19 DAYS TOUR – Northern and central LAOS 

 

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. 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 - 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. Back in the city, enjoy a free walk in the old streets

and along Mekong river.

Removal at your hotel or at the airport and end of the trip and services

 

DAY 8 - LUANG PRABANG – PAKBENG

We board a slow collective boat for about 6 hours unforgettable cruise on Mekong river with local people to PAKBENG.  Have a lunch on board (prepared before departure).  Along the way, enjoy and observe the quiet local fife on the banks of this mythical river. Upon arrival in PAKBENG, an important commercial activity place where goods arrive and start from Thailand, Burma and China, you can simply enjoy the peaceful life along the Mekong river. Dinner and night in PAKBENG

DAY 9 –PAKBENG to BAN YOR village (or OUDOMXAI)

We travel by car with many stops along the way from PAKBENG  to BAN YOR TAI LU ethnic  village   to save pictures of this marvelous land of rugged mountains which some are 2000 meters high. 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) or If you prefer, we can continue to OUDOMXAI city with dinner and night in OUDOMXAI

 

DAY 10 – BAN YOR village (or OUDOMXAI) TO MUANG LA 

After breakfast and our farewells to our hosts we travel by car on the mountain road from BAN YOR to MUANG.  We cross OUDOMXAI city, and visit the VAT PHU THAT temple at the top of a hill.LA. As this LAOS province is the most ethnically diverse of all with over 20 ethnic groups, we will make a few stop to visit villages such as AKHA PARA, and TAI DAM (where we can taste rice whisky, a sticky rice alcohol product) and also the village of KHAMOU.  Dinner and night in MUANG LA guesthouse,  a very nice place by the river.

 

DAY 11 – MUANG LA TO MUANG NGOI

Early morning travel by car to MUANG KHOUA pier, where we board a slow traditional boat for about 4 hours 30 min to MUANG KHOUA along the NAM OU river that is surrounded by jagged limestone karsts. After having lunch in a local restaurant, we go for a walk in the middle of the rice fields area and visit the THAM KANG cave.  Dinner and night in MUANG NGOI guesthouse.

 

DAY 12 – MUANG NGOI TO NONG KHIEW

 

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

                                                                               NAM OU river surrounded by wonderful landscapes. After lunch in NONG KHIEW,  we ride

                                                                               by bicycle (or motorcycle) to discover tropical vegetation and mountains views after which

                                                                               you can enjoy a traditional LAO massage.  Dinner and night in NONG KHIEW 

                                                                               Important to know:

                                                                               With driver alone  option , you travel alone by boat from Muang Khoua  to Nong Khiew

                                                                               while your driver follow the road to reach you at Nong Khiew  pier.

                                                                               With driver and official guide option, your guide stay with you all time during, while your

                                                                               driver follow the road to reach you at Nong Khiew  pier.

 

DAY 13 – NONG KHIEW TO VIENGTHONG

After breakfast, we travel by car through wonderful and green rice fields to VIENGTHONG with a few stop by the way to visit a few HMONG and KHAMU ethnic villages. Upon arrival in VIENGTHONG, you can enjoy with local people a relaxing bath in some natural hot water pool. Dinner and night in VIENTHONG

DAY 14 – VIENTHONG TO PHONSAVAN (PLAIN of JARS)

After your  breakfast, head down south by car to PHONSAVAN with some stop to save pictures of this marvelous land of rugged mountains and to visit other ethnic villages. If we have time enough, we visit also the THAM PIEW cave, an historical place. In the afternoon, we arrive in PHONSAVAN, the gateway to the Plain of Jars and capital of XIENG KHOUANG province. Take a city tour and visit MAG (Mines Advisory group), humanitarian organization for the benefit of local communities. Dinner and Night in PHONSAVAN

 

DAY 15– PLAIN OF JARS  

After visit of the bustling central market, we’ll continue to the famous and mysterious PLAIN of JARS, an impressive archaeological site where jars are thought to be 2000 years old, with sites 1.2 and 3. Dinner and night in PHONSAVAN

 

DAY 16 – PHONSAVAN TO THATHOM

Departure in the morning for a travel by car out off the beaten track to THATHOM, with marvelous landscapes. We stop and visit some typical LAO villages. Upon arrival in THATHOM, free time to discover the village and local life. Dinner and night in THATHOM

 

DAY 17 – THATHOM TO KONG LOR CAVE

To reach KONG LOR village, we cross by car a 300 million years old karstic massif, which is the natural border with VIETNAM. By the way we stop at the local market in a HMONG ethnical village. Upon arrival in KONG LOR, have a walk to discover this typical village. Dinner and night in KONG LOR guesthouse

 

DAY 18 - VISIT KONG LOR CAVE

We board a motor dugout canoe to visit the giant underground KONG LOR NATTANE cave, for 7 kms. Then we have a walk for about 2 kms to reach PHONE KHAM Lao Loum ethnic village.  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 19 – KONG LOR TO VIENTIANE

After breakfast and our farewells to our hosts,  we travel back to KONG LOR village with our dugout canoe, and follow the road by car to VIENTIANE, with a stop to visit the typical local market in BANE THONNAMI Hmong village, where you can see (and buy) very unusual forest food. On arrival in VIENTIANE in the afternoon, removal at your hotel or at the airport and end of the trip and services

 

 

 

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