Why this shape and not another
The railway changed this route. Vientiane to Luang Prabang used to be a full day of mountain road or a flight; it is now under two hours by train, which means the capital earns its place instead of costing a day to reach.
Day by day
Day 1 — Arrive Luang Prabang
Transfer in. The old town sits on a peninsula between two rivers and is small enough to walk end to end.
Day 2 — Luang Prabang
The morning alms procession if you wish to watch — quietly, from a distance, and without a flash. Then the royal palace museum, Wat Xieng Thong, and the climb up Phousi for the view.
Day 3 — Kuang Si and the Mekong
The waterfall in the morning, turquoise and terraced, then an afternoon boat upriver to the Pak Ou caves and their thousands of small Buddha figures.
Day 4 — North to Nong Khiaw
Three to four hours up the Nam Ou valley into limestone country. The village is two streets and a bridge, which is the point.
Day 5 — Nong Khiaw
The viewpoint climb for the valley from above, a hard ninety minutes up. Afternoon by boat to Muang Ngoi, reachable only by river.
Day 6 — Back to Luang Prabang, train to Vientiane
Down the valley in the morning, then the afternoon train south — one hour fifty through tunnels and river gorges.
Day 7 — Vientiane
The most relaxed capital in the region. That Luang, Wat Si Saket, the COPE visitor centre on the legacy of unexploded ordnance, and the Mekong front at sunset.
Day 8 — Depart
Transfer to Wattay.
What you should know before booking this one
- March and April are burning season in the north. Visibility drops, the air quality is poor and the viewpoints show you haze. We will tell you outright if your dates fall inside it.
- The Nong Khiaw viewpoint climb is steep, unshaded and takes about ninety minutes up. It is optional and the village is pleasant without it.
- Train tickets are booked ahead and are not refundable at short notice, so the Vientiane date is the one fixed point in the route.
- Days
- 8
Sending this does not charge you. We hold the space and confirm within 24 hours.