13 days 12 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 13-day private Laos honeymoon from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, with a lakeside stay on Nam Ngum, Vang Vieng's caves and lagoon, the express train north and two guided days in Luang Prabang. It ends with three restful nights at a retreat on the Nam Khan River.
From US$1,830 per person for the whole tour, based on 4 travellers sharing double rooms in 4★ hotels as listed (couples travelling alone pay a little more). It changes with hotel level, season and group size, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Vientiane | Vientiane |
| 2 | Vientiane: Buddha Park, That Luang and the Mekong | Vientiane |
| 3 | To Nam Ngum Lake | Ban Thaheua |
| 4 | Kayaking on Nam Ngum Lake | Ban Thaheua |
| 5 | Vang Vieng: Tham Jang cave and the Blue Lagoon | Vang Vieng |
| 6 | A free day in Vang Vieng | Vang Vieng |
| 7 | Fast train to Luang Prabang | Luang Prabang |
| 8 | Royal Palace, Mekong boat and Pak Ou Caves | Luang Prabang |
| 9 | Dawn alms, Mount Phousi and Kuang Si Falls | Luang Prabang |
| 10 | Arts, weaving and the road to the Nam Khan | Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) |
| 11 | Leisure by the Nam Khan | Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) |
| 12 | Another slow day on the river | Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) |
| 13 | Back to Luang Prabang and depart | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 13 days / 12 nights · Vientiane – Ban Thaheua (Nam Ngum Lake) – Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang – Nam Khan River
This Laos honeymoon tour is built around slow days and beautiful places to stay. You start in Vientiane, a relaxed capital on the Mekong, then head north to a bungalow above Nam Ngum Lake, where the morning starts with sunrise over the water and a gentle kayak among small islands. From there it is a short drive to Vang Vieng, with its limestone towers, caves and the cool water of the Blue Lagoon.
A fast train carries you on to Luang Prabang in about an hour. Here you have two full days with your guide: the Royal Palace Museum, a Mekong boat to the Pak Ou Caves, the dawn alms round, craft villages and the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls. Each day leaves room for a long lunch or an unhurried evening at the night market.
The last part of the trip is pure rest. You spend three nights at Chateau Orientale, a quiet retreat on the Nam Khan River outside town, with kayaking, cycling and walks on offer when you feel like it. Free days are spread through the itinerary, so the trip never feels like a race.
Easy. Most sightseeing is short walks around temples, villages and waterfalls, plus a two-hour kayak on calm lake water that needs no experience. Drives are short, the longest about three hours from Vientiane to Nam Ngum Lake. Four free days give plenty of time to rest, so it suits couples of any age.
Comfortable 4-star stays throughout: Eastin Hotel Vientiane (Superior Balcony) or similar, Sanctuary Nam Ngum Beach Resort (Deluxe) or similar on the lake, Tmark Resort Vang Vieng (Deluxe) or similar, Le Bel Air Resort (Garnier room) or similar in Luang Prabang, and three nights at Chateau Orientale (Deluxe) or similar on the Nam Khan.
November to February is the most pleasant time, with dry days and cool evenings, ideal for kayaking and river views. March to May grows hot and hazy. The rainy season from June to October brings green rice fields, full waterfalls and fewer visitors, with short showers most afternoons.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All private tours in Laos · Laos Highlights in 12 Days: Luang Prabang to the 4,000 Islands · Laos Family Tour in 12 Days: Farms, Caves, Lakes and Luang Prabang · Laos in Depth: Luang Prabang, Plain of Jars and the 4,000 Islands in 17 Days
Photos: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; taylorandayumi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Chaoborus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Dominik Landwehr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Laos Honeymoon: Vientiane, Nam Ngum Lake, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang in 13 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
Your guide and driver meet you at Wattay International Airport and take you to your hotel. Vientiane is a calm, low-rise capital on the bank of the Mekong, where tuk-tuks idle under the trees and old French villas sit beside golden temples. Nothing is planned today, so take your time. In the late afternoon, wander down to the riverside promenade to watch the sun set over Thailand on the far bank, and choose a spot for a relaxed first dinner.
Overnight: Vientiane
Start at Wat Si Muang, a temple locals visit for blessings, then drive 45 minutes to Buddha Park, a riverside garden of more than 200 Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. Back in town, visit the Lao Disabled Women's Development Centre and its small craft shop. In the afternoon, see Pha That Luang, the golden stupa that is the country's most sacred monument, climb Patuxai for a view over the city, and visit Wat Sisaket with its thousands of small Buddha images and Haw Phra Kaew, now a museum of Lao and Khmer art. End with a stroll along the Mekong at sunset.
Overnight: Vientiane · Meals: B
Enjoy a slow morning before leaving the capital and driving north into the hills. The scenery changes as the road climbs into green countryside, and by around noon you reach Ban Thaheua on the north shore of Nam Ngum Lake, a vast reservoir dotted with forested islands that locals call the sea of Laos. Check in to your bungalow overlooking the water. The rest of the day is free to read on the terrace, take a walk along the shore or simply watch the light change over the lake.
