Ten days in Laos is enough time to see all the highlights: experience the slow boat, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. But be warned, this will be the most jam-packed ten days of travel! This itinerary will start in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and take you via slow boat into Laos, ending in the capital of Vientiane. It can easily be done in the reverse, though. Do you have less than ten days in Laos? Check out my seven-day itinerary here. Do you have more than ten days to explore more highlights of Laos? Read my two-week or twenty-day itineraries. Want to see even more of Laos? Consider adding Huay Xai for the gibbon experience, Phonsavan for the Plain of Jars and/or Don Det for the 1000 islands to your itinerary.
Day 1: Slow Boat
Start your day with an early morning border crossing from Chiang Rai, Thailand, to Huay Xai, Laos. Highly recommend paying extra to do this with an agency, as it means you will guaranteed not to miss the slowboat. You can read my full experience here. The slow boat is one of the highlights of Laos!
After a hectic early morning, make sure you grab some cash out from an ATM, buy a sim card and buy some snacks for day 1 on the boat.
Spend the afternoon relaxing on the slow boat, either listening to podcasts, chatting with other backpackers, or just taking in the scenery of the Mekong Delta. Even if you purchased a sim card, you wouldn’t have service until you get to Pak Beng in the evening, so enjoy the day being disconnected.
Arrive in Pakbeng for the evening and head straight to Sabaidee Restaurant for dinner and drinks with your new friends from the slow boat. After dinner, grab an early night before another long day on the boat.
Day 2: Slow Boat
Wake up and make sure you head down to the boat early to get a seat with a table. On your way to the boat, grab a packed lunch from one of the shops as well as more snacks and drinks for the journey. The second day is the longest day on the boat.
Spend the day playing cards with other travellers, reading and taking in the scenery. If you have a Lao sim card for the last two hours of the boat ride, you will have some phone service, but it may drop in and out. But these are also some of the best times on the boat for the view and to experience a sunset on the Mekong Delta.
Arriving at a port outside of Luang Prabang around 6 pm, you’ll have to jump in a shared transfer (Songthaew) to your hostel. Hit the ground running and head to the Luang Prabang Night Market for dinner and a few drinks (maybe in the form of a beer tower). Afterwards, head back to your hostel or one of the nearby bars for a few drinks before experiencing the highlight of Laos nightlife: the Bowling Alley.
Day 3: Luang Prabang
Grab breakfast at Zurich Bread Factory before a big day exploring the city. Spend the afternoon walking around the city, admiring the architecture and temples on every corner. Make sure you explore key sights such as the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong and Heuan Chan Heritage House.
In the afternoon, head to the UXO Museum in the afternoon to learn about the history of unexploded bombs in Laos and the ongoing effects on the Lao people. In the late afternoon, begin a hike up to Mt Phousi to watch the sunset over Luang Prabang.
After a big afternoon of walking, treat yourself to some Italian cuisine at La Silapa. If you fancy another night out, head to the most bizarre drinking establishment in Luang Prabang again (yes, I’m talking about the bowling alley).
Day 4: Luang Prabang
Wake up and grab a smoothie bowl and coffee from Two Little Birds Cafe before a day of chasing waterfalls and bear spotting. After breakfast/brunch, hire a Songthaew or taxi for the day to take you to Kuang Si Waterfalls.
Spend the afternoon exploring the different levels of the falls, swimming in some of the bluest waters I’ve seen and admiring the views. Make sure you spend some time at the Kuang Si Rescue Bear Centre (free to visit) to learn about bear rescue in Southeast Asia and watch some of the rescued bears playing.
After a Songthaew ride back into the city, freshen up and grab some dinner at the local Night Market. Make sure you grab an early night tonight before a big day of cooking tomorrow.
Day 5: Luang Prabang
Make your way to Tamarind Restaurant for a morning market tour and then participate in the best cooking class in Laos. Don’t worry too much about getting breakfast beforehand; you can grab a light breakfast and coffee/tea/juice at the market. And anyway, you’ll want a mostly empty stomach to consume all the food you’ll cook.
The day starts with a local market tour to pick up ingredients, where the cooking class teacher will explain more about life in Laos. Afterwards, you’ll head to her home in the countryside where the class will begin. Spend the afternoon cooking several Lao cuisines and eating them together at the end. At the end of the tour, you’ll be dropped back at your hostel at around 3-4 pm.
