This Northern Laos 15 days trip provides a unique opportunity to explore Laos, from the royal splendor of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to rural villages where you’ll stay with local families. Experience the charm of the ancient Lan Xang kingdom, known as the “Land of a Million Elephants.” This adventure tour is perfect for active travelers, combining trekking, kayaking, cycling, and elephant shows. The journey includes a 2-day Mekong cruise near the Thai border, showcasing the best of Laos’ history, culture, and natural beauty.
Upon arrival at Luang Prabang Airport, you will be warmly welcomed and transferred to your hotel by private car.
After checking in and resting, we begin our half-day tour at the renowned Wat Xieng Thong, one of Laos’ most important monasteries, known for its stunning structure and gold decorations. Next, we visit Wat Mai to admire its impressive architecture. We then climb Mount Phousi for panoramic views and a closer look at the golden stupa. Our last stop is the National Museum, formerly the Royal Palace, showcasing artifacts from Laos’ royal history.
Wat Xieng Thong
In the late afternoon, you’ll participate in a private Baci ceremony with a local family, offering deep insight into Lao culture. Enjoy dinner with the family, gaining a firsthand experience of local life and traditions.
Overnight at your hotel in Luang Prabang.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: dinner.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, where you’ll learn about silk production, weaving, and the women artisans through a brief tour.
Kuang Si waterfalls
We then visit the stunning Kuang Si Falls, located 30 kilometers south of Luang Prabang. This waterfall features multiple turquoise pools set in dense jungle, perfect for swimming and hiking. Along the way, you’ll also see Asiatic bears at the Bear Rescue Centre. Before returning, we’ll explore the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park, a project dedicated to studying and preserving Laos’ butterflies.
Back in Luang Prabang, we’ll climb 329 steps to Phousi Hill for a breathtaking sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.
Return to the hotel. Free for dinner.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 6:30 AM to take you to the boat pier. The boat departs at 7:00 AM for an upstream cruise to Pakbeng, with a French breakfast served onboard.
Pak Ou Caves
We’ll stop to visit the Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting) and its thousands of Buddha images. Local food will be served for lunch, and you’ll have free time to relax until the boat arrives in Pakbeng at dusk. Enjoy a typical snack and drink onboard in the afternoon before retiring to your accommodation for the night.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
We will start our day early with a visit to the morning market, where villagers and hill tribes gather to buy and trade goods.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we head to Luang Nam Tha. Along the way, we’ll witness local rural life, roadside markets, corn and banana plantations, and scenic mountain views.
Luang Namtha, Laos
Passing through Oudomxay, an emerging trading hub, we continue into the unspoiled nature. Luang Nam Tha, located on the Namtha River and bordered by China and Myanmar, boasts rugged mountains and tropical forests.
We will arrive in the afternoon. Check in to the hotel and relax.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
After a leisurely breakfast, our guide will meet you at your hotel. We’ll begin with a visit to the Luang Namtha Museum, followed by the Luang Namtha Stupa for stunning city views.
Next, we’ll see the old Phou Pouk Stupa and visit Ban Nam Ngean and Ban Pieng Ngam, known for their handicrafts. You’ll observe Lao whisky making, traditional weaving, blacksmithing, and bamboo basket making.
We’ll then transfer to Ban Nam Dee, where you’ll learn to make paper from young bamboo, natural dyeing, and traditional weaving. Participate in a traditional Baci ceremony, enjoy local music, taste local meals, and talk about village history with the homestay owner before resting for the night.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
After breakfast at the hotel, visit the local market, which is vibrant with various ethnic minorities from the surrounding mountains and valleys coming to trade their goods. We then travel directly to Oudomxay, home to 23 different ethnic groups. Along the way, we’ll make short stops to meet some of these communities.
Namkat Yola Pa Resort
Upon arrival in Oudomxay, we head to Namkat Yola Pa Resort, located 30 km from the town center. The resort is surrounded by lush jungle and the stunning Namkat Waterfalls, which we will explore over the next few days. After checking into your riverside bungalow, you can relax by the resort pool or enjoy the natural sounds around you.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Enjoy breakfast at the resort before setting out for Namkat Waterfall. The two-hour bike ride through dense forest fills the air with the fresh scent of nature. Once we reach the waterfall’s entrance, we’ll leave our bikes and walk across flying bridges to the waterfall. We’ll spend about 1.5 hours there, enjoying a picnic lunch.
Namkat Waterfall
Afterward, we’ll zip-line back to the entrance, retrieve our bikes, and cycle back to the resort.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
After a light breakfast, we will head to Muang Khua, a small town en route to the Tay Trang Border with Vietnam. Upon arrival, spend an hour visiting the old bamboo bridge that connects the town to the picturesque H’Mong village of Ban Natoun.
We then board a long-tail boat for a downstream journey along the scenic Nam Ou River to Muang Ngoi, a secluded village. Arriving just in time to catch the sunset, we will check into your guesthouse for an overnight stay in Muang Ngoi.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
After a simple breakfast, we will take a soft trek to Ban Na village and the Tham Kaang caves, which are believed to have supernatural powers. We then continue to Tad Mork waterfall, near the Khmu village of Ban Sop Kong, an hour’s trek from the river. Here, you can relax or swim, and a picnic lunch will be provided.
