The Complete Luang Prabang Travel Guide
Sitting amongst the green mountains of northern Laos, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is full of history, colour and culture. Surrounded by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, the colourful streets of the Old Quarter are a charming blend of traditional Laotian architecture mixed with colonial French. The historic streets are studded with ornate temples, traditional wooden shophouses, restaurants and cafes. Sitting in the centre, the tree covered Phousi Hill rises up, crowned with golden spires reflecting the Laotian sun.
Luang Prabang is beautiful. We wish we could think of a better, less cliche way to describe the city, but there really is no other word. Just saying the name of the city brings a smile to your face, the ‘ang’s’ of ‘Lu’ and ‘Prab’ just roll off your tongue! It’s a small city that oozes calmness and tranquillity.
Most travellers spend only a night or two in the town as part of a larger Laos / Northern Thailand trip, but we feel it deserves so much more than that! We’ve spent nearly a month exploring Luang Prabang, and this is our complete travel guide on what to do, where to stay and what to expect on any trip here.
The best view of Luang Prabang is from the top of Mount Phousi!
In this Luang Prabang Travel Guide
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A Mini History of Luang Prabang
Modern day Luang Prabang is a cocktail of traditional Lao buildings and colonial French influences. The history of the city has shaped it into what it is today.
The city of Luang Prabang can trace its history back over 1500 years to the 6th century when it was called Muang Swa and was the capital of the Mon city state of the same name. The history of human habitation on the site goes back much further still with archaeological evidence showing settlements much, much earlier.
The city changed its name to Luang Prabang in the 1530’s. Cambodia gifted the golden Phra Bang Buddha image (statue) to the King of Laos. The statue was a legendary Buddhist artefact, allegedly originally coming from Sri Lanka and helping spread Buddhism to the Khmer royals of Cambodia. In honour of the statue and recognition of the city state's flourishing wealth, the King renamed the city to Luang (Royal or Great) Prabang (image of the Buddha). The city was filled with royal temples, architecture and beautiful buildings.
Luang Prabang’s Royal Palace can still be visited today. Read on to find out all about it!
Luang Prabang has had a convoluted and tumultuous history. It has been sacked by bandits, invaded by the French, the Thai and the Japanese. The city used to be the capital of Laos and was the seat of the country’s kings. The Royal Palace is still standing today (more on this later). For a large portion of its history Laos was a vassal state of Siam (now Thailand), the Prabang Buddha was stolen and returned twice from the city during this time. The Buddha became seen as a symbol of the right to rule Luang Prabang, its two returns to Laos were celebrated and memorialised, with temples hosting the statue on its way home.
The capital was eventually moved to Vientiane in the centre of the country. The King's role was slowly diminished and power syphoned away to the colonial French. The French also added their flair to new buildings, adding another layer to the city’s architectural style.
The Old French Bridge - spot the monks crossing the bridge!
World War Two saw the city invaded by the Thai, the Japanese and then finally reoccupied by the French. The French were eventually driven out following the fall of French Indochina in 1953 and over the next few decades, fighting through the “Secret War”, the modern rulers, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP for short), came to power.
Luang Prabang is a layer cake of all these histories and peoples. Despite its history of invasion, looting and subjugation the city’s architecture is spectacularly well preserved, earning it UNESCO World Heritage Status.
Where is Luang Prabang?
The UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is located in Northern Laos in the province of the same name. The town lies northeast of Laos’ capital Vientiane around a 6 hour drive (approx 310 km / 192 miles) away.
Luang Prabang can also be spelt Louang Phrabang.
The centre of Luang Prabang sits on a rounded peninsula, surrounded on both sides by the Nam Khan River to the east and the mighty Mekong River on its western edge. The northern point of the peninsula is where the confluence of the two rivers meet, with the Nam Khan River flowing into the larger Mekong. In the centre of the island peninsula, the hill of Mount Phou Si rises up.
The peaceful Nam Khan River
And the busy Mekong!
The town sits in a valley, ringed on all sides by tall limestone mountains. Opposite the town, on the other side of the Mekong River, is the district of Chomphet and two of Luang Prabang’s most mythical mountains, the small peaks of Phou Thao and Phou Nang. There is a fascinating legend behind the origins of these two peaks which involves a Giant, a King and a feast of 12 luckless ladies. If you’d like to read this crazy story, check out our guide to Chomphet and our quest to find a hidden jungle shrine.
Despite being the ancient capital, Luang Prabang still retains a small town feel, with traditional shop fronts, quiet streets and bustling markets.
The majority of accommodation in Luang Prabang can be found in the Old Quarter surrounding the base of Mount Phou Si and running alongside the Mekong and Nam Khan riverfronts. Read on to find out where we’d recommend staying!
When is the Best Time to go to Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang has a tropical climate and sees temperatures in the high 20s / early 30s (celcius) throughout the whole year. The hottest months are April and May and the coolest months are December and January.
The ‘dry season’ runs from November to April where you can expect hot sunny days and minimal rainfall. These months are the peak times for tourism in the town, so expect to pay a little more for accommodation and book early as it can get very busy!
During the ‘dry season’ bamboo bridges are built across the Nam Khan River!
The ‘wet season’ runs from May to early October. During these months, expect very hot and humid weather along with the occasional torrential downpour. The wet season is considered to be Luang Prabang’s ‘low season’ with fewer tourists and cheaper accommodation.
We have visited Luang Prabang three times now. Twice during the dry season and once at the very end of the wet season. During all our visits we’ve been extremely lucky with the weather with hot, sunny days and the only occasional downpour.
If you do visit during the wet season, the rivers will be a lot higher and the current stronger. During this time you will be able to take boat trips along the Mekong, but some water based activities such as kayaking / floating riverside accommodation will not operate. The waterfalls of Kuang Si and Tat Sae will be in full impressive force during this time!
What to Pack for a Trip to Luang Prabang
Whenever you plan to visit, make sure you pack:
Good shoes for walking
Appropriate temple wear - something to cover your shoulders and knees
Suncream
Mosquito repellent
A wet coat
Festivals in Luang Prabang
April - Laos New Year - Songkhran
Celebrated in mid-April, Laotian New Year (Pi Mai Lao) also known as Songkhran, sees Luang Prabang turn into one large water fight as locals and tourists splash each other with water to wash away the past.
