OVERVIEW:
Destination: VIENTIANE – LUANG NAMTHA – OUDOMXAY – MUANG LA – NONG KHIAW – PAK OU – LUANG PRABANG – KUANG SI – LUANG PRABANG
Duration: 8 days 7 nights


If you are looking for an ideal trip to discover Northern Laos, look no further: here it is! During this 8-day tour, you will explore Luang Namtha before going south by road and river, via Muang La and Nong Khiaw, and finally get to Luang Prabang. Get ready for a total change of scenery!


HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Tour in Vientiane, capital city of Laos
  • A complete escape to Luang Namtha during a trek in the heart of a territory occupied by several ethnic minorities
  • Muang La’s hot springs and Nong Khiaw’s astounding landscapes
  • Visit the major landmarks of Luang Prabang and go to Kuang Si Falls and Pak Ou Caves

QUICK LOOK ON THE ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrival in Vientiane – City Tour (-)
Day 2: Vientiane – Luang Namtha (B, L, D)
Day 3: Luang Namtha – Ban Nam Yang (B, L, D)
Day 4: Luang Namtha – Oudomxay – Muang La (B, L, D)
Day 5: Muang La – Nong Khiaw (B, L, D)
Day 6: Nong Khiaw – Luang Prabang (by boat) (B, L)
Day 7: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si falls – Luang Prabang (B, L, D)
Day 8: Luang Prabang – Departure (B)


TOUR IDENTIFICATION CODELCLT02

Day 1: Arrival in Vientiane – City Tour (-) 

Upon arriving in Vietnam, you will be picked up and transported to your hotel.

After that, you will enjoy a half-day city tour to see the highlights of Vientiane: Wat Si Saket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, Wat Phra Kaew, Pha That Luang Stupa, and Patuxai.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 2: Vientiane – Luang Namtha (B, L, D) 

The tour in the North will start by driving you to the airport for a flight to Luang Namtha.

Upon arrival, you will check-in at a hotel and have lunch.

After that, you will have free time for the rest of the day. You will be able to walk around the city or relax near the river, until the briefing about the trek on the next day.

Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Luang Namtha.

Day 3: Luang Namtha – Ban Nam Yang (B, L, D) 

This morning, we will go to Ban Nam Ngaen by songthaew. There, our guide will help you cross the river. Then, you will hike for 3 hours through the forest and plateaus and climb up until getting to an Akha camp where you will rest.

You will have a picnic lunch made of local cuisine before descending to Ban Nam Yang, where the inhabitants will tour you around to show you their peaceful village. On the way back, an Akha hunter will accompany you and will show you his range of techniques used to call birds. You will head back to Ban Nam Ngaen, where you will visit the That Poum Pouk if time permits. 

Overnight in Luang Namtha.

Day 4: Luang Namtha – Oudomxay – Muang La (B, L, D) 

In the morning, you will visit the local market, a gathering point for all the ethnic groups living in the region and where they come to buy and sell many kinds of products. After that, you will be driven through Oudomxay Province and you will have the chance to visit the intriguing Pra Xack Kham Temple, housing many Buddha representations, including a 400-year old Buddha believed to possess supernatural powers, which makes it to be widely worshiped by the locals. 

You will finally reach Muang La in late afternoon. This peaceful village is famous for its natural hot springs, where you will have the chance to bath. If you want, you can also elect to have a traditional massage for a pure moment of relaxation.

Overnight in Muang La.

Day 5: Muang La – Nong Khiaw (B, L, D) 

Start the day with an exploration of Muang La and of the surrounding ethnic villages, before hoping onto the car for a drive that will lead you through breathtaking landscapes, until reaching Nong Khiaw, a rural and quiet village on the west bank of Nam Ou River.

Overnight in Nong Khiaw.

Day 6: Nong Khiaw – Luang Prabang (by boat) (B, L)

Today, you will continue your journey by boat and descend on Nam Ou River while admiring the staggering scenery made of lush forests. You will visit several villages and go through amazing karst landscapes. You will stop to visit Pak Ou Caves, a pair of linked caves crammed with thousands of Buddha images of different shapes and sizes, including gold-lacquered statues. Those Buddha representations were left there by the numerous pilgrims who passed by this holy place. Then, you will continue to descend Nam Ou River by boat until reaching Luang Prabang, a city listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Upon arriving in late afternoon, you will transfer to your hotel and check-in. Later, you will have free time for the rest of the day.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 7: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si falls – Luang Prabang (B, L, D) 

After breakfast at the hotel, you will go to Phousi morning market, where several products are sold (dried buffalo skin, local tea, saltpeter…) and where chickens are roaming all over the place while ethnic minorities can be seen embroidering. Laos is also known for its crafts, and thus you will visit several ethnic villages: Ban Ouay (a H’Mong village), Ban Ou (a Laoloum village), and Ban Thapene (a Khmu village). Finally, we will make our way to Kuang Si cascades, where you will be able to bath and swim in the cool water pools formed at the foot of the falls, or hike on the forest trails nearby.

After lunch, you will return to Luang Prabang. There, you will start your visit by Royal Palace Museum, before getting to the Wat Xieng Thong, highly recognizable by its roof almost touching group. This specificity is a classic Laotian architectural design. Later, you will see the impressive Wat Visoun, Wat Aham, and Wat Mai.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 8: Luang Prabang – Departure (B) 

This morning, you will have free time to enjoy Luang Prabang until taken to the airport for your departure flight.

Please contact us for more information about this tour or to customize this itinerary.

Included:

  • All transportation
  • Accommodation (twin room or double room)
  • All entrances fees
  • Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B for breakfast, L for lunch, D for dinner)
  • English-speaking tourist guide
  • One small bottle of water on the bus everyday
  • Services fees
Excluded:

  • Personal expenses
  • Insurance
  • Drinks
  • Flight tickets
  • Visa for Laos



Other Tours:
LCLT03: Essence of Laos – 9 days
LCLT04: All of Laos – 13 days