Laos 11 nights 12 days Classic Tour Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw, Pakse, Wat Phou, 4000 Islands, Vientiane

Pick up at airport. Transfer to hotel.

The tour begins early in the morning (5:15 am in March to October and 05:45 in November to February. There is also an option without Alms giving). We pick you up from your hotel and you have a fantastic opportunity together with the locals to witness the captivating centuries old daily tradition of the alms giving ceremony. Following that, we visit 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 the famous Wat Xieng Thong temple. For centuries, the temple was considered the ceremonial gateway to the city and was the arrival and departure point for foreign dignitaries. We will walk up the stairs to the main gate and enter the temple like ancient dignitaries.

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. We will drive to Heuan Chan Heritage. There we will see a well preserved traditional Lao house and take a short break in their gardens. Finally, we will visit the Royal Palace museum as well as Wat Mai.

Visit the Ock Pop Tock weaving centre, run by an organization that offers local weavers the chance to earn a decent income with their weaving skills.

Lunch at Ock Pop Tok Silk Road Café (lunch not included. Laotian or Western set menu $15, deluxe lunch $18 upon advance reservation request. If you have a request, we can move to other restaurants and make reservations.)

Then visit Wat Wisunarat to see the oldest Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, and then the UXO Center for those who want to learn more about war history. Then visit either Wat Pa Phon Phao or the Laos Traditional handicraft village Ban Xang Khong well knowned as paper village along the Mekong River.

Finish your day by climbing up Phousi Mountain. Rising 150m in the centre of town, Mount Phousi cuts a distinctive figure on the Luang Prabang skyline. The hill is a popular as a place to watch the sunset. From the summit you enjoy spectacular 360 degree views across the city and its many temples, and over the surrounding landscape to the mountains in the distance.

(Lunch)

Pickup from your hotel at 9 am amand the transfer to Ban Nong Heo, we will have some time to discover the charming Khmu village, with its traditional houses, its water buffalo and free-range ducks walking around, and even the farmers and master blacksmiths dealing with their daily tasks. Then, we will have the chance to join in an easy hike in the countryside, pass over hills, and through forests and plantations, with nice viewpoints to stop at along the way. You can refresh yourself with some fresh sugar cane that can be picked directly from the field to taste the juice. After a 2-hour walk in the beautiful natural environment, we will arrive at Ban Thapene, a village which sits at the foot of the stunning Kuang Si Waterfalls. Upon arrival, enjoy a lunch break at waterfall park. You will have time to enjoy magnificent waterfalls as well as bear rescue center.

(Lunch)

Pickup from a hotel in Vang Vieng  at 7:20 am. We will travel by train to Luang Prabang and in Luang Prabang we will board a minivan and drive to Nong Khiaw. Around noon, stopping at Ban Nayang village for lunch break. Stroll through a well-preserved Lu village of traditional houses and see handmade textile making.  Arriving at Nong Khiaw in the afternoon, we will hike to Pha Som Nang View Point (about 30 min light climbing). Take in views of the town on the Nam Ou River surrounded by karst mountains and a picturesque sunset. Transfer to your hotel in Nong Khiaw.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

Transfer by traditional boat up stream on Nam Ou river to Muang Ngoy. We then walk 30 min to the Tham Kang, where according to local legend, a Naga resides to the rear. We then continue an hour through rice paddy fields onto the Lao Loum village of Ban Na, which is a typical village in the countryside where pigs and chickens roam freely. After lunch there, we can continue to walk to Ban Houaysene or Ban Houaybor. Afterwards, return to Muang Ngoy and take a boat back to Nong Khiaw.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

At 9:30, our minivan will pick you up and leave Nong Khiaw for Manifa Elephant Camp by a 2.5 hour drive. You will be offered a delicious buffet lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and meet elephants roaming free. In the afternoon we will visit Pak Ou Caves by boat. We will see 4000 Buddha icons in the caves overlooking the Mekong River. After visiting Ban Xang Hai, which is known for making Laotian rice whiskey, enjoy a two-hour sunset cruise on the Mekong River and return to Luang Prabang.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