Overnight: Ban Thaheua · Meals: B
If you are up early, step outside for sunrise over the lake, and your guide can walk you to a nearby village to see fishermen preparing for the day. After breakfast, set off on a two-hour kayak trip between small islets and fishing villages. The water is calm and the paddling is easy, with no experience needed. Stop at Huay Samom village to meet a host family and see how they weave. Return to the resort before lunch and keep the afternoon free, or ask your guide about cycling or a village walk.
Overnight: Ban Thaheua · Meals: B
After breakfast, drive to Vang Vieng, a small town set among limestone towers and rice fields along the Nam Song River. Visit Tham Jang, a cave once used by local people as a refuge, with views over the valley from its entrance. Cross the river for a short drive to the Blue Lagoon, a clear spring-fed pool shaded by trees, perfect for a swim. On the way back you can stop at a village or local market. In the evening, watch the sunset over the Nam Song from your hotel.
Overnight: Vang Vieng · Meals: B
Today is yours, with no guide or driver scheduled. Vang Vieng is a lovely place to do very little: breakfast with a view of the cliffs, a stroll through town or a lazy afternoon by the pool. If you feel more active, the area is known for kayaking and tubing on the Nam Song, cycling through the rice fields and ziplines over the forest. Let us know in advance and we will arrange any extra activity you would like.
Overnight: Vang Vieng · Meals: B
Enjoy a relaxed morning before your transfer to the station for the afternoon express train to Luang Prabang, a smooth ride of about one hour through tunnels and mountain valleys. On arrival, you are taken to your hotel. Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage town, set where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong, with more than 30 temples among its old wooden houses and colonial villas. Nothing is planned this evening, so take a first walk through the lanes at your own pace.
Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B
Begin at the Royal Palace Museum, built in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong. Then board a boat upstream on the Mekong, stopping at Ban Xang Hai, known for its rice wine, before reaching the Pak Ou Caves, two linked caverns filled with thousands of Buddha images left by pilgrims. Back in town, visit Wat Sene and Wat Xieng Thong with its sweeping roofs and glass mosaic tree of life. If time allows, see the craft village of Ban Xang Khong and the saa paper makers of Ban Xieng Lek. End with sunset at Wat Phabath and the night market.
Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B
Rise before dawn to quietly watch the alms round, as monks walk the streets to receive sticky rice, a tradition kept here for centuries. Browse the morning market near the palace, then return for breakfast. Climb the steps of Mount Phousi for a view over the town and the Mekong, and visit the UXO Lao Visitor Centre (weekdays) to learn about the long clearing of unexploded bombs. Drive out to Kuang Si Falls to swim in its turquoise pools, walk to quieter cascades near Ban Thapene and see the Bear Rescue Centre. Stop at Ock Pop Tok on the way back.
Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B
After breakfast, visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, a small, thoughtful museum on the many ethnic groups of northern Laos, their clothing, crafts and beliefs (closed Mondays). Continue to Ban Phanom, a Tai Lue village famous for hand-woven silk and cotton, where you can watch weavers at their looms. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive out along the Nam Khan River to Chateau Orientale, a peaceful retreat set among gardens and forest on the riverbank, and settle in for three nights.
Overnight: Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) · Meals: B, L
A day with nothing on the schedule and no guide or driver. Sleep in, have a long breakfast and enjoy the quiet of the river. The retreat offers kayaking, cycling and walks through the surrounding countryside, which we can arrange for you in advance. Or simply spend the afternoon on your terrace, listening to the river and watching the mist lift from the hills.
Overnight: Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) · Meals: B
Another free day to enjoy the setting together. If you have not tried it yet, paddle a kayak on the calm stretches of the Nam Khan or take a bicycle along the village lanes. Evenings here are made for a quiet dinner and an early night under a sky full of stars. Let us know in advance if you would like any activities arranged.
Overnight: Chateau Orientale (Nam Khan) · Meals: B
Enjoy a final breakfast by the river and some free time at the retreat. At the agreed time, about three and a half hours before your flight, your guide and driver collect you for the transfer back to Luang Prabang International Airport. The drive follows the Nam Khan back to town and takes about an hour, a last chance to watch village life along the river before your flight home or to your next destination.
Meals: B
Yes. Walking is light, the kayak trip is on calm water and can be skipped, and the longest drive is about three hours. Four free days are built in so you can rest between sightseeing.
On a honeymoon, many couples want time alone. On days 6, 11 and 12 you have no fixed schedule, but we can still arrange kayaking, cycling or a massage if you tell us beforehand.
By the Laos-China express train, which takes about one hour. Your driver takes you to the station and you are met on arrival in Luang Prabang.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the December to April high season.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
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