Upon arrival, depending on your arrival time, if the time permits, we take our half-day city tour to see the major temples of Vientiane, including the oldest, Wat Sisaket, with its thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit That Luang Stupa, Laos’ national icon, and stop along the way to photograph the imposing Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
Overnight in Vientiane

After an early breakfast, we depart for our northbound journey. Our four-hour drive will take us through the beautiful countryside before ascending into the mountains. Along the way, there will be photo stops and a stop at a colorful local market where various hill tribes come to trade goods and buy provisions. We’ll arrive in Vang Vieng just in time for lunch at the Organic Farm, where you can eat traditional Lao cuisine and sample some roasted goat cheese and mulberry wine. After lunch, we’ll go to the famous Than Jang Cave, which was once used by locals as a hideout from Chinese invaders. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore Vang Vieng on foot or by bicycle, take a boat ride upriver, or simply relax by your hotel’s pool.
Overnight in Vang Vieng

We continue our journey into the mountains this morning, passing spectacular scenery and numerous hill tribe villages. We’ll eat lunch at about 1,300 meters above sea level, surrounded by the endless mountain peaks of this remote region. We continue on Route 13 after lunch, stopping for photo opportunities along the way, and arrive in Luang Prabang in the early evening. You can freshen up at your hotel after checking in for our evening at the Traditional Baci & Cultural Show (optional quotation). We ask that you wear formal attire in order to respect the nature of this traditional performance, and we will provide you with a traditional Lao shoulder scarf.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

This morning, after breakfast, we ride our bikes to the Royal Palace Museum, which houses a variety of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. We continue cycling past the city’s oldest temples, including the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, whose roof sweeps low to the ground and represents classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, and the shrine of Wat Aham. At the Tamnak Lao Cooking School, you will prepare a traditional Lao lunch. Lap, minced meat and fresh herbs and spices dish, a fish and eggplant soup, and a stir-fried chicken and pork dish are among the traditional dishes you can learn to cook. You will also learn how to make the famous Jeowbong, a traditional sauce eaten as an accompaniment to sticky rice and BBQ meat.  You’ll also learn how to make the famous Jeowbong, a traditional sauce served with sticky rice and BBQ meat. After relaxing at your hotel and allowing your lunch to settle, we will visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre in the late afternoon to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. If you prefer, you can have a coffee at the center’s café before climbing to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River. As you descend the mountain, you will find yourself in the heart of the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, where you can find a one-of-a-kind selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts made by both ethnic Lao and hill tribe people from the surrounding area.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

You have the option and opportunity to rise early this morning and participate in the daily morning ritual of ‘Alms Giving,’ where you will see saffron-clad monks collecting offerings or ‘Alms’ from faithful local residents. Laos is the only Buddhist country that still practices the daily procession, so it is unique. After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the Kuang Sii Waterfall, stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, where all Luang Prabang residents go to do their daily shopping. Among the chickens, fish, vegetables, and fruit are a variety of local foods and products such as dried buffalo skin, local tea, and saltpeter, as well as everything needed for daily life in Laos.
On arrival at Kuang Sii Falls, you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails, and visit the Bear Sanctuary. You’ll also have a picnic lunch beneath the falls. On our way back to Luang Prabang, we board our private boat for a scenic cruise up the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images that have been left there for hundreds of years.
We disembark our boat in Luang Prabang and have the option of taking a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village famous for its hand weaving, or returning to the hotel for free time to relax.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

This morning, we’re off to Living Land Farm, a working community farm about 5 kilometers outside of town. There, you will learn everything there is to know about rice cultivation and have the opportunity to participate in seasonal farm activities such as identifying viable rice seeds, plowing with a buffalo, hand planting, weeding, harvesting rice, and threshing rice seed. You could be picking vegetables from the organic garden or catching fish to cook for your all-natural, organic lunch, which will include a sampling of local rice products. We will return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon and have the option of attending a local petanque game and enjoying a few Beer Lao, experiencing a spa treatment or massage, or just relaxing at the hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang

After breakfast at the hotel, you are free until our driver picks up and transfers you to the airport to catch your flight back home or your next destination.