
At sunset we walk the Mekong riverfront, with Thailand across the water, before a farewell dinner.
Included
- Train from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, tickets bought for you
- Pha That Luang
- Lunch in Vientiane
- COPE Visitor Centre
- Patuxai, with the climb to the top
- Wat Si Saket
- Sunset walk on the Mekong riverfront
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Skip the Patuxai stairs and wait in the gardens below.
Free time: A free hour at the hotel before the riverfront walk
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, mostly on level ground. Cover shoulders and knees for That Luang and Wat Si Saket.
Depart from Vientiane
Vientiane to Wattay International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
The trip ends after breakfast in Vientiane.
Evening
If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, the morning is yours: a coffee and a baguette in one of the cafes left from the French era, the Lao Textile Museum, or the Talat Sao morning market, which despite its name is busy all day. Xieng Khuan, the Buddha Park, is about 25 km south-east of the city near the Friendship Bridge to Thailand, a riverside garden of more than 200 concrete Buddhist and Hindu sculptures made from 1958; your guide can arrange a driver for it if you have a late flight. Wattay International Airport (VTE) is about fifteen minutes from the centre, and we drive you there at the right time for your flight. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm if you want a relaxed morning, or any time if you are happy to go straight from breakfast. If you are carrying on to Vietnam and Cambodia, there are direct flights to Hanoi.
Included
- Drop-off at Wattay International Airport (VTE)
Optional experiences
- Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park) by private driver, if your flight leaves late (price shown at booking)
Free time: Morning free until your airport transfer
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm for a free morning, or after about 4 pm to add the Buddha Park.
- Luang Prabang4 nights
- Vang Vieng2 nights
- Vientiane1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: November to February is the cool dry season: clear days around 25 to 30 C, and mornings in Luang Prabang and on the river that can be misty and as low as 10 to 15 C in December and January. From about March, smoke from field burning hazes the views; from May to October the rains turn Kuang Si brown and raise the Nam Song.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors who want Laos at a slow pace, with four nights in Luang Prabang
- Travellers who want temples and markets early, before the crowds, and free afternoons
- Anyone who wants the river trip, the falls, the kayak and the entries in one price
- Travellers who prefer trains to long mountain roads
Not for you if you want
- A party trip in Vang Vieng: our hotels are on the quiet edge of town
- Step-free access: Mount Phousi, the upper Pak Ou cave and Tham Phu Kham all mean steep steps
- Travellers who want the slow boat to Thailand, the Plain of Jars or southern Laos, which this route does not reach
- Anyone who wants to take part in the alms giving: we watch it only
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Luang Prabang4 nights
- Vang Vieng2 nights
- Vientiane1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 4 in Luang Prabang, 2 in Vang Vieng and 1 in Vientiane
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) and drop-off at Wattay International Airport (VTE)
- A vehicle and driver for the group in each town, for stations and sights
- Laos-China Railway tickets from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng and from Vang Vieng to Vientiane
- The river boat to Pak Ou and back
- Kayaks, river guides and life jackets on the Nam Song
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8, including on the trains
- Local site guides where a site requires them
Activities
- Luang Prabang: the alms procession observed with your guide, Mount Phousi, the Royal Palace Museum and Haw Pha Bang, Wat Mai and Wat Xieng Thong
- Pak Ou: Ban Xang Hai and the Pak Ou Caves
- Kuang Si Falls and the Free the Bears rescue centre
- Vang Vieng: Tham Phu Kham cave and lagoon and a Nam Song kayak trip
- Vientiane: Pha That Luang, the COPE Visitor Centre, Patuxai and Wat Si Saket
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, days 2 to 7
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Luang Prabang and a farewell dinner in Vientiane
Not included
- International flights to Luang Prabang and from Vientiane
- Laos visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Optional activities, such as the cooking class, the Ock Pop Tok workshop and the Buddha Park
- Personal expenses, such as massages and laundry
- Offering food at the alms procession, which we do not arrange
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 270 (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+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 1,340 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 1,450. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 1,575.
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central 3-star-plus hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, both train legs, the Pak Ou boat, the Nam Song kayak trip, a vehicle and driver in each town, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the day plan, including Kuang Si, the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong and That Luang.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so everyone fits in one boat to Pak Ou, can hear the guide in a temple courtyard and sits at one table at lunch. If you want even fewer people, the private style is just your party.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport pick-up in Luang Prabang to the airport drop-off in Vientiane, including on the trains and the boat. Local site guides and river guides join where a site or the kayak trip requires them. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
Can we take part in the alms giving?
We watch it rather than take part. The monasteries ask visitors to stand back, stay silent and avoid flash, and the rice sold to tourists on the street is often not fresh. Your guide explains the ritual at the welcome dinner and walks you to a quiet spot across the street at about 5:30 am.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate, and easy on most days. Touring days mean 2 to 4 hours on foot on mostly flat streets, with steep steps at Mount Phousi, the upper Pak Ou cave and Tham Phu Kham, wet paths at Kuang Si and about 2 hours of gentle paddling. Every climb and the kayak have a sit-out option.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 270 more for the whole trip, shown before you book with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share a room, say so when you request to book and we will tell you whether another solo traveller on your date is looking to share.
When is the best time to go?
November to February, the cool dry season, with clear skies and pleasant days. December and January mornings in Luang Prabang can be misty and as cool as 10 to 15 C. From about March, smoke from field burning hazes the views, and May to October is the rainy season.
How do we travel between towns?
By the Laos-China Railway, which opened in 2021. Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng and Vang Vieng to Vientiane each take roughly an hour to an hour and a half, compared with most of a day on the old mountain road. We buy the tickets, which need passport details, when you book.
Do I need a visa for Laos?
Most visitors, Canadians included, do. You can apply online for an e-visa before you fly or buy a visa on arrival at Luang Prabang airport, paying in US dollars. Your passport needs 6 months of validity. Rules and fees change, so we confirm them when you book.
Is Vang Vieng still a party town?
Less than it was, and our version skips that side entirely. We stay on the quieter river edge of town and spend the time on the landscape: a cave and lagoon, a riverside lunch, a kayak down the Nam Song and sunsets over the karsts. The bars are there if you want them.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 2,835 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, trains and boat.
How does booking work?
Choose a style and a start date and send a request to book. No payment is taken at this stage. We check hotel and train availability and confirm your trip within 24 hours, then send the payment details. The small group starts from CAD 1,575 per person, sharing a room, taxes included.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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