Luang Prabang is definitely the place you should go to if you want to escape from a modern and busy world.
Introducing Luang Prabang, Laos
Luang Prabang is the place that I like the most in Southeast Asia. Even the delayed flight from Kuala Lumpur didn't make me at all disappointed. What a great start to my travels!
Luang Prabang is a charming city: a few days wandering about the town and I felt part of it. It's definitely an underrated place! I liked every part of the town too, especially the town centre because the traffic is not heavy and stops in the evening when the large street market begins. It is a great place to visit for a short or even for a longer period. Use your time to explore and to enjoy the colourful culture, friendly people, nature, and cultural heritage - both architectural and religious. You can incorporate these into your Luang Prabang itinerary.
We had a great time here. We explored from one temple to another, from village to village, and just as important from cafe to restaurant. One of most pleasurable things in visiting Luang Prabang is that you can easily reach the attractions on foot. We do like do things slowly! You can take your own time to wander around and observe the way Lao people live, work and preserve its culture. If you like hiking and trekking in lush woodlands, these are located just outside of the town. Here are the best things you may like to do in Luang Prabang.
Things to Do
Main Activities
Just strolling around the town is the most leisurely thing to do in Luang Prabang. However, there are plenty of other great things to see from colourful temples to interesting villages. Here is my selection of some of the best.
Tour Wat Xieng Thong
Wat Xieng Thong is a well known temple and one of the most beautiful temples in Luang Prabang. It is richly decorated with elaborate mosaic patterns, wall carvings and wall paintings. The temple was built in the 1500s and is the perfect spot to park yourself in some shade and discreetly monk-watch.
The exterior and interior are decorated with intricate gold stencilling on black lacquer. The temple still remains active and is an important place for gatherings of annual festivals in Luang Prabang. Don't forget to see the Chapel of the Standing Buddha, Chapelle Rouge and the Chariot Hall which are all located within the temple area.
Spend at least one to 1.5 hours to see the best of the temple.
Tips | Visit the temple early in the morning before other tourists join you or a few hours before the temple closes. Make sure to dress modestly to respect the religious place.
Address | Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8am to 5pm, daily / Admission | 20,000 kip
More reading // Guide to visit temples in Luang Prabang
Tour Vat Mai Souvannapoumaram
Wat Mai is one of the most splendid temples in the city with its 4-tiered roof in typical Luang Prabang architectural style. Located inside the temple is a beautiful emerald Buddha statue. The temple walls and ceiling are beautifully made and designed, especially the wall carvings of the main entrance. Wat Mai was built in 1796 and the restoration was undertaken in 1821. The unusually roofed front verandah features detailed golden reliefs depicting scenes from village life and the legend of Vessantara on the bas-relief walls. It is home to the Sangharat, the head of Lao Buddhism. Many monks live within this temple complex in traditional housing.
Spend at least one to 1.5 hours to see the best of the temple.
Address | Thanon Sisavangvong, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8am to 5pm daily / Admission | 10,000 kip
Visit Royal Palace Museum
The Royal Palace is designed in a wonderful and exuberant Lao traditional culture style. It was the residence of King Sisavang Vong and his family during the French colonial era. Here you are able to see the exhibits of religious objects, weapons, statues, screens, paintings and history, even the crown jewels of Laos and also the history of past and present day Laos. The Royal Palace Museums is surrounded by a spacious and well-tended garden. Entry to the Royal Palace grounds is free.
Spend at least one to 1.5 hours to see the best of the museum.
Address | 27 Ounheun Road, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8.0am to 11.30am and 1.00pm to 3.30pm / Admission | 30,000 kip
Climb the 328 steps of Mount Phousi
Dare you climb the 328 steps? It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Phousi. Walk slowly to enjoy the stunning views and the surrounding areas. This is a perfect place to see the sunrise or sunset over the Mekong River. Once you reach the top of the hill, you can enjoy the 360° spectacular panoramic views over the whole of the city and surrounding landscapes to the mountains and its temples. At the summit of the hill are Wat Chom Si, a gilded Buddhist stupa, and Wat Tham Phou Si, a temple overlooking the Nam Khan river.
Spend at least 2 hours to see the best of this place and in addition to the views there are a few temples that you can visit from, at and down the mountain.
Tip / One of the good places to see sunrise and sunset in Luang Prabang. Usually the summit is crowded with sunrise/sunset lovers.