September - Boat Racing Festival - Boun Suang Heua
The date for Luang Prabang’s annual boat racing festival varies depending on the year, but the festival is usually held sometime in September. During the festival, locals race against each other in enormous wooden longtail boats up and down the Nam Khan river.
If you’re visiting outside of the boat festival and get lucky, you may still get to see the locals practice their racing. We were having a sunset beer and were treated to a racing display from a small boat of locals chanting and rowing in unison!
October - Festival of Light
Held at the end of Buddhist Lent, the Festival of Light is a spectacular celebration of fire and light, with the temples and monasteries all adorned in star shaped lanterns and candles.
During the festival, huge dragon boats are lit by candles and are sent floating down the Mekong to pay homage to the Naga and water spirits.
If you’re in Luang Prabang before the start of the festival, just pass by any temple and you’ll usually see locals and monks making up paper and bamboo lanterns as well as huge dragon shaped boats.
If you’re planning to visit during a festival, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance as it’s likely to sell out very quickly!
How to Get to Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is extremely well connected. There are train, bus and flight links to other Laotian towns and cities as well internationally to Thailand, Vietnam and China.
Getting to Luang Prabang by Air
Luang Prabang’s International Airport lies 5km north of the city.
Flights depart and arrive in Luang Prabang from Vientiane in Laos, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam as well as several cities in China.
The airport is very small with a few duty-free shops and food stalls. When you arrive you can obtain a visa on arrival (you can pay in USD or Thai baht).
Once through border control there are ATMs to withdraw cash and many different SIM card stalls - see our introduction to Laos page for visa, ATM and SIM information.
Outside the terminal there will be plenty of tuk tuks and minivans waiting to take you to the city. Tuk tuk drivers will charge 40,000 kip per person and minivans will charge 80,000 kip per person.
Getting to Luang Prabang by High-Speed Train - Laos / China Railway
Criss-crossing from the Laotian capital to northern Laos and the border of China, the newly opened Laos / China rail is a super modern, super speedy and much smoother transport alternative to Laos’ bumpy roads.
High speed trains depart Vientiane daily, passing through Vang Vieng and arriving in Luang Prabang in only 2 hours! If you were to drive between the two cities, it would be a 6.5 hour bumpy ride.
You can only purchase tickets up to 3 days in advance, therefore we’d recommend booking tickets via 12Go. You can book further in advance this way and 12Go will book your tickets as soon as they are released - book tickets here.
When you arrive at Luang Prabang train station, head out the station and down the steps to find minivans waiting to take you into the city. A ticket to the city (including luggage) will cost you 80,000 kip. Just buy a ticket and let the driver know where you’re staying.
If you’re on a backpacking budget and want to keep costs low, then you can actually travel all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang by train!
We did exactly this via the 133 express train that left Bangkok’s Bang Sue Railway Station in the evening, travelled overnight across the border and arrived in Vientiane the next morning. From Vientiane we took a taxi to the high speed train railway station north of the city, boarded an early afternoon train and arrived in Luang Prabang in time for a sunset beer on the Mekong! It was super easy and much cheaper than flying. Plus the views from the high speed train were spectacular!
To read more about travelling between Thailand and Laos by train, check out our guide here which gives you all the information about the overnight train, what to expect at the border and how to book tickets for both the Thai and Laotian trains.
Travelling by Slow Boat on the Mekong River - Huay Xai to Luang Prabang
The slow boats of Laos are a bucket list item for many travellers. Plying their way up and down the Mekong River, slow boats connect Luang Prabang with Huay Xai on the Thailand / Laos border.
The journey is incredible, you just sit back and watch the world go by as you pass by buffaloes, fishermen and small children playing in the river. It’s one of those journeys where it really does feel like you’ve travelled back in time and are getting a glimpse of the ‘real’ Laos.
The colourful slowboats of Laos!
There are two ways to travel. The more luxurious, sitting on a private boat with a small group of travellers with an on board bar / food provided, or the cheaper, more fun way with the locals. The local boat is very much a local experience, with travellers, backpackers, locals and market produce all crammed onto the boat.
Whichever type of slow boat you decide on, the trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang will take you 2 days to complete, with an overnight stopover at the small riverside town of Pakbeng. Boats run in both directions everyday. If you’re coming from Thailand, the nearest city to Huay Xai is Chiang Rai. You can book your slow boat tickets here.
To help decide which boat to take (we are lucky enough to have experienced both) read our guide to the slowboats of Laos as well as what there is to do in the small town of Pakbeng below.
Arriving in Luang Prabang by Bus
As the main traveller hub in the north of Laos, Luang Prabang is extremely well connected by bus.
For the north of the country, there are buses that can connect you to Nong Khiaw, Luang Namtha and Phonsavan. To the south, there are bus routes connecting Luang Prabang with Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
If you are travelling from Vietnam on a very strict budget you can even get a bus all the way from Hanoi!
Tickets can sell out extremely quickly, so make sure you book in advance.
The roads in Laos are littered with deep potholes. If you’re travelling by bus, expect a very bumpy ride! We would also issue another warning; even if you have booked a ticket, it doesn’t always guarantee a comfy seat. Laotian bus drivers will stuff the bus with as many passengers as they can fit on, regardless of how comfy that will be for said passengers. It is not uncommon for extra seats to be added in the aisles and for a 2 seater bench to be for 3 or more people. The extra ‘seats’ they bring out are definitely not the comfy sort and will almost certainly be a bright yellow beer Laos crate covered with a cushion!
We’ve had many bus journeys being jolted and bumped around, where we've tessellated ourselves into a very cramped minivan, with more people sitting in each row than seats.
Also, all luggage (apart from very small rucksacks / handbags) are stored on top of the minivan and covered with a tarpaulin. If you’re travelling in wet weather, there’s a very strong chance your main bag will get wet - so make sure you put the rain cover on!
If you’re a passenger princess who wants a smooth ride, a comfy seat and shudders at travelling like the locals do, then don’t travel by bus. Instead hop on the more expensive high speed rail or fly!
You have been warned.
There are too many bus routes to mention them all one by one, check out 12Go for all of your options:
Where to Stay in Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang is a relatively small city and wherever you end up staying it won’t be more than a 30 minute walk to get to the Old Quarter. Whatever your budget or style of accommodation there’s plenty to choose from. Over our different visits to the city, we’ve stayed in everything from budget friendly to mid-range and super luxury. Here’s our recommendation on where to stay.
Budget Accommodation - Guesthouses and Hostels
If you’re looking for cheap, budget friendly, comfy accommodation we cannot recommend a stay at Casa Nostra or Casa de Jardin enough.
Casa de Jardin in all its glory!
Both hostels are run by the same family and both are fantastic! In Casa Nostra we splashed out and stayed in their very comfy ‘private king room’ that came with an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning and even a sofa. In Casa de Jardin, we stayed in a very comfy private room with a shared bathroom. The family who run both the hostels are some of the friendliest we’ve encountered on our travels. They also offer guests free breakfast in the morning and family dinners 3 times a week.
There are also dorms for those on a strict backpacking budget.
In both hostels we were able to hire scooters, do our laundry, arrange excursions and book onward bus tickets.
Book your stay in Casa Nostra here or Casa De Jardin here.
Where to Stay - Mid-range Hotel
For a mid-range stay, we loved our stay in Villa Oasis. The hotel offers comfy rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant overlooking a lily pond. It was a beautiful stay, right in the heart of the city.
Book your stay in Villa Oasis here.
Super Luxury, High End Accommodation in Luang Prabang
If you’re after a luxurious stay in Luang Prabang, then Satri House Hotel would be a perfect match! We obviously didn’t use our backpacking budget to stay here, but were lucky enough to be treated to a wonderful break here by John’s parents. The hotel offers 2 pools, a great breakfast and beautiful rooms that feel as though you’ve stepped into a Laotian version of Downton Abbey.
Book your stay in Satri House Hotel here.
The hotel is also opposite the famous Manda De Laos restaurant for those looking to indulge further. To read more about our stay in Satri House, check out our guide to luxury living in Luang Prabang here.
All Luang Prabang Accommodation
To book your stay in Luang Prabang, use the map below to search around for all the accommodation on offer. Just insert your travel dates and see all your choices.
What to do in Luang Prabang
Explore the Old Quarter
The star of the show when it comes to Luang Prabang is its historic Old Quarter. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status the streets are a wonderful cocktail of traditional Laotian, French, Burmese and Chinese architecture.
Traditional slope roofed shophouses rub shoulders with colonnaded colonial architectural gems. It’s an incredible blend of very different styles but somehow they all work together as a harmonious whole.
One of the great treats of Luang Prabang is simply to walk and explore the stunning streets and amazing alleyways of the city.
The Old Quarter is full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and craft boutiques. You can easily spend hours just wandering around the pretty lanes.
The historic district is also home to the majority of Luang Prabang’s most popular attractions.
Where is the Old Quarter?
The Old Quarter of Luang Prabang stretches out between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. On a map you can roughly say it starts from around Wat Mahathat all the way to where the Nam Khan curves around the headland and joins the Mekong.
The streets of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter are a beautiful mix of traditional Laotian and French colonial architecture!
Temples of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is the cultural and religious centre for Laos. Its very name is derived from the holy ‘Phra Bang’ Buddha statue. The city is steeped in holy history and religious buildings. Despite its tumultuous record Luang Prabang has preserved a plethora of incredible temples from across its storied past.
If you’re only in Luang Prabang for a short amount of time, we’d recommend making sure you visit the following temples:
Wat Xiengthong
(location)
Perhaps the most famous and certainly one of the most stunning of Luang Prabang’s temples, Wat Xiengthong is more than just a building of worship. The temple houses the Royal Carriage House, beautiful grounds and utterly incredible monastic buildings.
The Royal Carriage House is especially impressive, its vast gold and red front gleams under the Laotian sun. Inside the carriage is simply enormous. A huge wooden behemoth used in state funerals.
The temple buildings are richly decorated both on the inside and the out, make sure you don’t miss walking around the back of the main temples to see the shining embossed trees and story mosaics that have been set into the walls of the buildings.
Wat Xiengthong is open everyday from 8 AM until 6 PM. Tickets cost 30,000 kip to enter.
Wat May Souvannapoumaram
(location)
Just next door to the National Museum, Wat May Souvannapoumaram is the largest single temple in Luang Prabang. It’s vast 4 tiered red roof stretches up to the sky. Inside its enormous prayer hall a gigantic golden Buddha sits amongst a crowd of smaller Buddha statues.
Outside the golden wall of the temple really is something special. The shining surface is completely filled with stories and histories carved into the golden surface.
Wat May Souvannapoumaram is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 10,000 kip to enter.
Wat Wisunarat
(location)
Wat Wisunarat (also known as Wat Visoun) is the oldest of Luang Prabang’s many, many temples. The plain exterior of the main temple building belies the exquisite interior. Carvings, golden statues and a collection of religious artefacts crowd together in a kaleidoscope of Buddhist beauty. Above all of this, the red, black and gold painted roof covers everything with every beam and tile inscribed and decorated.
Outside in the peaceful temple grounds is the austere white and stone stupa of That Makmo otherwise known as the ‘Watermelon Stupa’. When you visit you’ll see why!
Wat Wisunarat is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 20,000 kip to enter.
The ‘Watermelon’ stupa of Wat Wisunarat
Other Luang Prabang Temples to Visit
The temples listed above are just the ones we feel you cannot miss on a short trip to Luang Prabang. However, there are plenty more to see in the city. In fact, wherever you are, we’d say you’ll never be more than 5 minutes walk to another beautiful temple.
You could easily spend a full day just exploring the temples and still not see half of them. If you have the time, we’d recommend donning your best temple wear and following our map below to look at some of Luang Prabang’s highlights as well as some lesser known temples.
Temple Wear
If you’re planning to visit these temples, please be respectful and follow their strict dress codes. You can only enter if your shoulders and knees are covered. Crop tops and leggings are strictly forbidden.
You will need to remove your shoes before entering the temples.
The temples of Luang Prabang are all unique and are all stunning. Here’s a gallery showcasing some of our favourite shots.
The Morning Alms Giving Ceremony of Luang Prabang
Every morning as dawn breaks, hundreds of saffron robed monks emerge from the temples and monasteries of Luang Prabang to partake in the daily alms giving ceremony (named Sai Bat in Laos). This ancient ritual is a core part of Luang Prabang daily life.
The monks and novices come out from their temples and wind round the city. Locals, businesses (and now tourists) donate rice, food and other necessities into the monks' alms bowls.
The monasteries of Luang Prabang depend on this daily donation to feed, house and educate the many monks in their care. In Laos one of the most accessible forms of education is to send your child to be a monk in a monastery.
Nowadays it is very popular for tours to include alms giving as part of their itineraries. We have taken part in the ceremony as part of a guided tour and we’re going to be totally honest: As non-religious foreigners we felt slightly strange sitting on traditional Laotian stools, scarves wrapped around our shoulders handing out rice to the monks. We felt a little awkward and like we were in some way contributing to the cheapening of an ancient religious custom. This is probably us being awkward Brits and overthinking everything, but it just was not for us. We’re not judging anyone doing this, we just felt very out of place.
If you wish to participate it is very popular to do so. There are signs on most of the streets that the monks will walk down. The signs detail the price you should pay for the offerings and etiquette towards the monks. Please dress respectfully and whatever you do, don’t just treat it as a model-walk photo shoot!
The alms giving ceremony is beautiful. The sight of the orange robed monks walking past white walled temples, with locals donating sticky rice to the alms bowls is iconic. It is one of the defining images of Luang Prabang and Laos as a whole. We are in no way saying that you shouldn’t go and watch it or take part, but if you’re anything like us we felt a little bit awkward, like we were playing at somebody else's faith.
You do not have to “take part” in the ceremony, you can, of-course, just watch. If you do watch, please do not crowd the monks or impede their progress around the city. Be respectful, keep your distance and remember when taking photographs that these are, a lot of the time, just somebody's children off to get an education. We’re sure wherever you’re from you wouldn’t feel right if, every time the school bus emptied out, there was a horde of shutterbugs snapping away at the kids.
Saffron robed monks are an everyday sight on the streets of Luang Prabang - just remember to be respectful.
Mount Phou Si
Wherever you are in Luang Prabang, you can’t miss Phousi Hill. Sitting in the centre of the peninsula, this tree covered hill rises up above the rooftops and market stalls of the Old Quarter. At the top of the rocky, limestone outcrop sits the white and gold stupa of Wat That Chomsi. From the top of the hill you get an incredible, 360, panoramic view over the whole of Luang Prabang, the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers and all the way out to the blue and green jaggedly tall limestone mountains surrounding the city.
The golden spires of Wat That Chomsi.
Mount Phousi is often referred to as ‘sacred hill’. There are a number of different myths and legends around the creation of Phousi Hill, with the most popular folk story being that the hill was transported from Sri Lanka by King Hanuman. Today Mount Phou Si is an extremely important religious site for Laotians and Buddhist devotees.
There are two temples that sit on Mount Phousi, Wat That Chomsi and Wat Tham Phousi. Wat That Comsi at the top of the hill was first built in 1804 by King Anourat. Inside the small stupa, there is a shrine and lots of golden Buddha statues. The temple is extremely sacred, with devotees laying flowers and offerings inside the stupa. The other temple, Wat Tham Phousi can be found halfway up the eastern side of the hill. This small cave temple is home to seated and standing Buddha statues and a shrine. Close to Wat Tham Phousi, there is also a “Buddha’s Footprint”.
To reach the top of Mount Phousi, you’ll first need to climb just over 300 steps. The hike up is very easy and shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the summit.
The stone path leading to the top of Mount Phousi!
You can access the top from both sides of the hill, but the easier and more popular route is from the night market entrance on Sisavangvong Road. The quieter and slightly more challenging route is from an entrance on the Nam Khan river side of the mountain. This path takes you past the ‘Buddha’s footprint’, past Wat Tham Phousi as well as other several shrines and outlooks. If you have the time, we’d recommend heading up the Nam Khan river side first and coming back down via the Mekong side.
The best time to climb Mount Phou Si is just before sunset so you can watch the sun go down over the Mekong and the whole of Luang Prabang. The walk up at this time is beautiful, especially on a sunny day when the golden rays cast a warm glow over the moss covered steps and deep green fauna.
To find out where there are some other great sunset spots in Luang Prabang including a secret sunset spot on Phousi Hill, check out our article below.
Opening times
Phousi Hill is open everyday from 6 AM until 7 PM.
Entry fee
Tickets to climb Phousi Hill cost 30,000 kip per person.
Phousi Hill is a sacred Buddhist site, so if you’re planning to climb the hill, please dress appropriately! As tempting as a sunset beer may be, do not bring alcohol up Phousi Hill!
From the top you can get a 360 degree view over the whole of Luang Prabang!
The National Museum
The National Museum is a fascinating collection of Royal artefacts and historical pieces all housed in the former Royal Palace of Luang Pabang. Built in 1904 to house King Sisavang Vong and his family, the Royal Palace was converted into a museum following the end of the monarchy in 1975.
Inside the museum are paintings, faithful reconstructions of the Royal rooms and the ornate, incredible throne room. The throne rooms walls are a sparkling tapestry of figures and scenes all picked out in inlaid glass.
Our favourite room of the palace was the ‘presents’ room, which was full of glass cabinets showing all the different presents that countries and diplomats had given to the Royal Family. There was the ‘Key to Tokyo’ from Japan and even a model of the Apollo Lunar Module gifted by the USA.
To the rear of the palace is a garage full of classic cars including some American Lincoln Continentals and a classic French Citroen. Outside your can still see the mouldering remains of the royal petrol pumps!
There is a strict no photography policy inside the museum building. You cannot even bring your camera in. There are lockers available nearby to store any valuables whilst you visit.
The Royal Ballet Theatre
In the evenings, the Royal Ballet performs nightly shows in a building in the museum grounds. For details of show times and ticket prices check out their website here. Contrary to its name, it is not a ballet in the Western sense but traditional Laotian dancing.
Haw Phra Bang Temple
Haw Phra Bang Temple is not only gorgeous but also very significant to the city of Luang Prabang. The temple is home to the ‘Phra Bang’ statue that gives the city its name. Make sure you’ve read our mini history to Luang Prabang for more information about this.
