Luang Prabang hotels and tours

Luang Prabang Destination Guide

Among the popular tourist attractions in Luang Prabang are the Buddhist temples, steeped in hundreds of years of history, the former Royal Palace and Mount Phousi. Outside of the town itself, the options grow exponentially. Famous attractions like Kuang Si Waterfall, Tad Se waterfall and the Pak Ou caves are very popular. However there are also more active tours such as elephant trekking, kayaking, cycling, rock climbing and trekking to name but a few.

This city is a must-see for any visitor to Laos.

Luang Prabang is small, and just about everywhere can be reached by foot so practically any guesthouse or hotel in Luang Prabang is well located. The town has dozens of temples and religious sites, most of which are located in the old quarter.

Use this Luang Prabang Destination Guide to determine what there is to see and do while you are in Luang Prabang. Our Luang Prabang Tours Guide lists some companies that are able to give you competitive prices on things to do around town. You may also want to speak to your host, as they can give you detailed local information. More general information about things to do around the country can be found in our Laos Country Guide.

Luang Prabang Destination Guide

Luang Prabang may be one of the best places to spend Pii Mai (Laos New Year) in mid-April. The three day water festival is observed by locals with a colorful procession starting from the Wat That Chom Si on Mount Phousi, an entertaining ceremony involving the Royal Palace Museum, the wearing of traditional costumes and, of course, a good quantity of water with which to douse hot celebrants.

Things to See & Do in Luang Prabang

Wat Xieng Thong

Built by King Saisetthathirat in 1560, this temple situated 300m south of the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, is the most stunning in Luang Prabang. It is a classic example of Luang Prabang temple architecture with its low sweeping roof and inside is a rare, uniquely Lao-style reclining Buddha that is as old as the temple itself.

Mount Phousi and Wat That Chom Si

Mount Phousi is 150m and 300 steps above the peninsula with spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside. The temple Wat Chom Si at the top of the hill was built in 1804. Its gold spired stupa can be seen from most parts of the city. The temple is the starting point for the Lao New Year procession in mid-April.

Ban Phanom Village

Situated 4 km east is a small village famous for its cotton and silk hand-weavings. There is a small market set up here, and you can wander in the village and see village women weaving on their hand looms or bargain with them for their finished products.


Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham)

The former Royal Palace was built in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong and is a combination of Lao and French designs. It is now a museum housing a collection of artifacts belonging to former rulers of the Kingdom of Lane Xang. Proper dress is required to enter and no shoes or bags are allowed inside the museum. Photography is not allowed.

Pak Ou Caves

Situated 25km upriver from Luang Prabang are two caves, Tham Ting and Tham Phun, known as the Pak Ou Caves. Inside are thousands of Buddha images, many of them Luang Prabang-style standing Buddhas, that have been left over hundreds of years by the Buddhist faithful. Those interested can take a slow boat (which takes about 2 hours) from Luang Prabang. It is relaxing to visit some of the villages such as Ban Xang Hai (see below) along the way and have a picnic lunch at the caves.

Ban Xang Hai

A popular stop on the way to Pak Ou Caves is the village of Ban Xang Hai ("Jar-maker Village"), once famous for its jars but now famous for its manufacture of rice whiskey (lao lao). The villagers carry water from the Mekong and use it to soak rice in large jars which ferment, yielding alcohol which can be drunk as a cloudy liquid, or distilled to make a fine spirit. Ages ago, the village produced pots and jars, some of which have been excavated by archaeologists and found to be over 2,000 years old.

Kuang Si Waterfalls

About 32 km south of Luang Prabang are the magnificent Kuang Si Waterfalls which fall over limestone formations into several turquoise pools of water. There are trails all around the falls and visitors can swim in the lower pools or picnic in the covered area at the bottom where there are also vendors selling food and drinks.

Royal Ballet Theatre

For years, the Royal Ballet troupe performed Phra-Lak Phra-Lam, the Lao version of the sacred poem, the Ramayana, in the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang. Then in 1975, after 15 centuries of annual performances, the Theatre was banned and the master artists and teachers had to look for other work. In 1993, after an absence of more than 15 years, the Institution of Cultural Research and the Provincial Government Office in Luang Prabang established a committee to revive limited performances of Phra-Lak Phra-Lam for festivals. In 2002, the Theatre was re-established and has been performing at home and abroad since.

To re-establish the theatre, we gathered local youths and taught them dancing, traditional music and folksongs for six months. After three years our team of musicians and performers has grown from 38 to nearly 160.  Between November and March, we perform everyday except Sundays in our 480-seat theatre, and during October and April, four times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat). We also encourage young children to learn traditional music and dance. To share the history of the Ramayana, we perform in small village schools and donate traditional instruments so that they can help preserve traditional Lao culture. In our school for performers, 50 of our students have become professionals.


Elephant Park Project

The Elephant XL Camp near Xieng Lom village was established in 2003 to protect the Asian elephants in Laos. As the forests disappear, the elephants which used to help with logging can become neglected. Our aim is to give these elephants a brighter future. So far six elephants have been freed from logging work and given a new home in the park. Experienced mahouts (elephant keepers) and vets help the elephants adapt to their new environment, with sick or older elephants receiving special attention.

Our project gives the elephants a more comfortable retirement by providing professional medical care, nutritious food, caring staff and a natural environment. It also provides jobs to local people and supports the community, as well as helping to support rural development out of Luang Prabang. Most importantly, our project provides both communities and local businesses with an example of sustainable tourism and how to successfully link conservation with tourism.


