FAMILY VACATION IN LUANG PRABANG IN 8 DAYS

Wlecome to Laos !

On arrival at the Luang Prabang airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel (early check-in upon availability) 

Situated in the centre of northern Laos, Luang Prabang is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural, historic and architectural values and its harmonious relationship between the natural and built environment. 

There are no activities planned for today, so you may stroll around for the first impression of this ancient city.

Overnight at a hotel in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, you will first visit Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.  

We then embark on a leisure 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.   

Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine.  

On arrival back in the city, we will visit the old Wat Sene and the nearby magnificent Wat Xiengthong a superb piece of Lao temple architecture, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics including a beautiful ‘tree of life ‘glass montage on the rear temple wall.   

If time permits, we will drive out of the city to visit Ban Xangkhong, the Thai Lue village, which is famous for its arts and crafts. We also visit the nearby village of Ban Xienglek specializing in making the traditional Saa paper.  

You can either get to the nearby village to join a pétanque game with the local team. 

Late afternoon, we will make a stop at Wat Prabath to admire the sunset; this is the ideal place to catch the last beauty of the day.  

The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by locals and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.  

Overnight at a hotel in Luang Prabang.

Tip: If you are fond of various ethnic cultures, you can visit Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (closed on Monday).  

Wake up as the sun rises, we will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets. 

We then visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken.  

After breakfast at the hotel, we ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River.  

If time permits, we will visit UXO Visitor Center (closed on Saturday, and Sunday), where you can find the documentation about the secret war in Laos. 

Then, transfer to the Buffalo Dairy Farm on the way to Kuang Si waterfalls, which offers the fun and interesting experience for the kids. 

We arrive at the beautiful Kuang Si, which is the biggest waterfall in the Luang Prabang area with three tiers leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. The pools also make great swimming holes and are very popular with both tourists and locals. 

There is also the chance to walk to the nearby village of Ban Thapene, and explore the hidden waterfalls, which is rarely visited by other tourists. 

If you wish, take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers. 

On the way back to Luang Prabang, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics, offers free tours every half-hour. This is also one of the best spots to admire the sunset in Luang Prabang 

Transfer back to the city center.

Overnight at a hotel in Luang Prabang.

8:00 am – 8:30 am:  Pick up by our English-speaking guide from your hotel lobby within Luang Prabang, Laos 

Arrival at the Elephant Village Camp: Welcome greeting by your guide and participate in a short briefing about elephants. 

Elephant Feeding: Get up close and personal with elephants. 

Explore Elephant Village:  Visit our elephant hospital, museum, gallery and dung paper making facility! 

One on One Experience: Enjoy the impressive experience of being a Mahout! 1 person per elephant 

Boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall: Ride in a traditional Lao long boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax or swim in the clear water.  Swimsuit recommended!  (note: water levels will vary with seasonal conditions) 

Lunch: Dine at our Elephant Camp restaurant.  Your buffet lunch is served with coffee / tea and drinking water (vegetarian options are available) 

1:00pm: Depart the camp. Transfer back to the city center. Free for the rest of the day for your exploration.

Overnight at a hotel in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast, we will take the boat downstream the Mekong River to Ban Chan Village, where we will learn more about pottery making techniques and have your hands-on experience making your own souvenirs. 

Upon arrival, we will have a short tour to learn more about the history of the village. On our walk through the village, we will visit the pottery center, a traditional kiln as well as the brick factory. 

After that, create your own unique souvenir from clay and learn traditional Lao pottery techniques. We will deliver your finished fired pottery souvenir within 3-7 Days* to your hotel. (*Firing process depends on weather conditions) 

After that, enjoy Lao traditional meal from local ingredients on a beautiful patio. 

We then take the boat back to Luang Prabang. 

Arrival back in town, we will transfer directly to Namkhan Ecolodge and have a farm tour to learn more about organic farming, including insect repellents, the importance of plants and trees and how the animals integrate with the green cycle agricultural practice. 

There is an option of a pony ride for children and a special massage treatment for parents available on spot (extra charge). 

Overnight at a hotel in Luang Prabang.

After departing at 8:30 am from your hotel, transfer to Nahm Dong park, which locates in Ban Xiengmouk, 10Km from city center. 

Arriving at the park, we will have a short welcome by the park manager before joining the morning activities here. 

First, we will join the cooking class, by which you can discover the Lao cuisine through several traditional dishes. Not only can you learn techniques and recipes, but you can visit the gardens of the park and pick your own ingredients. 

The course is a minimum of 5 dishes depending on the season. A booklet with all the recipes is provided. 

The lunch will be served with what you have created. 

In the afternoon, we will start exploring the beauties of the park with the Zipline flying over the jungle and the waterfalls admiring the amazing evergreen scenery. The zipline will take about 1 hour.  

Then we will walk back via the jungle trail crossing some flying bridges, small streams, and clear natural pools, where you can take a refresh splash if you wish so. 

You can either spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around the park, relax by one of the huts at the camp, or enjoy the fresh cool clear natural pools. 

Late afternoon, we walk to the nearby Hillside Ecolodge.

Overnight at Hillside Ecolodge.

Today is a free day for your own exploration. There is an option of a pony ride for the kids, or a short village walk to learn more about the local life. 

The swimming pool is very inviting in case you want to cool off. 

Overnight at Hillside Ecolodge. 

+ Pick-up: 3.5 hours before the flight 

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration before transferring back to Luang Prabang Airport to take the departure flight.