LA · Luang Prabang Province · 19.89°N 102.13°E

luang prabang

Temple roofs, Mekong sunsets and turquoise pools at Kuang Si Falls.

Best time
November to February is cool and dry, with chilly mornings. March and April are hot and hazy from the burning season. May to October is green and wet, and Kuang Si's pools turn murky after heavy rain.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
No direct flight from KL. Connect in Bangkok, about 4 hours' flying in all, or fly direct to Vientiane (about 2 hours 40 minutes, a few days a week) and take the fast train north, about 2 hours. The airport is 10 minutes from the old town and the train station about 20. Laos is 1 hour behind KL.
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LA · Luang Prabang Provinceluang prabang19.89°N 102.13°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Temple roofs, Mekong sunsets and turquoise pools at Kuang Si Falls.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingLuang PrabangLA, Luang Prabang Province
KLluang prabang
≈ 1,863 km from KL, as the crow flies
Phou si Luang Prabang Laos プーシーの丘 ラオス・ルアンプラバーン

Photo: 松岡明芳 · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Laos's old royal capital sits on a peninsula where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong: gilded temples, French-era shophouses and monks in saffron robes on the dawn alms round. Spend the mornings in the old town, an afternoon at the waterfalls and the evenings watching the sun go down over the Mekong.

Makan

  1. Mok paRiver fish steamed with herbs in a banana leaf, eaten with sticky rice.Map ↗
  2. Or lamLuang Prabang's own stew of buffalo or beef, aubergine, herbs and peppery sakhan wood.Map ↗
  3. KaipenSheets of Mekong river weed, fried crisp with sesame and dipped in chilli paste.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Wat Xieng ThongThe city's grandest temple, with sweeping tiered roofs and glass-mosaic walls, at the tip of the peninsula.Map ↗
  2. Kuang Si FallsTiers of turquoise pools you can swim in, about 45 minutes out of town, with a bear rescue centre at the entrance.Map ↗
  3. Mount PhousiA stairway up to a hilltop stupa over both rivers. The summit is small and packed at sunset, so go early.Map ↗
  4. The night marketThe main street fills with stalls of textiles, paper lanterns and handicrafts every evening.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The dawn alms round is a religious ritual, not a show. Watch from across the street, keep the flash off and don't get in the monks' way.
  • Halal food is scarce. A few Indian restaurants in the old town serve halal curries; elsewhere, stick to fish and vegetable dishes.
  • Cover shoulders and knees in the temples.

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