Day 1: Luang Prabang (arrival)

Arrival in Luang Prabang. We welcome you at airport and transfer you to hotel. Rest of the day is your leisure time.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
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Day 2: Luang Prabang

Wake up with the sunrise to join Laos’ sacred tradition of morning alms giving, where over 200 Buddhist monks collect their daily meal from the faithful. After, visit the bustling morning market near the former Royal Palace, followed by the Royal Palace Museum and the elegant Wat Xiengthong. Explore the stunning Kuang Si Waterfall, with options for swimming, hiking, and observing bears at the Bear Rescue Centre. Return to town, stopping at the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center by the Mekong River, before ascending Phousi Hill for a breathtaking sunset and concluding at the vibrant Night Market.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
• B,L

Day 3: Luang Prabang

At 8:30 am, you’ll be picked up by our English-speaking guide from your hotel in Luang Prabang and taken to the Elephant Village Camp, where you’ll receive a warm welcome and a briefing about the elephants. You’ll have the chance to feed the elephants, explore the camp’s facilities, and learn how to communicate like a Mahout. Then, enjoy a boat trip to Tad Sae Waterfall, where you can relax or swim. After a buffet lunch at the camp’s restaurant, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel around 1:00 pm.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
• B,L

Day 4: Luang Prabang

Departing at 8:30 am from your hotel, you’ll transfer to Nahm Dong Park, located 10 km from Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, you’ll receive a welcome from the park manager before starting the morning activities. Begin with a thrilling zipline over the jungle and waterfalls, followed by a walk along jungle trails with flying bridges, streams, and natural pools where you can take a refreshing dip. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the region, including Mount Phousi. Spend the afternoon exploring the park, relaxing in huts, or enjoying the natural pools.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
• B,L

Day 5: Luang Prabang → Muang Ngoi

In the morning, depart from your hotel in Luang Prabang and head north to Nong Khiaw. Upon arrival, visit the historical Phathok Cave, used as a war shelter during the “Secret War.” After a 30-minute walk through beautiful scenery, explore the cave with your guide and enjoy views of rice paddies and the valley. Return to Nong Khiaw via a path through the rice fields. In the afternoon, take a 1-hour boat trip upstream on the Nam Ou River to Muang Ngoi, where you’ll check into your hotel and have the rest of the day free for exploration.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
• B,L

Day 6: Muang Ngoi → Nong Khiaw

Early morning, visit Wat Phou, a Khmer temple ruins. We then driver to Ban Kiet Ngong for an elephant trek to the mysterious area of Xe Pian National Protected Area. Lunch at Kingfisher Eco-lodge. After lunch, continue to Don Khong Island, see local work. Head to Ban Nakasang and take a long-tail boat to Don Khone. Enjoy sunset along the Mekong.

• Overnight in Nong Khiaw.
• B,L

Day 7: Nong Khiaw → Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we’ll transfer to Ban Pak Ou for lunch at a riverside restaurant overlooking the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers. In the afternoon, visit the Pak Ou Caves, filled with thousands of Buddha statues left by pilgrims. Then, take a boat downstream on the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, stopping along the way at Ban Muangkeo, known for traditional Lao rice whisky distilling.

• Overnight in Luang Prabang.
• B,L

Day 8: Luang Prabang → Vang Vieng

After breakfast, take a 1-hour train ride to Vang Vieng and visit Tham Xang (Elephant Cave), named for its elephant-shaped limestone formations. Explore the nearby Tham Hoi (Snail Cave) with its deep corridors and stunning formations, followed by the Loop Cave with its impressive stalagmites. At Tham Nam (Water Cave), enjoy a refreshing swim and tube through the crystal-clear waters. Then, trek 2 km through rice paddies to the Hmong village of Phathao before returning to Vang Vieng.

• Overnight in Vang Vieng.
• B,L

Day 9: Vang Vieng → Ban Tha Heua

After breakfast, visit Tham Jang, a historic cave used as a refuge during the Chinese invasion, followed by Tham Nangfa (Angel Cave) with its stunning limestone formations. Relax at the Blue Lagoon before returning to Vang Vieng, where we’ll visit Sae Lao, a sustainable development project with an organic farm, community center, and volunteer program. Finally, transfer to Ban Tha Heua for an overnight stay.

• Overnight in Ban Tha Heua.
• B,L

Day 10: Ban Tha Heua → Vientiane

Embark from the Resort to explore life along the Nam Ngum banks, learning about local fishing techniques and traditional fish preservation as you paddle among the islands. Visit Houy Pa Mom village for a tea/coffee break with a local family and witness a hand-weaving demonstration. Return by kayak to the Sanctuary Nam Ngum Beach Resort, concluding your journey. Then, transfer to Vientiane, stopping at a local market where hill tribes trade goods and buy provisions.

