Things to Do in Luang Prabang

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.