Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi: Nam Ou Valley in 7 Days

Your driver meets you at Luang Prabang airport and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours. Luang Prabang is one of the best-kept old towns in Southeast Asia, with gilded temples, French-era shophouses and quiet lanes between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Take an easy first walk along the riverbank, stop for a Lao coffee or browse the textile stalls of the night market. There is nothing scheduled, so you can rest after your flight.Overnight: Luang Prabang

After breakfast, drive north through hill country to Nong Khiaw, about three to four hours with stops. The road follows the Nam Ou for the last stretch, and the limestone cliffs rise higher with every bend. In the afternoon, walk out to Tham Pha Tok, a cave in the cliffs where local families lived and hid during the bombing of the 1960s and early 1970s. Nearby, a small community museum in Ban Manda shows how villagers rebuilt their lives. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the river view from your room.Overnight: Nong Khiaw · Meals: B

Start with a boat ride on the Nam Ou to a small riverside village, where your guide introduces daily life along the river. From here you walk through streams and rice paddies to the foot of the 100 Waterfalls. For the next few hours there is only water, forest and the sound of cascades as you climb up through the falls themselves, with inviting pools for a swim. Your guide prepares a simple local-style lunch on the falls. Return by a village trail with views over the valley, then take the boat back to Nong Khiaw.Overnight: Nong Khiaw · Meals: B

After breakfast, board a long-tail boat upstream to Muang Ngoi, a riverside village that can only be reached by water. From here a 30-minute walk brings you to Tham Kang, another cave once used as a shelter by local people, set in lovely green surroundings. Continue on foot to Ban Huay Bo, home to Khmu and Tai Dam families, and stop for lunch in a village home. Walk on to Ban Na, a Tai Dam village of rice farmers, before returning to Muang Ngoi and cruising back down the Nam Ou to Nong Khiaw.Overnight: Nong Khiaw · Meals: B

Rise early for the hike up to the Pha Xomnang viewpoint. The trail is mostly uphill, and at the top a wide panorama of karst mountains and valleys opens out below. Rest and take photos before walking back down to check out. Then drive to Ban Pak Ou and board a boat downstream on the Mekong. Stop at the Pak Ou Caves, two caverns in a cliff above the river filled with thousands of Buddha images, and at Ban Xang Hai, a village known for rice wine. Arrive in Luang Prabang as the sun sets over the river.Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B

If you like, rise before dawn to watch the morning alms round, when saffron-robed monks walk the streets to receive sticky rice. After breakfast, visit the National Museum in the former Royal Palace, then Wat Sene and Wat Xieng Thong with its famous tree of life mosaic in colored glass. Drive out of town to Kuang Si Falls, where you can swim in turquoise pools or follow shaded forest paths. If you wish, stop at the Bear Rescue Centre near the falls. Back in town, climb Mount Phousi for sunset over the city.Overnight: Luang Prabang · Meals: B

Enjoy a slow breakfast and a last stroll through the old town, perhaps for a coffee by the Mekong or a visit to a temple you missed. At the agreed time, your driver takes you to Luang Prabang airport for your flight home or to your next destination. There is no guide today, but your driver knows the way and the timing, so you can simply relax and enjoy the last views of the Mekong on the short ride to the airport.Meals: B