15 DAYS TOUR in LAOS – From NORTH to SOUTH 

 

DAY 1 – WELCOME VIENTIANE – LAOS CAPITAL 

Upon arrival in VIENTIANE from Bangkok, or Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City or by train from Bangkok, meet your driver at airport or at Friendship bridge and transfer to your hotel.  Free time for the rest of the day during which you can enjoy and relax with a traditional LAO massage included. In the evening, you can take a walk along Mekong river at sunset time and visit the night market.   Dinner and night in VIENTIANE

 

DAY 2 – CITY TOUR VIENTIANE

With your driver or your local experienced English speaking guide and driver, travel by comfortable

and spacious with AC car (HYUNDAI VAN 9 or 12 seats). Today, a city tour bring you the best sites of

VIENTIANE,  Laotian capital nested on the left bank of Mekong river with a peaceful atmosphere  :

WAT SISAKET temple  with more than 8000  Buddha's statues  which  is believed  to be Vientiane’s

oldest surviving temple built between 1819 and 1824 by Chao Anou,  WAT HAWO PHRA KEO  is national

museum of religious art temple (museum builds on the model of a former royal temple) , sheltering

various works of Laotian and Khmer sacred art, WAT THAT LUANG,  the single most important religious

monument in  Laos, a symbol of Buddhist religion and LAO sovereignty,  then PATOUXAI, 

(Arch of Triumph) built quite recently and is today as the land mark of Vientiane before return to

your hotel. There a lot of choice for dinner in a restaurant on the banks of the Mekong. 

Dinner and Night in VIENTIANE

 

DAY 3 – VIENTIANE TO VANG VIENG

After your  breakfast, head  up  north by car (3 or 4 hours)  with lunch on the banks of NAM NGUM  lake created in 1971, strewed with nice little islands. After a stop in HOUAY MO village (which is specialized in dried fishes) we arrive in VANG VIENG, small city closed to NAM  SONG river surrounded by jagged limestone karsts where we can make a little ride with local boat at sunset time.  Dinner and night in VANG VIENG

 

DAY 4 – VANG VIENG AND ARROUND

After visit of the famous THAM CHANG cave, we ride by bicycle (16 kms) or motorcycle (52 kms) with stop and visit small typical Laos villages and THAM POUKAHM cave, surrounded by rice fields and limestone karsts. After lunch in a local restaurant, swim in the beautiful green blue river or in the blue lagoon Dinner and night in VANG VIENG

 

DAY 5- VANG VIENG TO LUANG PRABANG WORLD HERITAGE SITE 

                                                                            Today, we travel by car for about 7 hours, to LUANG PRABANG on a nice road surrounded by

                                                                            typical and wild landscape, during which we’ll stop in some ethnic villages and take pictures of

                                                                            wonderful views. After a lunch in a local typical restaurant facing a vertiginous viewpoint, we’ll

                                                                            arrive in LUANG PRABANG in the evening, the fascinating ancient royal capital which is may be

                                                                            the best preserved traditional city in South East Asia. With its charm, its splendid natural scenery

                                                                            and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in LAOS. Enjoy a free walk in

                                                                            the old streets and along Mekong river.  Dinner and night in LUANG PRABANG

 

DAY 6 - CITY TOUR LUANG PRABANG  

If you wish, wake up early to see (and participate to) the early morning ritual of saffron clad monks taking offerings from the local people and visit the morning fresh market. After breakfast, enjoy tour of the most important oldest temples: WAT XIENG THONG, WAT MAI, WAT XIENG MOUANE, WAT AHAM and WAT VISOUN.  After lunch,   travel by car out of town 30 KM to the wonderful clear blue KUANG SI  waterfalls, where you can swim, relax and trek to the top of the falls. You can also there visit a daily exhibition showing how to protect Asian’s bears. Return to city. Dinner and night in LUANG PRABANG

 

DAY 7 - LUANG PRABANG – NONG KHIEW – MUANG NGOI

After your  breakfast, head up north by car for about 130 kms to NONG KHIEW where we take a slow boat to sail on the NAM OU river, surrounded  by wonderful landscapes and tropical vegetation, to reach MUANG NGOI village. After having lunch in a local restaurant, we go for a walk in the middle of the rice fields area. Dinner and night in MUANG NGOI guesthouse.

