A week in Luang Prabang seems to be never enough! But even if you only have three days, you still can have enough time to enjoy the most beautiful destinations and top things to do in Luang Prabang. This article is a suggestion for a perfect journey to Luang Prabang for 3 days. We hope that it can give you useful guides to what to do, top destinations, where to eat… while you are in this wonderful town.

Luang Prabang is located in northern Laos, where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. The city and its surroundings have many natural landscapes, waterfalls, and caves. In your every few feet, you can meet the Buddhist temples and orange-robed monks. Wooden villas by the river is a good choice with reasonable price and riverside view. Plus, the food is amazing, from traditional Lao cuisine at the night market, French-style bakeries popping out fresh-baked baguettes and croissants, to trendy restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.

Here’s how to pack them all into a Luang Prabang 3-day itinerary.

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3 days in Luang Prabang Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Breakfast with coffee and cakes at Le Banneton is a perfect beginning of the day. It’s a lovely French-style bakery across the street from the gilded temple of Wat Sop Sickharam. Choosing a table outside to observe the street and enjoy the fresh morning air is recommended.

After that, it’s time to go around the streets of Luang Prabang. First, come to Wat Xieng Thong – no.1 attraction of Luang Prabang. The entrance fee is 20,000 kips (under £2/$2.50 ). Come to the temple to observe its beautiful mosaics and in one of the buildings, you can find a carriage decorated with ornate naga (river serpents).

Return to the town’s main street and continue to the Royal Palace. On the way, you’ll pass the rows of beautiful gilded, studded with stones and crystals temples. Then you’ll pass some lovely restaurants, cafes, travel agencies and shops. Stop in at Ock Pop Tock, a fair-trade shop with works made by local artisans. There are also plenty of spas along the streets, where you can have a massage after your long walking tour. And finally, you’ll get to the Royal Palace, where you can visit a museum, plus a famous Buddha image on the palace grounds.

Afternoon

For lunch, head down to the Mekong Riverbank. There are countless restaurants along the river with great views, with many different prices. In general, Luang Prabang might have a higher average price than other areas of Southeast Asia. But eating at local Laos restaurants instead of Western restaurants can help you save your money.

Along this path, you’ll find Saffron Coffee, a really good coffee with amazing cheesecake and other snack options. It’s across the road from the river. Next door is Big Tree, which has been suggested by dozens of travel manuals and blogs. The specialty of this restaurant is Korean food.

After lunch, going to the Mekong and visiting the Pak Ou Caves is great. These two caves are located in a cliff on the Mekong River, about 25km from Luang Prabang, and they’re filled with Buddha statues. Most of Luang Prabang’s travel agencies offer half-day trips here.

Evening

For dinner, head to the night market, located just outside the Royal Palace. You can try some delicious Lao street food and buy souvenirs. There are lots of stalls selling baguette sandwiches, but I recommend trying local Laos cuisines instead. If you concern about food safety and hygiene, you can choose the restaurants for worry-free

Day 2

Morning

After a leisurely breakfast, it’s time to hit the Kuang Si Fall. These famous turquoise lakes, cascades, and waterfall are about an hour’s drive from Luang Prabang. Spend your time exploring the pools, take a dip in the pools and climb to the source at the top. Besides swimming, you can also explore the nearby cave. Kuang Si Falls entrance fee is 20,000 kip (£2 / $2/50).

Late afternoon

When you return to Luang Prabang, it will be almost dusk - the perfect time to conquer Mount Phousi. Mount Phousi is a hill in the heart of the old town that offers a stunning 360-degree vantage point to survey the town. It is especially beautiful at sunset. The view is still acceptable, and there is a temple on top illuminated at night. The entrance is 20,000 kip.

Evening

Ok, now is the time for an unforgettable experience.

There is a private bamboo bridge, built on wooden floors and arranged in fairy light. It feels alive, bends and twists under your feet. Passing the bridge will give you a thrilling feeling. The entrance fee of 5,000 kips (£ 0.5 / $ 0.6) is worth your penny.

Walking across the bridge in the dark with bright stars above you is magical. A reckless idea for those who are looking for a proposal point, why don’t you take this chance?

Day 3

Daytime

Try to arrange your adventure that day. There are two options for you to choose from (or you can make more options as you prefer. Just use our Trip tailor).

Option 1:

Join a cooking class! Classes often include a trip to the market to buy the ingredient and then learning how to cook a variety of Thailand typical dishes.

Option 2:

Follow the river to discover Chompet, a small and rustic village across the river from Luang Prabang.

In Chompet, you can take a walk and observe the village life here. You can also climb some steps up a hill and visit the Wat Chompet temple. Follow the way up, you would get a horizontal view over the Mekong and Luang Prabang.

Evening:

Back to Luang Prabang, go to the road between Main Street and Mekong River to join the Garavek Storytelling. This simple one-hour program is in an intimate small theatre of only 30 people. You can watch an old man play a traditional musical instrument called the khene, accompanied by a young man telling stories from Lao folklore. During peak seasons, tickets can sell out quickly and you might have to book tickets online in advance. To mark the seat that you’ve booked, put a scarf or other clothing on it.

What about the morning alms-giving ceremony? Isn’t it included in this Luang Prabang itinerary?

Hold on and save the best for the last! This early morning ceremony is a sacred tradition of Luang Prabang. Every day, at dawn, the town Buddhist monks walk down through the streets while the locals kneel and make offerings to them, usually food. Tourists could attend to show their respect for this sacred and ancient tradition. But, since this ceremony is one of the most sacred traditions to the locals, and tourists might act inappropriately and make some mistakes. So, observing from distance may be better. But don’t worry too much! The locals of the city always welcome the tourists to learn about Lao tradition with good purpose.

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