Experience local rice farming at Living Land Farm. Rice is as closely tied to Lao culture and tradition as bread is to the West. Learn about the local culture by participating in traditional rice farming activities. Enjoy an organic lunch on the farm. Enjoy an organic lunch on the farm. Afternoon free time in Luang Prabang.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

Flight from Luang Prabang Airport to Pakse in the morning. From Pakse airport, drive to the Bolaven Plateau. The Bolaven Plateau was formed by an ancient volcano and is famous for its coffee and tea plantations. It is home to a number of tribal villages, some of them still practicing Stone Age cultures by using extremely primitive agricultural tools and conducting frequent spiritual ceremonies. Start with a visit to the Tad Fane waterfalls. Beyond the waterfall stretches the extensive jungle of Dong Hua Sao from where the perfectly synchronized twin falls originate and drop down a 200 meters deep gorge. Continue to the Tad Champi and Tad Yeung waterfalls, which drop an impressive 42 meters and are surrounded by lush vegetation. After visiting these impressive waterfalls, head to a tea and coffee plantation and learn why the Bolaven Plateau is an ideal area for these plantations. Transfer back to Pakse and continue to the boat pier for your boat cruise to Don Daeng Island, for your overnight. in Pakse.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, drive to Wat Phou, located in the heart of Champasak, and the former Royal Capital of the Champa Kingdom. The pre-Angkorian Wat Phou temple was built between the 6th and 13th century and is situated on a hillside offering spectacular views of the surrounding plains and the Mekong River. The temple received World Heritage status from UNESCO in 2002 and is divided in two parts. The lower part consists of two ruined palace buildings at the edge of a pond, which was used for ritual ablutions. The upper section, the temple sanctuary itself, once enclosed a large Shiva phallus, known in Hindu religion as a linga but today is largely in ruins. It was later converted into a Buddhist temple but much of the original Hindu sculpture remains. The impressive Naga or snake-head lined stairway is surrounded by frangipani trees, the Lao national flower. Return to Don Daeng Island and have lunch at the hotel. Afterwards, free time in and around the hotel.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, we set off again to explore the surroundings of the 4000 islands. The Si Phan Don (meaning 4 000 Islands) is a riverine archipelago located in the Mekong River, Champasak Province in southern Laos. Si Phan Don is characterized by numerous islands, half of which are submerged when the Mekong River is in flood. The principal islands of Si Phan Don are Don Khong (the largest), and Don Det and Don Khone.

You cross the Mekong by small boat to Ban Muang pier. From here, drive 1.5 hours overland in your private minivan towards the Cambodian border. First stop at a boat pier in Ban Nakasang, where you board a small boat to cruise to Don Khone Island. Here, you can hop on a tuk tuk or bicycle and visit the remnants of the French colonial area, including an old pier, a railway station, a former French hospital building and the maritime office. Enjoy lunch on the island and continue in the afternoon with a visit to the Liphi waterfalls, nicknamed the “Corridor of the Devil“. Local daredevils put fish traps at the bottom of the falls to catch fresh fish each day.

Return back to the mainland and visit the Khone Phapheng waterfalls. The falls are the main reason why the Mekong River is not navigable into China. The majestic sight of the falls is a highlight of southern Laos, covering an impressive 10 km stretch of the Mekong.

Return to the Ban Nakasang and transfer overland to the boat pier, to the boat that cruise back to your resort again.

(Breakfast, Lunch)

After breakfast, enjoy your morning free at leisure until your transfer to Pakse airport to take a domestic flight to Vientiane. You will be warmly welcomed at Wattay Airport – Laos’ international airport. You will be escorted to your hotel in Vientiane. After lunch we will have an afternoon city tour of Vientiane. We visit major attractions such as Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and Wat Phra Keo, the former royal temple where the famous Emerald Buddha statue was located. On the way to the famous sacred structure, the That Luang Stupa, a national treasure of Laos, we will also have the opportunity to photograph the imposing Patuxai Monument, known as the Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane. End your tour of the capital along the banks of the Mekong River. When the tour ends, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy your morning free at leisure until your transfer to Vientiane airport in time for your onward flight.

(Breakfast,)