Day 01: Luang Prabang Arrival – City Tour
On arrival at the airport, your city tour begins with a visit to the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. We then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We still have time to visit the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. A visit to Luang Prabang would be incomplete without ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang
Summary:
Transfer: AC vehicle
Guide: Yes – private guide
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Meal: Lunch
Day 02: Luang Prabang – Cycling – Homestay
Commence mountain biking from Luang Prabang with a short visit to the Wat Pa Phon Phao, a quiet monastery with a wonderful golden stupa. Next stop is in Ban Phanom, a well-known cotton and silk hand-weaving village (Lao Lum). Continue to the grave of Henri Mouhot, the popularized French discoverer of the Angkor Ruins who died here in Luang Prabang in 1861.
Onward, we are bound for the banks of the Nam Khan River and our Adventure Camp. We’ll stop for a break to take in the grandeur of a view to the jungle and a towering rock face, we will enjoy our lunch. Cross the river by boat and hike 1.5 hours to a traversing rice paddy fields and terraced slopes toward a peaceful village.
Arrive in the afternoon with ample time to relax and explore this beautiful Ban Houay Nok Khmu village homestay nestled into the foothills of a steep, jungle-covered mountain.
Summary:
Transfer: AC vehicle
Activity: Cycling
Accommodation: Homestay
Guide: Yes – private guide
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 03: Full Day Trekking to Hmong & Khamu Village
After breakfast we’ll begin our biggest day of trekking on one of the most spectacular trails in the area. We’ll hike through karst, limestone-mountain on trails used by locals in their daily life.
We visit a remote Hmong village on a lake along the way and learn about the various traditional aspects of the minority cultures of Hmong and Khamu tribes. In the late afternoon we will arrive at the overnight village where we stay tonight. Total hiking time is approximately 4 hours under normal conditions covering about 10 Km medium (under wet conditions trekking can be difficult level). This trail is true adventure and not for the faint of heart.
Bring weather-appropriate gear and enjoy the spectacular trail. Tonight you’ll overnight at a much larger Khmu village with a beautiful backdrop of jungle-covered steep mountains and an expansive view of endless mountains.
Summary:
Transfer: AC vehicle
Activity: Trekking
Accommodation: Homestay
Guide: Yes – private guide
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 04: Waterfall – Elephant Riding - Kayaking
After breakfast we’ll descend the mountain by foot 1.5 hrs to the famous Tad Sae Waterfalls (low or dry during Feb-July). The Tad Sae Waterfall sits right next to the Nam Khan River and has plenty of places to swim and explore, zip-lines through the trees (not included), and elephants. Ride the elephants through the jungle and even bathe the elephants in the waterfall. Elephant riding is optional, just let us know with your booking.
After lunch at the falls, take a small boat downriver where we’ll gear up, give safety and equipment briefings, and then begin kayaking down a fun stretch of the Nam Khan. The river is easy to paddle and offers a few grade 1-2 rapids suitable for even beginners and enjoyable for all.
The countryside on our paddling trip is dense with banana and teak trees; rice paddies and terrace pineapple plantations. Pass handfuls of isolated Lao Loum and Theung thatched roofed villages, and don´t be shy to practice your Lao by shouting out a sabaaidii at the smiling children.
Total kayaking is about 3 to 4 hours covering 19 Km. Finish in the afternoon for return transfer to Luang Prabang to complete this full adventure and culture explorer tour.
Summary:
Transfer: AC vehicle
Activity: Elephant Riding, Kayaking
Guide: Yes – private guide
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 05: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace. At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture.
After breakfast, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. En route, you will stop at Ban Muang Keo, a well-known village for its traditional Lao rice whisky distilling. You will arrive back in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and continue by car to the outskirts of town to visit Ban Xangkhong, a village well-known for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weaving with natural dyes. The tour finishes when you arrive back to Luang Prabang city center!
Summary:
Transfer: AC vehicle, Boat trip
Accommodation: NA
Guide: Yes – private guide
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner