Day 1: Luang Prabang
Arrive at Luang Prabang airport, free transfer to the hotel.
Time at leisure for rest before meeting your guide to join you at the restaurant for a welcome dinner.
Return to hotel, overnight.
Meals included: dinner
Overnight stay: Villa Saykham/Luang Say Inn/Treasure Hotel or similar
Day 2: Luang Prabang
The city of Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful in Southeast Asia, thanks to its perfect location at the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and at the foot of a centuries-old mountain range.
After breakfast, begin a guided tour of the city to discover the most iconic and culturally rich sites of this beautiful and unique town, including the Royal Palace that houses a huge collection of precious artifacts that belonged to the royal family including the Phrabang Buddha, considered the most sacred artifact in Laos, which gave the city its name. After your visit, board a local motor boat to reach Pak Ou Caves, Luang Prabang’s most famous Buddhist site housing thousands of Buddha statues. This beautiful excursion on the Mekong River, lined with steep karst cliffs and small villages, is an opportunity to observe life on its banks. Traditional lunch set up on a Sala, a traditional bamboo platform with a roof overlooking the river, and prepared by villagers near the caves. After lunch, return to Luang Prabang by a 2-hour boat ride. Upon arrival, visit the Vat Mai shrine, built in the late 18th century. Optional (not included): Baci Ceremony, one of the most popular traditions in Laos that accompanies any major life event. During the ceremony you will participate in, the officiant will summon your souls (according to Lao beliefs, every human being has 32 souls) to attract beneficial influences to you, and then tie a cotton thread around your wrist to symbolize the wishes he or she will have made on your behalf.
Please note: Appropriate clothing is required, with knees and shoulders covered to show respect to the local family; headscarves are provided. Duration: Approximately 40 minutes. Price per person € 75.00 (minimum 2 people).
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight stay: Saykham Villa/Luang Say Inn/Treasure Hotel or similar
Day 3: Luang Prabang / Kuang Sy Falls.
Early in the morning, between 05:50 and 06:30, chance to watch the Tak Bat ceremony accompanied by your guide. You will see the people of Luang Prabang kneeling on the sidewalk, carrying food in their hands to offer to the walking monks in their saffron-colored orange robes. You will be transported to this important cultural moment in peaceful, respectful silence as the monks and locals exchange no words as the offerings are delivered. After this lesson in humility, your guide will take you to the local market, which is bustling with activity in the morning. You will then head to a local restaurant near the Mekong to sample a soup designed to calm your hunger and give you energy for the day. If soup is not for you early in the morning, you can simply sip coffee and observe the locals as they go about their daily routines. Return to the hotel for a full breakfast. Duration: about 2h30′ – appropriate clothing required.
After meeting your guide at the hotel, a short journey through the valley and local villages takes you to the Hmong ethnic community of Ban Long Lao Kao. We begin our walk to the famous Kuang Sy Falls, passing through vegetable gardens, rice paddies and forests under the gentle shade of rosewood and ebony trees. After reaching Kuang Sy Falls, lunch at a local restaurant followed by a relaxing time to rest or take a swim before returning to Luang Prabang.
Rest of the day free, with the opportunity to visit the night market in your own time. Meals included: breakfast, packed lunch
Overnight stay: Villa Saykham/Luang Say Inn/Treasure Hotel or similar
Please note: The duration of the hike is about 3h30’/8km walk along an easy path.
Day 4: Luang Prabang / Nong Khiaw
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Nong Khiaw, an area characterized by breathtaking scenery. Protected by scenic limestone mountains in the north of the country, the charming town of Nong Khiaw is silently reflected in the waters of the Nam Ou River. During the ascent along a small path to the top of the mountain, you can admire the beautiful natural surroundings. We advance each at our own pace to the top of a hill covered with dense tropical vegetation. For those who need it, there are specially installed ropes on the road to facilitate the ascent. Surely the fantastic 360-degree view will repay the effort. All that remains is for us to admire the breathtaking view of Nong Khiaw and the Ou River meandering through the surrounding mountains. After a break at the Sala to contemplate the beauty of the viewpoint, we return toward the town: this time it’s all downhill. Dinner at leisure, overnight at the hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight stay: Phaxang Resort /Mandala Ou Resort or similar
Please note: The duration of the hike is about 2h30’/4km walk along an easy route that includes mt. 430 of ascent.
