Northern Laos Discovery 7 days 6 nights

Northern Laos Discovery will give you the chance to experience the stunning natural wonders, rich heritage and culture, and the amazingly friendly people of Laos. Among the destinations the tour will take you to are Vientiane, the country’s capital and home to French colonial architecture, ancient temples and colourful markets, Luang Prabang, a former royal capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the city of Xieng Khoang. These are just the highlights of the tour, and much more is waiting for you should you choose to share in the delights of Laos.

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Day 1: Arrive in Vientiane (D)
- The tour begins when you arrive in Vientiane, where you will be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will get to enjoy a tour of Vientiane, which although the capital city, truly still feels like a small provincial town. You will notice the wide boulevards almost devoid of traffic, and enjoy the many temples of the city, which leaves it feeling like something from a bygone ancient era.
  The tour of Vientiane includes visits to the major temples of Vat Sisaket, Vat Phrakeo and the spectacular That Luang Stupa, which is the country’s most important monument. You will also get the change to see the Arc de Triomphe, the National Museum and the main market. In the evening you will be served a welcome dinner, before you can enjoy an evening stroll along the banks of the mighty Mekong River, before retiring to your room.
Day 2: Vientiane - Vang Vieng (B, L)
- After breakfast in Vientiane, you will get to see the Morning Market, before a car will take you on a approximately three hour ride to Vang Vieng. During the Indochina Wars, Vang Vieng was a key military airfield and as such its most defining feature is the long abandoned runway along the eastern edge of the town. On the west side, a small river separates the town from the nearby caves and mountains, which are easy to access from town. En route to Vang Vieng you will be served an included lunch at a local restaurant. Once you arrive you will be free to spend your day in Vang Vieng in any fashion you please, whether that is seeing the old airfield, exploring the caves west of town or going tubing in the river.
Day 3: Vang Vieng - Xieng Khoang (B, L)
- As you are driven from Vang Vieng to Xieng Khoang, you can take the time to appreciate the stunning views along the road, before arriving at your destination at lunch time. After checking in to your hotel and having lunch, there will be a tour to the mysterious Plain of Jars. The “Plain” is an extensive area around Phonosvan, surrounded by mountains, where you can find over a dozen scattered groupings of massive stone urns of mysterious origins. The largest of these groupings, Thoung Hai Hin (or “Stone Jar Plain”) is 15km southwest of Phonsavan and features 250 jars, mostly weighing in at 600kg to one ton each (although the biggest urn weighs as much as six tons!). From here you will get to visit some nearby hill tribes and experience life in their villages including their fascinating culture and colourful history. After this you will head back to your hotel in Xieng Khoang and spend the night there.
Day 4: Xieng Khoang - Luang Prabang (B, L)
- On the fourth day its time to depart Xieng Khoang and drive to Luang Prabang, which is the old capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom and is home to more than 30 gilded Buddhist temples, something that lends it a rich atmosphere and history.
  In the afternoon you will get a tour of the World Heritage Site, including visits to Wat Visoun (a 16th century temple that serves as a small museum for religious artifacts), Wat Aham (an early 19th century temple posessing two guardian statues at the foot of the steps representing Hanuman the monkey God and fierce Yaksa, two characters from the Ramayana), Wat Xiengthong (a 16th century temple which perfectly epitomizes the citiy’s architectural grace and elegance) and finally Phousi Hill, where you can climb the 328 steps to the summit dominating the Luang Prabang skyline.
Day 5: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Cave (B, L)
- An optional early start on the fifth day will allow you to participate in the daily morning ritual of the saffron-clad Buddhist monks collecting Alms, a uniquely Laotian practice.
  Whether you participated in the ritual or not, after breakfast it’s time to depart for the boat landing for an excursion upstream the Mekong to visit the one-of-a-kind Pak Ou Cave. The cave system itself is nestled into the side of a lime stone cliff running alongside the river, opposite the confluence of the Mekong and Ou rivers and contains thousands of Buddha images, some as tall as two meters.
  Following the caves, the boat will take you to Ban Muangkeo where traditional rice whiskey, called “Laoh-Khao” is distilled, and then to a riverside restaurant for lunch.
  As you return to Luang Prabang by car in the evening, you will stop in Ban Xangkhong, well known for paper production and Lao silk weavings made with natural dye.
Day 6: Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Waterfall - Nam Nong Park Ziplying (B, L)
- This days main attraction will be the Kuangsi Waterfall, 30km south of Luang Prabang. On the way there, you will visit several small villages to give you a taste of the rural Laotian lifestyle. First up is a fresh produce market at Talad Phosy, followed by a village inhabited by the Hmong hill tribe, Laos’ most famous ethnic minority.
  Finally, near the waterfall, you will visit Tan Tha Pane, a Khmu village before having a picnic lunch in a shaded area of the national park surrounding Kuangsi. After lunch there will be plenty of time to spend relaxing around and swimming in the cool waters of the falls. The remainder of the day will be spent visiting various crafts shops, silversmiths and the Hmong market, where Hmong women sell their traditional embroidery works. For a thrilling adventure, experience Zip-lining at Nam Long Park before retiring for a peaceful night at your Luang Prabang hotel.
Day 7: Departure (B)
- There are no activities planned for the final day so you are free to explore the rest of Luang Prabang at your own pace until your transfer to the airport for onward travel.

Tour price includes:
•    Arrangement for Visa Approval Letter for Vietnam (single entry)
•    Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle as stated in the itinerary
•   English speaking guide
•   Lunch and Dinners as stated in the itinerary
•   Accomodation in double rooms including breakfasts.

Tour price excludes:
•   Stamping fee for visa to Vietnam
•   Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
•   International airfare.
•   Domestic airfare.
•   Other personal expenses (drinks, souvenirs, etc.)

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Northern Laos Discovery 7 days 6 nights

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