10 DAY NORTHERN LAOS TOURS

Upon arrival at Vientiane airport, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel for the check in.

Next day: Pick up for Vientiane city tour, we visit religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have been survived from the Siamese war of 1828 and its cloister contains more than 8000 Buddha statues; Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home-temple of the Emerald Buddha statue or Pra Keo, but today it contains a collection of Buddha statues, antiques and all artifacts found in around Vientiane; That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos, which was built to cover the original small stupa containing a piece of the chest bone of Buddha; Patouxay (Arch de Triumph), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars in the past and it is today as the land-mark of Vientiane

Following Northern Laos tours, After breakfast, transfer to Wattay airport for departure by QV flight to Luang Nam Tha, a land of rugged mountains, pristine forests, and rich river plains with over 20 ethnic groups, make it the most ethnically diverse province in Laos. Upon arrival at LuangNatha Airport, your guide will accompany you to your hotel. In the afternoon you start visiting without delay Luang Nam Tha provincial museum, drive outskirt of town to visit Ban Nam Leu, a small village of Lane Tane hill tribe and also visit Ban ThongchaiNeua, a silk-weaving village of Tai Dam. Overnight in Luang Nam Tha

Following breakfast, we head north by car about 2-3 hours to Muang sing, a small town near Laos-China border where there are more hill tribes to be seen. There are lots of interesting villages of various ethnic groups such as Hmong, Aka…that you may visit. Check in at a good guest house and enjoy lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, you continue to drive to near China border area and visit villages of Ikor or Aka ethnic group as well as a village of Yao hill tribe where you will learn more traditional way of rural life with their fascinating culture of these people. Dinner is at a local restaurant or guest house

An optional early start will give you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique to Laos, it being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the ritual.

Following your trip, you will depart to the boat landing for an excursion upstream on the Mekong to visit Pak Ou Cave, which is in the side of a lime stone cliff and opposite the mouths of the Mekong and Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimeters to two meters in height.

En route, Lao typical villages are barely visible behind a screen of foliage, yet you will see slender canoes bobbing by the shore, as well as bamboo poles and floats marking the location of nets and fish traps. Your first stop will be at Ban Muangkeo, where traditional rice whisky (called “Laoh-Khao”) is distilled, and you are welcome to taste it and also take some away! Lunch will be at a riverside restaurant. You will drive back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and continue by car to the outskirts of town to visit Ban Xangkhong, a well-known village for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weavings with natural dyes. You will stay overnight in Luang Prabang

Early morning visit Muangsing morning market, where there are lots of Aka people, who bring their forestry products to sell and also buy their necessary goods back home. Breakfast at local restaurant, it’s time to say good bye to Muangsing, and drive back to Luang Nam Tha and you continue about 4 hours drive to Oudomxay, a good stop off point N or S surrounded by hills, linking China, Vietnam, Luang Prabang and Pakbeng, even it was razed during the war. There are also more villages of ethnic groups such as Hmong, Khmu that you may stop and visit along the way. There are a few good local restaurants where we can take a good simply lunch along the way. Arrive in Oudomxay, check in at a good guest house and relax after a long day drive

After breakfast, it is also interesting visit the morning market in town, where some Hmong hill tribe people come to sell and buy things there, before we head south by car about 4 hours to Luang Prabang, the ancient first capital of Lane Xang kingdom, the center of religious life in Laos and today the World Heritage City. You also stop to relax and have a lunch at local restaurant. You en route stop to at Ban Pak Ou, a village opposite of Pak Ou cave in the side of a lime stone cliff and opposite of the mouth of the Mekong and Nam Ou rivers. The sanctuaries at Pak Ou consist of two large caves, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images, which range from mere centimeter to two meters in height. We cross the Mekong by small ferry boat to visit Pak Ou cave, and we cross back to Ban Pak Ou to continue our way to Luang Prabang. This afternoon is spent free for own experience of this charming town with kind people

Sightseeing tour of the sacred city of temples, of which nearly fifty still remain in the town and surrounding areas. visit the National Museum, the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables including the famous Prabang Buddha statue, gifts received from foreign dignitaries…etc…; Visit Wat Visoun, the 16th century temple served as a small museum for religious artifacts; Wat Aham, the early 19th century temple, whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps which represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa; drive outskirts of town to visit Ban Xangkhong, the well-known village for its wood papers and also Lao silk weavings with natural dyes.

In the afternoon, we continue to visit Wat Xiengthong, the 16th century temple, which more than any temples in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture, Hmong market in town, where some of Hmong ladies still show their skilled embroidery works, climb Phousi Hill, the 328 steps leads to the summit of Phousi Hill that dominates the sky-line of Luang Prabang overlooking the finest panoramic view in the whole Luang Prabang and watch sunset over the hill at Wat Phabat Tai on the bank of the Mekong river

After breakfast, we take a drive (30 km South) to visit Kuangsi Waterfall, this tour is almost includes any of our Laos tours, which, though not very high, is spectacular and really beautiful with its green surroundings as the preserved National park. You visit a fresh produced market namely Talad Phosy, where most of your food come from and also visit Ban Na Oune, a small village of Hmong hill-tribe group. Just before arriving at Kuangsi waterfall, there is another village of Khmu minority group, Ban Tha Pane that you can visit. Your picnic lunch is served at the shady park nearby Kuangsi waterfall. There is plenty of time for relaxing and swimming in cool water if you like, before you head back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. The rest of the day is spent free for independent exploration on this ancient town

Free day until our driver transfer you to the airport for departure flight, end of the trip.