Itinerary

Day 1

• Pick up from your Luang Prabang hotel / guesthouse or Luang Prabang airport / railway station (Your designated time between 16:00 and 18:00 in the afternoon)
• Dinner
• Overnight in a private cottage with air conditioning and hot shower

Day 2

• Breakfast and relaxation. Before breakfast, help the mahout lead the elephants from the forest to the river
• Full day tour activity of your choice
• Lunch

Activities

You can participate in any of the tour activities below:

• Full-Day Amazing Elephant Mahout Experience + Mekong Sunset Cruise (F08)
• Full-Day Glimpse + Kuang Si Waterfalls (F03)
• Full-Day Glimpse + Pak Ou Caves, Mekong Sunset Cruise (F10)
• Full-Day Glimpse + Kayak, Mekong Sunset Cruise (F04)

In the village, your guide will show you around. We will learn about the Hmong and Khmu people’s different roots and ways of life. We will visit the village hospital, school, knife maker, and corn processing plant. If you are lucky, you will meet the village shaman.

We will eat a traditional Hmong dinner prepared by our guide and Hmong host family. (You are welcome to join us in making dinner if you like.)

Day 2: We will wake up at 7:00 to see how Hmong people process rice into candy, have breakfast at 8:00 or 9:00 am. In the morning of the second day, we will experience a traditional ceremony of the Hmong people. We will sacrifice a chicken for the ceremony to pray for our good luck and receive a bracelet from the Hmong people at the ceremony. We will visit a nearby village hospital, school, knife maker, and corn processing plant. If you are lucky, you will meet the village shaman. (You can have opportunities to communicate with the children, such as introducing yourself to them and teaching them a little English. We recommend that you bring stationery that you can buy in Luang Prabang as a gift.) At 10:00 am, we will leave the village and walk  a couple hours to the Nam Pa River where we can take a refreshing swim before boarding our truck for an hour drive  to Manifa Elephant camp.

Check in to the Elephant Camp cottage, have lunch, enjoy elephant experience in the afternoon (Each person will have time to interact with one of the elephants and experience the traditional skills of a Laotian mahout.), then enjoy free time after dinner. Overnight in a private cottage with air conditioning and hot shower.

Day 3: We will get up and have breakfast. You can choose from the following activities (lunch included)
1). Cycling / Kayak to Pak Ou Caves / Mekong sunset cruise (to Luang Prabang)
2). Kayak to Pak Ou Caves / Visit Kuang Si Waterfalls in the afternoon
Transfer back to your hotel in Luang Prabang around 6:00-6:30 PM.

If you’re looking for an itinerary for two days in Luang Prabang, you might be overwhelmed by all your options. Even though it’s a small town, there’s still more than enough to see and do for a week. Of course, not everyone has this amount of time available to just travel around. With this 2 Days in Luang Prabang Itinerary, you will cover the most epic places and experiences.

Cycling and kayaking require two or more participants

Itinerary

Day 1

• 8:30 pick up from your Luang Prabang hotel / guesthouse. Alternatively, you can start the tour from Nong Khiaw (in which case the morning will be the same as the NK-2 tour, arriving at Manifa Elephant Camp by lunchtime, and meeting at our Nong Khiaw office at 8:45 AM).
• Morning and afternoon activities of your choice
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Overnight in a private cottage with air conditioning and hot shower or a large tent

Day 2

• Breakfast and relaxation. Before breakfast, help the mahout lead the elephants from the forest to the river
• Morning and afternoon activities of your choice
• Lunch
• Return back to your accommodation at 18:00. If you don’t go to the waterfall, take a 1.5 hour sunset cruise from Elephant Camp to Luang Prabang.

Activities

Activities are separated by half days. You can choose 4 half-day activities in advance during your stay.
There are 2 types of activities: (1) those that take place away from the Elephant Camp and (2) those that take place in or near the Elephant Camp.

(1) Activities away from Manifa Elephant Camp

The destinations for these activities are far from Elephant Camp and can be scheduled for the morning of the first day before arrival or the afternoon of the second day after departure.

• Kuang Si Waterfalls (including the bear sanctuary) and Hmong village
• Tad Sae Waterfalls (only the period the waterfalls have water, usually from late July to early January)

(2) Activities in or near Elephant Camp

• Elephant mahout experience 
• Kayak paddle to Pak Ou Caves
• Cycling along the river and visiting villages by mountain bike (Trek Marlin 7)
• Mekong River boat cruise to Pak Ou Caves

Recommended Itineraries

Day 1 Full Day Elephant mahout experience 

Day 2 Cycling & Kayak to Pak Ou Caves, Sunset Cruise

If your interest is elephants, it would be a good idea to choose a full day elephant experience for both days. Our camp manager will be flexible to offer different elephant experience each day for you. Kuang Si Waterfalls is far from our elephant camp, so we recommend visiting there on a separate day from Luang Prabang (You can charter a tuk tuk or join with our tour), but it is an must-visit in Luang Prabang so if your stay in Luang Prabang is short, we recommend to choose it on the morning of the first day.

