Things to Do in Laos

Perhaps the most important monument in Laos, this 24-carat, 45-meter high golden stupa was built in the 3rd Century and is said to hold a piece of Buddha’s breastbone. Local guides wander the grounds prepared to share with travelers the legend of this religious temple, which resembles the famous lotus flower. Travelers agree it’s worth a visit, but some argue the stupa’s golden splendor is more impressive from afar. 

Tumbling through the jungle about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from Luang Prabang, the Kuang Si Falls (Tat Kuang Si) are among the area’s most attractive waterfalls, combining a dramatic drop and pools. In addition to swimming in the cool water, swinging on ropes, and enjoying snacks from on-site eateries, you can visit a bear-rescue sanctuary and a butterfly park.

There’s a small charge to visit the Kuang Si Falls, which are usually experienced as part of a day trip from Luang Prabang. While you don’t need a guide to enjoy the falls, the general absence of public transport and challenges of self-driving in Laos make tours worthwhile. 

Day tours typically combine the Kuang Si waterfalls (and perhaps the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre) with other attractions, such as minority villages, the Pak Ou Caves, or the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden. Kuang Si Falls hiking tours are also an option. 

The Kuang Si Falls cascade about 18 miles (29 kilometers) southwest of Luang Prabang. As so often with Lao tourist attractions, there is no public transport. Chartering your own tuk-tuk or joining an organized Kuang Si tour is easier and safer than driving. The journey takes around 45 minutes in each direction.

The Kuang Si Falls are at their most intense between June and October but are still impressive during March, April, and May. The dry season, roughly November to January, is Luang Prabang’s tourist peak. The falls are far from magical during this time, although the butterfly park and bear-rescue center are operational.

Moon bears (Asian black bears) are often farmed for their bile, which is used in traditional medicines. Crammed into cages, unable to move, with catheters inserted directly into their gall bladders, it’s a brutal life, and the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre helps save them from it. Do consider a visit while you’re at the falls.

Also known as the National Museum, the Royal Palace Museum was the home of Lao royalty from the early 20th century until 1975. An attractive combination of classic Lao and beaux arts architecture, it houses collections including state gifts and royal cars. The sacred Pha Bang golden Buddha is preserved in Wat Ho Pha Bang.

There is a reasonable charge to enter the Royal Palace Museum, payable in cash only. The palace stands in the heart of Luang Prabang, has decent signage, and is easy to visit on foot, so there’s no need to join a tour. However, the Royal Palace Museum is an essential stop on Luang Prabang city tours, history tours, and cultural tours, so whether you’re joining a day tour or a half-day tour, you are likely to end up here.

The Royal Palace Museum stands right in the heart of town, between Mt. Phousi and the Mekong River. As such, it’s easy to access by walking (or cycling) from most central Luang Prabang accommodations. Visitors on a tight schedule may prefer the faster pace and air-conditioned comfort of a door-to-door car or minibus tour.

The Royal Palace Museum is open seven days a week in the morning and the afternoon, with a break for lunch in the middle of the day. Luang Prabang’s weather is at its best during the peak of the dry season, roughly November to January, which is when the grounds are most pleasant to visit.

Today a Communist state known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Laos was ruled by kings from the 14th century to 1975, with Luang Prabang as their capital. It was Sisavang Vong who built the Royal Palace Museum; his son, Savang Vatthana, was removed from power in 1975 and died in a ‘reeducation’ camp.

Cool temperatures, fertile soil, stunning waterfalls and coffee plantations blanketing its hills — this is the Bolaven Plateau. This higher altitude region of Southern Laos has long been used as a center of agriculture, starting with midland hill tribes who practiced rotational farming on the plateau. During the early twentieth century, French colonists began cultivating coffee, tea, fruit and cardamom in the area.

Well off the beaten path, the Bolaven Plateau attracts adventurous travelers with blissfully cool temperatures, stellar scenery (including Tat Fan, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country), hill tribe villages and sense of isolation. Travelers can tour coffee plantations, swim at the base of waterfalls, zip line through the trees and learn about the region’s ethnic minorities in one of several villages welcoming to tourists.

