10 Days Luxury Laos: Vientiane - Muang La - Luang Prabang

Saibaidee! Welcome to Vientiane, Laos.

Upon arrival at Wattay International Airport, your private guide and driver are waiting to meet you, holding up a welcome signboard with your names on it and take you directly to the luxury boutique La Seine Hotel, sits along the Mekong River promenade offering spectacular river views. The hotel is adjacent to the historic old town, while the Royal Palace, the diplomatic enclave and Vientiane’s iconic Patuxai, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, are a quick tuk-tuk ride away.

After checking-in, you will have time to relax and adjust to the pace of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. There will be a short tour briefing this evening with your guide followed by a welcome dinner at Friends Restaurant, Mini Makphet. It’s a social enterprise based restaurant that empowers disadvantaged youth with vocational training amongst other support.

Please note: You must have both a passport and a visa to enter Laos. And your passport must also have at least six months’ validity remaining beyond the date that you enter Laos. You can get a visa on arrival in Laos. Make sure you have two passport-sizes photographs.

Overnight in Vientiane: Settha Palace/Landmark Mekong River/La Seine Hotel

• Meals: Dinner,

Settha Palace Resort

Settha Palace Resort

The capital city of Laos, Vientiane, still feels like a sleepy city with relaxed charm, tree-lined boulevards, fascinating temples, and colorful markets. This city conjures up exotic images, with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up for the further exploration of this charming city. Start with Vat Sisaket, the only temple left intact after the Siamese invasion in 1828. It shelters hundreds of statues of Buddha within its walls.

Continue with Wat Prakeo, now used as a religious museum where you can see Lao and Khmer works of art. It used to host the “Emerald Buddha” that is now on display at Bangkok’s Royal Palace.

Continue to visit the iconic Pha That Luang, a gleaming golden stupa which is perhaps the most important national monument in Laos.

After lunch Lao Derm Restaurant, you will uncover other important sites including Buddhist monasteries of Wat Ong Tue and Wat Haysoke. Next, visit Lao National Museum, the charming French Colonial Architecture building, and Wat Si Muang, a Khmer temple with a fascinating legend that still holds great significance among the Laotian community.

Proceed to the Vientiane Central Market of Talat Sao and Talat Kouadin, where major goods are traded, including fresh food, household, textiles, gold, and silver. You may even see ancient souvenirs on display.

End your day at the Patuxai Monument, also called Anousavari, and enjoy a panoramic view over the city from the top. It is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triomphe that is located at the top of Lan Xang Avenue, the Champs Elysees of the Lao capital.

The rest of the day will be at your leisure. You may take a stroll along the Mekong River banks. For those interested, stop and sample some of the delicious snacks and cold drinks on sale at the numerous riverside stalls.

Overnight in Vientiane

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Patuxai Monument

Pha That Luang

After breakfast, your private guide will meet you and take you on a fun Tuk Tuk ride to an organic farm on the outskirts of Vientiane. Run by a Lao non-government organization using traditional Lao farming methods, this is the perfect place to try your hand at rice farming.

On arrival, you will be greeted by the friendly farmers. After a short introduction about the farm, change your clothes and it’s time to become a real local farmer in the fields. The farmers will show you how to get your feet wet planting rice seedlings, or if it’s harvest season then cut and thresh your own rice for lunch! Do a spot of fishing, collect fresh duck eggs, learn about organic fertilizer and how it is made, and harvest fresh seasonal organic vegetables and bamboo.

Once you’ve finished the farming activities you will cook up a traditional Lao lunch with the day’s produce. Learn how to cook sticky rice and make papaya salad. Then sit down to enjoy a picnic-style lunch and a well-earned rest.

Bid a fond farewell and get back to your hotel in town. En route, pause to visit a local fresh food market to check out the amazing diversity of Lao food. Enjoy a traditional Lao coffee or sample some delicious Lao sweets at the market.

This tour includes participation in farm activities and some walking at a moderate level of fitness. You need to bring a long-sleeved shirt for rice threshing (depending on the season), sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat.

