Quick answer
A private 7-day trip through Laos covering Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane costs from US$980 per person (2 travellers sharing, 4★ hotels, international flights excluded). Ten days, adding Pakse, the Bolaven Plateau and the 4,000 Islands in the south, start from US$1,400 per person. Both come with a private car and driver and a private guide in your language (Laos & Cambodia subject to availability), and both are run by Metta Voyage, an Asian DMC with its head office in Hanoi, operating in Laos through hand-picked local partner teams. The final price is confirmed in a tailor-made quote once you approve the programme.
from US$980 per person for 7 days and US$1,400 for 10 days, 2 travellers sharing, 4★ hotels, international flights not included; final price confirmed in your tailor-made quote
Updated 28 October 2026
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From (per person): US$980 · from US$980 per person for 7 days and US$1,400 for 10 days, 2 travellers sharing, 4★ hotels, international flights not included; final price confirmed in your tailor-made quote
| Day | Place | Programme | Hotel (category) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luang Prabang | Arrival, first walk through the UNESCO-listed old town, Wat Xieng Thong, sunset from Mount Phousi | 4★ |
| 2 | Luang Prabang | Optional dawn alms-giving (tak bat), observed from a respectful distance; morning market, Royal Palace Museum, Mekong boat to the Pak Ou Caves | 4★ |
| 3 | Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Falls, weaving and paper-making villages along the Nam Khan, evening night market | 4★ (5★ upgrade available) |
| 4 | Vang Vieng | Express train to Vang Vieng (about 1 hour), karst scenery along the Nam Song, caves and lagoons | 4★ |
| 5 | Vientiane | Morning at leisure by the river or a short hike to a viewpoint; afternoon train to Vientiane (about 1 hour) | 4★ |
| 6 | Vientiane | Pha That Luang, Patuxai, Wat Sisaket, Ho Phra Keo, COPE Visitor Centre, Mekong riverside at sunset | 4★ |
| 7 | Vientiane | Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), transfer to Wattay airport | — |
Sample programme at our indicative 4★ rate (US$140 per person per day); every day can be reordered and the route also runs in reverse, starting in Vientiane.
From (per person): US$1,400 · from US$980 per person for 7 days and US$1,400 for 10 days, 2 travellers sharing, 4★ hotels, international flights not included; final price confirmed in your tailor-made quote
| Day | Place | Programme | Hotel (category) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luang Prabang | Arrival, old town, Wat Xieng Thong, sunset from Mount Phousi | 4★ |
| 2 | Luang Prabang | Optional dawn alms-giving, Royal Palace Museum, Mekong boat to the Pak Ou Caves and Ban Xang Hai village | 4★ |
| 3 | Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Falls, craft villages along the Nam Khan, night market | 4★ (5★ upgrade available) |
| 4 | Vang Vieng | Express train (about 1 hour), Nam Song river, caves and lagoons among the karst peaks | 4★ |
| 5 | Vientiane | Express train (about 1 hour); Pha That Luang, Patuxai, Wat Sisaket, COPE Visitor Centre | 4★ |
| 6 | Pakse / Bolaven Plateau | Morning flight to Pakse; Tad Fane and Tad Yuang waterfalls, coffee plantation visit on the Bolaven Plateau | 4★ |
| 7 | Champasak | Wat Phou, the UNESCO-listed pre-Angkorian temple, Mekong views and a quiet riverside evening | lodge |
| 8 | Si Phan Don | Boat to Don Khong and Don Khone, French-era railway bridge, Li Phi (Somphamit) falls, Irrawaddy dolphin watching from Ban Hang Khone (sightings not guaranteed) | lodge |
| 9 | Si Phan Don / Pakse | Cycling among the rice fields of Don Khone, Khone Phapheng Falls, return to Pakse | 4★ |
| 10 | Pakse | Transfer to Pakse airport (connections to Vientiane, Bangkok or Siem Reap) | — |
Sample programme priced from our 10-day Laos On A Glance tour; it runs in either direction (south first if you arrive via Bangkok or Siem Reap) and the pace can be slowed with an extra night in Luang Prabang or on Don Khone.
