Northern Laos Explorer

Day 1-2

Vientiane

Welcome to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Get stuck into the national cuisine on a visit to the night market, a firm favourite with the locals. We’ve handpicked your guide, who knows the best flavours and ingredients in Lao cooking. Whet your appetite with a few snacks, then sit down for sindat, a Lao barbecue for dinner. In the morning, delve into Vientiane’s history on a tour of the most beautiful temples, including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, home to thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo. You’ll also climb the steps to the top of Patuxai Monument and visit the COPE exhibition centre which tackles the issues of unexploded ordnance in Laos.

Highlights

Tuck into a hearty Lao-style barbecue at a popular local restaurant

Explore Wat Prakeo, the former royal temple, and the Buddhas of Wat Sisaket

Visit the moving COPE centre dedicated to UXO victims

Day 3-4

Kong Lor

After a day driving from Vientiane to Kong Lor (with plenty of stops), you'll spend the next day discovering Kong Lor cave. Stretching for over 7km, the cave features vast chambers soaring more than 100 metres high, and a gallery of stalagmites so expansive you can walk through part of it on foot. It’s an experience you can only fully comprehend when you’re standing there.

You’ll also take a short walk past traditional tobacco-drying huts to reach Ban Pon Ngam, a remote village where you’ll have a picnic lunch before returning by boat through the cave and continue downstream for around two hours, taking in the dramatic limestone scenery along the way.

Small boat with people entering the massive Tham Kong Lo cave on calm, dark cave waters

Highlights

Discover one of Buddha's footprints, left as he was crossing the Mekong

Discover stunning views at The Rock Viewpoint

Take a gentle boat cruise through Kong Lor cave

Wooden canoes docked at the entrance of Tham Kong Lo cave surrounded by large rocks

Day 5-6

Phonsavan

A day's drive (with sightseeing stops) will bring you to Phonsavan, aka the Plain of Jars. Amid green rolling hills on a wide-open plateau, you’ll find a huge archaeological site littered with 2,000-year-old stone jars, up to 4 metres tall, part of an ancient burial practice. Sadly, during the US-Vietnam War, Laos earned the dubious distinction of the world’s most heavily bombed country per capita, and this corner of the country was especially affected. At the Mines Action Group office, you’ll learn how they’re slowly restoring safety to large swathes of countryside. You’ll also meet students studying English who are eager to talk to you about their hometown and life in rural Laos.

Highlights

Discover the myths and legends surrounding the Plain of Jars

Learn how Mines Action Groups are tackling landmines in the region

Meet students from the Lone Buffalo Foundation, a UK-registered charity project

Day 7-8

Sam Neua

It’s a scenic drive to Sam Neua through fascinating villages. You’ll stop at Ban Tha Jok to see houses built of bomb fragments, and Ban Saleuy where the locals weave traditional Lao skirts. You’ll also pass a spectacular 100m waterfall and Tham Piu, an old cave hospital. Sam Neua is the province capital, and your base to reach Vieng Xai, a network of caves at the foot of limestone karsts. Between 1964 to 1973, 20,000 people sheltered in the caves, including some of the country’s future leaders. An audio tour will walk you through tales of life in the hidden city, layered with stories of the survivors.

Highlights

Break up the car journey with characterful villages and a 100m waterfall

Explore the Vieng Xai Caves, deep in the limestone karst mountains

Listen to survivor testimonies from the Secret War

Day 9

Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area

You’ll spend the next 24 hours deep in the jungle of Nam Et-Phou Louey. It’s a two-hour voyage by longtail boat down the Nam Nern River, past soaring cliffs and dense vegetation, to an eco-camp where you’ll meet your guide. He belongs to the indigenous Khmu group and knows the old ways of the forest: medicinal plants and tracks made by the endangered species who live here. As the sun sets, the guide will take you back on the river for a night safari. Drift downstream in silence, listening to jungle sounds and scouring the canopy for movement. Using a spotlight, the guide will pick out eyes glinting in the dark: lizards, otters and birdlife - a magical way to meet the wildlife.

Highlights

Journey down the Nam Nern River by longtail boat to your jungle camp

Learn about life in the forest over a campfire barbecue with a Khmu guide

Take a very special night-time river safari, searching for nocturnal creatures

View of Nam Et Phou Louey National Protected Area - Dominique LeRoux

Day 10-11

Nong Khiaw

Nong Khiaw is jaw-droppingly beautiful. At the bottom of a fertile valley, the Nam Ou River swoops a curved line between two triangular mountains draped in mist. The town itself clusters around two main streets on either side of the river bend connected by bridges. You’ll have a full day here to explore the caves and villages of the surrounding countryside. Hop in a kayak to paddle downstream – it’s a gentle journey as the river meanders past limestone karsts and jungle. Disembark at Sopkong village for a walk through the rice paddies to reach Tadmok Waterfall where you can cool off with a swim. A boat will take you back to your riverside room in Nong Khiaw.

Highlights

Kayak down the Nam Ou River which meanders past karst mountains

Swim in the pools beneath Tadmok Waterfall

Walk through villages and soak up life in rural Laos

Day 12-13

Muang La

Eschewing the road, your journey to Muang La is five hours by boat plus a quick hop in a tuk tuk to pass Nam Ou Dam. Muang La is a quiet, pastoral paradise by the river. There’s not a whole lot to do here which is why we love it – just kick back and drink in the views. On your full day in Muang La, jump in a four-wheel drive vehicle for the 1,000m ascent along remote mountain roads to isolated Ikhor and Hmong villages. Both ethnic minority groups come from the high steppes of China, and follow customs and traditions remarkably unchanged for generations. Learn about their spiritual beliefs, as well as the challenges facing these communities today.

Highlights

Make the scenic journey to Muang La by boat

Travel by four-wheel drive vehicle to meet ethnic minority communities

Day 14-17

Luang Prabang

Your trip reaches a climax in Luang Prabang, the most beautiful city in Asia. Get up early to join the townsfolk in the daily ritual of giving alms to long lines of orange-robed monks. Afterwards, see the temples where they live on a walking tour of the old town. All Lao men commit to a spell as a monk, and your guide will talk you through his experience in a Buddhist monastery. There’s time for scenery too, on a picnic at Kuang Si Waterfall and a sunset cruise down the Mekong. Finally, there are animals: you’ll visit a buffalo dairy, meet retired elephants in a sanctuary and see rare Asiatic black bear at a rescue centre. All in all, a great finale to your Laos adventure.