Overnight in Vientiane

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Farm Experience

Farm Experience

Farm Experience

Mekong River

After breakfast and check out of the hotel, meet your private guide and take an essential visit to COPE Visitor Centre, a non-profit organization in Laos which provides prosthetic limbs, mobility assistance and rehabilitation for Lao people who can’t afford it. The war is still heavily present in Laos, the country that experienced the most bombings by the Vietnam War. Still today, a good deal of those unexploded ordnances (UXOs) explode as people work their fields and children play in the countryside. Laos is actively fighting the use of these cluster bombs and the COPE centre will depict and inform visitors on these issues.

Your visit to COPE Visitor Centre will open your minds and your hearts.

Later, your driver will transfer to Wattay Airport for your flight to Oudomxay.

On arrival in Oudomxay, you will be met and transferred to the luxury boutique Muang La Resort for check-in. Hidden in the small village of Muang-La by the river, this resort features 5 wooden villas and 9 traditionally designed guestrooms. Exuding peace tranquillity, and mountain views, the river houses a natural hot spring.

After having lunch at the resort, head out to discover the rural life of the Pak La village in Muong La, stroll through the area, and take in the panoramic views over the Nam Pak River. You will learn more about how the Khmu people live in harmony with their environment. The site at Muang La is dominated by the temple of Pha Chiao Sing Kham, which houses a sacred Buddha. According to those responsible for its protection, the statue simply appeared hundreds of years ago and so that the temple is now a sacred place of pilgrimage.

Return to the resort in the late afternoon and spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. Relax in the therapeutic on-site hot springs at the Resort.

Enjoy dinner and spend the night at Muong La resort.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Muong La Resort

Muong La Resort

Set off in the morning by 4×4 for a short drive to Pak Khai. The ride offers some magnificent views over the Nam Pak River, terraced rice fields, and many small villages.

On arrival, you will begin a culture and nature trek on small winding paths that locals use between their villages in the jungle. You will arrive at the Khamu village of Wang Wanh where the villagers make sacks from the fibers of local plants. You will be welcomed by a local family who will take you on an in-depth and hands-on learning experience where you will participate in 14 steps of the rice cycle.

After a morning of fun, enjoy your lunch at the farm ‘sala’, giving a 360° panorama of the wonderful countryside in the valley.

After some siesta time, you will cross the river on a bamboo raft to travel to the Khamu Village of Vieng Kham. The villagers here are well-known for their weaving skills. Continue to the village of Muang La to visit the local school (closed on Sundays) and the temple of Chiao Pha Kham Sing which houses a sacred Buddha. According to those responsible for its protection, the statue simply appeared hundreds of years ago and so that the temple is now a sacred place of pilgrimage.

Return to the lodge in the late afternoon and spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. Relax in the therapeutic on-site hot springs at the Resort.

Overnight in Muong La

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Local School

After breakfast, take another 4×4 ride on a beautiful road along the Nam Pak River to an Ikhos village and a H’mong village; two of the many ethnic groups in Laos. Your route climbs to 1,000m above sea level and offers some magnificent views of the stunning mountain scenery.

Your first visit is a completely isolated Ikhos village. The Ikho people are one of the most reclusive communities in Laos, and originate from Yunnan Province in China and Tibet. It is a remarkable experience to glimpse into the culture and lives of the Ikho, in whose mountain villages you will see houses made of wood and bamboo and learn about their way of life and their belief in the spirit world. The Ikho are known for their method of dyeing their clothes using natural dyes made from the plants of the jungle.

Continue to visit the H’mong village and then enjoy a picnic lunch with amazing surroundings.

After lunch, return to your resort and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Enjoy dinner and spend the last night at Muong La resort.

Overnight in Muong La

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Villages

Villages

After breakfast and check out of the resort, your guide and driver will collect you from the hotel lobby and transfer you to the Heritage town of Luang Prabang. Along the way, you will pause to visit the village of Ban Na Nyang, which is famous for its traditional cotton weaving. Almost every household has its own weaving loom where the families create beautiful scarves, table cloths, and ornate wall hangings.

Next, you will visit the famous Pak Ou caves which house thousands of Buddha statues of all styles and sizes. There are two caves, both accessed by stairs. The lower cave, Tham Ting, is naturally lit. The upper cave, Tham Phum, is deeper yet easily explored.