 

DAY 8 – MUANG NGOI TO LUANG PRABANG

We board another slow traditional boat for about 1hour 30 min to NONG KHIEW along the NAM OU

river that is surrounded by jagged limestone karsts.  After lunch, we follow the road to LUANG PRABANG

with a stop at the famous PAK OU cave, crammed with thousands of BUDDHA statues of various shapes

and sizes, where you can also enjoy a beautiful view of the peaceful countryside flourishing with limestone

karsts. In the evening, you can climb up to the top of the PHOUSI mountain for an enjoyable exploration

of the sacred Stupa, as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong river.

 Dinner and night in LUANG PRABANG

 

DAY 9 - CITY TOUR LUANG PRABANG 

After visit the fresh food PHOUSI market, we will visit the Royal Palace Museum, former king’s palace, was built in 1904, which is now a national museum, with rare furniture, traditional costumes, arts, jewelry, ornaments, working tools.  After lunch we will visit BAN XANG KHONG village, where we can see natural silk weaving and paper product.  Dinner and night in LUANG PRABANG

 

DAY 10 – LUANG PRABANG TO PAKSE and BAN HOUEY HOUN ethnic village

 

                                                                        Early morning, transfer to LUANG PRABANG airport for a flight to PAKSE (in south LAOS) (daily

                                                                        departure 10h40/12h20 – 184.55 $/Person – not included in rate – we can book tickets for you). Upon

                                                                        arrival in PAKSE airport, meet your other driver or your other local experienced English speaking

                                                                        guide and driver. After lunch we discover the beautiful PHA SOUAM waterfalls, and continue to one

                                                                        of the large ethnic villages of this LAOS area.  Upon arrival in the village and after installation at

                                                                        our hosts, you can take part in diverse activities with local people:  works in rice fields, preparation

                                                                        of the dinner, games with the children. Dinner and night hosted by local (typical accommodation   

                                                                        basic comfort) 

 

DAY 11 – ETHNIC VILLAGE TO TAD FAN Waterfalls 

We start through the Bolaven Plateau where famous tea and coffee plantations, lush vegetation and res surface of basaltic soil are viewable along the way with a first stop at marvelous TAD LO Waterfalls and a second stop to visit KOK PHOUN TAI, a KATU hill tribe village. After lunch we follow the road to TAD CHAMPI waterfall after which we reach the LAOS highest waterfalls (120 meters high), Dinner and night in TAD FAN

 

DAY 12 – TAD FAN TO CHAMPASSAK

After breakfast, we start a trekking through a National Park with lush vegetation to discover TAD FAN and  TAD NGNEUAM waterfalls.  After lunch in a local restaurant, we travel by car to visit before sunset the famous pre-Angkorian temple WAT PHU which is one of LAO World heritage site recognized by UNESCO in 2001. This wonderful archeological site of Khmer civilization dated back to the 9-12th centuries. Dinner and night in CHAMPASSAK

 

DAY 13 – CHAMPASSAK TO KIET GNON AND KHONE ISLAND   

After crossing Mekong ferry, we drive along the national road N° 13 south toward KIET NGON village for a 2 hours elephant trek to PHU ASA mountain with a wonderful view of XE PIAN natural park (2 people by elephant) . After lunch we continue to BAN NAKASANG with a stop in TONG LEUANG village. Then we catch a local motor boat to DONE KHONE in the middle of SI PHAN DON (four thousand islands).  Dinner and night in KHONE ISLAND

 

DAY 14 – KHONE ISLAND TOUR  

Today, we ride by bicycle (or motorcycle) for a 2 hours tour to SOMPHAMIT waterfalls,

then we cross the island along the old railway remains of French colonial period and board

for a boat cruise to see Irrawadee dolphins. After lunch, free time to enjoy local people life

on Mekong’s banks.

Dinner and night in KHONE ISLAND

 

DAY 15 – KHONE PHAPHENG TOUR and way back for departure

We travel by boat from KHONE ISLAND to NAKASANG, then we travel by car further south to visit KHONE PHAPHENG, the biggest waterfall in the south East Asia near the Lao/Cambodian border.  It is one of the loveliest destinations in LAOS.

Then, 3 OPTIONS are proposed  :

Option 1 – way back by car to PAKSE and transfer at your hotel or at the airport and end of tour and services

Option 2 – Drive by car to the LAO/CAMBODIAN border around 10 AM and end of tour and services

Option 3 – Way back by car to the LAO/THAILAND border to go to UBON RATCHATANI and end of tour and services

 

• Did you know? Lao Wheels Travel can organize for you any kind of other trip and services.   Please, just ask