Your experience begins with a transportation service pick up from your accommodation between 8:15 am – 9:00 am. You will visit the mahout (elephant handler) village in Manifa Elephant Camp and learn about their daily routine as you watch a demonstration of an elephant health check. Your guide will explain the elephants while you watch as they examine the elephant’s eyes, ears, mouth, and feet and measure the body.

You will learn how to introduce yourself to your elephant and how to mount your elephant to ride bareback. Then you will have an intimate interaction with one of our elephant families. (One elephant for one person) You will ride your elephant and explore the jungle. These interactions and riding provide elephants with opportunities for exercise and stress relief. Finally you feed and care for your elephant with organic vegetables and fruits.

You will be offered a delicious buffet lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and elephants roaming free.

In the afternoon, this adventure destination package takes you to Tad Sae Waterfalls – Each rainy season these falls erupt with life as the extra water from the mountains plunge over the flat rocks. The natural pools at the base of the waterfall are a must for a swim. We get back to Luang Prabang around 6 pm.

Please read the Elephant FAQ prepared by experts to ensure that this tour does support elephant welfare.

Activities

• In-depth introduction and elephant health check at mahout village
• Elephant riding in the forest
• Elephant bathing in the Mekong river 
• Elephant feeding 

Your experience begins with a transportation service pick up from your accommodation between 8:15 am – 9:00 am. You will visit the mahout (elephant handler) village in Manifa Elephant Camp and observe their daily routine as you see a demonstration of an elephant health check. Your guide will explain the elephants while they examine the elephant’s eyes, ears, mouths, and feet. Learn how to estimate the weight of an elephant by measuring the body used by veterinarians and Mahout. You will understand that riding an elephant is well below 20% of its body weight, which a human, elephant, horse, or most animals generally can carry.

You will know the name of an elephant that will become your partner today and learn how to introduce yourself to your elephant and how to mount your elephant to ride bareback. Then you will have an intimate interaction with the elephant.You will ride your elephant and explore the jungle. Experience how powerful elephant mobility is in the dense vegetation and sloping jungle terrain. After passing through the jungle, your elephant will plunge into the Mekong River. Help your elephant body cool off and bathe in the Mekong River. Finally, you feed and care for your elephant with organic vegetables and fruits.

You will be offered a delicious buffet lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and elephants roaming free. Return to Luang Prabang by minivan. We will arrive at the city center or your hotel around 14:00.

Please read the Elephant FAQ prepared by experts to ensure that this tour does support elephant welfare.

[/tg_accordion]

• In-depth introduction and elephant health check at mahout village
• Elephant riding in the forest
• Elephant bathing in the Mekong river
• Elephant feeding 
• One person per elephant and mahout
• Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves
• Mekong Sunset Cruise

Your experience begins with a transportation service pick up from your accommodation between 8:15 am – 9:00 am. You will visit the mahout (elephant handler) village in Manifa Elephant Camp and learn about their daily routine as you watch a demonstration of an elephant health check. Your guide will explain the elephants while you watch as they examine the elephant’s eyes, ears, mouth, and feet and measure the body.

You will learn how to introduce yourself to your elephant and how to mount your elephant to ride bareback. Then you will have an intimate interaction with one of our elephant families. (One elephant for one person) You will ride your elephant and explore the jungle. These interactions and riding provide elephants with opportunities for exercise and stress relief. Finally you feed and care for your elephant with organic vegetables and fruits.

After lunch break, we embark a boat trip to Pak Ou Caves on the Mekong River. We see a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside as well as the mysterious nature on the way. 30 minutes boat trip takes us to Pak Ou where the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers. We explore Pak Ou Caves about 40 min.

After stopping at Whiskey Village (a village where rice brewed liquor is made), enjoy a 2-hour sunset boat trip along the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang. From the pier in Luang Prabang, we will transfer you to the city center or your hotel.

Please read the Elephant FAQ prepared by experts to ensure that this tour does support elephant welfare.

• In-depth introduction and elephant health check at mahout village 
• Elephant riding in the forest
• Elephant bathing in the Mekong river
• Elephant feeding
• Walk along the Mekong river and forest with elephants in the afternoon
• One person per elephant and mahout
• Mekong Sunset Cruise

Your experience begins with a transportation service pick up from your accommodation between 8:15 am – 9:00 am. You will visit the mahout (elephant handler) village in Manifa Elephant Camp and learn about their daily routine as you watch a demonstration of an elephant health check. Your guide will explain the elephants while you watch as they examine the elephant’s eyes, ears, mouth, and feet and measure the body.

You will learn how to introduce yourself to your elephant and how to mount your elephant to ride bareback. Then you will have an intimate interaction with one of our elephant families. (One elephant for one person) You will ride your elephant and explore the jungle. These interactions and riding provide elephants with opportunities for exercise and stress relief. Finally you feed and care for your elephant with organic vegetables and fruits.

You will be offered a delicious buffet lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and elephants roaming free.

After lunch, you will learn verbal commands to communicate with elephants. Join the elephants for an afternoon dip in the Mekong River. You follow the ancient tradition of scrubbing your elephant to care for her skin. You will ride your elephant and go to the jungle and learn how elephants eat the jungle vegetation and how they take advantage of nature to care for their body and make herbal medication by themselves.

