Laos is an authentic Asian country. It has become increasingly popular to travel to Laos in recent years. Fortunately, it is not nearly as popular as neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, so you only have to share many beautiful spots with few others. In this itinerary, we travel in 3 weeks from northern Laos, the border with Thailand, to the southernmost tip, near Cambodia. Just coming to Laos from Cambodia and starting in Don Det? Then perform this itinerary exactly in reverse.
Tip: In this itinerary Laos links to extensive articles about the destinations. Clicking on the link will take you to the article.
Content of this blog:
Huay Xai/Gibbon Experience: 2/3 days
How to get to Huay Xai: Most travelers will travel to Huay Xai from Thailand. The most popular route in this case is Chiang Rai to Huay Xai. You can read all about the bus ride from Chiang Rai to Huay Xai here, how to book the bus, how the border crossing works etc.
Things to do in Huay Xai: The Laos itinerary starts in Huay Xai. This is a sleepy village literally on the border with Thailand. Every traveler comes here for only one thing: the Gibbon Experience. The Gibbon Experience is a 2 to 3 day tour where you will hike and zipline through the jungle of Laos and even spend the night in a real treehouse. This is the perfect way to start your travel itinerary Laos. Read more about the Gibbon Experience here.
Accommodation in Huay Xai: As far as we are concerned, Oudomphone Guesthouse 2 is the best accommodation in Huay Xai. The rooms are clean, quite spacious and the hostess is so helpful. Whether you want tickets for the slowboat, a packed lunch or money exchange, she helps you with everything. Are you looking for a cozy hostel? Then Little Hostel and Over The Moon Hostel are the best choices.
Slowboat to Luang Prabang: 2 days
The two-day slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang is a great way to see more of authentic Lao life. As you cruise the Mekong, you look out on high mountains, lush jungle and shabby little huts.
The first day you sail from Huay Xai to Pakbeng. This will take you about 6.5 hours. Late in the afternoon you will arrive in Pakbeng and can freshen up in your hotel. We stayed overnight at BKC Villa Pakbeng, which is highly recommended. It’s close to where the boat docks, but they’ll even pick you up with a van. In addition, we enjoyed the wonderful bed.
The second day you will get up early to go to the boat. Always bring plenty of food and water because you can’t get much on the slowboat. Late in the afternoon you will arrive in Luang Prabang where a tuktuk will take you to the city. Just recovering from this long, intense, but beautiful journey. This is also a highlight of your itinerary in Laos. If you want more detailed information about the slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, read our blog here.
Luang Prabang: 4 days
How to get to Luang Prabang: So in this itinerary Laos that we are following, you come from Huay Xai by the two-day slow boat. If you are coming from the south, you will probably travel from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang. You can easily do this by train, which always arrives on time and is very comfortable. Read more about transportation in Laos with additional tips here.
Things to do in Luang Prabang: Luang Prabang is by far the nicest city in Laos as far as we are concerned and even one of the nicest cities in Southeast Asia. Through French history, you will find many colorful buildings, atmospheric cafes and cute little streets.
There are not a lot of activities around Luang Prabang, but it is just a very nice city to spend a few days relaxing and walking around. What is absolutely worth visiting are the Kuang Si Waterfalls. These beautiful waterfalls have an absurd blue color that you can enjoy for hours. Read all about the Kuang Si waterfalls, which you can also swim in!
Furthermore, it is advisable to get up early one day to witness the alms ceremony for the monks (Tak Bat), after which you can go straight to the morning market. Have a cup of coffee at the cute Saffron CafƩ and enjoy the best food at Yuni Yupoun, Popolo and Two Little Birds. Also read our extensive article with the 15 best activities in Luang Prabang.
Accommodation in Luang Prabang: Villa Wanika has fine private rooms in a very good location, right in the middle of town. You can get free water and fresh croissants and chocolate rolls are available every morning. Do you have a bigger budget? Then Le Sen Boutique Hotel is a wonderful accommodation in Luang Prabang. The rooms are beautiful, spacious and luxurious and the pool is lovely! You can use the bicycles for free that will get you to the city in 5 minutes. Finally, the Sabai Sabai Backpackers Hostel is one of the best hostels in Luang Prabang. The owners are friendly, the hostel is super social and it is in a perfect location.
Nong Khiaw: 3 days
How to get to Nong Khiaw: From Luang Prabang, travel to Nong Khiaw by minivan in 4 hours. It’s not a comfortable ride, but that’s not surprising in Laos. Book your tickets from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw online here.
Things to do in Nong Khiaw: One thing is very popular in Nong Khiaw: hike, hike and hike. The beautiful surroundings ensure that you have beautiful views everywhere and that the walks are quite challenging. You can choose to go on multi-day trekking, stay overnight in a tent at the 360 viewpoint as well as explore the quaint town of Muang Ngoy. Read more about the 7 best activities in Nong Khiaw.
Accommodation in Nong Khiaw: Amanda Riverside is a perfect accommodation in Nong Khiaw. It is right on the river with a very comfortable room. Want a unique accommodation? Then choose the Nong Khiaw Float House, where you sleep on a floating cottage. It is fully equipped, where you enjoy your private room on the lake with a romantic atmosphere. Already available from ā¬50 per night.
