Whether you are visiting on holiday or are passing through as a backpacker, the Laotian city of Luang Prabang is an amazing place to watch the sun go down. The UNESCO World Heritage City is full of beautiful temples, hilltop shrines and riverside bars, all of which make for fantastic places to catch a sunset. The golden orange glow of the setting sun bathes the city in a warm light that sparkles off of its temples, palace roofs and the Mekong River below.

Sunset is also a natural gathering time for tourists and travellers; the bars, restaurants and viewpoints all fill up with people and it is probably the best time to meet other travellers if you are in the city solo.

We have spent a long time in Luang Prabang over the last few years and have come up with a list of our favourite places to watch the sun go down.

A silhouetted boat sits in the middle of the Mekong River. In the background the sunset has created a firey sky of orange in Luang Prabang, Laos.

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The Best Sunset Bars in Luang Prabang

It should come as no surprise to those who know us or follow this blog that one of our favourite ways to enjoy a sunset is in the company of a frosty beverage. Luang Prabang has bars and restaurants dotted all along its river banks that make for a great way to end a day.

The Old Town of Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula of land with the Mekong and Nam Khan River flowing either side of it. The sunset is in the west so, for the best view, you need to find a spot on the western side of the old town along the banks of the Mekong River.

Luang Prabang is ever changing and the bars are frequently taken over and revamped. We used to love a locals only bar right in the south of the city and, on our first visit ,there was the legendary Utopia Backpacker Bar. Both these bars are sadly now gone but there are still plenty of gorgeous sunset spots to choose from. Let us know if any of the bars below change hands or names in the future!

A bar overlooks the Mekong River and the setting sun in Luang Prabang, Laos.

360 Sunset Bar

(location)

We found this little riverside bar on our first trip to Luang Prabang and have been in love with it ever since. It is (loosely) skater themed with a small concrete ramp and some tables made out of recycled skateboards. A small DJ booth plays chilled out tunes and the service is very relaxed.

360 Sunset Bar serves good cheap beer, cocktails, small plates of food and snacks. Most importantly, the 360 bar serves up fantastic riverside views. The sun sets behind the Laotian mountains practically opposite the 360 bar making it an ideal place for a late afternoon beer or cocktail.

A black cat sits on a white wooden chair at the 360 Sunset Bar in Luang Prabang, Laos. — *The 360 bar is also home to a collection of cute kitties who love to sit with you, especially if you’ve got a plate of chicken wings!*

The bar is popular with backpackers and the local youth, so if you want the best seats next to the river, come early. 360 bar was fantastic, we have whiled away far too many evenings enjoying a Beer Lao as the night creeps in.

Mekong Savan Restaurant and Bar

(location)

This was a random find on our latest Luang Prabang adventure. Set nearby to the local ferry pier, this small bar is tucked away on the riverside down a small flight of steps. Wooden decking gives way to a parasol shaded balcony. The bar has a great view of the Mekong and the busy traffic of boats and ferries on its water. This is a fantastic place for a sunset drink, the full menu of beers, fruit juices, cocktails, spirits and wines makes sure there is a drink for every palate and inclination.

The bar sometimes serves food, but on the times we visited, the kitchen was never open (although the nice waiter did run and get us peanuts!). For such an upmarket looking bar, the cost of beer was as cheap as anywhere else on this list!

A bottle of beer Laos and a glass of ice and beer sit on a wooden bar overlooking the setting sun and the busy Mekong River in Luang Prabang. — *Tham keo for our Laotian followers or cheers for everyone else!*

Mekong Savan is set a little way up the river from 360, so the sunset happens further downstream (to the left) from the bar. Despite this we would say this was the best sunset bar in Luang Prabang as the Mekong River was just so full of life and traffic. From Mekong Savan you can watch the local car ferries run back and forth, see the boatbuilders below plane wood and fix their barges and see all sorts of boats and craft float on by. Also, as the sunset is further downstream, the light reflects beautifully off of the river!

Viewpoints for Sunset in Luang Prabang

Phousi Hill

(location)

If you are in Luang Prabang you cannot miss Phousi Hill - Both literally and figuratively! The hill rises up along the main street of Luang Prabang and no visit to the city would be complete without climbing it at least once.

Mount Phousi costs 30,000 kip per person to climb. You buy a ticket from the counter right at the start of your climb from the side facing the main street and National Museum.

To read more about the museums and temples of Luang Prabang check out our complete travel guide here.

The hill is a short hike up 355 steps though some beautiful moss covered foliage and temple grounds. The summit gives panoramic views all over the city and is probably the most popular place to watch the sunset from. It is a fantastic view and, as the highest point in town, gives a sweeping vista over the city, river and surrounding mountains. From the top of the hill the sunset lights the town up in gold, the dying light glinting off the temples, rooftops and rivers.