• Overnight in Vientiane.
• B,L

Day 11: Vientiane

In the morning, visit Wat Si Muang, renowned for its supernatural power, before driving 45 minutes to Buddha Park, filled with over 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues. Return to town to explore COPE, which aids landmine victims and educates about the American/Vietnam war and unexploded ordinances. In the afternoon, visit That Luang, Laos’ holiest site, and enjoy panoramic city views from Patuxai, Vientiane’s “Arc de Triomphe.” Continue to Wat Sisaket, the only temple surviving the 1828 Siamese invasion, and Wat Phra Keo, a museum of Lao and Khmer art. End your tour with a sunset stroll along the Mekong River, enjoying a drink or snack from local stalls.

• Overnight in Vientiane.
• B,L

Day 12: Vientiane → Ban Kong Lor

This morning, your driver and guide will meet you in Vientiane for a journey south along Route 13. After a 3-hour drive with a stop at Wat Prabath Phonsane, you’ll enter the Phou Hin Poun NPA, known for its stunning limestone karsts, forests, and rice paddies. The final leg to Ban Kong Lor takes about 2 hours. Once in town, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, exploring the village with your guide if you wish. For dinner, consider the nearby local restaurant Kounmee (not included).

• Overnight in Ban Kong Lor.
• B,L

Day 13: Ban Kong Lor → Thakhek

For early risers, consider a 6:30 am walk to see the villages wake up and prepare for the day—discuss this with your guide. After breakfast, explore Kong Lor Cave with life jackets and head torches, and board a long tail boat for a 7.5 km journey through the cave along the Hin Boun River, passing stunning stalactites and stalagmites. The cave, used by locals as a shortcut, leads to the other side where you can explore nearby villages and enjoy refreshments. Return by boat to Ban Kong Lor, then transfer to Thakhek for a 4-hour drive, arriving in time for a sunset stroll along the Mekong. Enjoy the relaxed evening in this charming town with its colonial buildings.

• Overnight in Thakhek.
• B,L

Day 14: Thakhek → Pakse

After a leisurely breakfast, your guide will meet you at 09:30 to drive south to Savannakhet, a 1.5-hour journey. Stop at the revered 16th-century That Ing Hang temple before continuing to Savannakhet, known as the birthplace of Kaysone Phomvihane. Explore the city’s French villas, St. Teresa Catholic Church, and the Dinosaur Museum with remains dating back 150-250 million years. In the afternoon, drive 3.5 hours to Pakse, where you’ll check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Pakse, at the confluence of the Mekong and Sedone Rivers, features a mix of Chinese and French architecture and lively markets.

• Overnight in Pakse.
• B,L

Day 15: Pakse → Bolaven

Depart for the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region known for its hill tribes, waterfalls, and plantations. First, visit Ban Houay Houn to see Katu women weaving textiles using their legs. Then, explore the Tad Lo waterfalls, including Tad Hang, Tad Lo, and the impressive Tad Suong. Continue through Paksong and the plateau, enjoying cooler temperatures, lush forests, and spectacular waterfalls like Tad Fan. Discover local cultivation of coffee, tea, and other crops. This journey offers a chance to explore Laos’ wild beauty and less-traveled areas. Spend the night on the Bolaven Plateau.

• Overnight in Bolaven Plateau.
• B,L

Day 16: Bolaven → Don Khong

After breakfast, visit Wat Phou, a 5th-century Khmer temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its pre-Angkorian architecture amidst southern Laos’ rice fields. Once a key economic and political center, it remains highly revered. Following the visit, explore Champassak’s French colonial architecture before driving to Done Khong, where you can relax or explore the island for the rest of the day.

• Overnight in Done Khong Island.
• B,L

Day 17: Don Khong → Don Khone

After breakfast, take a 1.5-hour long-tail boat ride into the Mekong River’s widest reach, known as Si Phan Done, where the dry season reveals thousands of islets. Visit a local market to experience local culture and shop for fresh produce and crafts. Explore Liphi Waterfall’s stunning scenery, then see French colonial buildings and remnants of the railway station. Visit a local pagoda to learn about regional spiritual traditions and admire the architecture. Finally, stroll through the village or rent a bicycle (at your own expense) to explore Khone Island and watch the sunset.

• Overnight in Don Khone Island.
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Day 18: Don Khone → Pakse

After breakfast, return to Ban Nakasang and drive south to Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia, located near the Lao-Cambodian border in a wildlife-rich area. Next, drive back to Pakse, a town founded by the French in 1905. In the afternoon, visit Ban Khoh for stone carving, then walk to Wat Chomphet to see Laos’ largest sitting Buddha. Finish with a visit to Wat Phou Salao for panoramic views over Pakse at sunset.

• Overnight in Pakse.
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Day 19: Pakse (departure)

Morning, enjoy breakfast at hotel.

Relax until we transfer you to airport for your departure flight.

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End of the journey!