You will be met by our staff and transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. We’ll visit The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout the ages; we then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From there, we visit the Night Market, where you can browse through a lovely selection of handmade textiles. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Note: as per local regulations, only vehicles of 16seaters are allowed in the city of Luang Prabang
Day2. Luang Prabang – Pak Ou cave – Khouangsi Waterfall
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving to saffron-clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Later in the morning we go to Phosi Market, which has an eclectic selection of foodstuffs and souvenirs.
AM: We’ll enjoy a short-guided tour of the city’s oldest temple, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong where you can see the impressive “tree of life” mosaic set in colored glass. We then board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. We’ll make sure to stop at the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images. We will also stop at a few villages during the day, including Ban Muangkeo where the local rice wine is produced.
PM: We continue our excursion towards Khouangsi Waterfall, stopping to visit some ethnic minority villages and see how these colorful people live. Once at the falls you can swim in the turquoise pools or walk along forest paths. Overnight in Luang Prabang .
Today we leave this charming town and drive to Xieng Khouang, an area once devastated by American bombings. These back roads are a great way to have an authentic Laos experience. We’ll see very few other travelers, just mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in us as we are about them! The drive is long, but we’ll make sure to stop and have a few photo ops. Overnight in Xieng Khouang.
Following breakfast at the hotel, we transfer out to visit the Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are littered throughout the plateau. We then board a short flight to the charming and fascinating Lao capital of Vientiane. On arrival we check into our hotel. After a short rest, we begin our orientation with a short walking-tour of the Lao capital, strolling around the city sights and observing the evening sunset along the Mekong Riverside. Overnight in Vientiane
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accomodation: Lao Orchid hotel (Superior room) www.lao-orchid.com or similar
Day5. Vientiane – City Tour
Today we begin to see the major sights of the capital, including Wat Sisaket, which contains more than 8000 Buddha statues, Wat Ho Prakeo the former home of the Emerald Buddha statue and That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos. We also see the Patuxay (Lao Arc de Triomphe), which was built in commemoration of those who died during past wars and today it is the city’s main landmark.
In the afternoon we transfer out to see Buddha Park, a scattered and enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures near the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images here. Overnight in Vientiane.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accomodation: Lao Orchid hotel (Superior room) www.lao-orchid.com or similar
Day6. Vientiane – Departure
After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our departure flight.
