The Quintessence of Laos – 15 Days

Duration: 15 Days /14 nights
Start/ End: Vientiane /Pakse
Tour Type: Discovery and Experience
Tour Route: Vientiane - Xieng Khoang - Phong Savannah - Luang Prabang - Nong Khiaw - Pakse
Tour Customizable: Definitely!
Guide: Local experienced English speaking guide
Transportation: Local transport with a skillful driver
Travel Advisor Note: The Airport Xieng Khuang in Phonsavan will be closed until 31/05/2025
Please request the tour to get warm support form our travel advisors

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Vientiane
Day 2: Vientiane City tour
Day 3: Vientiane – XiengKhoang – Phone Savannah
Day 4: Tour in Xieng Khoang
Day 5: Xieng Khouang – Luang Prabang
Day 6: Luang Prabang city tours
Day 7: Luang Prabang – Textile Village – Elephant Camp
Day 8: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Falls
Day 9: Luang Prabang – Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi – Nong Khiaw
Day 10: Nong Khiaw – Pak Ou – Luang Prabang
Day 11: Luang Prabang – Pakse – Tadlo
Day 12: Tadlo – Wat Phu Temple – Khong Island – Don Khone
Day 13: Khone Island – 4000 Islands
Day 14: Khone Island – Don Daeng Island
Day 15: Don Daeng – Pakse Airport

Day 1: Arrive in Vientiane (D)

Upon your arrival, our guide and driver are waiting for you at the Wattay International Airport. Take to you a tight hug, we will transfer to your hotel in Vientiane. Have a sleep well before starting your trips to Laos.
Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 2: Vientiane City Tour (B, L)

Wake up after having a good sleep, the breakfast was ready for you. On the first day of your tour, we will visit the main sights of the capital. Make a real city tour in Vientiane, we visit Wat Sisaket which contains thousands of miniature Buddha statues. Then, move to the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, famous for the previously housed and the Emerald Buddha Image. Certainly, if you are in Vientiane, Pha That Luang is the next stop, which is known as the oldest temple in Vientiane.

End of today by visiting Patuxai monument which you will see the appearance of French architecture is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
Back to hotel and overnight in Vientiane.

Day 3: Vientiane – XiengKhoang – Phone Savannah (B, L)

Wake up early, enjoy your breakfast in the hotel before going to the Morning Market in Vientiane, where you can see the bustling atmosphere at here, the people exchange their goods, the women with her hands holding bags with various food. Take a rest and enjoy the lunch before a short afternoon flight to Xieng Khouang, which devastated by American bombing between 1964 and 1973. Upon your arrival, your guide and driver will pick you up to your hotel. The time remaining is free for you to relax.

Overnight in Xieng Khuang

Day 4: Tour in Xieng Khouang (B, L)

Add the energy by the breakfast before driving out to visit the Plain of Jars, an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are littered all over the plateau. After hearing the mysterious story from the guide about the Plain of Jars, we will visit the old capital of Muang Khoun Province and the nearby villages. How’s interesting when you have a chance to explore the local life through the Hmong hill tribe and Tai Dam people, which you can be impressed the traditional culture as well as the history full of colors. Don’t stop that, in the afternoon, you will visit the provincial revolutionary museum before an overnight stay in Phonsavanh.
Overnight in Xieng Khoang.

Day 5: Xieng Khouang – Luang Prabang (B, L)

Continue to your trips, today we visit the Central Market of Phonsavanh to watch different hill tribes barter and exchange merchandise. It’s time to say goodbye with Xieng Khoang to go to the ancient town, Luang Prabang, which is about 300 km away. En route, drop-in Thampra which owns over 200 years old with famous Buddha images. Sure that the next destination will make you satisfied when visiting the Hmong and varied hill tribe minority villages along the road. The reason by the tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. End of your day, back to your hotel in Luang Prabang
Have a restful overnight stay in Luang Prabang.

Day 6: Luang Prabang City Tours (B, L)

Welcome you in Luang Prabang city, the ancient town in Laos. Get up early, and go to the downtown to join in all giving ceremony which becomes one of the subcultures in Laos. Then, we will visit the National Museum, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and shrine of Wat Mai. Most of hight light in Luang Prabang we can’t miss is Wat Xieng Thong, the temple is known as the symbol of Luang Prabang. Next, we climb up to the top of the Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred stupa as well as watching a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River from the top. Standing there, you will see a peaceful Luang Prabang which is hard to believe.

From there, let’s go to explore the Night Market in Luang Prabang, you will see how busy Night Market is, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles or Lao traditional clothes made by the local and hill tribe people from the area near Luang Prabang. Along with to the food street in the market, try some Laos cuisine before back to your hotel with a full stomach.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 7: Luang Prabang – Textile Village – Elephant Camp (B, L)

We will start a day by having breakfast in Luang Prabang before we drive out to visit the elephant camp at Ban Ann. On the way, let’s visit a well-known village, Ban Phom Nom, where you can see the loom in their houses. Listed in the Laos history, their ancestors were the servants and made handicraft souvenirs for the last king of Laos. Don’t stop that we go to the Henri Mouhot monument at Kang Noon. Most the visitors don’t know who is he. Mouhot was a French man, who founded Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, however when he moved to Laos, contracted Malaria and died at Kang Noon.

