Luang Prabang World Heritage, Pak Ou Caves, Mekong River Sunset Cruise (F24)

This full-day tour combines a Luang Prabang city tour with an afternoon Mekong cruise to Pak Ou Caves. In the morning, you will visit various temples and royal palaces and learn about Lao history culture and local life. Walking with a local guide, you will hear stories about the history of the temples and the city, Buddhist stories and legends painted all over the walls of the temples, and more, giving you a taste of Luang Prabang’s culture. Lunch will be at Manifa Elephant Camp. Afterwards, take a boat and visit Pak Ou Caves located upstream of the Mekong River. Return to Luang Prabang while watching the sunset over the Mekong River.

Notes

• Tour price includes entrance fee, hotel pick-up/drop-off
• Laos is a very sunny place, so we recommend wearing sunscreen and a hat when going outside.
• During sightseeing, you will enter the temple. Please do not wear revealing clothing as this is a sacred place.

You will get up early in the morning (5-30 – 5:45, sunrise time) and have a fantastic opportunity together with the locals to witness the captivating centuries old daily tradition of the alms giving ceremony. Following that, we will visit the local morning market. You return to your hotel for breakfast around 7;00.

We will pick you up again at 8:30 and take you to  a small park on the peninsula tip. You will have a brief introduction to Luang Prabang, standing where the Nam Khan River meets the Mekong River. From there, walk to Wat Xieng Thong, the most revered temple in the country. Learn from your guide the typical architecture of the Luang Prabang style temples with their spectacular low sweeping roofs. Join local pilgrims for a glimpse into the daily Buddhist beliefs of the people.

Next, we will go temple hopping in the neighborhood. At Wat Sene, where there is a school for novice monks, you may meet again with novice monks you met on the morning alms.  Afterwards, we will visit the Royal Palace museum.  It houses a lot of interesting historical items. Every item tells a story…so you will learn quite a lot from your guide about Lao history and about Laos’ royal.

The morning tour ends with a climb up Phousi Hill. Rising 150m in the centre of town, you enjoy spectacular 360 degree views across the city and its many temples, and over the surrounding landscape to the mountains in the distance. You will be taken to the city center or to your hotel to complete the tour.

Transfer to Manifa Elephant Camp by minivan. Lunch will be served there. After lunch, board the boat from the elephant camp. we will enjoy cruising along the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves. We arrive at a small boat landing dock where stairs lead you straight to the cave. These limestone caves have been places of worship for thousands of years, and Buddhist statues and idols have filled these natural caves. Hear legends and stories about the caves from your guide and explore the caves.

After visiting the caves, the boat will enter the Ou River to see the spectacular limestone cliffs. Then a 30-minute boat ride down the Mekong River will take us to Whisky village. Here you see the process of making Lao Lao, the country’s beloved rice whiskey, and taste the fresh local delights. Then we will go down the Mekong River and enjoy a sunset cruise to Luang Prabang. Tour.  Ends at around 6.00 pm.

Prices include credit card charges and are not subject to additional charges.
Cancellations (full refund) and date changes (if possible) can be made free of charge up to the day before

Joint tours:

Option 1 Alms giving + morning market(sun rise time-6:30) + City tour (8:30-12:00) + Lunch @ Manifa Elephant Camp (12:00-13:30) + Mekong River Cruise Pak Ou Caves (13:30-18:00): 
€45 per person for a solo traveler or a group of 3 or less
€43 per person when you book together with 4 or more of your friends

Option 2 City tour (8:30-12:00) + Lunch @ Manifa Elephant Camp (12:00-13:30) + Mekong River Cruise Pak Ou Caves (13:30-18:00):
€42 per person for a solo traveler or a group of 3 or less
€40 per person when you book together with 4 or more of your friends

Children: Under 110cm tal: Free

If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the entire tour will be canceled (full refund) or only the morning city tour will be canceled (the difference from the €11 for the afternoon waterfall tour will be refunded).

Alms giving (sun rise time-6:30) + Mekong River Cruise Pak Ou Caves (12:00-18:00) : €48 per person

City tour (8:30-12:00) + Mekong River Cruise Pak Ou Caves (12:00-18:00) : €43 per person

Children: Under 110cm tal: Free

Private tours:

Calculation: €177 for solo traveler or first person in group. For group of 2 or more,  €22 for each additional person. Free for child under 3 (or less than 110 cm tall) . 12 people maximum