The UNESCO World Heritage list identifies no fewer than 34 Luang Prabang temples. If you have to pick just one, opt for 16th-century Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple), the largest and best-known Buddhist monastery in all of Laos. Highlights include a tree of life mosaic, a royal funeral chariot, and the stunning ordination hall (sim).

Under 1 mile (1.3 kilometers) from the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong is easy to explore on a self-guided walking or cycling tour of Luang Prabang, and this is how many visitors choose to experience it. There is a reasonable entrance fee in line with other Luang Prabang attractions.

Given its significance in Lao culture and sheer beauty, Wat Xieng Thong is an essential stop on many Luang Prabang tours, including temple tours, cultural tours, and tuk-tuk tours. If you’d like to learn more about Lao Buddhism or to explore the site in depth, consider hiring a private guide.

Wat Xieng Thong sits less than a mile (1.3 kilometers) east of the Royal Palace Museum, towards the north of the Luang Prabang peninsula. As such, it’s easily visited independently, whether by strolling, riding a bicycle, or flagging down a tuk-tuk. Visitors with limited time may opt for the convenience of a tour that bundles Wat Xieng Thong with other Luang Prabang attractions and includes door-to-door transport.

Open from sunrise to sunset seven days a week, Wat Xieng Thong can be visited throughout the year. Particularly during high season (November to January), it’s worth rising early to see the site before the big crowds arrive; late in the afternoon is another feasible option to beat the crowds.

Luang Prabang is a city of temples, or wat. Besides dressing respectfully, avoid touching monks or sacred objects, ask permission before photographing devotees or monks, and don’t enter the sim (ordination hall) if monks are meditating. Avoid public displays of affection, drinking alcohol, pointing your feet towards the Buddha, or doing yoga poses or selfie jumps in front of the Buddha.

Set in the heart of Luang Prabang, the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is a small museum dedicated to four of Laos’ main ethnic minority groups. Displays include traditional costumes, religious artifacts, and crafts, while exhibits feature signage in French, English, and Lao. The shop is a great source of ethical artisan souvenirs.

Tickets to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre are affordably priced, and revenue goes to support cultural diversity in Laos. Visiting with a guide can help bring the displays to life, and tours with museum guides and curators are available on-site.

Thanks to its central location, the museum is easily visited on foot or by bicycle, and a guide is not required. While many visitors simply wander by as part of their Luang Prabang explorations, the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is an occasional stop on Luang Prabang city tours. 

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is around half a mile (750 meters) from the Royal Palace, at the base of Mt. Phousi. It’s an easy walk or cycle from most central Luang Prabang locations, but hiring a private driver for the day can enable you to combine it with attractions farther afield.

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is open morning to early evening every day but Monday. It’s worth visiting with time in hand to spare for the shop, while the craft workshops, which need to be reserved in advance, operate in the mornings. Free TAEC tours are offered on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

With a population of around seven million, Laos is home to roughly 50 different ethnicities, further subdivided into approximately 160 ethnic groups. The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre focuses on four of the larger ethnicities—Hmong, Khmu, Akha, and Tai Dam—their rich traditions, colorful costumes, and unique handicrafts. A social enterprise, the museum helps support these minority cultures.

Vientiane’s answer to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, Patuxai (Victory Monument) towers above this low-rise city in a spectacular mixture of architectural styles: part brutalist, part Napoleonic, part Lao. Besides the elaborate artworks in the monument itself and the views from the top of the structure, it’s home to a wealth of souvenir stalls. 

There is a small charge, payable in cash, to enter Patuxai and climb to the top, which offers sweeping views across the city, Laos, and Thailand. While it’s easy enough to reach independently and doesn’t require a guide, it’s worth joining a tour or hiring a private guide or songthaew (shared truck taxi) pickup to maximize your time. The majority of city tours, both half-day and full-day, stop at Patuxai and allow time to climb.

About a mile (1.5 kilometers) from Nam Phou Square, Patuxai monument is centrally located and easy to find whether you’re walking, cycling, or riding a tuk-tuk or songthaew. It stands about a mile (1.5 kilometers) east of the Mekong on Vientiane’s major boulevard, Lane Xang Avenue, at one end of Patuxai Park.

The Victory Monument is open from morning to afternoon seven days a week, but unfortunately not open for sunset viewing. Visiting late in the day does, however, allow you to soak up the sunset social scene in Patuxai Park. For the best views, try to visit on a clear day, most common in the dry season between November and January. 