Day 5: Nong Khiaw – Muang Ngoi – Nong Khiaw
After breakfast, depart for your new adventure aboard a local boat to reach Muang Ngoi, where an easy hike begins. After the first 30 minutes, stop at Tam Khang Cave, which served as a shelter for villagers during the Indochina War (1960-1972). After the visit and a dip in the natural pool among the rocks to cool off, we enter the dense vegetation. Passing through the rice paddies, you reach the village of Ban Na where you can immerse yourself in the characteristic everyday life by strolling through the narrow streets of the village. From the terrace of a restaurant, the breathtaking view of the rice fields and the surrounding soft hills appears before you. After a pleasant break, you return to Nong Khiaw. Dinner at leisure, overnight stay.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight stay: Phaxang Resort /Mandala Ou Resort or similar
Day 6: Nong Khiaw – Luang Prabang
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart from Nong Khiaw to return to Luang Prabang. Free day at leisure to visit the city on your own.
Evening option (not included): Taste of Laos. Eating is an important aspect of Lao culture and a time for families and friends to gather after a day of work. This evening your taste buds will be awakened by sampling a selection of popular Laotian dishes during a walking food tour near the city center. You will enjoy a delicious bowl of one of the main dishes of Laos and all of Southeast Asia, Khao Soi o Pho. You will also be able to sample the steamed buns with eggs and pork called Salapao. If you are in the mood for something more refreshing, you might try Namvan, a sweet dessert-type drink that is especially popular when the weather is hot. From here you will walk a short distance, down the street, through the temple and into smaller streets where you can sample Namejun (spring rolls) and Tam Makteng (cucumber salad), popular dishes often shared among friends while having an evening drink. The final stop will be the night market area, where you will end your culinary adventure with tasty Kaojee and Khao Nom Kok! Price per person (minimum 2 participants) € 35.00
Meals included: breakfast
Overnight stay: Saykham Villa/Luang Say Inn/Treasure Hotel or similar
Day 7: Luang Prabang – Pakse – Bolaven
After breakfast, meet with your guide to transfer to the airport and board your flight to Pakse. Upon arrival, meet your new guide and depart to explore the Bolaven region and its waterfalls. Bolaven is a region located east of Pakse and is known for its altitude and cool climate, but also for its beautiful coffee plantations and fascinating waterfalls, one more beautiful than the other. The visit takes us to discover the most impressive waterfalls on this plateau. The Tad Fan Falls, which emerge from the jungle, are believed to be among the highest in the country and originate from a river that forms two streams of water that descend in parallel from a height of 120 meters. Here you can take a short walk in the surrounding area to see the famous coffee plantations, observe local workers in the fields, and shop in small traditional handicraft stores. The optional excursion continues to Tad Yuang Falls, which descends from a 60-meter-deep gorge that extends into the National Biodiversity Conservation Area. Once down the stairs, a unique scenery created by the morphology of the rocks and the natural environment presents itself before us. If you prefer, you can relax at the scenic restaurant, tasting the famous coffee. The hike has a duration of 1h15’/3.5km, along a route without any difficulty. Return to the hotel, free dinner and overnight stay.