After exploring the caves, you will embark on a private boat cruise down the Mekong River for 1.5 hours to Luang Prabang.

After enjoying a delicious lunch at Tamarind Restaurant, transfer to check into the luxury Belmond La Residence Phou Vao, an oasis of tranquility. Situated in a lush tropical garden with wonderful views of distant mountains, the hotel is just within 5 minutes of the nearby sleepy town of Luang Prabang.

Later, your guide will meet you and take you to visit Mount Phou Si, the city’s highest point where you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the city and the Mekong River below. It takes you 328 steps to reach the top, and at sunset, the changing colors of the sky are particularly spectacular. The light reflecting on the golden spire of the temple at the top is also beautiful.

Once back to ground level, stop at the awakening Hmong minority people Night Market. It is held daily in the streets around the National Museum. Villagers come here to sell their handicrafts.

Tonight you will enjoy dinner at Mango Tree restaurant. The terrace, weather permitting, is awesome, with umbrellas and century-old trees. It sets in a quiet part of Luang Prabang’s main street, ideal for a cozy and intimate dinner away from the busy life.

Overnight in Luang Prabang: Amantaka / luxury Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

luxury Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Swiming Pool

Make sure your cameras and phones are fully charged for today’s highly Instagrammable tour. You will be cruising the temple-lined streets of this charming UNESCO-protected town in a classic vintage car Rolls Royce Shadow 1973 or Mercedes E Class from the 1970s.

Start your day with a visit to the Morning Market, a lively street where locals shop for everything from colorful vegetables and exotic fruits to live frogs.

From the energy of the market, you’ll step into the serene calm of one of the city’s most elaborate monasteries, Wat Mai, and then to the former King’s Palace, where you’ll discover the history and present life of Luang Prabang. Next, head to the ancient Wat Xieng Thong temple, which features a spectacular low sweeping roof. It’s Luang Prabang’s most distinctive and recognized monastery.

After lunch at the L’Elephant, the finest restaurant in town, you will visit the UXO Visitor’s Centre to get an incredible insight into the horrific bombings endured by the Lao people and the effect it still has today. The UXO centre is an amazing NGO that does fantastic work, yet just scratches the surface of this little known issue.

Continue to explore the 16th century Wat Visoun temple, best known for its enormous stupa and its collection of old gilded Buddhas.

Pay a visit to the Traditional Art and Ethnology Centre (TAEC)**, the only independent resource center in Laos dedicated to the country’s many and diverse ethnic groups. If time permits, you can visit the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics, offers free tours every half-hour.

Feeling suitably enlightened, end your day with a climb to the top of Mount Phousi, the city’s highest point where you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the city and the Mekong River below. After that transfer back to your resort where the rest of the evening will be at your leisure.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Wat Xieng Thong temple

Wake up early and head by Tuk-Tuk like a local to the peninsula to witness and attend almsgiving. Every morning, hundreds of monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms. This ancient ritual is locally known as “tak bat”. After the ritual, pass by the open-air fresh food market and then, return to the hotel for your breakfast.

Later, your private guide and driver will take you out of town to the famous Kuang Si Waterfall, one of the most spectacular swimming holes on the continent. The jungle around the waterfall remains lush and beautiful year-round. The waterfall cycles between placid, turquoise waters during the dry season to the impressive, roaring falls during the rainy season.

Before taking a dip in the beautiful Kuangsi Falls, you will get a behind the scenes experience with the team from Free the Bears. This sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates sun, moon, and sloth bears from bile farms.

Leaving the falls, you are driven to an organic farm where you experience the new Lao Buffalo dairy that produces cheese and a range of delicious dairy products. The diary provides income and a sustainable future for the Lao people involved. Learn how to milk a Buffalo, cuddle a Buffalo for the perfect selfie and try some incredible ice cream.

Finish your morning tour and get back to your hotel. En route, pause to see the popular Whiskey Village and sample the locally made Lao Lao.

At your leisure. Enjoy the comforts and the facilities of the resort. Perhaps you may book a spa treatment from the hotel reception.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Kuang Si Waterfall

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Luang Prabang International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

• Meals: Breakfast,

LUANG PRABANG AIRPORT