Day 1. Luang Prabang - City Center Tour (../../L)
Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be met by your guide.
- Transfer to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, additional sightseeing may be added to the itinerary scheduled for Day 2 (see below).
- Meet your guide this evening for the Baci ceremony. This ceremony accompanies Lao people through all of life’s events, particularly when welcoming friends or visitors to whom they wish to show their affection. It symbolizes the connection between everyone—our gathering, mutual support, and sharing. We will have dinner together.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 2. Luang Prabang - City Center Tour (B/../..)
Your guide will come to your hotel at 8:30 AM, accompanied by your driver (if you selected the minivan or local tuk-tuk option) or with your bicycles (if you chose that option).
- Visit the National Museum and the former Royal Palace, dating back to the era of the Kingdom of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol.
- Next, visit the nearby Wat Mai temple, one of the city’s most important temples.
- Then, head to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC), which hosts exceptional annual exhibitions.
- If you are interested in the "Secret War," we recommend visiting the newly renovated UXO Centre, which offers insight into that period and its ongoing consequences.
- You will also visit Wat Visoun temple and its distinctive watermelon-shaped stupa,
- before climbing Mount Phousi to admire the breathtaking view of the city from the summit—especially spectacular in the late afternoon. -* You will descend the other side of the mountain, emerging at the night market, where the first stalls are set up in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 3. Morning alms-giving and Mekong River cruise (B/L/..)
- Before dawn, your guide will meet you at your hotel to take you to witness the morning alms-giving ceremony. You will participate in this Lao tradition, with your guide explaining its principles, the significance of this daily act, and its unique place in the Buddhist world.
- Next, you will visit the downtown morning market, a hub for jungle produce brought in by local hunter-gatherers. You will find a wealth of exotic goods here; the Lao people are particularly fond of these products, which often command high prices.
- You will then return to your hotel for breakfast before setting off for a day on the Mekong.
- Your boat will be chartered at the foot of Wat Xieng Thong—the city’s most iconic temple—which you will visit before boarding.
- Then, enjoy a two-hour cruise along the Mekong, passing through pristine primary forest landscapes within the river’s winding corridor.
- You will arrive at the village of Pak Ou in the late morning to visit two caves housing hundreds of Buddha images placed there by the faithful.
- It will then be time for lunch at a local restaurant on the banks of the Mekong, facing the caves (options include lunch on the boat or an onboard cooking class). Afterward, you will head back downriver to Luang Prabang. -* Along the way, you may be interested in visiting artisan villages—such as Ban Xang Hai, known for its local spirits,
- and Ban Xang Khong, a village specializing in silk weaving and *Saa* (mulberry) bark paper making.
- Next, we will stop at Ban Xieng Mene to discover this small village located opposite Luang Prabang. Here, you will visit a unique temple offering a magnificent view of Luang Prabang town.
- We will conclude this day focused on local crafts by visiting a downstream pottery village, where you can optionally try your hand at pottery for an hour with a local artisan.
- Return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 4. Ethnic villages and Kuang Si Waterfalls Park (B/../..)
- After breakfast, we depart for Kuang Si Waterfalls. En route, we can stop at Phosy Market, located just outside the city; it is the largest local market.
- Just a short distance away lies the Ock Pop Tok Weaving Centre, which offers guided tours of its traditional workshops that keep local production methods alive.
- We will then drive to the park (approximately a 45-minute journey). Along the way, we can stop at some of the ethnic minority villages lining the road.
- We will arrive at our destination in the late morning. You will visit the park, which houses Asiatic black bears rescued from wildlife traffickers,
- and then explore the exceptionally beautiful turquoise waterfalls—where swimming is permitted in designated areas—and the park itself, which spans dozens of hectares, extending up into the surrounding hills...
- You will return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. Before...