Ban Sop Kong Khmu Village
After enjoying the waterfall, we return to the river and board a local boat to Nong Khiaw. We will travel through a narrow gorge and visit an enchanting village. Our final stop before reaching Nong Khiaw is Ban Sopvan, home to the Tai Lue people and various farm animals, which you can feed if you bring food.
We arrive in Nong Khiaw in time to catch the sunset. Check in to the hotel and relax.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Start your day with a serene boat ride on the Nam Ou River, allowing you to experience a small Lao village along the riverside. You’ll have the opportunity to observe the local lifestyle before embarking on the ‘100 Waterfalls Adventure Trail.’
The trail takes you through streams and rice paddies to the base of the 100 Waterfalls, discovered in October 2008. Enjoy the refreshing pools and the constant sound of cascading waterfalls. Your guide will lead you through the falls, and a local-style lunch will be provided amidst the lush surroundings.
Trekking in 100 Waterfalls
After lunch, hike back via a village path offering expansive views of the Nam Ou Valley. Once back in the village, spend some time observing daily life before returning to Nong Khiaw by boat.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Today, we will travel through Vieng Kham to reach Muang Hiam, one of the most rural and undeveloped parts of Laos. This off-the-beaten-path adventure offers a glimpse into the real Laos, with minimal interaction with other travelers but rich encounters with rural inhabitants curious about our lives. The journey may be challenging due to poor road conditions, but the lush, rugged mountain scenery and vibrant local culture make it unforgettable.
Upon arrival in Muang Hiam, we’ll explore the small town before heading to the Khmu village of Ban Son Khua, the gateway to the Nam Et-Phou Louay NPA, where we’ll experience the Nam Nern Night Safari the next day.
Dinner will be with a local family, and we’ll spend the night in Ban Son Khua.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
After breakfast, we depart for the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (NPA). Here, you will explore the Nam Nern Night Safari and stay in an eco-lodge developed by local villagers. Your knowledgeable Khmu guide will teach you about wildlife preservation, medicinal plants, traditional agriculture, and the history of the Secret War.
Upon arrival at Ban Son Koua, an ethnic Khmu Village, local guides and boatmen will welcome you and provide a short tour, explaining the animist tradition of appeasing the village spirit. Then, we embark on a 1.5-hour boat journey to the park substation on the Nam Nern River, learning about upland rice cultivation and spotting monitor lizards and birdlife along the way.
Nam Nern Night Safari
Lunch will be provided by the local villager group at the park substation. After lunch, park staff will brief us on efforts to protect tigers and their prey.
In the mid-afternoon, we begin the night safari with a soft trek into the forest. Our guide will demonstrate how locals track deer and other wildlife, pointing out evidence like tracks and scat.
The boats will continue upstream to a sandy dinner site, where we’ll enjoy a picnic dinner around a campfire. After dinner, our guides will share Khmu folktales and stories, teaching us about the animals we might see during the night spotlighting and explaining the rules for it.
Depending on the moonlight, we will start the spotlighting 1-2 hours after dark, drifting downstream with engines off and only one light per boat, used solely by the guides. This quiet approach minimizes disturbance to the animals. Possible sightings include Sambar Deer, Otters, Barking Deer, Civets, Slow Loris, Porcupine, and Owls, with occasional sightings of Hogbadgers, Asian golden cats, and wild dogs.
At the end of the spotlighting, the boats will arrive at the evening camp. Before sleeping, you’ll have the chance to observe a variety of insects attracted to the black light set up near the substation.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Before breakfast, our local guides will take you on a stroll through the jungle to learn about medicinal plants and the history of the site, which was a significant settlement during the Secret War.
After breakfast, we’ll cruise back through the core zone with engines off, allowing the guides to point out wildlife along the way.
Upon returning to the village, you’ll have the chance to try earthen jar rice wine (lao hai).
We then drive approximately 3 hours to Xieng Khouang, enjoying the scenery and local village life along the way. Lunch will be at a local restaurant.
After checking into your hotel, you can visit the MAG Center if you want. MAG is a humanitarian organization that clears remnants of war to benefit local communities. It is open daily from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Overnight in Xieng Khouang.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, English-speaking guide, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
After breakfast, we take a half-day trip to Muang Khoun, the only area in the old provincial capital untouched by American bombs during the Secret War. Muang Khoun features a unique giant sitting Buddha and old pagoda ruins, including the Wat Phia Wat, and a nearby 30-meter stupa from the Lan Xang/Lanna period.
Returning to town, we visit the “Plain of Jars,” an impressive archaeological site with hundreds of ancient stone jars scattered across a plateau. We explore site 1 and nearby villages inhabited by the Hmong hill tribe and Tai Dam people.
Plain of Jars
Later, we head to the airport for a flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay in Vientiane.
Included: Accommodation, transportation, Xieng – Khouang – Vientiane air ticket, Meals: breakfast, lunch.
Start your day with a visit to Wat Sisaket, the oldest surviving temple in Vientiane, which was spared during the Siamese invasion, followed by the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo. Next, we’ll explore That Luang Stupa, a national symbol of Laos covered in gold. Our final stop is the Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s version of the Arc de Triomphe.
You will have free time before taking your departure flight. Our driver will transfer you to the airport for your flight back home. End of 15 days in Laos with unforgettable experiences.
Included: Transportation, an English-speaking guide, and breakfast at the hotel.
– There may be cancellation fees charged by suppliers (hotels, airlines, boats, trains…) once these bookings are made and paid. These fee shall by paid by travelers.
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