The temple itself is simply sublime. A magnificent, ornately carved, golden and white building with gracefully tiered curving roofs rising in three Naga topped layers. The tip of the roof is crowned in ornamental golden spires. You cannot enter the temple, but can go up to the open doors and see the Phra Bang statue and the dizzyingly intricate artwork inside.
Opening Times
The National Museum is open everyday from 8 AM to 11.30 AM and from 1.30 PM until 4 PM.
Entry Fee
Entrance tickets for the National Museum cost 60,000 kip per person.
There is a strict dress code to enter the National Museum, shoulders and knees need to be covered. No shorts, crop tops, leggings etc. Just be respectful and use common sense.
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
(location)
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) is a small museum set on a hill just behind Luang Prabang’s Night Market food court. We’ve been lucky to visit the museum twice now and have thoroughly enjoyed it on both occasions.
The museum focuses on the different ethnic groups that make up the country of Laos and showcases their different traditions and cultures. There are colourful displays showcasing the traditional clothing, musical instruments and household tools. It’s a fascinating look into the different cultures that make up this beautiful country. There are also rotating exhibits so you never know what you might find - We stumbled into a fascinating exhibit on high end fashion brands stealing traditional designs!
The museum is compact and you’ll probably spend less than an hour there, but it’s well worth a visit.
The museum also offers craft workshops and there’s a great gift shop at the back of the museum stuffed full of local handicrafts.
Opening Times
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
From November 2024 the museum will be open 7 days a week.
Entry Fee
Tickets to TAEC cost 35,000 kip per person.
UXO Lao Visitor Centre
(location)
The one bit of advice you’ll see in all the guidebooks for travellers heading to Laos is: ‘don’t stray from the path’. This seems a bit extreme, but when you learn that despite never formally being at war, the country of Laos is the most heavily bombed country on earth and that 10% of the dropped bombs did not detonate - you’ll suddenly realise why you want to keep to the well marked footpaths.
During the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1973, the US dropped over 2.5 million tonnes of ordnance over Laos, which equals to a plane load of bombs being dropped every 8 minutes over a period of 9 years.
Unfortunately a lot of the bombs dropped didn’t explode on impact and remain embedded in the earth. Today, the unexploded ordnance continues to cause injuries and death to the people of Laos.
UXO Lao is a small organisation that has been tasked with clearing the land of the unexploded ordnance, a humongous task given the sheer number of UXO’s still in Laos.
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre allows travellers a chance to learn about the dangers of UXO in Laos, as well as the education efforts on the ongoing dangers and how UXO Lao are clearing this dangerous legacy.
The visitor centre is very small and it won’t take you long to see all the exhibits (in fact, depending on where you’re staying, it’ll probably take you longer to get there), but it gives you a small glimpse into the absolute mammoth task UXO Lao are undertaking.
The UXO Visitor Centre toes the line perfectly of being super informative, educational and shocking without being overly graphic.
Just some of the bombs UXO Lao have cleared.
Opening Times
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre is open everyday from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Entry Fee
The UXO visitor centre is free to enter but they do ask for a small donation.
Heuan Chan Heritage House
(location)
Located just off the main strip and hidden down a small alleyway is the Heuan Chan Heritage House. This small museum is set in a 19th century, wooden stilt house and showcases what traditional Laotian life would have looked like.
Heuan in Laotian means ‘house’ and Chan was the name of the family who owned the stilt house.
Underneath the wooden stilts is a small exhibit showing how bamboo is weaved to make fishing nets, baskets and sticky rice holders. Inside, the rooms are stuffed full of traditional wooden furniture, Laotian dresses from 100 years ago, a kitchen full of clay pots and even a small shrine. There is a cafe on site if you get peckish, clothes for hire to dress up in and lots of different craft workshops to try your hand at.
The heritage house was another one of Luang Prabang’s little surprises and if you have the time, we’d definitely recommend a visit.
Opening times
The Heuan Chan Heritage House is open everyday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Entry fees
Tickets for the heritage house cost 30,000 kip.
Markets of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang’s Morning Market
(location)
Luang Prabang’s Morning Market is a crowded and bustling affair. Raised tables are joined with produce spilling out on floor mats. Live animals are tethered next to greenery and bubbling vats of soup waft their scent down the crowded alleyways.
Whatever you’re desired protein, you’ll definitely be able to find it for sale at the Morning Market!
It’s a true South East Asian market with all the good and all the shocking-ness that entails. When we visited we certainly didn’t expect to see 12 live frogs all tied together in a ribbeting bouquet!
The market opens in the early hours of the morning and runs until just after breakfast time. The majority of the local stalls will pack up earlier than those serving the tourists. Our advice is to get there at the crack of dawn to have the full experience.
Luang Prabang’s Night Market
(location)
As the sun starts to set, all along the main strip of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter, red and blue gazebos spring up as market vendors set up for Luang Prabang’s daily Night Market.
Luang Prabang’s Night Market stretches all along the main street!
Stretching the length of Sisavangvong Road, this bustling market is a great way to spend an evening shopping. With over 250 stallholders setting up shop, there’s plenty on offer. With stalls selling everything from silk scarfs to paper umbrellas, elephant pants to bracelets.
At the southern end of the Night Market there is a huge food court selling everything from noodle soups to curry, roti to sushi. On weekends they have live music on the food court’s stage. Our favourite spot to grab food though was down the narrow street opposite the food court. This little alleyway is packed with market stalls selling grilled meats, curries and salads.
You can read more about the best places to eat in Luang Prabang here.
The Night Market is open from 5 PM and closes at 11 PM.
The Night Market is a great place to shop for souvernirs!
Phosy Market
(location)
If you want to get away from the Old Quarter and shop with the locals, then we’d recommend heading to Phosy Market. This sprawling market is where Luang Prabang locals stock up on everything from meat to fish, sports wear to handbags. It’s a fascinating warren of market stalls, packed to the rafters with dried meat, buffalo skin, fresh fruit and even live animals.
For those who’ve followed our travels here and on our Instagram then you’ll know that we’re a sucker for a market. One of our favourite things to do is to dive straight in and get lost in the cramped alleyways.
