Discover Laos in Depth

Meet upon arrival at Huay Say immigration checkpoint (meaning travelers need to reach the border crossing in the morning or on the previous day) and transfer to the pier for two day cruise on a private slow boat down the Mekong River to Pak Beng. Enjoy the cruise on the untamed river with impressive rapids and lush jungles along its banks. You will have some stop on the way to visit to hill tribe villages of the H’Mong and the Thai Lu people for first hand look at the traditional rural life of these people. A delicious Buffet lunch is served on board.
Arrive in Pakbeng where you will spend the night. At halfway between Houay Xay and Luang Prabang, Pakbeng is a rustic town with a tranquil laid back vibe dominated by wooden houses along a steep street on the hillside overlooking to the Mekong River. Relax and watch the sunset on the Mekong River from your balcony. Overnight in Pakbeng

After breakfast, continue your cruise along the Mekong River towards the former Royal capital of Luang Prabang. You will have a stop at Ban Baw village to observe the processing of traditional rice alcohol, called lao lao. After lunch, stop at Pak Ou to visit the sacred caves of Tham Ting and Tham Phoum. These are magnificent caves on the right side of the Mekong River that are carved out of towering limestone cliffs and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues ranging from a few centimeters to the size of a human. The caves are as well a destination for local pilgrimages, especially during the Lao New Year period of Pii Mai. Continue Vat Longkhoune temple, famous for its 18th century frescoes. Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, you will get car transfer to hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, start your city tour with a visit to the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum then continue on foot to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, Wat Visoun, the holiest temple of the city and then Wat Xieng Thong, Laos’ most photographed temple. After lunch you will take a visit to Wat Visoun, the holiest temple of the city. Continue with a visit to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre, a museum dedicated rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities, their life, tradition and customs. Learn more about Laos culture and locally made products at by visiting The Stay Another Day exhibit. You will also enjoy a Lao tea tasting ceremony. Mark the end of your day tour with a climb to Mount Phousi for a rewarded view of the city, surrounding hills and Mekong River at sunset. Free evening at your leisure to roam around and enjoy shopping at the hill tribe evening market. Overnight in hotel.

This morning you will take a short drive to visit the Kuang Si Waterfalls about 30 km from Luang Prabang. This is a wonderful place in the country amid the beautiful natural setting. Here the waterfalls cascade down a multilevel limestone formation creating a series of turquoise blue pools perfect for swimming in on a hot day. The jungle and dense woods surrounding the falls is filled with wildlife and pleasant walks can be taken along the natural footpaths. Drive back to Luang Prabang and have some stops on the way to visit local villages for photos and local interaction. An optional sunset cruise on Mekong River for dinner with a selection of typical Lao dishes and live traditional Lao dances performance that depict Lao royal ballet dances, rural life stories, folk tales and legends are at your request. Overnight in hotel.

Today you will take a drive of around 6 hours from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, the town lies on the bank of Nam Song River. The most notable feature of the area is the karst hill landscape surrounding the town. Stop en route to visit three caves: Tam Jam, Chang and Poukham. Upon arrival in Vang Vieng, check in hotel then take a brief orientation tour of the town. The rest of the day is free at your leisure to explore Vang Vieng. Overnight in hotel in Vang Vieng.

After breakfast, take a drive of around 2 hours to Nam Ngum Lake and reservoir. This is a man-made wonder of water body on mountainous area of Laos. The dam was built from 1971 on the Nam Ngum river, a major tributary of the Mekong in Laos to provide electricity for Vientiane and nearby area of Thailand. The Reservoir is the largest water body in the country that covers an area of 370 square kilometers dotted with islands and surrounded by mountains. Local fishing in the reservoir is an important source of incomes for locals.
Here you will take a boat cruise on the lake and enjoy the scenery of mountains, hills, beautiful forests and islands. Witness the local fishermen at work with traditional fishing techniques and tools and soak yourself in the fresh air. Continue the drive to Vientiane and have a stop at the local market of Don Mak Kai. Enjoy shopping of special local products, capturing special moment and color. Check in hotel upon arrival in Vientiane and free time at your leisure to roam around in the evening. Overnight in Vientiane.

