Luang Prabang sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northern Laos at 305 meters above sea level, 620 kilometers upriver from the capital Vientiane and 1,260 kilometers from the Andaman Sea via the waterway network. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for its outstanding preservation of Buddhist temples, French colonial architecture and traditional Lao wooden shophouses, the old town occupies a narrow peninsula between the two rivers and contains 34 functioning monasteries, a former royal palace and 600 colonial-era buildings. Population sits at around 56,000 in the town centre and 460,000 in the wider Luang Prabang Province. The former seat of the Lao royal family until the 1975 communist revolution, the town was the capital of the Lan Xang kingdom from the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century and retains the flavor of that era through its sandalwood-scented morning alms procession, Kuang Si waterfalls and surrounding karst mountains.
Book an airport transfer to Luang Prabang
Fixed-price private transfers with English-speaking drivers. Meet-and-greet included.
Getting to and around Luang Prabang
The morning alms-giving ceremony, known locally as Sai Bat, is the emotional heart of Luang Prabang. Beginning shortly before six in the morning and lasting roughly 30 minutes, up to 200 saffron-robed monks from 34 monasteries walk single file through the town receiving offerings of sticky rice, fresh fruit, and other food from kneeling devotees and tourists. The main procession passes along Sakkaline Road through the old town and is best observed (respectfully, without flash photography and without blocking the monks) from a kneeling position on a sidewalk mat purchased for 50,000 kip from any guesthouse. To participate in alms-giving, arrive at least 30 minutes early, wear long sleeves and trousers, remain silent, and avoid eye contact with the monks. Providing food without genuine Buddhist intent is considered disrespectful; if uncertain, observe quietly rather than participate. Local merit-making also involves lighting lotus lanterns at the Wat Xieng Thong temple steps on full moon evenings for 10,000 kip each.
Wat Xieng Thong, built in 1560 by King Setthathirath at the northernmost tip of the Luang Prabang peninsula, is the most elaborately decorated and historically significant of the town's monasteries. Its signature sim (assembly hall) displays a spectacular Tree of Life mosaic on the rear exterior wall, built from thousands of colored glass pieces depicting the life of the Buddha. The Red Chapel inside contains a reclining Buddha from the sixteenth century, and the Royal Funeral Chapel at the back of the compound houses a giant gilded hearse used for the 1959 royal cremation of King Sisavang Vong. Entry costs 20,000 kip, and the temple opens from eight in the morning until five in the evening. Wat Mai next to the Royal Palace Museum features gold bas-relief scenes from the Ramayana on its front verandah. Wat Visoun from 1513, with its unique watermelon-shaped That Makmo stupa, and the hilltop Wat Phu Si on Mount Phousi, reached by climbing 328 steps from the Royal Palace for a 20,000 kip ticket, complete the core temple circuit.
The Royal Palace Museum on Sisavangvong Road occupies the 1904 French-Lao hybrid palace of King Sisavang Vong and displays the Phra Bang Buddha, the revered 83-centimeter gold standing Buddha from which the town takes its name. Galleries preserve the thrones, regalia, ceremonial costumes, and the blue-and-white Japanese porcelain that the king received from visiting diplomats in the early twentieth century. The throne room, reception halls and queens' private apartments are open for visits between eight and eleven in the morning and one-thirty to four in the afternoon except Tuesdays; entry is 30,000 kip. The adjacent Haw Pha Bang pavilion, constructed between 1963 and 2013 to house the Phra Bang, is now the actual home of the sacred Buddha. The palace grounds also include the Royal Ballet Theatre that performs traditional Lao court dance four nights per week during the dry season between November and April at 7 pm for 120,000 kip per seat; book through any guesthouse.
Things to see & do in Luang Prabang
Kuang Si Waterfalls, 29 kilometers southwest of town, form a cascade of three main tiers over travertine limestone pools with brilliant blue-green water from calcium carbonate minerals. The main waterfall drops 60 meters in a single plunge into a deep basin, and smaller pools above and below offer safe swimming from May through December. Entry costs 30,000 kip and tuk-tuks from the Luang Prabang morning market shared between six passengers cost 40,000 kip per person round-trip; private tuk-tuks 200,000 kip. The Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary at the site entrance houses 27 Asiatic black bears rescued from bile farming, with a suggested donation of 10,000 kip. Allow a half-day for the visit including a picnic at the third-tier pool. Tad Sae Waterfalls 12 kilometers upriver on the Nam Khan offer similar turquoise pools accessible only by a 20-minute longtail boat from Ban En pier for 40,000 kip round trip and 30,000 kip entry, with slightly less volume but a more intimate atmosphere.
