4Day – Laos Budget Tour

On arrival at Wattay Internationals Airport you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Vientiane is a charming and fascinating capital, with an interesting mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and American influences. After check in and time to freshen up we head out on our afternoon city tour. You are seeing the major temples of Vientiane including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the national icon of Laos, That Luang Stupa, stopping along the way to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Heading for the waterfront your evening is free to enjoy a few drinks watching the sunset over the Mekong River, explore the Night Market and take in some of the city’s nightlife. Overnight in Vientiane.

This morning you will be transferred to Wattay Airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. On arrival at Luang Prabang International Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After check in and time to freshen up we will head out to see the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham. You have free afternoon to treat yourself to a spa treatment or massage, go shopping or relax at the hotel. Late afternoon we climb to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River. Decenting the mountain your will find yourself in the midst of the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, where you can find a unique selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts locally made by both ethnic Lao and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Your evening is free to explore the market and sample some traditional Lao cruisine at one of the many restaurants the town has to offer. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning you have the option and opportunity to rise early and participate in the daily morning ritual of Alms Giving, you will experience saffron-clad monks collecting offerings or ‘Alms’ from faithful local residents. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the daily procession. After breakfast back at the hotel we begin our journey to Khouangsi Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping. You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos. On arrival at the Khouangsi Waterfall you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary. You will also enjoy a picnic lunch below the falls. Upon return to Luang Prabang we board our private boat for a pleasant and scenic cruise up on the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years. Returning to Luang Prabang we disembark our boat and have the option of taking a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village famous for its hand weaving or returning to the hotel for free time to relax. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast we take a stroll through the Dalat Sao or morning market, full of local foodstuffs from the farms and jungles surrounding Luang Prabang. From here it is a short walk to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. We then transfer to the airport for your departure flight.