Location | Mount Phounsi, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 5.30am to 6.30pm, daily / Admission | 20,000 kip
Buy and eat at Luang Prabang night market
Luang Prabang night market is the largest handicraft market in Laos. Here is where the locals and tourists come together to shop and eat all in one place. Explore the market from one end to the other to see excellent local arts and crafts. Every evening, Sisavangvong Road towards Settathilat Road is closed for this amazing market place. Hill-tribe traders and local vendors emerge selling handmade clothes, ceramics, bamboo handicrafts, lighting, blankets, jewellery, wood carvings and silk scarves. It is also a wonderful place to take photographs as the streets are alive with colours and people.
Tips / Haggle politely to get the best price of items that you want. You can avoid the crowds by getting there early.
Address Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours Daily from 5pm to 11pm / Admission | Free
Marvel in Wat Manorom
Wat Monorom has a most attractive sim and is said to be one of the oldest temples in Luang Prabang. The temple still plays a significant role in the Lao community in the town. Inside the sim you will find a Buddha image which is made of bronze and originally cast in 1372. The present sim was remade in 1972 and is one of the tallest sims in Luang Prabang. The grounds of an earlier wat, Xieng Kang, are behind the sim. Getting to the wat is an adventure in itself as you have to walk through twisting streets to get to the main courtyard but it is more than worth the effort.
Location | Wat Manorom is just southwest of the town centre, next to the Ban Lao hotel / Hours | 8am to 5pm, daily / Admission | Free
Cross the Bamboo Bridge
This is one of the bamboo bridges that you can cross in the city. Crossing the bridge gets you to another area and a local village. No time spent in Luang Prabang would be complete without crossing one of them. This is a fun thing to do and you can feel the excitement crossing the river and walking on the bamboo bridge. The bridge is only passable in the dry season and is dismantled during the rainy season and then rebuilt again after the rainy season each year.
Location | Bamboo Bridge over Nam Khan river, Kingkitsarath Road, Luang Prabang Laos / Hours | Early morning and late evening / Admission | 10,000 kip
Buy and eat at morning market
Wake up early for a true local experience and head to the morning market. The morning market is relaxed and moves at a slow pace; you can explore from one stall to another one. Here you will see locals or tourists shopping around. You encounter many things from live fish and insects to authentic local food and wild jungle ingredients and common everyday vegetables. This creates the perfect environment for the hungry and curious traveller like myself.
Location | Just behind Tourism Information Centre / Hours | 5am to 11pm, daily / Admission | Free
Wandering through the city on foot
Luang Prabang is a perfect place to wander around on foot because you can visit each of the temples or just to enjoy the beauty of the city. You really need to spend some time exploring the surroundings to enjoy the eclectic mix of local and French colonial architecture, to see Buddhist monks receiving alms, and to visit the night market. There’s something to discover down every lane, and the hills around the town will leave you in wonder.
Enjoy the stunning views from Wat Chomphet
Climb the 123 steep steps to find the simple Wat Chompet built in 1888. It is set on the peak of Phouphet Hill. Wat Chomphet is definitely worth crossing the river for. Once you get to the top of the hill, you can enjoy the best views of the town and across the Mekong River. This peaceful temple is noteworthy for its magnificent red ceiling covered with a myriad of gold stencilled bees, butterflies, peacocks and strange mythical creatures.
Location | Xieng Man district, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8am to 5pm, daily / Admission | 10,000 kip
Explore Wat Long Khoun
Wat Long Khoun has a long history connected to the Luang Prabang royal family. It is also known as the Monastery of the Happy. The temple once served as a sanctuary for those seeking spiritual awareness. It was built in the 18th century and is located on the west bank of the Mekong River. The walls inside the sim are painted with elaborate murals of the Buddha's life. It has attractive gilded lotus-capped columns and a nicely carved wooden pediment with floral spirals and graceful figures with pointed tiaras.
Location | Xiang Men district, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8am to 5pm, daily / Admission | 10,000 kip
Cross the Mighty Mekong River
Luang Prabang lies alongside the mighty Mekong River. One of the best things to do here is to cross the river by boat and to visit Chomphet village. As you speed along this famous waterway you can enjoy the sight of local villages and see fishermen as they haul in the day’s catch, not to forget the stunning views of the different layers of hills.
Location | Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 6am to 8pm for the ferry and you can also crossing the river until 10.00 pm by boat / Admission | Ferry tickets is 2,000 kip/person, 5,000/person with bicycle, 10,000 kip/person with a motorbike and boat ticket is 5,000 kip/person
Walking around and experiencing culture in Chomphet
It's a short ferry or boat ride across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Chompet. Here you can see and observe something different from the city where you can see the village people cooking on open fires outside their houses, roosters running around and children playing in the forest. When you walk in Chompet area you walk through beautiful scenic settings, untouched woodland, and beautiful ancient temples. If you have time and energy you can head to the waterfall. If you like to walk, there are trekking trails for you to follow.