Meals included:breakfast
Overnight stay: Sabaidee Valley or similar
Day 8: Bolaven – coffee mountain by jeep
After breakfast, depart for Paksong, the Laotian coffee capital and gateway to the Bolaven Plateau, located at the astonishing altitude of 1,300 meters. This region, as beautiful as it is authentic, is still inhabited by different Mon-Khmer ethnic groups. In the past, however, French settlers began to exploit the land by planting coffee, bananas and rubber trees. Today, the coffee produced in the area is known worldwide for its unparalleled quality. The plateau area is full of hidden treasures that lie off the beaten path, and to discover them to the fullest you have to travel by jeep.Exploring the surroundings, we meet a passionate coffee farmer, who is happy to share his knowledge with us and show us around his estate and accompany us to discover a magnificent and impressive waterfall where you can bathe and relax before visiting his land. Walk inside his estates and discover all the secrets of roasting these brown beans with their irresistible aroma. With a short walk that meanders through plantations and a tropical forest, we reach the site of our lunch, set against a restful natural backdrop. After enjoying the delicious local dishes, return to the jeep for a sensational hike into the more remote areas of the Bolaven Plateau. Visit the bamboo villages of the Laven and Souay ethnic minorities, where you will experience the feeling of having stepped back in time. Return to hotel, free dinner and overnight stay. Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight: Sabaidee Valley or similar Day 9: Bolaven – Si Phan Don
Breakfast at hotel. Time at leisure to continue visiting Bolaven on your own before departing to Pakse. En route, stop to visit local blacksmiths and a tea/coffee store. After lunch in Pakse, the journey continues to Don Khong Island. Siphandone, an archipelago of 4,000 islands, a perfect place to fully experience the relaxed atmosphere of southern Laos. Along the way, visit Vat Hatxaikhun temple and the rural village of Ban Ponsaad. Hotel accommodation, free dinner and overnight stay. Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight: Pon Arena Hotel or similar Day 10: Si Phan Don – southern islands
Breakfast at hotel. Experience-filled day to immerse yourself in the local culture. After traveling by car to southern Don Khong Island, visit a local family in a Lao village to learn about the production of traditional homemade rice sheets and rice noodles. Continue the journey by boat to Don Som Island, with a stop in Ban Thapho to learn from locals how to handcraft peasant hats from palm leaves.
Resuming navigation, new stop to discover the ancient temple of Keng Koum, which mixes Buddhist and Hindu influences, before continuing along the Mekong River to Don Thorlathee Island, where local villagers make a living selling handicrafts made from bamboo weaving. The boat trip continues to Don Xang Island, for an immersive walk in the tranquility and uniqueness of the place, before continuing to Don Khone Island. After a visit, return to Don Kong by car. Dinner at leisure, overnight at hotel. Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight: Pon Arena Hotel or similar Day 11: Si Phan Don – Champasak
After breakfast, drive back north to Champasak. Upon arrival, visit Vat Phou Temple, a pre-Angkorian temple complex listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Aboard an electric car drive to the base of the sacred mountain Phou Kao, passing two artificial lakes. Continue on foot to the ancient axis bordered by stone pillars leading to the first terrace, where ruined Hindu palaces built by the Khmer people, adorned with fine sculptures, stand majestically. Ascending along ancient stairs bordered by frangipani trees, one arrives at the third temple with a unique structure dedicated to the god Shiva. At the back of the temple, you can admire a natural spring and stone carvings of animals. At the end of the visit, descend to the entrance and continue on foot from Vat Muang Kang to Vat Phanon. The countryside around Champasak is some of the most fascinating in Laos, and the best way to explore it is on foot. The walk starts at Vat Muang Kang, the oldest active temple in Champasak, which combines elements of French colonial and Lao Buddhist architecture. Located along the Mekong River, the site offers beautiful views and a peaceful atmosphere. You can visit some gardens where historic buildings are scattered and a wooden dormitory for monks. Walking along a path shaded by bamboo trees, passing through traditional villages where local people produce handicrafts and specialty foods such as the famoussticky rice, you will reach Vat Phanon. In the afternoon, board a local boat to reach Don Daeng Island. Time at leisure to relax at the beautiful resort La Folie Lodge. Free dinner and overnight stay.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Overnight stay: Champasak Grand/La Folie Lodge or similar
Day 12: Champasak – Pakse
Breakfast at the hotel. Depending on the time of your flight, the morning is at leisure to relax (rooms available until 12:00 noon) or explore nearby villages. Board the cruise from Don Daeng Island to Champasak and transfer to Pakse Airport for your departure flight back to Italy or your next destination.
Meals included: breakfast
