Laos Highlights in 12 Days: Luang Prabang to the 4,000 Islands

Start at the Royal Palace Museum, built in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong. Then board a boat and cruise up the Mekong past quiet villages to the Pak Ou Caves, two caves in a limestone cliff filled with thousands of Buddha images left by pilgrims. On the way, stop at Ban Xang Hai, known for its rice wine. Back in town, visit Wat Sene and Wat Xieng Thong, with its sweeping roofs and glass-mosaic tree of life. At Heuan Chan, a 19th-century heritage house, learn about Lao customs over coffee or tea. Watch sunset at Wat Phabath, then browse the night market.

Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B

Rise before dawn to watch saffron-robed monks walk the streets collecting alms, a tradition that goes back centuries. Your guide explains how to take part respectfully. Wander the morning market nearby, then return for breakfast. Climb the 329 steps of Phousi Hill for a view over rooftops and rivers, then drive into the hills to Kuang Si, where the water drops over limestone tiers into blue pools. Swim, or walk to the village of Ban Thapene and its quieter falls. On the way back, stop at Ock Pop Tock, a weaving center by the Mekong.

Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B

Drive out of town to Green Jungle Park, a forest park on the road towards Kuang Si. Glide over the treetops on its zipline, then follow the forest trails and rope bridges at an easy pace; anyone who prefers can simply walk. Lunch is at a local restaurant on the way back. In the afternoon, transfer to the station and take the modern express train south. In about an hour you reach Vang Vieng, set among dramatic karst peaks.

Overnight: Vang Vieng · Meals: B, L

Spend the morning in the countryside around Vang Vieng. Visit Tham Jang, a cave once used by villagers as a refuge, and Tham Nang Fa, the Angel Cave, full of stalactites and pale limestone shapes. If you want a thrill, an optional zipline runs nearby. Then relax at Blue Lagoon 3, a clear green pool shaded by trees, perfect for a swim. In the afternoon, drive to Ban Thaheua on the northern shore of Nam Ngum Lake, often called the sea of Laos, and settle into your lakeside bungalow.

Overnight: Nam Ngum Lake (Ban Thaheua) · Meals: B

At ten o'clock, board a traditional sala boat at the resort pier and cruise among the forested islands of Nam Ngum Lake. Your guide points out local fishing methods and the rice fields along the shore. Around midday the boat docks at an island for a barbecue lunch, with time to swim or try fishing like the locals. Back at the resort by early afternoon, you continue south to Vientiane, stopping at a local market where hill villagers come to trade. You reach the capital in time for sunset over the Mekong.

Overnight: Vientiane · Meals: B, L

Begin at Wat Si Muang, a temple locals visit for blessings, then drive about 45 minutes to Buddha Park, a riverside garden of more than 200 Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. Back in town, visit COPE, which supports people injured by unexploded ordnance and tells the story of the bombing that still affects rural Laos. In the afternoon see That Luang, the golden stupa that is the national symbol, climb Patuxai for a city view, and visit Wat Sisaket with its thousands of small Buddha images and the former royal temple of Haw Phra Kaew. End with a riverside stroll at sunset.

Overnight: Vientiane · Meals: B

Take a morning flight south to Pakse, the main town of southern Laos, and drive up onto the Bolaven Plateau, where the air is fresher and the hills are planted with coffee and tea. Stop at a tea plantation, then see Tad Fane, twin falls plunging into a deep forested gorge. Visit Ban Lak 17, where villagers forge iron knives, and Ban Lak 30, known for bamboo baskets. If time allows, swim in the pool below Tad Yuang. Finish at a coffee plantation to learn how the local beans are grown and roasted.

Overnight: Bolaven Plateau · Meals: B

Start at the busy Tha Teng market, where minority families sell produce from the hills. Visit Ban Bong Neua, an Alak village with a carved ceremonial post, and Ban Kokphung, a Katu village with its own distinctive customs. In the afternoon, drive down to Champasak for Wat Phou, a Khmer temple complex begun in the 5th century, long before Angkor Wat. Climb the stone stairway past frangipani trees to the sanctuary for wide views over the plain. Then continue to Don Khong, the largest island in the Mekong, for a quiet evening.

Overnight: Don Khong · Meals: B

Board a long-tail boat for a 1.5-hour ride through Si Phan Don, the 4,000 Islands, where the Mekong spreads to its widest and countless islets appear in the dry season. Land on Don Khone and walk past old French colonial buildings and the remains of the first railway in Laos, including a rusting locomotive. Continue by tuk tuk to Li Phi Falls, also called Tad Somphamit, a rush of white water close to the Cambodian border. Visit a village temple on the way back, then enjoy a sunset walk or rent a bicycle to explore at your own pace.

Overnight: Don Khone · Meals: B

Cross back to the mainland at Ban Nakasang and drive a short way south to Khone Phapheng, a vast stretch of cascades that is the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia. Then head north to Pakse, a riverside town founded by the French in 1905 where the Se Don meets the Mekong. In the afternoon, visit Ban Khoh, a village of stone carvers, and walk to nearby Wat Chomphet with its large seated Buddha. At dusk, drive up to Wat Phou Salao for a view over the town and the bridge as the lights come on.

Overnight: Pakse · Meals: B

After breakfast, your driver takes you across the Chongmek border into Thailand and on to Ubon Ratchathani airport for your flight to Bangkok and onward home. Allow about three hours for the drive, including border formalities. If you prefer, you can fly out of Pakse instead, with connections to Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Bangkok, Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: B