DAY 1 : LUANG PRABANG ARRIVAL (-/-/D)
Meet your guide on arrival, transfer and check-in to your hotel. During the drive your guide will provide an introduction to Luang Prabang, answer any questions you have, and make arrangements for the following day. (NOTE : kindly note that should you arrive early, an early check-in is not included and subject to hotel’s availability). Your guide will brief an orientation of the city along the way. Once checked in we leave you at your leisure.
Enjoy free time for the remainder of the first day. Nestled in a mountain valley at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers is the enchanting World Heritage town and former royal capital of Luang Prabang. It's a magical and captivating place with stunning colonial architecture, ornate monasteries and colourful markets.
DAY 2 : LUANG PRABANG (B/L/-)
Accompanied by your guide, start the day with a visit to the Royal Palace, now the National Museum. The museum houses precious exhibits that used to be possessions of the Laos royal family. Then explore the main Buddhist temples of Luang Prabang including Wat Visoun, the most historically important temple, built in the 16th century and serving as a small museum for religious artefacts. Visit Wat That Luang, traditionally the cremation site for Lao royalty and housing the ashes of King Sisavang Vong and his brother, interred inside the large stupa erected in 1910. Wat Xieng Thong is a 16th century temple that epitomises the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture and showcases classic Lao style roofs. Wat Mai, beside the Royal Palace, is Luang Prabang’s oldest Pagoda, and one of the city’s most sumptuous monasteries. Wander around the fascinating Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre and learn more about the people of Laos. On display you will find valuable artefacts, traditional clothing and implements from each of the twenty ethnic minority groups that inhabit the Luang Prabang area. The day ends with a climb to the top of Mount Phousi. Enjoy the wonderful views of the town, across the Mekong and Khan rivers, as well as the surrounding mountains. Watch the sun sink slowly behind the Mekong River before strolling back to your hotel.
DAY 3 : LUANG PRABANG / PAK OU CAVES (B/L/-)
Wake before dawn to witness the offering of alms to the hundreds of saffron robed monks who walk barefoot through the streets of Luang Prabang carrying their begging bowls. This early morning ritual of monks leaving their monasteries to accept alms from the Buddhist devotees dates back generations. Watch the town as it comes to life before returning to your hotel for breakfast. Late morning board the traditional Lao river boat to cruise upstream along the Mekong River to the Pak Ou caves in this full day shared group tour. From the boat, typical Laotian villages are barely visible behind thick foliage. The Pak Ou Caves are dramatically located in a limestone rock formation opposite the mouth of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. After visiting the caves, reboard your boat and cruise along the river. Lunch is served at the foot of the beautiful limestone cliffs, and consists of a selection of typical Lao dishes. After lunch the boat cruises back along the Mekong to Luang Prabang, arriving mid afternoon. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon free to relax or explore Luang Prabang.
DAY 4 : LUANG PRABANG / KHUANG SI WATERFALLS (B/L/-)
Today sees you setting off with your guide to one of Luang Prabang’s most impressive and picturesque waterfalls, Khuang Si. On the way stop off at Phosy market where you can observe locals trading in fresh produce. Across the street is Ock Pop Tock weaving centre which produces its own naturally dyed Lao silk and cotton textiles. Khuang Si is a multi-tiered waterfall, the falls beginning in shallow pools on top of a steep hillside, with the various cascades falling into clear turquoise pools. Walk through the National Park to the waterfalls and if you're feeling energetic, climb to their source and go for a swim. After a picnic lunch in the tranquil surroundings of the park, return to Luang Prabang and enjoy free time for the afternoon.
DAY 5 : LUANG PRABANG / VIENTIANE (B/L/-)
Relax this morning before your flight today from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Meet your guide on arrival, transfer and check-in to your hotel. During the drive your guide will provide an introduction to Vientiane, answer any questions you have, and make arrangements for the following day. Set on a sweeping bend of the Mekong River, Vientiane is the tranquil and timeless capital of Laos with a kaleidoscope of architectural styles and influences ranging from traditional Lao to Thai, Chinese, French, Soviet and American. From steaming noodle bars to riverside cafes, Vientiane will surprise and delight you with its quaint placid charm. Enjoy the afternoon to explore Vientiane.
