Laos Tour from Pakbeng 5 Days - Departure on Thursday

Jour 1: Pakbeng

Huay Xai - Pakbeng (Lunch)
Arrival in Huay Xay, the border town on the Laotian side of the Mekong river. We board a comfortable boat to descend the river to reach Pakbeng. Along the way we stop at various hilltribes villages near the river. Lunch on board. Arrival in Pakbeng in the late afternoon and transfer to the hotel.

Jour 2: Luang Prabang

Pakbeng - Pak Ou - Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast we visit the colorful local market, where the hilltribes from the nearby mountains come to trade various products and socialize. Afterwards, we return to the boat for the second day of cruising down the Mekong. Along the way we stop to visit a H'Mong village. We continue the cruise downriver to the famous caves of Pak Ou. The caves are high on a vertical cliff and a steep, wooden stairway leads to the entrance. The inside of each cave is filled with thousands of Buddha images, offered by the local people since ancient times. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Before arriving in Luang Prabang we moor on the right bank of the Mekong, in front of the city, for a short walk to the village of Ban Xangkong Sa, famous for its paper processing workshops and its ancient temples. Arrival in Luang Prabang and transfer to the hotel.

Jour 3: Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)
Transfer to the Kuong Si waterfalls along a road that passes through a natural landscape of great beauty. We reach the park and after a short walk in the forest we admire the great waterfall framed by thick vegetation. Time to explore the various levels of the waterfall and, for the more daring, take a swim in the numerous pools of turquoise water. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Visit of Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital located in a valley on the middle course of the Mekong and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The numerous temples give the town a sense of mysticism and spirituality that is felt by every visitor. We visit Wat Visoun, Wat Sené and Wat Xieng Thong. In the late afternon we climb to the Wat Chom Si, at the top of the Phu Si hill, to wait for the sunset and enjoy the beautiful view. Return to the hotel.

Jour 4: Vientiane

Luang Prabang - Vientiane (Breakfast, Lunch)
Early wake up call (before dawn) to watch the daily silent procession of over 200 monks, with the Patriarch at their head, who silently accept the food offered by the people.
Return to the hotel for breakfast. Visit of the National Museum inside the building of the Royal Palace. A rich collection of objects that belonged to the treasure of the royal family is displayed in the large, breezy rooms. The most precious item here is the Phra Bang, the gold statue symbol of the ancient Lan Xang kingdom. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Vientiane. Lunch in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the main temples of the city. Passing along the side of the Patuxai, a triumphal arch symbol of the city, we reach the most sacred place of the country, the That Luang, a grandiose stupa that is said to contain a relic of the Buddha. We return to the heart of the old city to visit the ancient Wat Si Saket, where more than two thousand images of the Buddha are kept. We cross the road and enter Wat Phra Keo, where we visit the Museum of Religious Art. Return to the hotel.

Jour 5:

Vientiane (Breakfast)
Transfer to the airport.