7-Day Laos Heritage Tour with Luang Prabang and 4000 Islands

• Visit Vientiane, the City of the Moon - an ancient city situated on a bend along the left bank of the Mekong, and the largest city as well as the capital of Laos. Transfer to your hotel for check-in.

• Sightsee around Vientiane and visit the religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have survived the Siamese War of 1828. Its cloister contains more than 8,000 Buddha statues. Continue to Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home temple of the Emerald Buddha statue, or Pra Keo, which today houses a collection of Buddha statues, antiques, and artifacts found around Vientiane.

• Then proceed to the Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos, built to cover the original small stupa containing a piece of the chest bone of Buddha. Also visit Patouxay (Arc de Triomphe), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars in the past, and now regarded as the landmark of Vientiane.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Overnight in Hotel in Vientiane

• Visit the Morning Market, the biggest shopping center in Vientiane, in the morning.

• Then depart for Wattay Airport for your flight to Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom and the center of religious life in Laos.

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

• Visit Wat Visoun, a 16th-century temple that served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, an 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; and Wat Xieng Thong, a 16th-century temple which, more than any other in Luang Prabang, epitomizes the elegance and grace of the town's architecture.

• Continue to Phousi Hill. Its 328 steps lead to the summit, which dominates the skyline of Luang Prabang and offers one of the finest panoramic views over the town.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

• Depart from the hotel to the boat landing in the morning and take an excursion by boat upstream on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou Cave, set in the side of a limestone cliff opposite 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 ranging from mere centimetres to two meters in height.

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

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

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

• Take a drive 30 km south to visit Kuang Si Waterfall. On the way, stop at Talad Phosy market and also visit Ban Na Oune, a small village of the hill-tribe group "Hmong," probably the best-known minority group in Laos.

• Visit Kuang Si Waterfall and Ban Tha Pane, another village of the Khmu minority group. Your picnic lunch will be served in the shady park near the waterfall. There will be plenty of time to relax and swim in the cool water before heading back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.

• Then visit various craft shops, including silversmiths' workshops and the Hmong market in town, where some skilled embroidery works by Hmong ladies can be seen.

• Continue your afternoon tour at the National Museum, the former Royal Palace, which houses a collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue. The rest of the day is free for your own experience in this charming town before returning to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Overnight in Hotel Luang Prabang

• Transfer to the airport with your guide for the flight to Pakse.

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

• After lunch, drive for an hour to Wat Phou. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Wat Phou is a spectacular pre-Angkorian temple set amidst the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. The temple was constructed on three levels: the bottom level focuses 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 remains one of the Lao people's most revered temples.

• Return 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

• Depart at 08:00 am for a full day exploring the Siphandon ("4000 Islands") area. In this beautiful region, the Mekong River reaches 14 kilometres wide and contains thousands of small islands.

• Travel first by car for about two 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 is recommended to explore the area either by bicycle or tuk-tuk.

• Begin the experience with a short boat trip, which provides a unique opportunity to spot the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin. Next, visit 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 continue back to the hotel by car, arriving in time for sunset.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight in Hotel Champasak

• After breakfast, transport will be provided with your local guide to return to Pakse and then continue to the airport for departure.