TRIP AT A GLANCE:
Day 1: Arrival – Luang Prabang
Day 2: Luang Prabang – City Tour & Pakou cave
Day 3: Luang Prabang – Rice Experience & Kuang Si Water Fall (L)
Day 4: Luang Prabang – Mahout Experience with bathing (L)
Day 5: Luang Prabang – Hill tribe Villages (L)
Day 6: Luang Prabang – Free day
Day 7: Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng
Day 8: Vang Vieng – Full day Explore
Day 9: Vang Vieng – Vientiane via Nam Ngum Lake
Day 10: Vientiane – City Tour then fly to Hanoi
Full Itinerary
Day 01: ARRIVAL – LUANG PRABANG
Warmly welcome to Luang Prabang International airport. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to holiday.
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves .
Day 02: LUANG PRABANG – CITY TOUR & PAKOU CAVE (B)
After breakfast at hotel, we enjoy a short-guided tour visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign; we will visit Wat Visoun, the holiest temple of the city, which was entirely rebuilt in 1887 after being destroyed by the invading Black Flags from Southern China. In the courtyard of Wat Visoun stands the Watermelon Stupa shaped like the fruit from which it takes its name. Continue past Wat Aham, which was first built in the 1500s and we then visit themagnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of 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 will make a stop at Ban Xang Hai village where rice wine is distilled. We will visit the caves of Tham Ting and Tham Phoum which house hundreds of Buddha statues. Lunch at local restaurant. We return to Luang Prabang in the afternoon, continue to visit Ban Xang Khong, a village well known for silk hand-weaving and traditional Saa paper-making. Later we climb up the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. Return to your hotel via a stroll through the evening hill tribe market, where you may find plenty of local souvenirs to buy such as handicrafts and textiles.
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves
Day 03: LUANG PRABANG – RICE EXPERIENCE (Joining) & KUANGSI (B/L)
Breakfast at hotel
Spend a morning on a community based living rice farm situated in the idyllic countryside, surrounded by mountains and rice paddies. Experience the life of a farmer and try your hand at some of the activities. Or just view it all from the comfort of our traditional Lao rice house balcony, which is surrounded by rice terraces and our organic vegetable farm. All can join in and there are great photo opportunities. While there, spend some time to visit some local handicraft workshops like bamboo weaving, blacksmith work, and sugar cane processing. Finally, join a tour of the organic garden with explanation on how natural herbs are used in traditional medicine. Then have lunch at rice farm.
After lunch, transfer by private vehicle to Khouang Si waterfall. On the way, you can visit to the Lao ethnic minority groups-Ban Ouay Village, Ban Ou village and Ban Thapene Village. Once at the waterfalls, take a leisurely hike through the national park towards the Khouang Si waterfalls and pass by the Asian bear rescue center. You will enjoy feeling the mist of the cool, turquoise waters of the different waterfalls. Swimming in the refreshing waters is possible. Transfer back to hotel in Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves
Day 04: LUANG PRABANG – 1DAY MAHOUT EXPERIENCE & BATHING (B/L)-Joining
Our MOST popular tour! And for good reason. This tour includes all of our most wanted activities packed into a single day trip. Learn how to be a Mahout and then get ready to get wet as you plunge into the Nam Khan River and give your personal elephant a refreshing bath!
- 8:30 am – 9:00 am: Pick up by our English speaking guide from your hotel lobby
- Arrival at the Elephant Village Camp: Welcome and greeting by our camp manager and participate in short briefing about elephants
- Ride the Elephant: Enjoy the impressive experience of a 3 km elephant ride on the howdah (elephant seat) or on your elephant’s neck! 2 per elephant
- Mahout Training: Receive your basic mahout training on how to control an elephant!
- Lunch: Dine at our Elephant Camp restaurant. Buffet lunch served with coffee / tea and drinking water (vegetarian options available)
- Bathe Your Elephant: Take your own elephant down to the Nam Khan river for an exhilarating and once in a lifetime bathing experience!
- Boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall: Take a traditional Lao long boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax, dip your feet or take a swim in the clear, cool water
- Depart: Transfer back to your Hotel in Luang Prabang between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Your Tour Includes: Round trip transfer, English speaking guide, elephant ride, boat ride to the Tad Sae waterfall, waterfall entrance fee, basic mahout training, bathing your elephant, buffet lunch
notes: schedules and itineraries are approximate and subject to change due to seasonal conditions in the jungle and at the camp. Elephant Village reserves the right to break larger groups into smaller groups and/or operate tour activities in a different order than published above.
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves
Day 05: LUANG PRABANG – HILL TRIBE VILLAGES (B/L)
We depart from your hotel in Luang Prabang at: 9:00am and drive up hill toward North-East of air-port via Hath Hient Village. We make a stop at the village to experience how villagers make iron knife. We continue to Ban Pickngai (Yuan ethnic minority). Passing the paddy rice field, we arrive to Ban None Tan (Khmu & Low Land ethnic minority) and to Ban Kok Wan (Khmu & Low Land). Our guide will prepare picnic lunch cooked out of local food while we enjoy the beautiful landscape of Hmong ethnic minority village.
After lunch, we have time for swimming in Nam Pa River, one of the most scenic rivers. We then drive along the Nam Pa River bank to Ban Bo Hae, Ban Tha Oui and Ban Kok Muang to visit the Hmong villages. There is time to visit 2 more villages on the other river bank by crossing the wooden bridge. We return to Luang Prabang around 4:00pm
Approximately: 5 hours transfer/ 2 hours waking
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves
Day 06: LUANG PRABANG – FREE DAY (B)
Today is free and explore your own….
Overnight in Luang Prabang that booked by yourselves
Day 07: LUANG PRABANG – VANG VIENG (B)
After your breakfast we then heading to Vang Vieng and stop on the way for visit local village and take some photos of beautiful landscape of green mountain before we reached Vang Vieng then check in and relax….
Overnight in Vang Vieng that booked by yourselves
Day 08: VANG VIENG – FULL DAY EXPLORES (B)
Today we will explore Vang Vieng such as visit local market and we then drive to visit Tham Jang Cave and also Tham Phoukham (blue lagoon) and after that we back to the town for doing a long tail boat riding for sightseeing and stop at organic farm for tasting mulberry tea before return to hotel for relax
Overnight in Vang Vieng that booked by yourselves
Day 09: VANG VIENG – VIENTIANE VIA NAM NGUM LAKE (B)
Today we drive to Vientiane and on the way we stop fishing villages at Ban Thahuea and also Nam Ngum Lake, a huge reservoir created by damming the Nam Ngum River. Upon arrival at the lake, we embark on a long tail boat visiting fisherman villages in varied islets. We visit some beautiful islets and take a short walk to explore the lifestyle of the local fishmen. On return, [if time permits], perhaps you might experience gambling at legal Lao casino located in the valley where you can enjoy an ideal landscape for anyone seeking for an overview of lake when the heat becomes unbearable in city. We return to Vientiane and stopping over at Ban Keun, which is famous for it’s salt extraction plant and arrived Vientiane by late evening
Overnight in Vientiane that booked by yourselves
Day 10: VIENTIANE – FULL DAY CITY TOUR- FLY TO HANOI (B)
After breakfast, we start to visit Wat Sisaket, the city’s oldest temple. Dates back to 1818, Wat Sisaket is the most important heritage temple now standing in Laos. It houses thousands of Buddha images from many countries, long lost architectural styles, sculptures and paintings; Wat Prakeo, former royal temple of the Lao monarchy and originally built in 1565, is home to the Emerald Buddha image, Buddhist sculptures are displayed along the perimeter wall, including a 6th to 9th century Dvaravati-style stone Buddha and several standing and sitting Buddhas. On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.
In the afternoon, we take a short drive out of the city to visit the Buddha Park where hundreds of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures brought from India are displayed.
Return to the city for take flight to Hanoi…
End of services./.