DAY 6 : VIENTIANE (B/L/-)
Accompanied by your guide, drive southeast of the city to the Buddha Park, built in 1958 by Luang Pu, a yogi-priest shaman. The park is a fanciful garden full of Buddhist and Hindu religious sculptures which appear to be centuries old. In the afternoon visit the weaving home-studio of Mrs Carol Cassidy, an American textiles expert who arrived in Vientiane in 1989 as part of a United Nations project to promote traditional weaving. Today the studio employs over forty local weavers who create naturally dyed and woven silk pieces reflecting traditional Lao designs
DAY 7 : VIENTIANE (B/L/-)
With your guide, discover the essential landmarks and iconic sights that the small and charismatic city of Vientiane has to offer. Start at Wat Sisaket, believed to be Vientiane’s oldest surviving temple, left intact after the Siamese invasion of 1828. The interior walls of the cloister are covered in niches containing over 2000 silver and ceramic Buddha images. Next is a visit to Wat Phra Keo, built originally to house the famed Emerald Buddha and now a religious museum that displays a collection of art representing Lao and Khmer artefacts. Continue with a visit to the most popular Wat in town, Wat Si Muang before visiting Patouxay monument, Laos' version of the Arc de Triomphe and its most prominent monument. End your tour at the golden spired Pha That Luang, constructed in the 16th century and regarded as the holiest site in Laos. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the day.
DAY 8 : VIENTIANE / PAKSE (B/L/-)
Today fly from Vientiane to Pakse in the far south of Laos and meet your guide on arrival in the airport, transfer and check-in to your hotel. Your guide will provide a quick introduction to the Pakse area, answer any questions you have, and make arrangements for the following day. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the first day.
DAY 9 : PAKSE (B/L/-)
Accompanied by your guide, head south towards the Cambodian border to visit the Khone Phapheng waterfall. The falls are the main reason why the Mekong River is not navigable up to China. The falls cover an impressive 10 kilometre (6 mile) stretch of the Mekong River creating a majestic sight that is a highlight of southern Laos. Continue to the pier at Ban Nakasang and board a local boat for a visit to Si Phan Don. This section of the Mekong River fills out during the wet season, becoming the widest reach along its extensive 4,350 kilometre (2,720 mile) journey from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. Make a stop at the island of Don Khon, which features the remnants of the French colonial area including an old pier, a railway station, a former French hospital building and the maritime office. Enjoy lunch before continuing your exploration of the island. In the afternoon visit the Liphi waterfalls, nicknamed the Corridor of the Devil. Locals put fish traps at the bottom of the falls to catch fresh fish each day. The area is also home to the rare and endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin. Return to the mainland and transfer back to your hotel at the end of the day.
DAY 10 : PAKSE / BOLAVEN PLATEAU (B/L/-)
With your guide, explore the Bolaven Plateau, a fertile highland area formed by an ancient volcano and famous for its high grade coffee and tea plantations. Visit Tad Lo, located on the northern edge of the Bolaven Plateau. This waterfall is in fact a series of three falls, namely Tad Suong, Tad Lo and Tad Hang. Continue to the Katu village of Ban Houeihoun. This minority tribe is very primitive and earns its livelihood from forest products and traditional weaving. In the afternoon, visit Paksong and the nearby Tad Fane waterfalls where lunch is served. Beyond the waterfall stretches the extensive jungle of Dong Hua Sao from where the perfectly synchronized twin falls originate and plunge 200 metres (656 feet) down a deep gorge. Continue to Tad Yeung waterfall, which drops an impressive 42 metres (138 feet) and is surrounded by lush vegetation. End the day with a visit to a tea and coffee plantation and learn why the Bolaven Plateau an ideal area is for these plantations.
DAY 11 : PAKSE DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
On your last day enjoy free time until your departure transfer.