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7-Day History Tour Of Laos Exploring Luang Prabang, Pakxe & Vientiane
  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Architecture, History, Sightseeing

  • Duration

    7 Days

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English, Lao, Thai

Description

Embark on a journey to uncover the mystique of Laos from temples and museums at its ancient cities. Then, explore the religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have survived the Siamese war of 1828 in Vientiane. Also, visit the natural attractions of limestone caves and spectacular waterfalls and boat trips that traverse the Siphandon islands.

Highlights
  • Sightsee at Vientiane and visit museums of Wat Sisaket
  • Proceed to the LuangStupa, the single most important monument in Laos
  • Visit WatVisoun, a 16th-century temple that served as a small museum for religious artifacts  
  • Wander at Wat Aham temple, representing two characters from the Ramayana
  • Explore the museum at Wat Sisaket temple
  • Day 1: Arrival - Vientiane expand_more
    • Visit Vientiane, the city of the moon – an ancient city, situated on the bend on the left bank of the Mekong as the largest city and the capital of Laos. Transfer to hotel for check-in.

    • Sightsee Vientiane, to visit the religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have survived the Siamese war of 1828. Its cloister contains more than 8000 Buddha statues; Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home-temple of the Emerald Buddha statue or PraKeo, but today it contains a collection of Buddha statues, antiques and all artifacts found around Vientiane.

    • Then proceed to the LuangStupa, the single most important monument in Laos, which was built to cover the original small stupa containing a piece of the chest bone of Buddha; Patouxay (Arch de Triumph), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars in the past and it is today as the land-mark of Vientiane.

    Meals: Lunch & Dinner

    Overnight in Hotel in Vientiane

  • Day 2: Vientiane - Luang Prabang expand_more
    • Visit the Morning Market, the biggest shopping center in Vientiane in the morning.

    • Then depart to Wattay airport for departure to Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of Lane Xang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos.

    • Arrive in Luang Prabang and check-in. In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples, of which nearly fifty temples still remain in the town and surrounding areas.

    • Visit WatVisoun, the 16th-century temple served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, the early 19th-century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa; Wat Xieng Thong, the 16th-century temple which, more than any temple in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture;

    • Go to Phousi Hill; its 328 steps leads to the summit of Phousi hill which dominates the skyline of Luang Prabang overlooking the finest panoramic view in the whole Luang Prabang.

    Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

    Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

  • Day 3: luang prabang - Pak Ou Cave expand_more
    • Depart from the hotel to the boat landing in the morning, and take an excursion (a few hours) by boat, upstream on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou cave in the side of a limestone cliff and opposite of the mouth of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimetres to two meters in height.

    • En route, visit Lao typical villages that are barely visible behind a screen of foliage. Slender canoes bobbing by the shore, bamboo poles and floats mark the location of nets and fish traps. Our first stop will be at Ban Muang Keo, a well-known village for Lao traditional rice whisky, namely Laoh-Khao.

    • Arrive back at Luang Prabang in late afternoon, and continue by car to outskirt of town to visit Ban Xang Khong, a well-known village for its wood papermaking and also Lao silk weavings with natural dyes.

    Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

    Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

  • Day 4: Luang Prabang - Kuangsi Waterfall expand_more
    • Take a drive (30 km South) to visit Kuangsi Waterfall. We stop at Talad Phosy, the market and also visit Ban Na Oune, a small village of a hill-tribe group “Hmong”, probably the best-known minority group in Laos.

    • Visit the Kuangsi waterfall and Ban Tha Pane, another village of the Khmu minority group. Our picnic lunch will be served at the shady park nearby the Kuangsi waterfall. There will be plenty of time for relaxing and swimming in cool water before we head back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.

    • Then, Visit various craft-shops, including silver smiths’ and the Hmong market in town, where some skilled embroidery-works of Hmong ladies can be seen.

    • Then start your afternoon tour at the National Museum, the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue, the rest of the day is spent free for own experience in this charming town then we get back to the hotel.

    Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

    Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

  • Day 5: Luang Prabang - Pakse expand_more
    • Transfer to the airport for the flight to Pakse with your guide.

    • Upon arrival, the guide and driver will be waiting to provide transport to Pakse for lunch in a local restaurant.

    • Drive for an hour to Wat Phou after lunch. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple that sits amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed in three levels: the bottom level is focused on the baray (water reservoir) and promenade, the second level features pavilions and galleries of carvings, and the top level is the sanctuary. The temple served as the most important economic and political center of the region and still is one of the Lao people’s most revered temples.

    • Get back to the nearby hotel in Champasak and check-in after enjoying a beautiful sunset on the Mekong River.

    Meals: Breakfast & Lunch 

    Overnight in Hotel Champasak

  • Day 6: Pakse - 4000 Island expand_more
    • Depart at 08:00 am for a full day, exploring the area; Siphandon (‘4000 Islands’). In this beautiful area, the Mekong River reaches 14 kilometres wide and houses thousands of small islands.