| Tour | Days | From (per person) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Classic Laos Tour The shortest classic combination of Luang Prabang and Vientiane. | 5 | US$700 |
| Luang Prabang and Vientiane in 6 Days: Two Capitals by Express Train Two capitals linked by the express train, with Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si included. | 6 | US$730 |
| Epic Luang Prabang Inside Tour: 7 Days of Culture & Adventure A full week based in Luang Prabang for travellers who prefer to unpack once. | 7 | US$1,014 |
| Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi: Nam Ou Valley in 7 Days Seven days in the north with the Nam Ou valley, Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi. | 7 | US$1,030 |
| Luang Prabang and Southern Laos in 8 Days: Temples, Coffee Hills and River Islands North and south in eight days: temples, coffee hills and river islands. | 8 | US$1,100 |
| Laos On A Glance 10 Days The reference tour for our 10-day itinerary below, north and south in one trip. | 10 | US$1,400 |
| Southern Laos in 5 Days: Bolaven Plateau, Wat Phou and the 4,000 Islands Southern Laos only: a 5-day add-on from Pakse if you already know the north. | 5 | US$550 |
| Laos Highlights in 12 Days: Luang Prabang to the 4,000 Islands Twelve days from Luang Prabang to the 4,000 Islands at a gentler pace. | 12 | US$1,770 |
Prices are per person for the whole trip, 2 travellers sharing a room, 4★ hotels, international flights not included; your final price is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
Our from-prices are built on a simple basis so you can compare like with like: two travellers sharing a double or twin room in 4★ hotels, a private air-conditioned car with driver, a private guide, breakfast every day, entrance fees and the transport written into the programme. International flights are never included, because every guest arrives from a different place. For a sample itinerary without a published tour behind it, such as the 7-day route above, we use our indicative 4★ rate of US$140 per person per day; where a published tour exists, we quote its real price.
Three things move the number most. Hotel level: 5★ properties are available on request in Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Pakse. Rosewood Luang Prabang, for example, is an upgrade option and is not part of the from-price. Season: November to February is peak, and some hotels add high-season supplements; the green months of June to September are often lower. Group size: the car and the guide are shared, so three or four travellers pay less per person than a couple, while a solo traveller pays more.
You pay nothing until you have approved the programme. A 30% deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due 45 days before arrival, and you can pay by bank transfer or by card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AmEx or UnionPay via OnePay).
Seven days is the classic north: three nights in Luang Prabang, the express train through the karst country to Vang Vieng, then on to Vientiane. It suits a first visit, a stopover between Vietnam and Thailand, or anyone who wants Laos without internal flights. The days are relaxed, with most sightseeing in the cool mornings and free afternoons by the river.
Ten days adds the far south, which feels like a different country: coffee plantations and waterfalls on the Bolaven Plateau, the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Phou, and the slow Mekong islands of Si Phan Don. It needs one domestic flight (Vientiane to Pakse) and two nights in simpler riverside lodges, and it is the version we recommend to travellers who have already seen Angkor or who want a genuinely quiet week. Both itineraries are templates: we routinely swap Vang Vieng for Nong Khiaw, add a Mekong slow-boat day, or finish in Siem Reap instead of Pakse.
The Laos–China Railway has changed how a Laos itinerary flows. Vientiane to Luang Prabang takes about two hours instead of a full day on the road, with Vang Vieng roughly halfway, so the northern loop no longer needs a flight. We book your tickets and our driver meets you at each station, since the stations sit a little outside town.
For the south, Pakse has a small airport with direct flights from Vientiane, and connections onward to Bangkok and Siem Reap, which is why many guests finish there and continue to Angkor. If you have time, the Mekong itself is the most memorable road: a two-day slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang via Pakbeng, with the Pak Ou Caves on the way. The Luang Say Cruise and its lodge at Pakbeng are an upgrade option on that stretch and are not included in the from-price.
The cool, dry season from November to February is the most comfortable: clear mornings in Luang Prabang, pleasant evenings, and the river at a good level for boat trips. It is also peak season, so hotels and guides fill early; for travel between November and March we suggest confirming 4 to 8 weeks ahead, especially if you want a guide in a specific language.
