Trip overview
Splitting five days evenly between Laos’s two best-known cities only works if the transfer between them does not eat into your time, and that is exactly what the Lao–China railway now allows. Second-class fares for foreign travellers run around 330,000 kip, first class around 522,000 kip and business class about 975,000 kip, and the whole Vientiane to Luang Prabang run takes roughly two hours, a fraction of what the road transfer once demanded. That efficiency is what lets this itinerary give both cities two full nights apiece rather than tilting toward one at the other’s expense.
In Luang Prabang the plan leans on the UNESCO-listed old quarter, an evening walk up to the Phousi hilltop stupa, and a river crossing to the Buddha caves at Pak Ou. Once you reach the capital, expect a lower skyline, wide boulevards and proper time along the Mekong promenade rather than more temple-hopping. If you would rather begin in Vientiane and finish in Luang Prabang instead, our [Highlights of Laos](laos/tours/5d4n-highlights-of-laos) route covers the same two cities the other way round, with a third night added in the old quarter. The cool, dry stretch from November to February suits this trip best, with clear water at the falls and comfortable evenings for the hilltop walk.
Trip highlights
- Temple time in Luang Prabang, including Wat Xieng Thong and the old Royal Palace grounds
- An evening walk up Phousi hill for views over Luang Prabang’s rooftops and the Mekong
- A Mekong boat trip to the Pak Ou caves and their thousands of Buddha figures
- Kuang Si Falls, with pools open for swimming and forest trails for a drier option
- The fast train link to Vientiane, in about 2 hours instead of a full day on the road
- A full day covering Vientiane’s landmark temples and its Mekong riverfront
Your day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Luang Prabang, temples and Mount Phousi at sunset
After check-in, the afternoon covers three temples on foot: Wat Mai, Wat Aham and Wat Visoun, the last topped by a rounded stupa locals liken to a watermelon. A short, steep stairway then leads up Phousi hill, ending at a small stupa with a wide view over the rooftops and the river as the light fades, and the evening winds down at the Night Market, where weavers from nearby villages set out handwoven cloth alongside more ordinary souvenirs.
Day 2: Old Royal Palace and temples, then upriver to Pak Ou
A morning tour of the old Royal Palace grounds and more of the town’s temples leads down to the riverbank, where a boat carries you north on the Mekong to Pak Ou. Thousands of small Buddha figures crowd the cave walls at the spot where a smaller tributary joins the main river, placed there across many years by worshippers rather than arranged for display, and the ride there and back is as much a part of the day as the caves themselves.
Day 3: Kuang Si Falls, then the fast train to Vientiane
If a dawn start suits you, ask about joining the tak bat, when monks walk the streets at first light collecting rice from kneeling residents; watch from a distance, keep your camera flash off, and skip the roadside stalls selling pre-packed rice for visitors to hand over. Breakfast is followed by a morning at Kuang Si Falls, its pools and forest paths filling the hours before an afternoon train covers the roughly two-hour run south to the capital.
Day 4: A full day around Vientiane’s temples and riverfront
Set right on the Mekong, with Thailand visible across the water, Vientiane carries itself more like an easygoing provincial town than a national capital. Today’s plan works through its main landmarks, Wat Sisaket and Pha That Luang included, then leaves the late afternoon open for a walk along the river promenade and a look through the stalls at Talat Sao market.
Day 5: Departure
A transfer takes you to Wattay International Airport in time for your onward or return flight, closing out a trip that has given roughly equal weight to the two Lao cities most visitors come to see.
What’s included
- Hotels in the class you choose, twin or double occupancy, with breakfast each morning, or an equivalent property if the one named is full.
- All meals written into the day-by-day programme below.
- A private air-conditioned vehicle for every transfer and excursion in the programme.
- An English-speaking local guide at each stop on the route.
- Every boat trip, river crossing and cruise named in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees for the sites listed in the programme.
- Drinking water in the vehicle and on boat days.
- Government tax and service charge.
Not included
- International and domestic flights, and rail tickets.
- Visas, and any fee collected at a border post.
- Travel insurance.
- Meals and drinks that are not written into the programme.
- Personal spending such as laundry, phone calls, minibar, souvenirs and watersports.
- Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades.
- Anything added on the day at your request outside the printed programme.
- Gratuities for your guide and driver.
- Costs arising from weather, flooding, road closures or other events beyond our control.
- Bank transfer charges.
Booking this trip
- Days
- 5 days / 4 nights
Sending this does not charge you. We hold the space and confirm within 24 hours.
For visas, payment terms and what to expect on arrival, see [Laos travel information](laos/travel-information).
Send us your travel dates and group size and we will confirm room availability in both cities and hold your train seats.