A tribute to the Lao who died in long-gone wars, Laos built Patuxai, also known as Victory Gate and Gate of Triumph, with cement that the US had handed over for use in building an airport in the 1960s. That history has given it the affectionate name “the vertical runway.”

Mt. Phousi (also written Phu Si or Phou Si) dominates the heart of Luang Prabang, rising around 330 feet (100 meters) above the city. Several temples and shrines adorn the slopes, with That Chomsi stupa at the summit. But the main attractions here are the city and river views, which can extend to the surrounding mountains on a clear day.

There’s a small fee to climb to the top of Mt. Phousi by various sets of stairs and winding paths, although the lower religious monuments can be visited free of charge. Sweeping 360-degree views are the main draw here, with a sunset-viewing session a popular way to round off a Luang Prabang day tour. If Mt. Phousi’s temples interest you, a private guide can explain the meaning of the various murals and relics enshrined here.

Situated directly in the heart of town, behind the Royal Palace Museum, Mt. Phousi is hard to miss. It can be reached on foot or by bicycle from most central Luang Prabang accommodations. Stepped paths wind up from the northern, eastern, and southern sides of the hill, one of which boasts an impressive 329 steps.

Mt. Phousi is open from sunrise to sunset year-round, and it’s most commonly visited to watch the sun cross the horizon in one direction or another. During Luang Prabang’s tourist peak (November to January), the small summit can get unpleasantly crowded at sunset, so sunrise might be a better bet. Needless to say, climb on a clear day to enjoy the views.

The temples on Mt. Phousi are not Luang Prabang’s most significant, but some are worth a visit en route to the summit. The 79-foot-high (24-meter-high) golden stupa atop the hill is That Chomsi. Wat Pa Huak includes 19th-century murals, while gold Buddhas surround Wat Thammothayalan. Pick of the religious bunch, however, is a 10-foot-long (3-meter-long) footprint, believed to have been left by Buddha.

Built in 1818, this Buddhist wat in Vientiane is a surprising nod to Siamese-style architecture in a city where traditional Laotian design reigns supreme. The ancient wat’s cloister walls, which hold thousands of tiny wood, stone and bronze Buddahs from the 16th and 19th centuries, is one of the most unique spots on the temple grounds. 

Early morning visitors will find locals gathering to pray and offer alms at the feet of a hand-carved wooden naga—the serpent deity—as well as amid the more than 6,000 statues of Buddha.  

Located about 25 kilometers southeast of Vientiane, the Xieng Khuan Buddha Park is a must-see stop for visitors to the country’s capital. The park contains more than 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues made of reinforced concrete, each intricately designed and incredibly unique. These massive outdoor sculptures represent humans, gods, animals and demons, and although the park does not hold the same religious significance as a temple or Wat, its expansive meadow, endless statues and beautiful landscape makes it an ideal spot for photography lovers to spend an afternoon capturing images representative of this nation.

The spiritual center of Vientiane, thanks to its sacred pillar, Wat Si Muang is the city’s busiest temple. Laos come from far and wide to pray for good luck and eliminate bad luck. Around November Wat Si Muang is also the starting point for the candle-lit procession that begins the nation’s biggest religious event, the That Luang Festival.

You don’t need a guide to appreciate the local color at Wat Si Muang, as pilgrims buy caged birds for release, make offerings, and deposit broken pottery near the sacred pillar. However, if you’d like to understand the statuary and rituals, it does help to have a guide. Private guided tours are a good option for visiting Wat Si Muang, which is also an occasional stop on Vientiane city tours.

As befits the city’s spiritual center, Wat Si Muang is centrally located in the heart of Vientiane, under a mile (1.4 kilometers) from Nam Phou Fountain, between Setthathilath and Samsenthai roads. Cycling is a traditional and pleasant way to tour temples in Vientiane, or, if you’d like to check off multiple sites in double-quick time, you could always join a city tour.

Wat Si Muang is open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, and stays open into the night on special days on Laos’ Buddhist calendar. It’s worth being in the area at the start of That Luang Festival (Boun That Luang). This happens roughly each November, on the full moon of the 12th month of the Buddhist calendar, and begins with a massive procession of candles from Wat Si Muang.