Given how much food you make on the tour and how late you eat, you may not need dinner. If you do still feel peckish, head to the night market for a snack. Afterwards, do some shopping for clothes and souvenirs. Make sure you have another early night tonight before a sunrise wake-up tomorrow.
Day 6: Luang Prabang- Vang Vieng
Wake up before sunrise and make your way into the city centre to participate in an important cultural ceremony in Luang Prabang. The giving of alms to monks is a ritual participated in by locals and tourists alike and is done every day at sunrise.
After the ceremony has concluded, grab breakfast at one of the nearby bakeries, such as Zurich Bread Factory, then head back to your hostel to board the shared van transfer to your next destination: Vang Vieng.
Arrive in Vang Vieng in time for a late dinner at Green Restaurant. If you’re not too tired from the long travel day, head to Gary’s Bar for some drinks. Otherwise, get a good night’s sleep before a boozy first full day in Vang Vieng tomorrow.
Day 7: Vang Vieng
Grab breakfast at your hostel and get ready for an afternoon doing the number one highlight in Vang Vieng, Laos. That’s right, it’s Tipsy Tubing.
Spend the afternoon drinking, floating down the river on inflatable tubes, enjoying the stunning scenery, singing karaoke at riverside bars and making new friends.
After an amazing day, head to Gary’s Bar for a roast dinner (to soak up some of the alcohol) before drinking and dancing more at Gary’s.
Day 8: Vang Vieng
Wake up (maybe slightly hungover) and enjoy a leisurely brunch at Naked Espresso. After you’ve soaked up more of the alcohol with smashed avo on toast, rent a Songthaew to explore the famous blue lagoons.
Start the afternoon off visiting Blue Lagoon 2, which is perfect for sunbaking, swimming and jumping off platforms. Afterwards, head to Blue Lagoon 3 for rope swings, exploring caves and floating around on tubes. Finish the day off with Blue Lagoon 6, which is a tranquil, quiet swimming spot. Grab some local food at the restaurant at Blue Lagoon 6 before a big hike.
In the later afternoon, stop off at Nam Xay Viewpoint for a hike and to get the iconic Instagram photo with the bike on the cliffs. Make sure you allow enough daylight hours to complete this hike, as it can be dangerous coming down at night.
Get an early night’s sleep tomorrow before a pre-sunrise wakeup the next day.
Day 9: Vang Vieng- Vientiane
Wake up while it’s still dark and prepare for one of the highlights of Laos: watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon. Spend the early morning up in a hot air balloon, enjoying the stunning scenery of Vang Vieng. After you get back from the hot air ballooning, grab a leisurely breakfast at your hostel.
Arrive in the capital of Vientiane at around midday and hit the ground running with some sightseeing. Start by visiting Wat Sisaket right in the city centre, and then visit the nearby and just as impressive Wat Si Muang.
Afterwards, walk along the main road to the Patuxay Monument, also known as the Laotian Arc De Triomphe. Wander through the surrounding parks and then climb to the top of the monument for impressive views of Vientiane city.
Afterwards, head to your last stop of the day, the large and impressive temple Pha That Luang. Then, grab dinner at the night market before heading to Tully’s Irish Bar for a few casual drinks.
Day 10: Vientiane
Wake up and head to one of the best brunch spots in Vientiane: Common Grounds Cafe. Enjoy a lush brunch before a big day of history and sightseeing. Depending on what time you depart Vientiane, you may have to cut this day short or sightsee at a very fast pace. Ideally, departing in the late afternoon or evening will give you enough time to enjoy Vientiane properly!
Just across the road from Common Grounds is the UXO Museum, a harrowing and educative museum on the history of unexploded bombs in Laos. Make sure you watch the documentary in the upstairs area to hear real-life interviews with those affected by unexploded ordinance. Afterwards, head to the COPE Centre (this is one of my personal highlights in Laos). Here, you can learn more about prosthetic limbs and how Laos as a country is recovering from the effects of unexploded bombs.
In the late afternoon, hire a Tuk Tuk to take you to the famous Buddha Park just out of town. Explore the garden and the many impressive different versions of Buddha statues in various sizes and poses.
Afterwards, head back to the night market for a bit of shopping and to try more local street foods.
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