TRIP HIGHLIGHS:

DAY 1 – vientiane – arrival (-/-/-)

Arrival at Wattay Airport in Vientiane. Welcomed by our local guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Time at leisure.

Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel.

DAY 2 – vientiane – city tour (B/-/-)

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Start our city tour by visiting the oldest Wat Sisaket which houses thousands of tiny Buddha images and row after row of seated Buddhas. Our next destination is Haw Phra Kaew, the royal temple that once enshrined the Emerald Buddha. Today it is a museum where there resides a tremendous collection of religious art.

Continue with a visit to the golden Pha That Luang, the most important national monument in Laos – a symbol of Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. The stupa of this temple is 40m high and covered with gold that can be seen from kilometres away.

Along the way we also make stop to visit the Pattuxay monument, the Vientian’s Triump de Arch. Also, we spend time to wander around and sightseeing some prominent colonial architecture in the centre area.

Then transfer to the amazing Buddha Park (also called Wat Xieng Khouane) which is definitely worth a visit during your tour to the capital of a million elephants. Upon arrival, take your time to explore more than 200 religious statues, including an enormous 40-meter-long reclining Buddha.

Transfer back to city center. Time at leisure

Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

DAY 3 – vientiane – train to luang prabang – Kuang si falls (B/-/-)

Early morning, meet guide and driver, then transfer to train station and catch speed train to Luang Prabang.

Welcomed by local guide and driver in Luang Prabang. Transfer (~25 mns) in town and drop the luggage at hotel. Then travelling (~45mns) outskirt of Luang Prabang, driving through green rice paddies and farms to Kuang Si park. Stop on the way for visit few villages of H’mong and Lao Loum people. On your arrival at the Kuang Si waterfall enjoy your short walking on trails of falls to visit the bear rescued centre, then to the main waterfalls with spectacular views and surrounding of orchids inside the park. Falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. You can cool off with a swim.

Driving back in town and check-in hotel. Time at leisure.

Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

DAY 4 – luang prabang – CITY TOUR (B/-/-)

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Enjoy your UNESCO morning walk to understand insight of this charming town stop and visit fresh local markets before going back to hotel for breakfast.

This morning, visit Wat Visoun, the site of impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao. Continue to visit Wat Aham temple.

Then, visit Wat Xieng Thong further emphasizes the uniqueness of Luang Prabang, its several roofs sweeping low to the ground. See also the impressive “tree of life” mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana.

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum, explore the city’s fascinating array of shimmering temples and French colonial buildings. Next, discover Wat May built in 1796, the five-tiered roof of the wooden Sim (chapel) epitomizes the graceful Luang Prabang architectural style.

End your day by climbing up to Phou Si Mountain where you observe the sun-set and enjoy an overview to Luang Prabang.

Evening is free for your own visit at Night Market.

Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

DAY 5 – luang prabang – pak ou – nong khiaw (B/-/-) (~3h by van + ~2h by boat)

After breakfast, enjoy boat cruise on Mekong to visit Pak Ou caves at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers. In these 2 caves are displayed hundreds of sacred centuries-old Buddha images which are the object of pilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April.

Then drive to Nong Khiaw. Stop to visit the weaving Ban Nayang village where Thai Lu people specializes in the making of cotton products. Arrive and check in hotel in Nong Khiew. Time at leisure

Meals on your own. Overnight in hotel

DAY 6 – nong khiew – cruise on nam ou – villages – nong khiaw (B/L/-)

After breakfast, enjoy a long tail boat cruise (~1h40mns) on Nam Ou River to Ban Hatsapheuy village where you start hiking (~30mns) to Sojam village of Thai Deang people. Visiting and learning about local life, then lunch in village.

In the afternoon, cruise to Muang Ngoy and hiking (30 mns) to visit the Tham Kang Cave.

Next, take the boat back to Nong Khiaw with a stop to visit Ban Huay Hoi village. Time at leisure at hotel.

Dinner on your own. Overnight in hotel

DAY 7 – nong khiaw – luang nam tha (B/-/-) (~230 km, ~6h by van)

After breakfast, enjoy walking around to discover the local life in small town of Nong Khiaw. Visit the historical Phathok Cave.

Then driving to Luang Nam Tha (~230 km, ~6h by van) with some stops on the way to visit local villages. Arrival and check in local guesthouse. Time at leisure.

Meals on your own. Overnight in guesthouse (simple comforts)

DAY 8 – Luang Nam tha – Muang sinh – luang nam tha (B/L/-)

After breakfast, depart to Muang Sing which is 58km (~1.5h by van) from Luang Nam Tha.

On arrival in Muang Sinh, start an easy trek (3-4h) through fields on small foots paths to discovery countryside, visit ethnic minority groups of Akha, Yao, Tai Lue in Muang Sing valley, to see and learn about their lifestyle, cultures and traditional. You will have personal interactions with the villagers.

Back to Muang Sinh and driving back to Luang Nam Tha.

Dinner on your own. Overnight in guesthouse (simple comforts)

DAY 9 – Luang Nam tha – huayxai (B/-/-)  (~180 km, ~4h by van)

After breakfast, cycling to the visit around Luang Nam Tha. Stop and visit a local temple located on a mountain from which you will enjoy a panoramic view of the region. Then, continue to pedal towards the villages of ethnic minority groups: the Akha, the Lantern. You will find in these villages the traditional houses. They are built based on the belief of each ethnic group. Your visit ends at Ban Nam Di village and you cycle back to your guesthouse for check-out.

In the afternoon, depart to Luang Nam Tha (~180 km, ~4h by van). Arrival and check in guesthouse. Time at leisure.

Meals on your own. Overnight in guesthouse (simple comforts)

DAY 10 – huayxai – Chiang Khong (B/-/-)

Breakfast then depart to border Laos – Thai. Cross the border to Chiang Khong and continue your trip in Thailand (immigration procedure done by yourself)

Remark:

• This trip is recommended from Oct to April when the weather is favourable for travel in all regions of Laos
• This trip is not recommended from May to Sept as raining season. Sometimes heavy raining may cause landslide especially in mountainous region, on the roads between Luang Prabang – Nong Khiew – Oudomxay – Luang Nam Tha.
• This trip is suitable for tourists who love to travel partly out of beaten tracks. They need to be ready for some hikings/trekkings in some local remoted villages.
• Accommodations in northern (in Luang Nam Tha, Muang Sinh, Huay Xai) are basic (mostly in local guesthouse). There is no hotel available.
• End of tour in Laos, tourists will cross the border in Huayxai to Chiang Khong, and continue their trip in Thailand.

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