Markets are a great place to pick up some local munch and Phosy Market was no different. We picked up an excellent picnic of deep-fried sliced bananas, some grilled Laotian sausages and the Lao take on a Cornish Pasty (savoury pastries like empanadas for all our non-UK readers) which were stuffed with vegetables in a sweet spiced mix.
Phosy Market was a world away from the clean walls and sanitised streets of the Old Quarter. It was a proper working market where local people would go to stock up on essentials.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
(location)
Perhaps Luang Prabang’s most famous tourist attraction, the towering, turquoise Kuang Si Waterfalls are a ‘must’ on any trip to Luang Prabang. We’ve been lucky enough to have visited the falls 3 times and they are still as breathtaking now as when we first saw them.
A multi layer set of waterfalls and small pools stretch up into the dense jungle before the trees part and, in front of you, sits a huge curtain of raging water - the Kuang Si Falls.
In the dry season the water is bright turquoise, whilst in the wet season the water cascades down in a roaring torrent of white and brown.
You can read more about visiting these beautiful waterfalls in our complete guide to Kuang Si Waterfalls.
At the entrance to the falls, there’s a small bear sanctuary home to a collection of rescued Moon Bears. These very cute black bears seem to spend most of their time lazing around in the sun.
Entry to the ‘Save the Bear’ sanctuary’ is free, but donations are welcome. There is also a small shop selling t-shirts and other souvenirs to help support the charity.
To learn more about the bear sanctuary, check out our Kuang Si Falls blog we have linked above.
The Pak Ou Caves
(location)
North of Luang Prabang, around 25 km upstream via the Mekong River, sit the Pak Ou Caves. Known as the ‘Thousand Buddha Cave’ the Pak Ou Caves are two cave temples carved into the vertical limestone cliffs which are full to the brim with thousands of statues of the Buddha. It is rumoured that there are over 4000 statues hidden within the caves.
It is believed the caves were first founded in the 8th century and served as a shrine for locals to pay homage to the River Gods. When Laos converted to Buddhism, under the rule of King Souringna Vongsa at the beginning of the 16th century, the Pak Ou Caves became an important pilgrimage site. Devotees, including the royal family, would head to the cave on Laos New Years Day in order to leave their own statues in the caves.
As you reach the first cave you’ll be greeted by thousands of Buddha statues, staring down in row upon row. The statues are in a variety of different poses; sitting, standing or meditating. To the right of the entrance there is a shrine, full with more statues draped in saffron and golden robes.
The upper cave is reached by a steep staircase carved into the jungle. As you climb up, you’ll get incredible views through the dense foliage out onto the Mekong River, the town of Pak Ou and the steep, near vertical, limestone mountains.
The upper cave is a lot bigger and a lot darker. Inside, you’ll need to turn on a torch to view the thousands of hidden statues. The statues are made from a variety of materials and are all in a state of decay; their once glinting gold, now fading to the darkness of the cave.
There’s something mysterious and magical about the Pak Ou Caves. A deep dark cavern that's full of spirituality. As you look deeper into the cave (especially in the second cave), you’ll start to see glints of red and gold shining back at you from every crevice. Wherever you look, there’s a pair of enlightened eyes looking back at you.
Pak Ou Caves - How to Get There?
You can reach the Pak Ou Caves via boat, tuk tuk, scooter or by guided tour from Luang Prabang.
The prettiest and most relaxing way to reach the caves is to take a boat upstream. There is a boat that departs the main boat pier in Luang Prabang everyday at 8.30 AM. To buy tickets just head to the ticket office located just opposite Saffron Coffee here. Once on board, the boat will float slowly up stream past riverside farmers, fishermen and wallowing buffalo. The boat will make a quick stop at Ban Xang Hai, a small village specialising in the distilling of Lao-Lao rice whiskey before heading north to the caves themselves. The boat trip to and from Luang Prabang (including the stops at the caves and whiskey village) will take around 4 hours. Tickets cost 150,000 kip per person for the boat to and from the caves. You will need to pay 20,000 kip on top of this for entry to the caves.
If you’re after a morning pick-me-up before setting off on the boat, Saffron Coffee serves up some excellent caffeinated beverages. You can read more about some of our other favourite coffee shops in our guide to the best coffee of Luang Prabang.
For those who’d prefer a private boat tour, just head down the river and chat to the local boat drivers to negotiate a price.
If you’re planning to drive yourself by scooter, drive north up to the small town of Pak Ou. Once you arrive you’ll need to pay 50,000 kip to get a boat across the river. This price will include both the journey to the cave and back again. Be warned though, the road to Pak Ou is very rough, full of potholes and busy with lorries, so only plan to drive there if you’re confident on a bike.
Opening Times
The Pak Ou Caves are open everyday from 8am until 5pm.
During the Laos New Year in April, Laotian families come to the caves to pay their respects and wash their own Buddha statues.
Entry Fees
Tickets to enter the Pak Ou Caves cost 20,000 kip per person.
As the Pak Ou Caves are a Buddhist shrine and temple, please be respectful and wear temple appropriate clothes.
If you’re short on time and would like to combine a trip to Kuang Si Falls with Pak Ou Caves, why not check out a guided tour with Get Your Guide. Take a look at the tours on offer here.
Tat Sae Waterfalls
(location)
A lesser known set of falls, the Tat Sae Waterfalls are located about a 30 minute drive away from the centre of Luang Prabang. The Tat Sae Waterfalls are a set of multi-layered falls that tumble over limestone to create waterfalls and pools that flow directly into the Nam Khan River.
To reach the waterfalls, you’ll need to catch a boat from a small village on the opposite bank of the river to the Tat Sae Waterfalls (location) and travel upstream for about 10 minutes.
The Tat Sae Waterfalls are shallower in height than the Kuang Si Falls, but despite this, they still had an unyielding power, as the torrent of super fast water flowed down. The falls may not be as high as Kuang Si but they are much, much wider. When we visited in the wet season they stretched out as far as the eye could see in pools, shelves, mini falls and rivulets.
It looked as though in the past (possibly when the water levels were lower) that you could climb over the falls and reach different pools to swim in. When we visited the whole site was in a state of disrepair.