    • Travel first by car (about 2 hours) to the village of Ban Nakasang. From here, take a local boat to the peaceful island of Done Khone, home to small villages and plantations. It’s recommended to explore the area either by bicycle or tuk tuk.

    • Begin the experience with a short boat trip, which provides the unique opportunity to spot the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin. Next, pay a visit to the impressive Lippi falls, on the west of Don Khone very close to the Cambodian border.

    • Afterwards, experience the remnants of French colonial rule with a visit to the existing railway and bridge built to span the islands’ waterfalls. 

    Lunch will be included at a local restaurant.

    • Return to the mainland by boat and then return to the hotel by car, arriving back in time for sunset.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

    Overnight in Hotel Champasak

  • Day 7: Champasak - Departure expand_more
    • After breakfast, transport will be provided with your local guide to get back to Pakse and then to the Airport for departing.

What's Included
  •  Tour guide

  •  Air conditioned Minivan

  •  Drinking water & Ice towels

  •  Two domestic flights

  •  6 meals during the trip and 2 meals during the night

  •  All admission indicated on the itinerary

  •  Private boat cruise

  •  Tax

What's Excluded
  • Meals other than mentioned in the above itinerary

  • Personal expenses

  • Service charge and tips for a local guide, driver, boat captain and room cleaner

  • Travel insurance is always quoted separately in case the customer doesn't have one

  • International flight

  • Other services are not mentioned in the above tour feature

Know before you go

Laos Country Guide:

  • Time Zone: GTM +7

  • Population: 6.8 Million (3 mean groups and 49 officially recognized ethnic groups)

  • Religion: Theravada Buddhism 64.4%, Animism 32%, the rest is Christianity, Confusion and Muslim

  • Currency: Lao Kip, Laos is wildly accepted Thai Bath and USD in almost everywhere, but during your trip to Laos, we recommend you buy a small amount of local money because most of all the local product cost in the middle of a dollar, all international smart card is accepted by most bank in Laos when you withdraw cash the ATM only pay you in local kip and 20,000kip or 2, 5 USD is automatically deducted by a bank per one transaction as the bank fee for purchase product by Credit card, Master Card, American Express Card and another smart card is widely accepted only in a big shop, international restaurant and hotel

  • Electricity: 220V. We recommend you bring the universal plug adaptor.

  • Climate: Laos is 2 season country wet and dry season. Wet starts between May and October, and Dry begins between November and April. The wet season is green beautiful but less convenient for travel overland across the city to city due to landslide issues, but recommend travel by flight. The dry season is the best time for travel, but nature is grey because dry also temperature standard drop to 12 – 15 degrees Celcius at night and 18 – 25 during the day.

  • Mobile phone & internet: 3G & 4G and SIM card is widely available but separately between dicaly SIM card and Internet SIM Card, to make a phone call within-country 850Kip/MN, international call 2.000kip/MN, Internet Data connection & Wifi only available in the city and hotel.

  • Shipping: Laos post office provides several options for shipping service, including sea ship and airship, but we recommend using the airship. It takes 14 days to any international destination by DHL.

  • Visa: Most Visitors can obtain a Lao visa on arrival at all international doors or check-in points, including border and airport, ticket valid for 30 days. Visa is also possible to obtain at any Laotian embassy in your and foreign country, your passport must be valid for six months before the return date, and two colour passport photos are required.

  • Clothing & What to pack: confortable, casual, lightweight dress in the natural fabric is more suitable for travelling to Laos. Bring warm clothing during the cold season. If you visit northern Laos, dress modestly, not wear shorts, miniskirts, tank top and any fashion showing chest when you are entering the national visiting sight include the temple and national museum other vices you need to pay some cash to rent and dress up before entering to this sightseeing.

  • Cuisine: Lao food mixed spy or hot, fresh, strong flavours and variety of vegetables into exotic cuisine. Laap is finely chopped meat such as fish, chicken, pork or beef mixed with minced, spring onion, garlic, and over ten ingredients and herbs. It is claimed to be the national dish.

  • Water: tap water only for washing and not for drinking. Always drink bottled water provided in your room by the hotel and during the tour by the guide-driver.

  • Health: travellers should be inoculated against typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, A & B, tetanus and polio. Malaria and dengue fever are presently decreased in Laos, but it is advisable to take precautions. Ti is essential to have good medical insurance that covers the cost of an evacuation flight.

  • Safety: Laos is generally one of the world’s peaceful and safe countries to visit, though never leave your belongings unattended.

  • Tipping: most people work with a low salary so stay in tourism industry surviving from your tipping, it is not a specific indicated by culture or rules, but will be highly appreciated with your tips, we recommend tipping as international standard rules such as

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
Standard
1 To 4 USD 1189 Per Person

This is a private tour

Starting From

Fromss

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USD 1189 / person