ESSENTIALS OF LAOS

Today, we transfer to the airport for a short flight to Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. After check-in your hotel, we visit the impressive stupa, Wat Visoun and the shrines Wat Aham and Wat Mai. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From here, we explore the Night Market, where you can browse through a lovely selection of handmade textiles.  
Overnight in Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour of the city, seeing the things we missed the day before. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which gives us a panorama of the tranquil countryside. We’ll stop at the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images. On our way back to the city, we take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village well known for its crafts, pottery and hand weaving.  
Overnight in Luang Prabang

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily alms giving ritual to saffron-clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. After breakfast, we first visit the National Museum (closed Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout its history, and then move onto the Central Market for some sightseeing. Afterwards we fly to Vientiane. After checking into your hotel, we transfer out to Buddha Park, a scattered enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures near the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years. A spectacular view of the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day.  
Overnight in Vientiane

After breakfast, we visit the Morning Market and the weaving village of Ban Nong Bouathong (if time permits). The tour ends after your transfer to the airport for departure.