Days 1-3: Luang Prabang
Day 1: Arrive Luang Prabang. Mount Phousi sunset, night market. Overnight Luang Prabang.
Day 2: Dawn alms-giving (tak bat). Kuang Si Waterfall — swim in turquoise pools, visit bear rescue center. Afternoon Mekong cruise to Pak Ou Caves with thousands of Buddhas. Overnight Luang Prabang.
Day 3: Wat Xieng Thong — the temple of the Golden City with its tree-of-life mosaic. Royal Palace Museum, Traditional Arts Centre. Lao cooking class in the afternoon. Overnight Luang Prabang.
Day 4: Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng
Morning drive 4-5 hours through misty mountains to Vang Vieng. Afternoon swim at Blue Lagoon, climb through Tham Chang cave for panoramic karst views. Evening riverside. Overnight Vang Vieng.
Day 5: Vang Vieng to Vientiane
Morning kayaking on the Nam Song River through the karst landscape (optional). Afternoon drive to Vientiane (3 hours). Evening walk along the Mekong promenade. Overnight Vientiane.
Day 6: Vientiane Highlights & Fly to Pakse
Morning: Pha That Luang (golden national stupa), Wat Sisaket (oldest temple, thousands of Buddhas), Patuxai Victory Monument. Afternoon flight to Pakse, the gateway to southern Laos. Check into your hotel on the Mekong. Overnight Pakse.
Day 7: Wat Phou — UNESCO Khmer Temple
Full-day excursion to the Champasak Heritage trail. Morning: Wat Phou, a pre-Angkorian Khmer temple complex predating Angkor Wat by 200 years, set spectacularly on the slopes of Phu Kao mountain. The temple’s sacred spring, ancient causeway, and carved lintels are extraordinary. Afternoon: explore Champasak town, a sleepy riverside settlement with French colonial houses. Visit a local weaving village. Overnight Pakse.
Day 8: 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don)
Full-day excursion south to the 4,000 Islands region where the Mekong widens to 14 kilometers. Boat to Don Khone and Don Det islands, connected by a French colonial railway bridge. Cycle or walk past French-era relics, rice paddies, and riverside villages. Visit Li Phi (Somphamit) Falls, a powerful cascade where the Mekong crashes through rocky gorges. From the viewpoint, scan for the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that inhabit the deep pools below. Overnight Pakse.
Day 9: Bolaven Plateau — Coffee & Waterfalls
Full day on the Bolaven Plateau, a cool, fertile highland famous for its coffee (some of Southeast Asia’s finest Arabica and Robusta). Visit a coffee plantation to learn the bean-to-cup process and sample freshly roasted Lao coffee. Continue to Tad Fane, a dramatic twin waterfall plunging 120 meters into a jungle gorge, and Tad Yuang, where you can swim at the base. Visit an ethnic Alak or Katu village to learn about highland culture. Farewell dinner in Pakse. Overnight Pakse.
Day 10: Departure
Morning at leisure. Transfer to Pakse International Airport for departure.
