Welcome to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos along the banks of the Mekong River. Upon arrival, meet our driver at the airport and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy the day free at leisure to get acquainted with the calm and quiet palm-tree lined streets filled with charming cafes and French-Lao architecture. 

Overnight in Vientiane

Enjoy a delectable breakfast followed by a sight-seeing tour of Vientiane’s best cultural sites. First on the list is Wat Sisaket, the city's oldest temple dating back to 1818. The most important temple in all of Laos, it houses thousands of Buddha images from many countries, long-lost architectural styles, sculptures, and paintings. The tour continues with stops at Wat Prakeo, the former royal temple of the Lao monarchy and original home of the Emerald Buddha before it was taken to Thailand, sacred That Luang Stupa, and Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s grandiose version of the Arc de Triomphe. 

Pause for lunch and then take a short journey outside the city to Buddha Park, noteworthy for its hodgepodge of hundreds of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on display. 

Return to the city in time to savour the sunset over the Mekong River. If you’re not too tired, explore Anouvong Park’s Street Night Market, full of mouth-watering treats and memorable trinkets. 

Overnight in Vientiane

Sleep in and have a late breakfast this morning, with a mid-day departure scheduled to Luang Prabang via high-speed train! Until recently, the journey could only be done by road and it took up to 6 hours, but with the train, you will be wandering the bougainvillea-lined streets of Luang Prabang in just under 2 hours. 

First things first - lunch in Luang Prabang and a brief stop at your hotel to freshen up and drop off your things. