Laos Expedition

A spectacular 8 day journey of discovery through the heart of Laos and uncover the hidden roads less travelled of the south.
Day 1 – Luang Prabang Arrival
Upon arrival at the airport in LuangPrabang, you are greeted and transferred to the hotel. After a short rest, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa,  witness a beautiful sunset view of the city and Mekong River. From there, we explore the Night Market, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Meals: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in LuangPrabang

Day 2 – Luang Prabang - Pakou – WatXieng Thong – Pak Ou Caves – Tribal Village
After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang’s temples. We then board a cruise up the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysteries of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes.
Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they distill local rice wine. On return, we take a short drive to Ban XangKhong and Ban Xienglek, well known for its handmade Jute Sar paper.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Day 3 - Kuang Si Waterfalls – Hill Tribes Tour 
This morning wake up early and participate in the daily early morning ritual of saffron-clad monks with their black alms-giving bowls being given offerings from the local people, including the ubiquitous sticky rice. After breakfast, you will visit the morning Phosi Market where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit the Ban Ouay, Hmong Hill Tribe, Ban Ou, Lowland Lao and Ban Thapene of Khmu village. Continue driving to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths, return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Phanom, a well-known weaving village, return to the city by late evening in time for sunset at Wat Siphouthabath.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

Day 4 – Luang Prabang – Vientiane – Wat Sisaket - That Luang Stupa
The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture, dates back to the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. The National Museum and Central Market are not to be missed. Today, we visit these sights before catching a flight to Vientiane. After checking into the hotel, we are met by our guide to continue exploring this capital city. We begin visiting the major sights including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. 
On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane

Day 5 - Vientiane – Pakse – Champassak – Wat Phou (Wat Phou Cruise)
In the early morning, 06h30, we board a flight to Pakse. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to Vat Phou for our 10:00am cruise to Champassak.  We then board a local long tail riverboat, zigzagging through mild rapids and sand banks, arriving at Champassak for a guided tour of the mysterious pre-Angkorian 10th century temple of Wat Phou, the boat’s namesake. As dusk falls aboard the Vat Phou, we enjoy a relaxing cruise down-river, enjoying the tropical sunset and dinner on board, while the boat docks for the night alongside a remote Laotian village. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight on Wat Phou Long Tail River Boat.

Day 6 - HueiThamo - OumMoung Temple - Khong Island (WatPhou Cruise)
Breakfast is served on board as we set sail for the village of HueiThamo, only a few minutes’ walk away from the Atacular hidden forest temple of OumMoung. After some exploring, board the boat for a cruise southwards and lunch on the deck, as we continue our leisurely sail to the wild paradise of the “Four Thousand Islands”. We arrive near to Khong Island (the birthplace of the President of the Peoples Republic of Laos) at Ban Dua Tae and visit this Laotian Village where the traditional way of life has not changed in centuries. We shall dine on board for a quiet dinner under the stars, serenaded by the songs of the buffalo toads.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Overnight on Wat Phou Long Tail River Boat.

Day 7 - Ban Veuthong – the “Niagara of the East – Xieng Di – Pakse (Wat Phou Cruise)
Breakfast  is served on the deck, while cruising to the small village of Ban Veuthong where we will board a small long-tail boat to Khone Island. After our  visit, take a long tail boat back to the main land amid the by-gone splendor of another age; colorful French colonial houses and an old customs post, alongside a stone quay. Take a minivan to amazingly scenic splendor of the KhongPhaPeng Waterfall, “the Niagara of the East“, close to the Cambodian border. We arrive back to “civilization”, after a two hour ride to Pakse, arriving about 3:30 pm and transfer to hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Pakse.

Day 8 - Pakse departure
Have breakfast at the hotel then enjoy a free morning before driving to the airport to catch your departure flight home.
Meal: Breakfast

This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services.

Please click on CUSTOMIZE YOUR TRIPS and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!

Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements, but may incur price changes

WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels 
Private Vehicles and Drivers
Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
All domestic flights
Airport Taxes and Fuel charges
Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
Drinking water available on the vehicles.
Service Charge & Government Taxes
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
Your International Flights
Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
Any bank fees or charges at your end
Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
Personal Travel Insurance
Tips for tour guide and driver in each region
Peak season or public holidays surcharge if any
Compulsory Gala dinner on X-Mas or New Year if any
Vietnam visa stamp fee 
Other services not mentioned above

HOTEL SELECTION:

The hotels listed below are our suggestions for the best value on this tour.  However, Asia Essence Tours offers many more options of hand-picked hotels, with different "star ratings", allowing you to customize the vacation to meet your taste and budget.

LOCATIONS

FIRST CLASS CATEGORY

SUPERIOR CATEGORY

DELUXE CATEGORY

Luang prabang

Villa Chitdara hotel

Villa Santi hotel

Maison Souvanaphoum

Vangvieng

Villa Vangvieng Riverside

Villa Vangvieng Riverside

Vansana Vangvieng

Vientiane

Manorom Boutique hotel

Salana Boutique hotel

Green park hotel

ABOUT HOTELS:

We, at Asia Essence Tours, are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. As the hotel cost will be the major expense of your vacation in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, it is essential that all of the hotels chosen by us are the highest quality for the price paid. All of our prices are based on twin, double or queen shared rooms.

BELOW IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE HOTEL "STAR" RATINGS:

First Class/ 3 Star (from US$ 40 - US$ 60 per room/night)

The First Class/ 3 Star Hotels are good value and normally centrally located. They all have comfortable en-suite rooms, good amenities and public areas to relax in. They are usually family run hotels, so offer great personalized service for your enjoyment and comfort. Most first class properties offer an in-house restaurant, and some may even have a swimming pool!

Superior/ 4 star (from US$ 80 - US$ 110/ per room/night)

The 4* superior Hotels offer a wide range of services. Many superior hotels feature a choice of several in-house restaurants. In addition virtually all of them have a swimming pool. Some may even feature a spa or health club. This grade of hotel offers more for your enjoyment and comfort, while still remaining affordable.

Deluxe/ 5 Star (from US$120 - US$ 180++/ per room/night)

These 5* Deluxe hotels are usually owned by Worldwide, well known Hotel chains. The deluxe hotels feature excellent locations, offer the highest standards of service and facilities, and are known as the best hotels in each region. Facilities such as swimming pools and spas are the norm, and guest rooms are luxurious. These hotels offer first class service and amenities throughout.

ASIA ESSENCE TOURS™ BESPOKE STYLE SUITS EVERYONE

Flexibility: The sample itinerary can be modified to suit your interests, budget as well as your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in each destination.

Tailor-Made Journey: This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of the trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.

Commitment to Excellence: We enjoys excellent relationships with all of the highly regarded hotels and finest properties in our destinations as well as with service suppliers so that we are able to negotiate the most attractive prices for our clients, which enables us to provide exclusive holidays and affordable special offers. We create one-of-a-kind vacations for groups and individuals. We love our destinations and do our best to make sure that our customers feel the same way. Our job is to make sure that everyone gets the right balance of comfort and excitement to enjoy the experience of a lifetime.



Extend This Tour With...

Laos Adventure


Laos Discovery


Laos in Style


Explore Luang Prabang 4 days