Luang Prabang: 20 routes

A small royal town of gilded temples, saffron robes and teak houses on a peninsula where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong, made for slow mornings and long river evenings.

Luang Prabang is the place I recommend to people who say they are tired of travelling. It is small enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes, quiet enough that the loudest sound at dawn is a temple drum, and old enough that every lane seems to lead to another monastery. The town sits on a narrow tongue of land between two rivers, its French shophouses and wooden Lao homes mixed with more than thirty working temples, and since 1995 the whole old town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

These twenty routes are the walks, boat rides and day trips I return to: the temples and the alms round in town, waterfalls and weaving villages in the hills, the Pak Ou caves and the two-day slow boat on the Mekong, and further north the karst valleys of Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi. Go early, rest at midday, and let the evenings stretch.

Practical tips first

The Dawn Alms Round, Watched Respectfully

Old town1–2 hours at dawnEasy

Before sunrise, long lines of monks walk barefoot through the old town to receive sticky rice, a daily ritual that asks visitors for distance, quiet and humility.

Wat Xieng Thong, the Golden City Temple

Old townhalf a dayEasy

At the tip of the peninsula, a sixteenth-century monastery with sweeping low roofs and a glittering mosaic tree has become the very image of Luang Prabang.

Mount Phousi at Sunrise or Sunset

Old town1–2 hoursEasy

A steep climb up the forested hill in the middle of town ends at a gilded stupa with views over the rivers, roofs and green mountains around Luang Prabang.

The Royal Palace Museum and the Phra Bang

Old townhalf a dayEasy

The former royal residence holds throne rooms, gifts from foreign states and the gold Buddha image that gave the town its name.

A Slow Walk Through the Peninsula Temples

Old townhalf a dayEasy

From the watermelon stupa to the gilded façade of Wat Mai, a half-day stroll links the old town’s lesser-known monasteries, each with its own colour and character.

Along the Nam Khan and Across the Bamboo Bridge

Mekong & Nam Khanhalf a dayEasy

A gentle loop along the quieter river of the peninsula, across a handmade bamboo bridge that is rebuilt every dry season and washed away every monsoon.

Chomphet: Temples on the Far Bank of the Mekong

Mekong & Nam Khanhalf a dayEasy to moderate

A short boat ride across the Mekong leads to a sleepy district of hilltop temples, faded murals and village paths that most visitors never see.

Up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves

Mekong & Nam Khanhalf a day to 1 dayEasy

A leisurely boat trip up the Mekong ends at two riverside caves filled with thousands of old Buddha images, at the mouth of the Nam Ou river.

The Slow Boat from Huay Xai via Pakbeng

Mekong & Nam Khan2 daysEasy

Two long days drifting down the Mekong between forested hills, sandbanks and riverside villages, with a night in the little river town of Pakbeng.

The Turquoise Pools of Kuang Si

Falls & countrysidehalf a day to 1 dayEasy to moderate

A tiered limestone waterfall tumbles through the forest into a chain of milky turquoise pools, with a bear rescue centre at the entrance and a steep trail to the top.

Tad Sae, the Quieter Waterfall

Falls & countrysidehalf a dayEasy

Wide, shallow limestone cascades spread through the forest above the Nam Khan, reached by a short boat ride and best enjoyed on a lazy afternoon of wading and swimming.

Ban Phanom Weavers and Mouhot’s Tomb

Villages & craftshalf a dayEasy

A short ride east of town leads to a village of looms and silk, and onwards along the Nam Khan to the lonely grave of a nineteenth-century French explorer.

Paper and Silk at Ban Xang Khong

Villages & craftshalf a dayEasy

A village just north of town where families make paper from mulberry bark, dry it in the sun on bamboo frames, and weave silk in their workshops.

A Rainy Day at the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

Villages & crafts2–3 hoursEasy

A small, thoughtful museum on the slopes of Phousi introduces the many peoples of northern Laos through their clothing, tools, rituals and stories.

The Night Market on Sisavangvong Road

Markets & eveningseveningEasy

Every evening the main street closes to traffic and fills with red-roofed stalls of textiles, lanterns and silver, with a narrow alley of food stalls tucked off to one side.

Morning Markets and a Lao Breakfast Walk

Markets & eveningshalf a dayEasy

From a narrow dawn lane of river fish and forest greens to the bustling Phosy market, a morning of eating your way through Luang Prabang’s kitchens.

The Lao Ramayana and a Riverside Evening

Markets & eveningseveningEasy

An evening of classical Lao dance drama in the palace grounds, followed by a slow riverside walk and dinner under the lanterns along the Mekong.

Nong Khiaw and the Karsts of the Nam Ou

Nong Khiaw & the Nam Ou2–3 daysEasy to moderate

A small riverside town beneath towering limestone cliffs, where a bridge spans the Nam Ou and the days pass in hikes, caves and long evenings on a terrace above the water.

Sunrise Above the Clouds at Pha Daeng

Nong Khiaw & the Nam Ouhalf a dayModerate to hard

A steep forest trail climbs from Nong Khiaw to a ridge-top viewpoint where, on cool mornings, you look down on a sea of cloud pierced by limestone peaks.

Muang Ngoi Neua, a Village Up the River

Nong Khiaw & the Nam Ou2–3 daysEasy to moderate

A village of a single street on the banks of the Nam Ou, reached by boat through the karsts, where hammocks, rice fields and caves fill slow days.

Prices, opening hours and rules change. Treat these notes as a starting point and check current information before you go.