Luang Prabang & the Northern Mountains – 7 days

Wake up as the sun rises, prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, – an awe-inspiring sight which dates to the 14th century. Hundreds of saffron-robed monks depart from various temples to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets. Please tell your guide a day in advance if you wish to make an offering so he/she can prepare some food for you to hand over to the monks

After breakfast, you will first visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken, dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter and hill-tribe weavings.

Next, we visit The Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. Continue to Wat Mai, the largest and most richly decorated of the temples in Luang Prabang.

In the afternoon, you will visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Then visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center (close on Mondays) where you are able to observe valuable artifacts and traditional clothing and implements from each of the 20 ethnic minority groups which inhabit the Luang Prabang area. Finally we will climb up 328 steps of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful overview of the city and the Mekong River.

This morning, coach trip to the nearby valley southeast of Luang Prabang. Long Lao Village will be the next stop, where you will begin our hiking tour. Before trekking, you can explore the life and culture of this village where Khamu and Hmong people live. How peaceful Lao people are!

Continue trekking into the mountainous Lao countryside of Luang Prabang. And then hiking along, you will enjoy the freshness when passing the orchards, rice fields, and vegetable gardens and before reaching the forested mountains with quite wild jungle scenery and some graded climbs. (NOTE: We’ll ensure an easy/moderate hike option)

In the afternoon you will arrive at the crystal clear Kuang Si Waterfall, which is known as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Southeast Asia. An exciting forest trail will lead you to the end of your trek and your reward – enjoy the paradise on the ground deep into the cool water, listen to the sound of the waterfall down from the fall, Kuang Si Waterfall where we will have plenty of time to relax and swim.

Experience the new Lao Buffalo dairy to taste some ice cream!

We’ll return in the late afternoon by vehicle. The tour concludes late afternoon in Luang Prabang

(Note: medium-level trekking; do not forget to bring adequate shoes).

Start the day with a good breakfast before leaving Luang Prabang by road.

Next, embark on a leisure cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.

Then, continue by road to Nongkhiaw. You will pass by several ethnic villages located along the river. You will finally get to Nam Khiaw, a wonderful little town on the west bank of the Nam Ou. Enjoy nature and spend time in serenity.

Overnight at Nong Khiaw

After breakfast at the hotel, you will board a traditional boat to the ancient city of Muang Ngoi (1-hour boat ride). You will reach Muang Ngoi early, before starting a 30-min hike around 9:00am to Tham Kang, an ancient cave which was a refuge for villagers during the Indochina War (1960-1972). You will have the time to appreciate the surrounding countryside.

After this visit, you will hike to Ban Houay Boor (a village inhabited by the Khmu and T’ai Deng ethnic groups), where you will enjoy lunch with locals. Then, you will continue your trek to Ban Na (a T’ai Deng Village). There, you will learn more about the daily life of the inhabitants, before returning to Muang Ngoi. From there, you will be driven back to Nong Khiaw.

Overnight at Nong Khiaw

Coach trip back to Luang Prabang with a stop on the road to visit some villages: Ban Xang Hai, where the local people make the rice wine. You will reach Luang Prabang at the end of the day.

Check-in at the hotel and free time in the evening.

• 8:00 am - 8:30 am: Pick up by our English Speaking Guide from your hotel lobby within Luang Prabang, Laos
• Arrive at the Elephant Village Camp: Welcome greeting by your guide and participate in a short briefing about elephants
• Elephant Feeding: Get up close and personal with elephants
• Explore Elephant Village: Visit elephant hospital, museum, photo gallery and dung paper making area
• Learn to communicate with elephants: Enjoy the impressiveness of being a mahout and how they communicate with the elephants.