Mekong River cruises are a distinctive Luang Prabang experience. Half-day slow boat trips from the town's Mekong landing cross the river to Ban Chan Neua pottery village and Ban Xang Hai whisky village (makers of the local rice whisky lao-lao), departing at nine in the morning and returning by one in the afternoon for 120,000 kip per person. Full-day trips continue upriver to the Pak Ou Caves, two limestone caverns at the Mekong and Nam Ou junction filled with over 4,000 Buddha statues left by worshippers since the fourteenth century; entry 30,000 kip, boat 180,000 kip per person. Two-day cruises on the Shompoo or the LuangSay boats continue upriver to Huay Xai on the Thai border, with an overnight stay at Pakbeng village and meals included for 450 US dollars per person. Sunset cocktail cruises on the Mekong depart from the Mekong Riverside Road pier between four-thirty and six-thirty during the dry season for 100,000 kip including drinks and canapes, landing back in town just as the Night Market begins.
Tours & experiences
Top tours & experiences in Luang Prabang
Browse Viator’s catalogue of Luang Prabang tours, day trips, and experiences. Most include free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity.
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Neighborhoods & food in Luang Prabang
The Luang Prabang Night Market sprawls along Sisavangvong Road from four in the afternoon until ten in the evening every day, with over 300 vendors selling Hmong embroidered textiles, silver jewellery, wood carvings, saa (mulberry bark) paper notebooks, Lao silk scarves, hand-painted fans, and Beerlao t-shirts. Prices are negotiable and a fair discount of 20 to 30 percent off opening price is standard. Quality silk scarves from the Ock Pop Tok fair trade cooperative start at 250,000 kip for small pieces and 800,000 kip for large. Silver jewellery by Hmong craftspeople starts at 150,000 kip for small earrings. The adjacent food street Khem Khong runs parallel one block south and serves khao soi noodle soup, grilled Mekong fish, laap minced meat salad, papaya salad and Beerlao for 25,000 to 80,000 kip per dish. Cooking classes at Bamboo Tree, Tamarind and Tamnak Lao teach Lao classics in a half-day format for 35 to 45 US dollars per person including market tour and full meal.
Luang Prabang International Airport, IATA code LPQ, lies 4 kilometers northeast of the old town on Route 13. Direct flights connect to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi daily on Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia (80 minutes, 180 to 280 US dollars), to Vientiane daily on Lao Airlines (50 minutes, 110 US dollars), to Siem Reap seasonally on Lao Airlines, to Hanoi daily on Vietnam Airlines (70 minutes, 180 US dollars), to Kunming China three times per week on China Eastern, and to Chiang Mai, Chengdu and Jinghong on seasonal routes. From LPQ, licensed taxis to old town hotels cost 100,000 kip (about 5 US dollars) with a fixed-rate ticket purchased at the airport exit. Private airport transfer in a minivan booked through a guesthouse is 200,000 kip. The new Boten-Vientiane China-Laos Railway opened in December 2021 and stops at Luang Prabang station 9 kilometers south of town; a bullet train from Vientiane takes 2 hours for 240,000 kip, and from the Chinese border Boten 1 hour 30 minutes for 220,000 kip. Station taxis to old town cost 80,000 kip.
Practical info & when to visit
Accommodation in Luang Prabang includes some of the most atmospheric heritage properties in Southeast Asia. Amantaka Luang Prabang, the local Aman hotel, occupies a 1917 French colonial hospital complex with 24 private suites surrounded by frangipani trees and a 25-meter swimming pool, with rates from 1,100 US dollars per night including breakfast and a spa credit. Rosewood Luang Prabang hides in the hills 10 minutes north of town with 23 tented and hilltop villas from 780 US dollars. Satri House, the former residence of Prince Souphanouvong, offers 31 suites in a 1904 colonial villa from 310 US dollars. Sofitel Luang Prabang, housed in a restored 1878 French governor's residence, runs 230 US dollars per night. Midrange boutique guesthouses include Villa Maly at 180 US dollars, Mekong Estate at 140 US dollars, and Le Sen Boutique Hotel at 120 US dollars per night. Backpacker options include Downtown Backpackers at 10 US dollars for a dorm bed, Cold River at 15 US dollars for a private room, and Manichan Guesthouse at 25 US dollars. The Night Market end of Sisavangvong Road has the highest concentration of budget and midrange rooms, with walking access to temples, the Royal Palace and food street.
Cultural and cooking experiences enrich any visit. The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre on Khem Khong near the post office is a small but excellent museum documenting the crafts, textiles and customs of Laos's 49 officially recognized ethnic minorities including Hmong, Khmu, Yao, and Akha; entry 40,000 kip. The Ock Pop Tok fair-trade weaving centre 4 kilometers south of town runs free tours of the natural dyeing and silk weaving process, with half-day weaving classes from 80 US dollars. Free Education for Lao Kids (FELK) offers 100,000 kip per person "Luang Prabang by bike" tours with proceeds supporting children's education. Plan at least three full days