Fibre 2 Fabric

F2F, situated in a two-storey shop house, is a small resource centre for those interested in learning about the textiles of Laos' ethnic groups. The ground floor hosts the changing exhibitions whilst the first floor houses a permanent textile collection representing 12 ethnic groups from Laos.  There is also a selection of specialist films and documentaries that can be watched in the upstairs room.

The project conducts valuable research and documentation of the hand fabrication of textiles in Laos. Our vision is to create an informed appreciation and understanding of the cultures and peoples in Laos.


Children's Cultural Centre

The Children's Cultural Centre caters to children between the ages of 6 and 18 by providing non-formal instruction in a variety of arts and cultural subjects not taught in the regular school system.  The Children's Cultural Centre (CCC) of Luang Prabang opened its doors in January of 1998 and is one of 17 CCC's located provincially throughout Laos.   Activities provided include traditional dance, music, singing, drawing and painting, Lao culture, storytelling, puppetry, reading, games, and handicrafts.   Children's Cultural Centre's throughout Laos are one of few opportunities for children to engage in social activities beyond school or family life and help to deter them from the ever increasing influences of drugs and alcohol.

The Luang Prabang CCC performs regularly in rural villages throughout the province, where, through puppetry, dance and drama, the children are able to convey important messages about the Rights of Children, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Health Education and the Importance of Vaccinations.   This awareness work is undertaken in partnership with the Department of Health, Luang Prabang Radio and UNICEF.


Heritage House

The Heritage Information Centre (Heuanchan) is part of a project using information and communications technology to aid in the management of World Heritage sites and also promote sustainable development. Working in cooperation with UNESCO, La Maison du Patrimoine (Heritage House) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology are documenting Luang Prabang's historic, environmental and cultural heritage into an extensive database and also educating the local community and business sector on the need to sustain Luang Prabang's unique assets.

Big Brother Mouse

Big Brother Mouse is a new project that publishes books that make it fun and easy to learn to read. Today, few books are available in Laos, and they rarely reach the villages where most people live. Most children, especially in the countryside, have never read a book except for a few school textbooks, and some have not even read those. Few Lao people think that reading could be enjoyable, add to their knowledge, or improve their quality of life.

ElefantAsia

ElefantAsia is a registered non-profit initiative aimed at safeguarding the Asian elephant, an emblematic endangered species worldwide. We have been working in Laos, ‘the land of a million elephants', since 2001.

My Library

Studying languages, learning new skills - typing, using different software, recording your own music, growing teak - talking about your culture or mastering English in order to get a job... whatever it is, it's all happening @ My Library.

Even if you have been in Luang Prabang for only a few days, you've probably met someone who has studied @ My Library. He or she may have been your waiter, receptionist, guide, the person next to you at the Internet cafe or the novice monk you talked to at the temple.


UXO Laos

The mission of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Program is to reduce the number of civilian casualties caused by UXO and to increase the amount of land available for food production and other socio-economic development activities. We are the only Lao national humanitarian UXO clearance operator in the country. Established in 1996 by the Lao Government with the assistance of UNDP and UNICEF, we operate in nine of the ten provinces most affected by UXO. We have a workforce of around 1,040 employees of whom more than 85% are employed in field operations.

Lao Red Cross

The Lao Red Cross Society was founded in 1955 and began working in Luang Prabang Province in 1993, with on-going support from the Swiss and the Austrian Red Cross. Our vision is to prevent and alleviate human suffering and to improve living conditions at the village level and the health of the most vulnerable sections of society. We follow the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement - humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The Lao Red Cross have a massage and steam room open to the public at the building opposite Wat Visoun and next to Villa Lane Xang.


Tum Tum Cheng Cooking School

Tum Tum Cheng Cooking School was established in 2001. Certified Chef Khoun Chandra Vongsaravanh, assisted by Ms Linda Vongsaravanh and Mr Laan Phouttasack, teach traditional cooking techniques based on more than 30 years of experience in Asia and Europe, including variations of the recipes of Phia Sing, the Luang Prabang Chef to the Royal Family.

Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is a museum dedicated to the ethnic cultures of Laos.  The Centre is housed in a heritage building, and exhibits ethnic clothing, household objects, religious artefacts, and handicrafts, with information in English and Lao languages.  Our objective is to help locals and foreigners learn about the different ethnic groups of northern Laos.  Our Museum Shop sells books and exclusive handicrafts and photos from ethnic communities.  The Patio Café serves delicious food and drinks in a relaxing setting. 

The Centre is a completely new and different type of attraction for tourists and locals.  You will see unique objects from various ethnic groups and learn about their lifestyles, beliefs, and traditions.  We also organize seminars and guided tours. 


Tam Nak Lao

Tamnak Lao established the restaurant 10 years ago to share with people our unique Lao cuisine. We specialise in offering authentic Luang Prabang-style cuisine. Many of our recipes are handed down from mother to daughter over numerous generations.

A few years ago, after many requests, we opened the cooking school. Here you can learn how to select, blend and cook our wonderfully exotic Laos flavours and take your newfound skills home.






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Your Local Connection

Sabai-dee! Welcome to Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang hotels team

Meet Lee Sheridan and his team, your local connection in Laos. We operate from our office in the Laos capital of Vientiane, and have a keen interest in tourism marketing and sustainable tourism. Our desire is not only to share this wonderful country with others, but to make sure they will still be able to experience and share in the enjoyment of Laos for years to come.

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