offwegooo.com
Travel guide
Luang Prabang
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: November to February
offwegooo.comPrint it, fold it, take it with you
Welcome
Luang Prabang, in a few days
Laos's old royal capital sits on a tongue of land between the Mekong and the Nam Khan, with more than thirty working temples in a centre UNESCO-listed since 1995. Climb Mount Phousi's 328 steps at dawn, then head 29 kilometres south to the pools of Kuang Si.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Mount Phousi · about 1 hA hill in the middle of the peninsula, climbed by 328 steps between frangipani trees to the golden That Chomsi stupa.
- Afternoon · Sisavangvong Road night market free · about 1 h 30From early evening the main street closes to traffic and fills with red awnings, where Hmong and Khmu vendors sell embroidery, paper lanterns and silver.
🛏️ Where to sleep · The Belle Rive Boutique Hotel€110 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Royal Palace · about 1 hBuilt from 1904 for King Sisavang Vong, mixing a French plan with Lao roofs; a royal residence until 1975, now the national museum.
- Afternoon · The morning alms round free · about 30 minAt dawn, hundreds of monks walk in line to receive sticky rice from kneeling residents; watch quietly, from a distance, and without flash.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Mekong Riverview Hotel€130 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Wat Visounnarath · about 45 minThe town's oldest working temple, founded in 1512 and rebuilt in 1898 after the Black Flags sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.
- Afternoon · Wat Xieng Thong · about 45 minFounded in 1560 at the tip of the peninsula where the rivers meet, its sim has sweeping roofs that almost touch the ground.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Sanctuary Luang Prabang Hotel€90 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Pak Ou caves · half a dayTwo caves in a limestone cliff 25 kilometres upriver, the lower one filled with thousands of wooden Buddha statues left by pilgrims.
- Afternoon · Kuang Si Falls · about 2 hMilky turquoise travertine pools stepping down a forested stream to a final fall of about 50 metres, 29 kilometres south of town.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Maison Dalabua€90 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Laap: minced meat or fish tossed with lime, toasted rice and fresh herbs, the national dish.
- Khao niaw: sticky rice, served in a small basket and rolled into balls with the fingers.
- Tam mak hoong: green papaya salad pounded with chilli, lime and fermented fish sauce.
- Khao piak sen: a thick rice noodle soup, the breakfast of the whole country.
- Lao coffee from the Bolaven plateau, and a cold Beerlao at sunset.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Cover shoulders and knees in temples, and take off your shoes before going inside.
- At the alms round, stay silent, keep your distance and never use a flash on the monks.
- Agree the tuk-tuk fare before you get in.
- Drink bottled water only, and accept that nothing here runs to a strict timetable.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Lao
| English | Lao |
|---|---|
| Hello | ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee) |
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈ (khop chai) |
| Please | ກະລຸນາ (kaluna) |
| Yes | ແມ່ນ (maen) |
| No | ບໍ່ (bo) |
| Excuse me | ຂໍໂທດ (kho thot) |
| Goodbye | ລາກ່ອນ (la kon) |
| Do you speak English? | ເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ? (vao angkit dai bo?) |
| I don't understand | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ (khoy bo khao chai) |
| How much is it? | ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ? (lakha thao dai?) |
| Where are the toilets? | ຫ້ອງນ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ? (hong nam yu sai?) |
| The bill, please | ຄິດເງິນແດ່ (khit ngeun dae) |
| Help! | ຊ່ວຍແດ່! (suay dae!) |
| Cheers! | ໂຊກດີ! (sok dee!) |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyLao kip (LAK)
BudgetAbout €53 a day, mid-range
Best seasonNovember to February
PlugA/B/C/E/F · 230V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingAppreciated, never expected
Emergency191 / 195
EntryA visa is required for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports, with rare exceptions (Luxembourg passports get a short visa-free stay). Apply online for an e-visa a few days before travel, or get a visa on arrival at the main airports and the Friendship Bridges. Both give 30 days, and the passport must be valid six months beyond arrival.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Malaria is present in some rural areas, so ask about prophylaxis for your route. Dengue occurs, so use repellent.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/luang-prabang
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.