Vang Vieng: 4 days
How to get to Vang Vieng: From Nong Khiaw, you will first have to travel back to Luang Prabang. Then take a tuktuk from the bus station to the train station (20 minutes), where you will travel by train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng in one hour. Book your tickets for the minivan from Nong Khiaw here and train tickets through this site. Do make sure you arrive early as the train always leaves punctually. It is wise to allow at least one extra hour.
Things to do in Vang Vieng: Vang Vieng is known for its many outdoor activities. The iconic Nam Xay viewpoint (by motorcycle) can also be found in Vang Vieng. In addition, you can cool off at the blue lagoons, zipline, (tipsy) tubing and have a bucket list experience, a balloon ride! Read all the highlights and information about Vang Vieng here.
Accommodation in Vang Vieng: the best budget accommodation in Vang Vieng is the Camellia Hotel. From ā¬12 per night, you can get a nice room here, right in the center of Vang Vieng. Looking for a nice hostel? Then check out the Vang Vieng Global Hostel which is super social and has a pool or – if full – the Vang Vieng Ruby Backpackers hostel. Want unique accommodation? Then check out the Sabai Glamping where you’ll spend a special night.
Optional – Thakhek Loop: 4 days
How to get to Thakhek: From Vang Vieng, first take the train to Vientiane. After this, transfer to the bus to Thakhek, which takes 8 to 9 hours. So a long day of travel. Prepare well, because the bus is very uncomfortable but unfortunately you have to put up with this. Book your bus tickets in advance through this site, where you can also see reviews of the buses.
Do: the Thakhek Loop. In Thakhek, you only come for one thing – the Thakhek Loop. You will complete this beautiful motorbike tour in 4 days. You drive through beautiful areas, along the mountains AND there are many fun activities to enjoy. So you can climb a viewpoint (again), cool off in the Cool Spring and, of course, zipline again!
For us, the Thakhek Loop was one of the many highlights in Laos and really not to be missed. In case you really don’t like driving yourself and don’t dare to ride with someone on the back, it is wiser to skip the Thakhek Loop. This one cannot be done by public transportation. Still in doubt? Then read our comprehensive blog on the Thakhek Loop including Google Maps locations and a detailed day-by-day report.
Accommodation in Thakhek: Thakhek is not a nice town to stay in any longer. Before the Loop you sleep there for 1 night and on your return from the Loop also for 1 night. There is nothing to do in town beyond that. It is recommended to sleep at the Naga Hostel (yes, even for those who do not like a dorm) because the owner is mega helpful. He can help you rent a motorbike, tickets for the bus to Pakse and make recommendations for the Loop. A super sweet man you really want to stay with!
Pakse: 1 day
How to get to Pakse: From Thakhek, take the direct bus to Pakse. This one takes about 6 hours, and again is not at all comfortable. Be sure to check with your accommodation in Thakhek about what time the bus leaves and from where, as this can vary from month to month.
Things to do in Pakse: There is little to do in Pakse itself. You could possibly still ride the Pakse Loop, which involves 2 or 3 days on the road by motorbike, but we found the Thakhek Loop exhausting (and fun) enough. What is really recommended, however, is to go to the Bolaven Plateau for one day. At the Bolaven Plateau you will find fantastically beautiful waterfalls as well as a zipline at 260 meters over the Tad Fane Waterfall, do you dare?
Accommodation in Pakse: The Sanga Hostelis really a great hostel in Pakse. The beds are fantastic, everything is clean, it’s super social and the staff is so friendly and has great recommendations. Really a 10/10. Is the Sanga Hostel fully booked or would you still prefer a hotel? Then choose the Le Jardin Hotel.
Don Det: 3 days
How to get to Don Det: From Pakse, take the minivan to the port (4 hours), where you’ll spend another 10 minutes on the local boat to Don Det. Welcome to the most relaxing place in Laos!
Things to do in Don Det: especially nothing for a while. There is little to do in Don Det and this is reflected in the many chill spots with hammocks. Relax completely after traveling a lot, read a book, play games and lounge around. It is still a lot of fun to go cycling across Don Det and Don Khon (the neighboring island). Along the way you will see local cottages, chickens, cows, ducks and many more animals. The Li Phi Somphamit Waterfall is also located on Don Khon, which you should definitely have visited during your trip in Laos.
Furthermore, you can do tubing and kayaking in Don Det, but so it is mainly recommended to go here to really have total relaxation. To end your itinerary Laos in 3 weeks this way is fantastic.
Accommodation in Don Det: Because Don Det is still such a relaxed island, few accommodations can be found online. You can easily stop by the accommodations on Don Det on spec and see where you want to sleep. In general, you pay between 70,000 and 150,000 kip (ā¬3.50 – ā¬7.50) for a simple bungalow with a fan.
Would you still prefer to reserve something in advance? We ourselves slept at Mama Leurth’s and liked it very much. It is located in the “center” on the north side of Don Det and has air conditioning as one of the few accommodations in Don Det. In the hot season, this is no luxury.
Travel itinerary Laos 2 weeks
Of course, it is also possible to travel shorter in Laos. In that case, we recommend visiting only northern Laos (up to and including Vang Vieng). The distances are too great to combine North and South Laos in 2 weeks. In addition, the best activities can be found in Northern Laos and you can also have a fantastic trip here.
Travel itinerary Laos 4 weeks
Instead, do you have a little more time? That, of course, is always nice. We then recommend planning one or two additional days in Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw and Vang Vieng for each destination. This also allows you to relax a bit more instead of being busy with activities every day. As far as we are concerned, a 4-week Laos itinerary is perfect if you want to combine North and South Laos.
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