After breakfast, set off to enjoy a guided tour to discover the hidden charms of Vientiane, whose name means ‘the city of sandal wood’. Your tour begins at the serene Wat Sisaket, the oldest standing temple and one of the most beautiful temples in Vientiane housing many important documents and treasures, including 6,840 Buddha images. You then take a visit to Hor Prakaew, home of the Emerald Buddha and a museum with the most extensive collection of Buddhist artifacts in the country. Next is the opportunity to photograph and/or climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city at Pratuxay (Victory Gate), the monument was modeled after the Arc de Triumph in Paris yet retains its Laotian identity with traditional decorative motifs. Visit That Luang, The Great Sacred Stupa, said to contain relics of the Lord Buddha and is the country’s most cherished religious monument. After lunch you will visit Central Market and enjoy shopping there with lots of stuffs include famous Lao silk, cotton, wood carvings. Later you will take a drive to visit to Ban Nongbuathong weaving village. Back to Vientiane and enjoy dinner with Lao traditional show. Overnight in hotel.

After breakfast, take a drive on Road 13 to Savanakhet. Along the way, you will have a stop at Thakhek, a small and peaceful town located on the bank of the Mekong River. The town is home to the revered Pha That Si Khotabong stupa and is also the gateway to Phou Hin Poun Protected Area where, one of the most prestigious landscapes of the country with plenty of limestone relieves.
Arrival in the late afternoon in Savannakhet. Savannakhet or Kaysone Phomvihane is capital of the Savannakhet Province. This is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The city is birthtown of Kaysone Phomvihane, former president of Laos, and was named after him in 2005. With tree lined roads and French colonial buildings and vestiges, mix culture color of Laos, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese and ancient temples… Savannakhet is a relaxing place to visit and wander around. Free at your leisure in the evening. Overnight in hotel.

Set off early in the morning for the drive to Salavan Province and the Bolaven Plateau, an area of highlands situated to the east of Pakse. Most of this region sits between 1000-1300 meters high and features dozens of coffee and tea plantations. The Plateau is also home to various hilltribes, such as Lavens from which the region gets its name.
Stop at Tad Lo, an area of three separate waterfalls. The first fall is named Tad Hang and it can be seen from the bridge, and the nearby Tad Lo fall is of similar in height. But the most impressive waterfall is the third, Tad Suong. Located a further 10km upriver, Tad Suong features a stunning drop of crystalline water.
In the afternoon, continue to Tad Yuang & Tad Fane waterfalls. These twin waterfalls stand 120m high and are sure to impress. The falls are fed by the Champy and Pak Koot rivers whose waters join together deep in the dense jungle and as they emerge, they thunder down in to a deep gorge.
En route, stop to visit a coffee and/or tea plantation. The beans grown in this region have become one of the most famous coffees in the world, which is sometimes called the “Champagne of coffee”. Lao coffee is cultivated almost exclusively in the cool fresh air of the Bolovens Plateau by the families who live in its 250 villages. Overnight in Tad Etu.

After breakfast, transfer by road to Wat Phou. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that built amidst the spectacular natural setting of southern Laos. The temple was built by the rulers of the Khmer empire before the construction of Angkor Wat. Constructed on three levels: the water reservoir, the galleries and the sanctuary itself, it is one of the holiest temples of the Lao people.
Stop after lunch to observe wood carvers at work at Ban Nong Bune before continuing on to Ban Kiet Ngong for a 90 minute elephant ride through the Xe Pian Protected Area and up to Mt. Asa. Continue on to Khong Island, the biggest island in south Laos and the start of the 4000 Islands Region. Overnight in Khong Island

The 4000 island, called “Siphandon” in Lao language is the area where the Mekong stretches over 14km wide and has thousands of islands between those the river flows and runs between cascades and rapids. In the morning visit Don Det and Don Khone, two very laidback islands near the border of Strung Treng Province in Cambodia. The northern part of Don Det, close to the pier, has been developed as a destination for backpackers, while the southern part and Don Khone island are very traditional with the locals reliant on coconut, kapok and bamboo farming. Discover Khone Island’s colonial vestiges, including an old railway, which was built by the French in 1897 in order to bypass the powerful rapids that disrupt the navigation along the Mekong River. Continue to impressive Liphi Waterfall, a home to a colony of fresh water dolphins, a rare and endangered species known as Irrawaddy Dolphins. After a stroll through the palm-fringed villages near Lippi, continue to the southernmost part of Laos and the imposing Khone Papheng waterfalls, close to the Cambodian border. In the afternoon return to Pakse. Overnight in Pakse.