There will be time to shower and relax. Around 4:00 pm, we will take a boat from the Mekong River and return to Luang Prabang by boat. You can enjoy beautiful sunsets and scenery from the boat at the end of a day’s journey.

Please read the Elephant FAQ prepared by experts to ensure that this tour does support elephant welfare.

Activities

• In-depth introduction and elephant health check at mahout village
• Elephant riding in the forest
• Elephant bathing in the Mekong river
• Elephant feeding 
• Kayak to Pak Ou Caves
• One person per elephant and mahout
• Mekong Sunset Cruise

Early morning pickup from 8:15 – 09:00 am, then we leave for the Nam Ou river. We drive northward  to Ban Soum Sa nouk.  From there we start kayak on the Nam Ou River. We enjoy a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside and see a wonderful nature built limestone cliffs called Pha Aen on the way. 1 hour kayaking takes us to the first destination the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers, Pak Ou.

Upon arrival at Pak Ou, we visit the famous Pak Ou Caves – two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. Exploring the caves about 30 min, we start the second course of the kayaking on the Mekong River. We paddle down the Mekong for 30 minutes until we ended our journey at Manifa Elephant Camp. There we enjoy a beautiful buffet style lunch at the restaurant – overlooking the Mekong River.

A half-day elephant-using experience will be offered in the afternoon.

On the way back, enjoy a sunset cruise by boat and return to Luang Prabang.

Please read the Elephant FAQ prepared by experts to ensure that this tour does support elephant welfare.

[/tg_accordion]

An Immersion into a Living Ecosystem. Where Water Meets Forest, and Elephants Meet People

Go beyond mere sightseeing on this full-day immersion into the living ecosystem of Laos. This intimate, small-group tour takes you into the hidden forests behind Kuang Si Waterfalls for a respectful journey with elephants, walking to a secluded spring. Follow the path of water from this source to the stunning turquoise pools, then to a heritage rice farm, and finally to the timeless Mekong River. Your day of discovery culminates in a serene sunset cruise, reflecting on the deep connections linking forest, elephant, and human in a vibrant, interconnected web of life.

In Laos, every journey begins with water. It tumbles down Kuang Si’s cliffs and nourishes the communities along the Mekong. This tour is an immersion into this living ecosystem.

This is not a tour of separate attractions, but a single, unfolding journey. Instead of the main gate, your path starts in the forest above the falls. Here, you will walk alongside elephants, exploring the centuries-old bond they share with human communities. Your path with them leads to a hidden spring, the waterfall’s source, where you’ll lunch at a secluded, open-air Khmu restaurant.

From the source, you will follow the water’s path—down to the famous turquoise pools for a swim, then to the heritage rice farms it irrigates, and finally onto the Mekong River for a sunset cruise. You will feel the pulse of Laos by tracing the connections that bind the forest, the elephants, the water, and the people.

Morning: Forest & Elephant Encounter

• 8:30 AM: Hotel Pickup & Journey to the Countryside. Your day begins with a pickup from your hotel in Luang Prabang for a 40-minute drive to the Kuang Si area.
• AM: Meet the Elephants. Instead of the main park gate, your guide will take you to a forest trail to begin your adventure. Here, you will meet the gentle elephants and their mahouts—their lifelong caretakers.
• AM: Forest Walk with Elephants. Embark on an unforgettable journey through the forest. You can choose to walk alongside these magnificent animals as they forage, feeling their gentle rhythm. Your guide will explain the deep cultural bond between Laotians and elephants.

Midday: Lunch at the Source

• ~12:00 PM: Arrive at the Hidden Spring. Your trail with the elephants concludes at a beautiful, tranquil natural spring, the very source of the Kuang Si Waterfalls.
• Lunch: Here, nestled by the water, you will enjoy an authentic Lao lunch at a secluded, open-air restaurant run by a local Khmu family—a spot rarely seen by other tourists.

Afternoon: From the Source to the Falls

• PM: Walk to the Top of the Falls. After your relaxing lunch, take a short hike to the very top of the main Kuang Si cascade to see where the water begins its dramatic plunge.
• PM: Free Time at Kuang Si Waterfalls. Descend the main stairs into the waterfall park. You will have approximately 2.5 – 3 hours of free time to swim in the famous turquoise pools, relax in the shade, or explore the jungle trails.

Late Afternoon: From the Fields to the River

• PM: Kuang Si Heritage Rice Farm. Meet your driver and take a short ride to the Kuang Si Heritage Rice Farm, located on the banks of the Mekong River. Take a moment to see the rice paddies irrigated by the falls’ water.
• ~5:00 PM: Sunset Cruise on the Mekong River. Board a traditional boat for a serene sunset cruise. Relax and watch the golden light illuminate the water and riverside villages as you glide back to Luang Prabang.

Evening: Return to Luang Prabang

• ~6:30 PM: Arrive back in Luang Prabang. You will be transferred to your hotel, filled with memories of a day spent connecting with nature, culture, and the gentle giants of Laos.