In the past you could climb a lot higher at the Tat Sae Waterfalls!
There were only two bridges we could cross, and the pathway that seemed to follow the waterfalls up to the top was closed due to the steps being broken.
The whole area seemed to be in a state of decay, with what looked like old restaurants sitting completely destroyed, picnic benches half broken and stairs leading to no-where. It looks as though they were possibly in the middle of renovating the falls, and possibly due to the pandemic, things ground to a halt. We hope that this will change in the future.
Despite the lack of infrastructure and only a few pools to look at, the power of the water was incredible. It was still a fantastic sight and we’re glad we visited.
Before you head off to the Tat Sae Waterfalls make sure you check Google Reviews. During the dry season, the waterfalls tend to completely dry out and, as a result, there isn’t much to see! If you visit when there’s no water, the locals are known to still charge you the privilege of a mini boat trip to see the non-existent waterfalls. Our advice would be to read the reviews or check with your accommodation before heading there.
We visited during October at the very end of the wet season and the falls were very much in full flow!
Tat Sae Waterfalls - How to Get There?
The easiest and cheapest way to reach the Tat Sae Waterfalls is by hiring a scooter. If you’re driving a motorbike, the road to theTat Sae Waterfall is in slightly better condition than the road to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. The only bit where it becomes a bit bumpy is the last 1.5km from where you turn off the main road and head down into the village. Parking for the falls is in the local temple grounds (location) costing 5000 kip.
On your way back we’d recommend stopping at Phaphone Coffee (location) for a quick caffeine fix. The iced americanos we had from here were delicious and the perfect pick me up for the bumpy trip back to the city!
If you’re not a confident scooter rider, then you can easily arrange a tuk tuk to take you to the falls. Just ask your accommodation if they know someone who could take you or find a driver in town.
Opening Times
The Tat Sae Waterfalls are open everyday from 8am to 5.30pm.
As we’ve mentioned above, check the latest Google Reviews if you’re planning to visit during the dry season.
Ticket Prices
When we visited there was no ticket entry to see the waterfalls themselves, all we needed to do was to pay the boat driver to take us there and back. This may change in the future when they have renovated the site. Let us know in the comments if they do.
The price for the boat to take us to the waterfalls, wait for us and then take us back again was 25,000 kip per person.
Boat Cruises on the Mekong River
From sunrise to sunset, tourist boats flow up and down the Mekong River, offering everything from sunset to dinner or even theatre cruises. From the Luang Prabang, you can take a boat trip north to reach the Pak Ou Caves or Ban Xang Hai the whiskey village, or you can head south and float all the way down to Kuang Si Falls.
Our favourite time of day to float on the Mekong was at sunset. Sitting in the middle of the river, bobbing gently downstream whilst watching a fiery display is the perfect way to round off a day of exploring in Luang Prabang.
We have enjoyed a sunset boat cruise with Sa Sa cruises twice now and can highly recommend them.
To read more about our sunset Mekong experience, check out our guide here.
To arrange a boat cruise on the Mekong, just head to the Luang Prabang boat pier or head to one of the boat tour offices lining the river. No matter what you want, whether it's a dinner, sunset or even sunrise tour, there will be a boat for you. Just make sure you compare prices and negotiate appropriately.
Exploring Chomphet - ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Luang Prabang
Just over the Mekong, on the opposite riverbank, is the district of Chomphet. Full of beautiful temples, small villages and even a hidden jungle shrine, this small district feels a world away from the colonial streets of Luang Prabang.
To read all about our afternoon exploring Chomphet and how to find the hidden jungle shrine, read our guide here:
Guided Tours of Luang Prabang
We understand not everyone has enough time on their hands to explore the city leisurely by themselves. If you only have a small amount of time in Laos, it’s understandable that you’ll want to cram in as much as possible.
If you’d like to combine a couple of the attractions and sites we’ve mentioned here, why not book a guided tour with Get Your Guide. We’ve taken tours with them in the past and it’s been a great way to maximise what you can do in a small amount of time. Check out all their Luang Prabang tours here.
Other Things to do in Luang Prabang
There’s so much to do in Luang Prabang it would be impossible to list everything in this guide.
If you’re interested in local handicrafts why not combine a visit to the Phosy Market with a stop at the Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre (location) where you can watch or participate in weaving and embroidery workshops. They also have a shop selling local crafts as well as a beautiful riverside cafe serving Laotian / Western fusion dishes. There is also an outlet of Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang city centre.
If the Ock Pop Tok Centre has ignited your crafting passion, head to the other side of the Nam Khan River to find some other workshops for you to try your hand at. Just head over the Old French Bridge or take the Bamboo Bridge in the dry season.
The Old French Bridge is a popular crossing point over the Nam Khan River for scooter drivers and pedestrians!
If you want to make your own jewellery head to the Garden of Eden (location) to take part in a jewellery making class. Or if wood carving is more your thing, why not take a wood carving class at Lon Wood Workshop (location) located next door.
Just up the road, further along the Mekong River, you’ll reach the handicraft village of Ban Xang Khong. Here you can see handmade paper being stretched and dried in the sun and wooden looms rattling as colourful threads are embroidered into traditional Laotian fabrics. This handicraft village may have started as a traditional hub but nowadays is very obviously laid on for the tourists. The outlets here do provide income to locals and preserve traditional handicrafts, but understand you are visiting a tourist “handicraft village” - gift shops and all!
Just some of the traditional Laotian handicrafts you can see at Ban Xang Khong Village located just outside of Luang Prabang.
For those looking to stretch there legs, just outside the city is the Nahm Dong Park (location). This huge park is full of hiking trails, zip lines and waterfalls. When we visited our accommodation recommended not heading there by scooter as the road is very treacherous especially during or just after the wet season.
Where to Eat in Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang has no shortage of street side stalls, fine-dining restaurants, boutique bakeries and craft coffee shops. Whether you’re craving Laotian or French, Indian or Italian, there’s plenty of places to dine.
To read about some of our favourite Luang Prabang eats, check out our article below:
Nightlife in Luang Prabang - The Best Places to Drink
Riverside Bars and Restaurants
Our favourite place for a cheeky sunset beverage was sitting in any of the bars or restaurants that line the Mekong River. Looking out over the busy Mekong River and the setting sun, they provided the perfect front row seats to watch the evening boat traffic flow beneath the golden rays of the setting sun.