Spend at least up to 3 hours to see the best of the village; there are plenty of things to do and see here too.
Tip / You might want to put on sunscreen and mosquito repellent before leaving your hotel room.
Location | Chompet District, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | Open year round / Admission | Free of charge
More reading // Guide to visit Chompet village
Get into cave temple, Wat Tham Sakkarin
Wat Tham Sakkarin can be found a short walk from Wat Long Khoun. This abandoned limestone temple cave was founded in 1889. A young monk will guide you to this cave and the guide's cost is included in your ticket. The wat is a large limestone cave which stretches for around 100 metres and inside has some Buddha statues. It was used by the royal family for meditation. Interestingly, on top of the entrance you can see two rock carvings that welcome you into the cave.
Location | Xiang Men district, Luang Prabang, Laos / Hours | 8am to 5pm, daily / Admission | 5,000 kip
More reading // 3-days Luang Prabang Itinerary
Other Activities
Here I suggest a few other activities you can do while you are in Luang Prabang, especially if you have some extra days. Or maybe you can squeeze one or two of them into your existing itinerary. Some of them can be enjoyed while you are walking from one place to another.
Cooking class. If you’re going to take a cooking class, Luang Prabang is the place to do it. You can take some recipes home to cook it in exactly the same way or reinvent the recipes.
Trekking. Trekking is one of the most popular things to do in Luang Prabang’s countryside. The nearest place for trekking is Chompet District, just across the town by boat. The trails are suited to all fitness levels and offer spectacular views.
Places to eat
There are plenty of places to eat in Luang Prabang. We had lunch or dinner at the following restaurants and cafes and can recommend them.
Bamboo Tree and Vatsene Restaurant. Serves authentic Lao food. Make sure to try their 'Our Lao Discovering Sets'. The set was absolutely delicious and it came with different food items in it.
Tamnaklao Restaurant. This restaurant besides being located in a beautiful renovated old maison in Luang Prabang offers great local food. Orlarm and tom chaeow pa are recommended here.
Le Banneton Cafe French Bakery. This cafe has a good range of delightful French style food and pastries, ice-cream and great coffee. Try their baguettes and pancakes. One of the top places to eat and drink in Luang Prabang.
Cafe Croissant d'or. Another French style cafe located not far from the Night Market. A good stop for hot chocolate and trying different types of cakes and pastries.
Novelty Cafe. A good stop for coffee and cake after a long stroll in the city.
Night Market Buffet. The food is cheap and yet delicious. A vegetarian buffet is around 20 kip or 30 kip for a whole fresh fish and pork ribs.
Place to stay
We stayed at the Sanakeo Boutique Hotel & Spa. We had a deluxe room with a balcony looking towards the garden. It was a quiet room. The room was cosy and clean. We had a great breakfast here too, especially the homemade yoghurt. It is located 20 to 30 minutes walk to the town centre or you may want to use the free shuttle. To find more hotels just check booking.com or Airbnb to find places to stay in the town.
Tips / If you don't like to walk a bit further there are plenty of hotels located in the city centre from budget to star hotels. The good thing about staying in the town centre is that you can reach places of visit easily on foot.
Getting to Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is well connected via air and land transportations. There are flights direct to Luang Prabang International Airport from Hanoi, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Kunming, Chongqing, Kumamoto and Singapore or you can take a domestic flight from Vientiane or Xieng Khoung. We flew directly with AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Luang Prabang. This direct service is no longer available. Alternatively you could fly from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok or other ASEAN cities that connect directly to Luang Prabang.
Best time to visit Luang Prabang
The best time to visit Luang Prabang is during the dry season from October to April. The weather is more comfortably dry and cool. Due to the advantage of weather, it can also get somewhat crowded, particularly in January and during the time of festivals.
How long to spend in Luang Prabang
I suggest the minimum stay in Luang Prabang is three full days. There are so many things to do and see in the city. If you have an extra day, do go beyond the city centre because you can't afford to miss the villages in their natural landscape. Luang Prabang is a laidback city, and it's the perfect place to slow down and to enjoy all it has to offer. The number of days you stay depends on your travel plans, travel budget and things you want to see.
Concluding remarks on Luang Prabang trip
Luang Prabang is one of the best cities in Southeast Asia and I rate it as my #1 destination. I couldn't get enough of exploring the heritage, colourful culture, mix of French and Lao architecture and lush nature and just strolling in the city and nearby areas. And of course don't forget the amazing markets where you can experience local foods and buy their handicrafts. We shall definitely be back to explore this fascinating city and other nearby places.
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