This all being said, it is very popular. At sunset you will be in a crowd of people and if you want to get a good view, you better have gone up early. As the day winds down, streams of people will start the climb to the top of Phousi Hill in preparation for the sunset. If you choose the top of Phousi Hill as your sunset spot go early and be prepared to share it with a lot of people!

However, there is another spot only for those in the know…

The Secret Sunset Spot on Phousi Hill

This spot is nowhere near as high as the peak of Phousi Hill but we loved it, its was a special, more private place to enjoy a Luang Prabang sunset.

If you are climbing Mount Phou Si from the side facing the National Museum you will quickly come to a plateau with a stunning tree surrounded by a two tiered stone ring. The steps to the top will continue in front and the tree would be on your right hand side. If you leave the path here and head right, past the tree, you will come to the corner of the plateau. You should find a bench overlooking the market below and the town itself. This is our secret sunset spot!

A bench is basked in golden sunlight as the sun sets over the rooftops and temples of Luang Prabang. Photo taken on Phousi Hill, Laos.

Honestly we preferred this as a place to watch the sunset to the top of Phousi Hill; it was romantic (no PDA though, you are in temple grounds!), peaceful and got a lovely view of the sunset. We would recommend climbing Phousi before the rush at sunset, admiring the view and then coming back down to this secret spot to actually watch the sun go down!

Sunset on the Mekong - River Cruises

We have talked about views over the river and riverside bars so obviously we must talk about the sunset from the water itself! If you walk anywhere in Luang Prabang you will be offered sunset boat tours, there are dozens of operators running everything from private longboats to massive karaoke boats and banquet barges. You can arrange a boat trip through your accommodation, at any of the tour offices, operator booths or from touts on the pier.

A wooden boat floats past Luang Prabang on the Mekong River. The setting sun creates an orange sky.

We had a great experience (well two great experiences as we have been with them twice now), with Sa Sa Sunset Cruises. They have a few different boats that sail up and down the Mekong for a perfect sunset cruise.

The red and wood Sa Sa Cruise boat is moored to a jetty on the Mekong River in Luang Prabang. On the deck of the boat are recliners and wooden deck chairs.

295,000 kip per person got us comfy reclining seats and a free drink (Lao Lao cocktail, beer of a soft drink) as well as a small snack served half way through. There was a bar on board as well so you could top up on your drinks as you floated on down. The cruise starts at 5pm and will bring you back around 7pm. These times may change as the sun sets later or earlier depending when in the year you visit.

We cannot recommend a sunset river cruise enough. Drifting down the Mekong, lying back in the orange gold light whilst sipping on a beer and listening to quietly playing music (First Aid Kit both times we visited), is a fantastic way to see out a day.

John and Ellie smile for a selfie on board the Sa Sa Sunset Cruise boat. They are both wearing sunglasses.

Sa Sa Cruises does, or maybe did, have another little “treat” for those who take the sunset cruise. We are not going to spoil it here and it may not even still happen (it didn’t on our last trip). If you are on the big boat and something bizarre involving fish and “O Fortuna” happens …. let us know in the comments. At this point, we are unsure if it was a fever dream, a hallucination or if it actually happened!

We had great experiences with Sa Sa Cruises, the boats were fun, comfy and well set up for a relaxing sunset cruise. We did see that other cruises were sometimes cheaper but we cannot say which is best as we stuck with Sa Sa.

You can book cruises, as we have said, everywhere in town. Sa Sa have a little booking desk on the bank where the boat docks; you can buy your tickets there. The dock and booking office are located here on a map.

A word of caution when booking a sunset cruise in Luang Prabang: check it is not a karaoke cruise before booking! There are a lot of karaoke barges noisily plying their way up and down the Mekong nowadays and this would be a very different sunset experience! Check before you book - unless you're into that, no judgement here!

A glass of mint mojito cocktail topped with a sliced lime is raised to the sky on board Sa Sa Sunset Cruises in Luang Prabang.

Sunset in Luang Prabang - Conclusion

So there you have it, our favourite places to see sunset in Luang Prabang. To be fair, in the city there are innumerable other spots to watch the sun go down from, but we especially loved those on this list. Let us know in the comments if we have missed your favourite!

The orange sun sets between two limestone mountains behind the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos.

There is something special about the sunset when travelling. Maybe it is because it marks another day away from home, another day of new experiences and different places, but the setting sun is always something to be celebrated and appreciated when you are out walking the world.

Also sunset is a great excuse for a beer!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie