Things to Do in Luang Prabang: Top Highlights & Our Tips

The Highlights in Luang Prabang on a Map

For a better overview, we’ve marked the most beautiful things to do in Luang Prabang on a map.

Attractions in Luang Prabang

Which highlights in Luang Prabang you shouldn’t miss — we’ll tell you now.

Old Town of Luang Prabang

What you need to know: The Old Town is home to almost all of Luang Prabang’s major sights — but it’s a highlight in its own right! Tucked between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, you’ll find charming colonial buildings and cozy cafés around every corner, and the atmosphere is totally relaxed.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! The Old Town of Luang Prabang is one of our favorite highlights in Laos. Just wandering the streets at your own pace and stopping for a coffee is seriously worth your time.

Our tip: A great restaurant in the Old Town is BOUANG Asian Eatery. In the evenings you often have to wait a while for a table, but at lunchtime you can just drop in spontaneously.

Mount Phousi

What you need to know: Mount Phousi is a hill right in the middle of Luang Prabang. It’s home to a large temple complex, and from the top you get a fantastic panorama of the city. There are more than 300 steps to the very top — you’ll work up a sweat quickly. Still, make sure to wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, as Phousi Hill is a religious site.

Is it worth it? Oh yes, we love the view! Mount Phousi is especially popular for watching the sunset. However, it gets very crowded at that time. To avoid the tourist crowds, it’s better to head up the hill during the day.

Our tip: There are several staircases leading up to Phousi. It’s best to take a different route up than the one you take down. The most popular path is the one opposite the National Museum on Sisavangvong Road (Google Maps). The paths from the south (Google Maps) and east (Google Maps) are less busy.

Tickets: It costs 30,000 kip (about $1.40) to walk up the hill. You pay the entrance fee on-site.

National Museum

What you need to know: The National Museum was once the Royal Palace and sits right in the center of Luang Prabang. The Laotian kings lived here until 1975. Today the museum displays their furniture and personal belongings. The grounds also include the palace building itself, a temple right at the entrance, and an ancient Buddha statue — known as “Pha Bang” — which is believed to have given Luang Prabang its name.

Is it worth it? Yes! The National Museum is super interesting. We particularly loved the garage with the royal vehicles inside the actual palace building (though unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos).

Our tip: You can also get great photos of the Royal Palace from the outside. Just cross the street and climb the first few steps that lead up toward Mount Phousi.

Tickets: Admission to the entire National Museum grounds costs 60,000 kip (about $2.75).

Luang Prabang Night Market

What you need to know: On the street between the Royal Palace and Mount Phousi, the famous Luang Prabang Night Market takes place every evening. In addition to Beer Lao T-shirts and the typical souvenir fare, the market mainly sells blankets and scarves with traditional patterns from the Laotian hill tribes. Of course, you’ll also find plenty of delicious food.

Is it worth it? Yes! The Night Market is a great spot for dinner and for picking up souvenirs.

Our tip: In the side street behind the Indigo House (coming from the Royal Palace), you’ll find plenty of food stalls serving delicious street food — cheaper than on the main square.

Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

What you need to know: Between the National Museum and the Luang Prabang Night Market stands the temple Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham. The temple’s main hall is considered the most elaborately decorated temple building in Luang Prabang — there are even carvings on the walls.

Is it worth it? Yes, the temple building looks truly stunning! That said, if you’ve already visited many other temples on your trip around Laos, we wouldn’t call it a must-see.

Tickets: Admission costs 20,000 kip (just under $1). Keep your shoulders and knees covered during your visit.

Mekong River

What you need to know: The Mekong flows through Luang Prabang and is especially beautiful at sunset. Many boats that double as bars offer sunset deals like a cruise with a free drink included. But you can also stroll along the river during the day or book a boat tour arranged on-site.

Is it worth it? Yes! Whether you take in the Mekong from Mount Phousi, a sunset bar, or on a daytime stroll, it’s definitely worth it.

Our tip: We only visited the Mekong during the day and found Riverview Park especially beautiful. From there you can see where the Mekong meets the Nam Khan River and the colors of the two rivers blend together — the Mekong is brown and the Nam Khan is green.

Bamboo Bridge

What you need to know: One slightly unusual point of interest is the adventurous-looking Bamboo Bridge, which spans the Nam Khan River at the end of the Old Town. It’s only suitable for pedestrians and is an important walkway especially for locals. The bridge is built at the beginning of the dry season each year and taken down again when the rainy season begins.

Is it worth it? Yes! During the dry season you should definitely check it out — and if you’re feeling brave, walk across it too.

Our tip: An alternative during the rainy season is the Nam Kham Bridge. It’s about 15 minutes outside the center and you can get there on foot or by scooter. Fair warning though — walking across it is not for people with a fear of heights.

Tickets: If you want to walk across the Bamboo Bridge, you’ll need to pay 10,000 kip (around 40 cents). We’re not exactly sure how the payment process works, as we didn’t cross it ourselves.

Wat Xieng Thong

What you need to know: Wat Xieng Thong is considered the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang. The mosaics and decorations are really impressive, and in addition to the main temple, the grounds feature several other monuments and stupas. Mornings are the least crowded time to visit.

Is it worth it? Yes — it was our favorite of all the temples in Luang Prabang.

Tickets: Admission costs 30,000 kip (about $1.30). Don’t forget to come with your shoulders and knees covered.

Day Trips from Luang Prabang

When you’re in Luang Prabang, you should take at least one day trip into the surrounding area. Here are our recommendations for excursions around Luang Prabang.

Kuang Si Waterfall

What you need to know: About 30 kilometers southwest of Luang Prabang lies the Kuang Si Waterfall. The waterfall plunges 30 meters and then cascades down over several tiers into the valley below. Along the way there are natural pools where you can swim — though the water is cold.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! The waterfall is stunning and great for photography. Also check out our article: how to photograph waterfalls.

Our tip: Get there as early as possible — there won’t be as many tourists at Kuang Si in the morning as there are later in the day, when they crowd the main photo spots. That said, there are also several smaller paths that are never too busy.

Tickets: Admission costs 60,000 kip per person. Transportation to the waterfall from the entrance where you buy your ticket is included in the price. The entrance is about 1 kilometer from the waterfall.

How to get to the Kuang Si Waterfalls

By scooter, the ride from Luang Prabang takes about 45 minutes. There’s a large parking area for scooters on-site. Renting a scooter costs around 250,000 to 300,000 kip, and parking at the waterfall costs 10,000 kip.

Alternatively, you can take one of the tuk-tuks that wait all around Luang Prabang. This is the most practical and affordable option if you’re traveling in a group. The driver will even wait at the waterfall to bring you back. The price per tuk-tuk is around 700,000 kip.

The last option is to book a guided tour. Then you don’t have to worry about anything, but you’ll only have a limited amount of time at the Kuang Si Waterfall.

Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Waterfalls by Boat

Bear Rescue Centre

What you need to know: On the grounds of the Kuang Si Waterfall, there’s a bear rescue center that you pass on your way to the waterfall. Bears that have been rescued from captivity are cared for here and get to live a somewhat better life.

Is it worth it? Yes! The Rescue Center also has plenty of signs explaining what the bears have been rescued from and how you can support the organization.

Tickets: The bear rescue center is included in the Kuang Si Waterfall ticket (60,000 kip).

Rice Fields near Luang Prabang

What you need to know: On the way from Luang Prabang to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, you’ll pass some beautifully laid-out rice fields. There are also cafés there where you can make a great pit stop.

Is it worth it? Yes — the cafés at the rice fields are quite touristy, but the views are still lovely.

Our tip: We stopped at the Nakhoun Cafe, Restaurant & Farm Stay on the way back from the waterfall. The café is a bit tucked away, offers great views, and serves really delicious food. The rice fields were dry during the dry season, though.

Pak Ou Caves

What you need to know: About 20 kilometers north of Luang Prabang, right on the Mekong, lie the Pak Ou Caves. The caves contain more than 4,000 Buddha statues. You can only get there by boat, so you can combine the visit with a river trip.

Is it worth it? We read in several reviews that the trip isn’t really worth it, so we decided not to go. During a boat tour, though, we did catch a brief glimpse of the Pak Ou Caves and agreed they didn’t look that impressive.

Tickets: Admission to the caves costs 20,000 kip (less than $1). You’ll also need to pay for the boat ride. Boats depart from Luang Prabang (Google Maps location of the ticket shop) for 150,000 kip per person (about $7). Alternatively, you can book a guided tour.

Our tour tip: Boat tour to the Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Waterfalls

Tad Sae Waterfall

What you need to know: The Tad Sae looks similar to the famous Kuang Si Waterfall, but is far less crowded. You can only reach the Tad Sae by boat, as it sits on a river you have to cross. From the bank, it’s not far to walk to the waterfall. If you feel like it, you can also hike a bit and check out the pools further back. Swimming is also allowed.

Is it worth it? Yes. The Tad Sae is a great alternative if you find the Kuang Si Waterfall too touristy. Since both waterfalls look similar, we’d recommend visiting only one — and we’d go with the Kuang Si.

How to get there: From Luang Prabang, it’s about 15 kilometers to the spot where the boats depart (Google Maps). We recommend taking a scooter. You can park it in a parking lot at the “harbor.”

Tickets: You’ll need to pay 25,000 kip (about $1) for the round-trip boat ride and a parking fee of 5,000 kip (about 20 cents) for your scooter.

Accommodations in Luang Prabang

The selection of hotels in Luang Prabang is huge, covering all price ranges. Here are our recommendations for where to stay in Luang Prabang.

Our personal hotel pick: We stayed at the Parasol Blanc and were really happy with it. The breakfast is excellent and the rooms are very comfortable.

Restaurants in Luang Prabang

Laotian cuisine is very similar to northern Thai cuisine. In many restaurants in Luang Prabang, you’ll also find French influences mixed in.

We made our way through various restaurants in Luang Prabang and are happy to share where we enjoyed the food.

• Bouang Asian Eatery: We noticed Bouang on our very first evening — there was a small cluster of people outside waiting for a table. The next day we came back at lunchtime and managed to snag one. The food is really delicious. We had Laotian meatballs and gnocchi with green curry. Both were absolutely fantastic!
• Soum Noum: Right next door to Bouang is Soum Noum. Here too you’ll find a mix of Laotian and Western cuisine. Also very tasty.
• Tangor Restaurant: A few doors down is Tangor. We stopped in for a beer and a small appetizer — eggplant dip and hummus. Also delicious!
• Night Market: For truly authentic Laotian food, head to the food stalls at the Night Market. For the equivalent of $1–2, you can get really delicious things. Our favorite is laap, a salad made from finely chopped chicken or pork, which is also available in a vegetarian version made with mushrooms.
• Family Bakery & Restaurant: A charming little spot that’s perfect for a quick snack — and by eating here, you’re even supporting an NGO.

Getting to Luang Prabang

You have several options for traveling to Luang Prabang. What makes the most sense depends on where you’re coming from. We’ll walk you through all the options here and give you our tips on which mode of transportation makes sense when.

By Train to Luang Prabang

• Best for travelers from: Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Luang Namtha, southern China

The trains in Laos are fast, modern, and in our opinion the best way to get around the country.

We took the train on the Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng route and it took one hour and cost about $13.

The train station in Luang Prabang is a bit outside the center. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the center. Through your accommodation in Luang Prabang, you can book a group transfer to your hotel for around 40,000 kip (just under $2).

Book your train ticket to Luang Prabang via 12goasia

By Bus to Luang Prabang

• Best for travelers from: Nong Khiaw, Muang Xai

The buses that run to Luang Prabang are usually minivans with room for 10–12 people. They’re cheaper than trains but take significantly longer.

We recommend taking a bus only for routes where no trains run.

Book your bus ticket to Luang Prabang via 12goasia

By Plane to Luang Prabang

• Best for travelers from: Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap, China, other Laotian cities with an airport (e.g. Pakse)

Luang Prabang’s small international airport is located about 3 kilometers from the city. At the airport there’s a small taxi stand where you can buy a ride into town for a reasonable price.

A minibus takes you into the city together with other travelers, with the driver dropping people off at their hotels one by one.

Book your flight via Skyscanner

By Slow Boat to Luang Prabang

• Best for travelers from: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai

A popular option is to travel from northern Thailand (Chiang Rai) to Luang Prabang by boat — known as the Slow Boat.

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Chiang Rai by van transfer in the morning and driven to the border. Once you have your Laotian stamp in your passport, you’ll be taken by bus to the port in Huay Xai (the town on the border).

There you board the Slow Boat, travel about six hours along the Mekong River, and spend one night in Pak Beng. On the second day, you take the boat another seven hours from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang.

Book the Slow Boat via 12goasia

Traditions and History of Luang Prabang

Finally, we’d like to share a little about the history and traditions of Laos and Luang Prabang — because most people know very little about them.

History of Laos & Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang was once the royal capital of Laos. The Laotian kings lived in their palace in Luang Prabang until the monarchy was abolished in 1975.

Luang Prabang also bears a strong French imprint from the colonial era — you’ll notice this in the French-style cafés and the colonial architecture.

While the 1960s and ’70s saw worldwide coverage of the Vietnam War, the Americans were also fighting a war in Laos that was largely ignored by the public.

Even the raw numbers are shocking, and the consequences of the war are still felt to this day.

Per capita, the Americans dropped 2.5 tons of bombs across the country. This unimaginable amount makes Laos the most heavily bombed country in the world.

To this day, Laos is littered with countless unexploded ordnance, which regularly claim victims — especially children. As a tourist, however, you don’t need to worry too much about this.

Also read our tips on safety in Laos

The UXO Laos Information Centre (UXO stands for Unexploded Ordnance) in Luang Prabang provides information about this dark chapter of Laotian history and its impact on the population.

Tak Bat Tradition: The Monks’ Alms Round

Tak Bat is an ancient tradition in Luang Prabang that is attracting increasing numbers of tourists. Every morning between 5:00 and 6:30 AM, monks walk through the streets of the Old Town collecting alms from residents.

It’s certainly a beautiful sight to watch the monks, dressed entirely in orange, make their way through the streets. Unfortunately, the ritual is increasingly being disrupted by tourists.

For that reason, we’d like to offer a few pointers on how you can experience Tak Bat without acting like a disrespectful tourist.

#1 As a tourist, you should really just observe: More and more travelers are making it a sport to stand or sit along the roadside and hand something to the monks. You should really only do this if it holds genuine meaning for you. Anything else is disrespectful.

#2 Be considerate when taking photos: There are always people who step right in front of the monks just to get a great shot. True experts even flash their cameras directly into the monks’ faces. So: turn off your flash and keep your distance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Luang Prabang