The sacred pillar wrapped in cloth at the temple dates back to the Khmer period and has likely been worshipped for at least 1,000 years. One story of how it came to be sacred says that a young, pregnant woman named Si Muang sacrificed herself to appease angry spirits while the temple was being built. She threw herself into a hole in the construction site and was crushed by the pillar.

Vientiane’s Presidential Palace would do the president of any country proud: a grand building with a colonial-era Beaux-Arts feel that belies its relatively recent 1986 construction. While the president’s official working residence is elsewhere, the palace still remains closed to the public.

Vientiane’s Presidential Palace is closed to the public, opening its doors only for receptions and formal events—and even then an invitation is required. As such, the casual visitor’s only option for seeing the palace is by capturing photos from outside the gates. The Presidential Palace is an easy walk from other town center attractions; although some Vientiane city tours include a photo stop here, there are no dedicated Presidential Palace tours.

The Presidential Palace sits in the heart of Vientiane, just steps from Wat Sisaket and the Nam Phou Fountain; Patuxai (Victory Monument) is located less than a mile (1.3 kilometers) to the northeast. It’s easy to swing by for a photo stop when exploring Vientiane on foot or by bicycle; alternatively, a few city tours make a short stop here en route to Patuxai.

As with many architectural subjects, the Presidential Palace is best photographed during the morning or the golden hour—just after sunrise or just before sunset. The building is also illuminated it at night, making it a great topic for evening photography if you have the ISO capacity.

Like so much of Laos, Vientiane’s Presidential Palace displays the influence of the French, who occupied Laos from 1893 until 1954. But it was actually built decades after they left. Construction started in 1973 under the Royal Lao Government and continued during the 1980s under the Communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. The building was finished in 1986.

Set where the Ou River (Nam Ou) meets the Mekong, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Luang Prabang, the Pak Ou Caves are one of the most popular sights accessible from the city. A place of worship for over 1,000 years, they are home to thousands of Buddhas left by grateful pilgrims. The lower cave has both more light and more visitors than the upper cave.

There’s a reasonable fee to enter the Pak Ou Caves. While there are cheaper ways to reach the caves, the Mekong River cruise from Luang Prabang is a big part of the attraction of visiting, and that’s how most guests arrive. 

Pak Ou Caves tours typically lead with this Mekong River cruise, and some stop at artisan villages, including the whiskey village Ban Xang Hai. A few tours combine the Pak Ou Caves with an Ou River (Nam Ou) cruise, while others pair it with beautiful Kuang Si Falls, on the other side of Luang Prabang. Most Pak Ou Caves tours depart from Luang Prabang, but the destination also features on some multi-day Laos tours.

Set where the Mekong River and the Ou River (Nam Ou) meet north of Luang Prabang, the Pak Ou Caves require a boat to access. You can charter a tuk-tuk to Ban Pak Ou (it’s about an hour’s drive) then pay the small fee for a motorized canoe across the river. Alternatively, sign up for the colorful 2-hour river cruise from Luang Prabang: boats leave from a pier near Saffron Café on the peninsula.

The Pak Ou Caves are open to visitors year-round, and the river is navigable both during the rainy season and during the dry season. During the dry season peak, between November and January, the caves can get unpleasantly crowded: chartering a private longtail boat for your group and leaving early may help to beat the crowds.

The Mekong River cruise is a major part of the appeal of a Pak Ou Caves tour and, whether you’re chartering a longtail or joining a slightly larger boat, stops at artisan villages can add charm. Popular destinations include Ban Xang Hai, a whiskey-making village, and Ban Xang Khong, where locals make mulberry leaf paper and weave silk.

A shot (or several) of lao-lao, the national rice whiskey, is a Laotian rite of passage. The Whiskey Village (Ban Xang Hai), just 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) from the Pak Ou Caves on the Mekong River, specializes in churning out this potent stuff. You can watch lao-lao being produced, taste it, and buy it.

Most people visit Whiskey Village Ban Xang Hai on a boat cruise to or from the Pak Ou Caves, 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) upstream on the Mekong River. There are advantages to taking a guided tour of Whiskey Village, not least that a guide can explain what's going on during the defiantly low-fi production process, but you don't need a guide to explore this friendly village. 