Truly, when coming to Laos, the land of a million elephants, you can miss taking part in the activities with the Laos elephants. Upon your arrival at the camp, let’s take to an elephant ride 30 minutes before returning to the town and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 8: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Waterfalls (B, L)

Your today will start by visiting Phousi Market, which brings for you an exciting atmosphere, a Luang Prabang lively in the morning. Then, you will be driven out of town 30 km to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall, in front of you, maybe it’s the paradise in the ground by the color of water as the pearl, put your soul in nature, soak your foot into the cool water and enjoy, of course, you can swim. Besides, you also have a soft trek to the top of the fall. On the way back, stop at a Black Hmong village, where the hill tribe hand made handicraft souvenirs are sole as visitors pass by. The time remaining is free for you, you can go to the downtown of Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 9: Luang Prabang – Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi – Nong Khiaw (B, L)

Start a new day by breakfast before driving about 3 hours to Nong Khiaw. On the road, stop at the junction between Pak Mong to Nong Khiaw or Pak Mong and another northern province. When arriving in Nong Khiaw, check-in at your bungalow. Take a short rest, and enjoy a boat trip upstream along the Ou River, about 1 hour and 20 minutes to the old town, Muang Ngoi where you can see the local life. In the late afternoon, you will return to Nong Khiaw by boat.
Overnight in Nong Khiaw.

Day 10: Nong Khiaw – Pak Ou – Luang Prabang (B, L)

After breakfast, let’s enjoy a cruise downstream on the Ou River to the Mekong River, which also gives you a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside swell as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves where a thousand of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes were placed in the cave by the pilgrims. Along the way, stop at Ban Xang Hai, which is known as a distillation of local rice wine. End of your day, you will be transferred to your hotel in Luang Prabang.

Day 11: Luang Prabang – Pakse – Tadlo (B, L)

Let’s enjoy the last breakfast in Luang Prabang before transferring to the airport for your departure to Pakse in the south of Laos. Take a short nap in the flight, you are in Pakse Airport, you will be transferred to Tadlo, passing many charming villages and rolling hills. In front of you, you can see the deep contrast between the lush, green vegetation and the red surface of the basaltic soil is an incredible thing to see as you pass along. Definitely, when you come to Tadlo, you must visit at tea and coffee plantations, which followed by a stop at Tad Fan Waterfall, which have a twins chute waterfall as picturesque.

Continue to the trip, you will explore another interesting minority village, Ban Bong Neua, an Alak village boasting a sacrificial altar. Then you will visit the Tadlo waterfall. What’s more, interesting when swimming under the falls, feel the cool water flows from the top to your head, it seems that all of the tired get out of your mind. Surely, your feeling is better before strolling around or watch the elephants bathe and enjoy the sunset over your Lao beer. An elephant riding has to make if you go there to see the beautiful scenery. Today is an interesting day for you.
Overnight in Tadlo Lodge

Day 12: Tadlo – Wat Phu Temple – Khong Island – Don Khone (B, L)

A scenic drive will deliver you to the former royal capital of Champasak, a gateway to the pre – Angkorian temple of Wat Phu where there is an important sanctuary of the Khmer Empire on the hillside. However, a part of the temple has been destroyed during the areas of turbulent history, nowadays, it still exits the ruins which you can walk around. Follow the walkway from the lower to the upper section, which features various iconic forms, including Vishnu, Shiva, and Kala. The temple is also an ideal place to see the spectacular views of the surrounding valley and the mighty Mekong River. On the same way, we visit Wat Phou Museum and Oum Moung Temple, the temples are famous for the Laos architecture. Take 30 minutes to go 4000 Islands by boat from the central market to Done Khone Island, which appears as a picturesque.
Overnight in Khone Island.

Day 13: Khone Island – 4000 Islands (B, L)

Travel to Khone Island, it’s a great idea to explore the island by bicycle, admiring some of the old French Colonial buildings and Liphi Waterfall. Pass through the villages to know more about the local life, mix with the light wind and say Sabaidee” with the children. Finish your cycling tour in Done Khone, enjoy your lunch in the local restaurant and then taking a local boat out to search for the freshwater dolphins that reside in this area of the Mekong.

Back to Khone Island to overnight.

Day 14: Khone Island – Don Daeng Island (B, L)

Wake up early, and enjoy the breakfast before taking a long tail boat to Khone and head back to the mainland. Today, we visit Khone Phapheng Waterfall which is considered as the largest volume in Southeast Asia. One of the most special things, the falls located near the Lao – Cambodian border, set within an area teeming with wildlife, making this area one of the most breathtaking destinations in Laos. Then, come to Don Daeng Island and take leisure in the afternoon to explore the island, you can choose to walk or rent a bicycle.
Stay overnight in Don Daeng Island.

Day 15: Don Daeng – Pakse Airport (B)

Finally, today is the last day of your tour. Although there is a little bit of regret when you have to say goodbye to Laos. Enjoy the breakfast, and free at leisure until transfer straight to Pakse Airport for your departure flight to the next destinations.
End of our service!! Hope you enjoy it!!