March to May is hot, and the hills can be hazy from agricultural burning in March and April. The rainy season from May to October brings short, heavy showers, usually in the afternoon, and a lush green landscape with far fewer visitors. The waterfalls at Kuang Si and on the Bolaven Plateau are at their most powerful, and the 4,000 Islands are especially photogenic in September and October as the water recedes.
Most nationalities can apply for a Lao e-visa online at laoevisa.gov.la before departure. The e-visa is accepted when you fly into Vientiane or Luang Prabang, which is how both itineraries above begin. If you plan to cross overland from Vietnam, note that the e-visa is not accepted at those land border posts; tell us your route and we will advise on the right procedure during planning.
Your passport should be valid for at least six months from your date of entry. Visa fees are paid directly to the authorities and are not part of our price. For the official Lao tourism information see tourismlaos.org.
Metta Voyage is an Asian DMC with its head office in Hanoi, designing private and multi-country trips across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Bali, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore; we hold Vietnamese international travel licence 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT and have been running private trips since late 2019. We do not have an office in Laos. On the ground, your trip is operated by hand-picked local partner teams that we work with regularly: licensed Lao guides, drivers with their own vehicles, and the hotels and lodges in your programme. Everything is coordinated from our Hanoi head office, so you have one point of contact for all of Indochina and 24/7 support on WhatsApp during the trip.
On guides: we provide a private guide in your language (Laos & Cambodia subject to availability). English-speaking guides are readily available in Laos. For other languages we check the guide schedule for your exact dates when we prepare the quote, write the arrangement into it, and confirm your guide’s name before departure. If no guide in your language is free, we tell you in advance and propose an English- or French-speaking alternative. Our guests rate us 4.9/5 on Tripadvisor across 138 reviews, and we hold Travellers’ Choice 2025.
Laos sits neatly between its neighbours. The most popular pairing is Luang Prabang with Angkor: our Luang Prabang and Angkor in 9 Days links the two UNESCO sites with a short flight, from US$1,560 per person. Travellers coming from or going to Vietnam can take the train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and continue overland to Dien Bien Phu on our 8-day Laos by Train Overland to Vietnam. If you are planning the full region, start with our Vietnam in 14–15 days: itinerary and price page and we will build the Laos leg to match.
The from-price covers 4★ hotels with breakfast for two travellers sharing, a private car and driver, a private guide, entrance fees, the express train and, on the 10-day route, the Vientiane–Pakse flight. It does not include international flights, visa fees, most meals or insurance. The final figure is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
November to February is cool and dry and the most comfortable, but also the busiest; book 4 to 8 weeks ahead. March to May is hot and sometimes hazy. June to October is green and quiet with afternoon showers, and the waterfalls are at their best.
Most visitors need one. Apply online for the Lao e-visa at laoevisa.gov.la before you travel; it is accepted at Vientiane and Luang Prabang airports. If you enter overland from Vietnam, the e-visa is not accepted at those border posts, so tell us your route and we will advise.
Yes. As an Asian DMC we provide a private guide in your language in every country we operate in (outside Vietnam, subject to availability). In Laos, English is always available; for other languages we check the schedule for your dates, write it into the quote and confirm the guide’s name before departure. If none is free, we tell you in advance and propose an English- or French-speaking guide.
For most travellers, yes. The express train takes about two hours, costs less than flying, lets you stop in Vang Vieng on the way and passes through dramatic karst scenery. We book the tickets and our driver meets you at each station.
Request your tailor-made Laos quote
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the pace you like; nothing is paid until you approve the programme.
Call or WhatsApp our 24/7 team in Vietnam on +84 812 247 572, US +1 929 491 2828, UK +44 7520 660929.
All Laos tour packages · Laos tour operator: how we work · Luang Prabang tours · Vientiane tours · Laos e-visa guide · How many days do you need in Laos? · Best time to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos · Vietnam in 14–15 days: itinerary and price
Written by the Metta Voyage team in Hanoi. Updated 28 October 2026.
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