Elephant Village and Luang Prabang City Highlights
Meet your tour guide at your hotel and start at 8:30 am.
Drive for about 30 minutes to the elephant village.
Before you ride the elephant, your tour guide will give you information about the history of elephants in Laos.
Ride the elephant for about 1 hour along the river and through the village.
Return to Luang Prabang for lunch.
After lunch, visit Wat Visoun, the site of the impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Laotian.
Arrive at Phou Si hill, which stands right in the center of this small city. Climb its 350 steps to enjoy commanding views for many miles in each direction. Wat Phu Si sits atop the mountain, alongside the skeletons of Indochina War anti-aircraft guns.
Proceed to visit Wat Mai. Built in 1796, the five-tiered roof of the wooden Sim (chapel) epitomizes the graceful Luang Prabang architectural style. Wat Xieng Thong further emphasizes the uniqueness of Luang Prabang, with several roofs sweeping low to the ground. See also the impressive "tree of life" mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana.
Visit the National Museum, once a king's palace. Displayed inside is a lovely collection of personal artifacts of the royal family, including photos, musical instruments, and many gifts received from dignitaries of foreign countries.