Check out our guide here for our bar recommendations for where to see the best sunset on the river!
Ice cold beer and an incredible view - name a better place for a sunset beer!
Just over the road from the river is another great bar, the RnB Bar (location). Despite its name it didn’t actually play any RnB when we visited, in fact it seemed to be mostly an Oasis based soundtrack. This bar is super comfy, with good beer and friendly staff. We didn’t eat a full meal here but really enjoyed their deep fried sliced aubergines. The crispy battered slices were a perfect accompaniment to an ice-cold Beer Laos. The RnB Bar has seating indoors, so if it’s a rainy evening on the river, we would definitely recommend heading here.
Bars in the Old Quarter
At the northern end of the Night Market, on the main strip, is a small street packed full of restaurants and bars. They all serve similar food and drink menus and all have some form of happy hour deal. Some of our favourite bars to sit in were Tangor (location) and the Maolin Tavern (location). Both the bars are a little more expensive than others in town but, given the location, (right on the main strip and just off the Night Market) and compared to what we are used to back in the UK, you really can’t go wrong! If it’s raining, both bars listed have indoor seating.
The other side of Phousi Hill is another favourite bar of ours, the Redbull Sports Bar (location). A popular hangout for backpackers and locals, this bar was popular until closing. With good music, food and drink deals and a pool table, it seemed to be the new hangout for travellers now that the backpacker haunt of the Utopia Bar is sadly closed.
Luang Prabang’s Famous Bowling Alley
Once the bars close in Luang Prabang, there’s only one place to head to and that is Luang Prabang’s famous bowling alley. A firm favourite amongst backpackers and hostel crowds, grab a group together and head there for cheap beer, bowling and archery (a daring choice of entertainment for intoxicated backpackers but hey, who are we to judge!)
Getting Around Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is an easily walkable city. The streets are very quiet and there’s very little traffic to contend with. A lot of the streets of the Old Quarter are ‘one-way’ so unlike other parts of SE Asia (we’re looking at you Hanoi) it’s very easy to cross the road.
If you do need motorised transport there are plenty of tuk tuk taxis to take you to wherever you need to go. If you’re planning to take a tuk tuk somewhere, just flag one down, let them know where you want to go and negotiate a price! We paid anywhere between 30,000 to 50,000 kip per journey, but we’re sure we could have negotiated lower if we tried.
The colourful tuk tuks of Luang Prabang can be hailed all over the city!
If you’re planning to rent a motorbike, scooter or even an electric moped, the rental prices seem to be standard across the city at 150,000 kip per day.
For those who are keen cyclists, the majority of guesthouses and hotels will have bicycles either for free or for you to rent for the day.
Where to go After Luang Prabang?
Depending on how long you have and what you want to get up to, you can go in lots of different directions from Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang serves as the northern hub for travel and tourism in Laos and from the city you can get pretty much anywhere else in this landlocked country.
If you’re into hiking and want to find an area of Laos that’s still relatively untouched by mass tourism then we can’t recommend a trip to Nong Khiaw (read our guide here) enough. Multiple buses run everyday from Luang Prabang and the journey takes between 3 and 4 hours.
Luang Prabang - Nong Khiaw Buses
If you’re looking for jungle hikes and the stunning Nam Ha National BioDiversity Conservation Area head north to Luang Namtha.
Luang Prabang - Luang Namtha Buses
For those into their history or who just love a bit of an ancient mystery (we really didn’t mean to rhyme there) you can move east to the Phonsavan and the enigmatic ‘Plain of Jars’.
Luang Prabang - Phonsavan Buses
For the next major stop on the “banana pancake trail” head south to the backpacker hub of Vang Vieng. Full of viewpoints, bars and lots of fellow travellers, this small city is the adventure capital of Laos.
As we’ve mentioned earlier Luang Prabang is on the Laos-China high speed railway line so you can zoom to Vang Vieng or all the way to the capital, Vientiane in just a matter of hours.
If you don’t mind a very long journey you can even catch buses further south to the city of Pakse.
For those with the money and who are in a hurry, you can catch internal flights south.
Internationally you can catch the slow boat to Chiang Rai in Thailand or use the rail network to get to all the way down to Bangkok (read about our experience here). There are also buses to Hanoi in Vietnam.
If you are travelling to Vietnam, make sure you check out our guides!
Final Thoughts
Luang Prabang is just one of those cities that instantly becomes a full blown love affair. Its quiet picturesque streets, laid-back vibes, bustling night market and intricate temples will just pull you in deeper and deeper and the longer you spend in the city, the more you’ll want to stay.
It’s a city that’s perfect for travellers. One where there's everything you could want from fantastic restaurants, cute coffee shops and lively bars, but also one where you can just wander around with no real purpose and still have a great time exploring.
As you explore the small alleyways and streets around the Old Quarter, you’ll stumble upon a Luang Prabang that almost feels unchanged by time. You’ll pass by monks sweeping temple courtyards, locals harvesting fruit and gaggles of chickens pecking at the dusty ground. Luang Prabang has all the mod-cons of a modern city, but has somehow blended tradition and modernity in its beautiful architecture, temples and markets.
Luang Prabang really is an incredible mix of tradition and modernity!
Luang Prabang is not like any other South East Asia city. Its closest cousin would probably be the temple city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand but even this is a poor comparison. There are no shopping malls in Luang Prabang, no 7-11’s, Luang Prabang is stripped back, raw but somehow cosy and comforting. Luang Prabang is a tiny city compared to it’s Thai neighbours and this makes it feel welcoming, walkable, friendly and safe.
Luang Prabang will always feature on any trip to Laos, but most travellers will head there for only a few days. Our recommendation is to double the time you have planned in the city, if not triple. It’s a city that deserves to be slow-travelled, a city to sit back, relax and soak in the easy-going laid back vibes.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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The town of Pakbeng marks the midpoint of the world famous Laotian slow boat route. Lying between the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and the border town of Huay Xai, most travellers only stop here for the night. But what if you stayed longer? What is there to do in Pakbeng? Where is there to stay? What is there to eat? Read our blog for the complete guide to Pakbeng.