LA · Vientiane Prefecture · 17.98°N 102.63°E

vientiane

Golden stupas, Lao noodle breakfasts and evening walks beside the Mekong.

Best time
November to February is dry and pleasant for walking. It heats up from March to a scorching April, and the rains come from May, heaviest in July to September.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
About 2 hours 40 minutes direct from KL; AirAsia flies a few days a week, and on other days you can connect in Bangkok. Wattay Airport is about 15 minutes from the centre. Laos is 1 hour behind KL.
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LA · Vientiane Prefecturevientiane17.98°N 102.63°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Golden stupas, Lao noodle breakfasts and evening walks beside the Mekong.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingVientianeLA, Vientiane Prefecture
KLvientiane
≈ 1,653 km from KL, as the crow flies
Vientiane, viewed from Patuxai Gate

Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Laos's capital is a sleepy, low-rise city of temples, French bakeries and noodle shops along the Mekong, with Thailand on the far bank. A day or two covers the sights, with sunset on the riverfront each evening.

Makan

  1. Khao piak senThick, chewy rice noodles in a rich broth, the Lao comfort breakfast. Chicken versions are easy to find.Map ↗
  2. Tam mak hoongLao papaya salad: sour, salty and fierce, with fermented fish sauce.Map ↗
  3. Ping kaiGrilled chicken with sticky rice and a chilli dip, from roadside grills all over town.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Pha That LuangThe gold stupa that's the national symbol of Laos, surrounded by cloisters and temples.Map ↗
  2. Wat Si SaketThe city's oldest surviving temple, its cloister walls lined with thousands of small Buddha images.Map ↗
  3. PatuxaiVientiane's concrete victory arch. Climb it for the view down the main boulevard.Map ↗
  4. COPE Visitor CentreA sobering exhibition on the unexploded bombs still in Laos's soil, and the people fitted with artificial limbs after them.Map ↗
  5. The Mekong riverfrontJoggers, open-air aerobics and a night market along the promenade at sunset.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easiest around Nam Phu fountain, where a few Indian restaurants near the Jamia Mosque serve halal curries.
  • The fast-train station is about 15 km out of the centre, so allow 40 minutes to get there.
  • Cover shoulders and knees for the temples.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.