Whiskey Village (Ban Xang Hai) sits on the banks of the Mekong, roughly 12 miles (20 kilometers) by road from Luang Prabang and 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) by boat from the Pak Ou Caves. It's more interesting to visit by boat as part of a Mekong River cruise, and this is how most guests arrive. Tour boats depart from the pier close to Saffron Cafe in Luang Prabang.

There's no bad time to visit the Whiskey Village (Ban Xang Hai), although it is at its busiest during the tourist peak between November and January. If you're planning on drinking more than a snifter of lao-lao, or sampling multiple bottles to select souvenirs, you're best off visiting during the afternoon after you're done with the Pak Ou Caves.

Animal rights are not far advanced in Laos, and a depressing menagerie of wildlife, much of it endangered, can be added to bottles of lao-lao in an attempt to improve virility. Bear paws and tiger bones are sadly common, and it's important to understand that by buying a product containing endangered species you are contributing to their extinction. 

A former temple, Haw Phra Kaew is Laos’ leading museum of religious art. It takes its name from the Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha), a statue carved from a single piece of jade that is now preserved in Bangkok. The grounds of the former temple, originally built in 1565, are also beautiful.

There is a small fee to enter Haw Phra Kaew, which is centrally located and easy to reach on foot or by bicycle from other landmarks. The beautiful Buddhist art here speaks for itself to a degree, but serious culture buffs will get more out of visiting with a private guide as the signage isn’t great. A few Vientiane city tours stop at Haw Phra Kaew and it’s also a common stop on Vientiane temple tours.

Under half a mile (550 meters) from the Nam Phou Fountain and less than a mile (1.4 kilometers) from the Patuxai Monument, Haw Phra Kaew is centrally located. It’s easy to get here on foot or by cycle or tuk-tuk, although travelers who are pressed for time may want to join a tour that bundles a visit here with other Vientiane sites.

Haw Phra Kaew is open seven days a week, morning to afternoon. The dry-season peak (November to January) provides the best chance to appreciate the grounds, but there really is no bad time to visit. It is busiest on weekends, when local Lao have time to appreciate their heritage.

In Bangkok, Thailand, the Wat Phra Kaew is home to the Emerald Buddha, a very sacred statue whose loss is still a source of anguish for many Laos. The forces of Siam, the nation that is today Thailand, looted it from Haw Phra Kaew in 1778. Just 26 inches (66 centimeters) tall, it is carved from a single piece of jade and dressed in gold.

Along with the Kuang Si Falls, the Tad Sae Waterfall is one of Luang Prabang’s best-known falls and a popular attraction to visit during the wet season. A series of jade-bright travertine pools and shallow cascades, Tad Sae sits close to the Nam Khan River outside Luang Prabang. Other attractions include ziplines and an elephant camp.

The Tad Sae Waterfall is around 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Luang Prabang, accessed by a short boat ride across the Nam Khan River. There are small fees for the waterfall itself and for the boat ride, as well as charges for the ziplines and elephant activities. 

Driving in Laos is a risky business, so most visitors opt for the ease of an organized door-to-door tour, arranged either in town or online. Some Tad Sae Waterfall tours include kayaking trips on the Nam Khan River; like the falls themselves, kayaking is much more rewarding in the wet season.

The Tad Sae Waterfall sits about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Luang Prabang. There’s no public transport, so the easiest way to get there is to join a tour or arrange to share transport. You can also charter tuk-tuks in town and pay them to wait. On arrival, you’ll need to board a boat to cross the Nam Khan River.

The Tad Sae Waterfall is best visited at the end of the rainy season and beginning of the dry, roughly between August and November. Come February, there’s often barely a trickle, and it’s been known to go completely dry. The ziplines and elephant attraction operate year-round, while the falls are busiest on weekends.

Laos’ old name, Lan Xang, means “a million elephants,” and elephants have long been central to Lao culture. While hundreds still work in the logging industry, only a small population remains in the wild. One of the tourist attractions at Tad Sae is an elephant camp. If you’d like to interact with elephants in Laos, look for a responsible conservation facility like this one, not a spot that keeps these intelligent animals chained.