Day 1: Luang Prabang arrival (-/-/D)

Luang Prabang – Airport: 5km, ~11min drive

Upon arrival at Luang Prabang airport, you will be met and transferred to hotel by our guide and driver. After making sure of your successful hotel check-in, they will be pleased to leave you free time for your own lunch and leisure to recover after the long flight.

This afternoon, our guide will take you through the town for a brief orientation tour for a taste of the unique atmosphere of this UNESCO-listed town. Wedged between the mighty Mekong River and its tributary, the Nam Khan, Luang Prabang is a beautiful blend of French colonial buildings and Lao architecture. Stop to join in a game of petanque with the friendly locals. This is the perfect way to interact with Lao people, gaining an insight in to their lifestyle, which mixes ancient traditions with colonial influences. It is also a good opportunity to try sample Beerlao (for the adults!) and local snacks. Finish the half-day tour by climbing the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. Stop at the evening hill tribe market. Enjoy dinner at Coconut Garden. This is a great introduction to Lao food which also caters for western tastes and children.

Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Day 2: Luang Prabang City – Cooking Class (B/L/D)

For early risers, there is a very special dawn visit to watch the monks collecting the alms. As the sun begins to rise, long lines of orange-robed monks leave their pagodas and walk barefoot down the streets collecting offerings from Luang Prabang residents. It is a beautiful, serene ceremony that highlights the spiritualism of the Laos people. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

We then transfer to the historical old town of central Luang Prabang where your tour begins at the fresh market. Accompanied by your guide, walk through the rows of stalls looking at what is on sale.  The locals come here every day to shop for vegetables, fruits and other exotic specialties and delicacies. The market is adjacent to the National Museum, your next stop.  Once the Royal Palace of Laos, the National Museum is filled with art, artifacts, and jewels and a visit examines the history and rich culture of the country. After this, continue your tour of Luang Prabang by visiting some of the city’s most important temples. Start at Wat Visoun, where you will see the famous Watermelon Stupa, shaped like the fruit from which it takes its name. This temple was destroyed in 1887 by the invading Black Flags from China, and was restored in 1930 by Buddhist monks and local people. We will also visit Wat Aham where you will see the altar of the 2 guardian spirits of Luang Prabang. Enjoy lunch in town at Tamarind restaurant where you will have a chance to sample unusual local specialties not available back home (Note: closed on Sundays). This afternoon head to Ock Pop Tok to discover more about textiles in Laos- including their history, production, and cultural significance. Take a break at TAEC Café, located inside the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center (TAEC), and sip an iced coffee.  Then, take a tour of TAEC, a museum dedicated to exploring the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities. Traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts are on display alongside in-depth descriptions and written histories.  It is a great opportunity to gain insight in to the Lao people. Late this afternoon, experience the wonderful flavors of Lao cuisine with a Lao cooking class.  Led by Chef Mr. Chantanong from The Residence Phou Vao, the cooking course is a fun, hands-on way to learn about the ingredients involved and techniques used to create the local cuisine. The cooking class can be organized in the main kitchen or outside, in front of the pool, overlooking the Phousi mountain. At the end of the course, sit down to enjoy a delicious dinner which you have helped prepare.  Participants will also receive a book of Lao recipes and a certificate from the chef.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Day 3: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Caves (B/L/-)

This morning after breakfast at hotel, we venture to Luang Prabang’s peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers merge.  The beautiful Wat Xieng Thong is located here and a visit to the temple unveils golden gates, ornaments, and colorful murals. You will then board a traditional wooden boat, Nava Mekong, for a relaxing cruise on the mighty Mekong River. Enjoy stunning mountain scenery and witness the simple rural lifestyles which rely on the river as you make your way upstream for 1.5 – 2 hours. Located upstream from Luang Prabang, Pak Ou Caves, locally called Tam Ting, contains thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues crammed into two caves carved out of a towering limestone cliff. The statues range in size from a few centimeters tall to the size of a human, and the view from the mouth of the cave provides sweeping views of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. The caves are also a destination for local pilgrimages, especially during the Lao New Year period of Pii Mai. The boat continues cruising in the vicinity of the caves and will moor during lunch time at the foot of beautiful limestone cliffs. A selection of typical Lao dishes will be served onboard before you cruise back downstream. The remainder of the day is at your leisure for relaxing in this charming city.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Day 4: Luang Prabang – Flight to Vientiane (B/-/-)

Luang Prabang – Vientiane: 340km, 45min flight

After breakfast at hotel, time is free until our driver meet and transfer you to airport for flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival, our guide will meet and escort you to hotel. This afternoon, we visit the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting a much overlooked aspect of Laos and a major problem many of the local people face on a day to day basis in the form of unexploded ordnance as a result of heavy bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War era.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane

Day 5: Vientiane (B/L/D)

After breakfast at hotel, we start this morning with a visit to That Luang, the holiest site in Laos. Constructed by King Setthethirat in the 16th century, the temple is resplendent as the sun is shines upon its towering golden spire. Then, enjoy a panoramic view over the city as you climb the stairs to the top of Patuxai, Vientiane’s own “Arc de Triomphe”. Continue down Lane Xang Avenue to the serene Wat Sisaket, the only temple left intact after the Siamese (Thai) invasion in 1828. It is one of the most beautiful temples in the capital, and its breezy teak covered hallways are filled with thousands of miniature Buddha statues.  Continue on to the nearby Wat Phra Keo. Used as a religious museum, Wat Phra Keo displays a collection of both Lao and Khmer works of art. Enjoy lunch at l’adresse de Tinay, a French style bistro run and managed by French expatriates.  The food is delicious “home style” French cuisine with just the right twist to turn each dish into a feast for the eyes! (Note: closed on Sundays). The afternoon is free for you to enjoy shopping, more sightseeing, or a spa treatment.

For your final evening in Laos, you will have the unique opportunity to experience one of Laos’ oldest traditions: The Baci.  The purpose of the Baci, which is a mix of Animist and Buddhist beliefs, is to call back escaped spirits to the body. This is something that is very important before major events such as weddings, births, travel, welcoming friends and farewells. Continue to Makphet Restaurant for a delicious dinner of modern Lao cuisines.  Makphet is a charity-run restaurant that supports street children by providing them training and a job at the vocational restaurant.  The food served is delicious, made from fresh ingredients, and prepared in a kitchen which meets the highest international standards of hygiene

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane

Day 6: Vientiane – Departure (B/-/-)

Vientiane – Airport : 12km, 30min drive

Breakfast is served at hotel. Depending on your departing flight you may have time at leisure before your transfer to the airport for departure. End of our services.

Meals Included: Breakfast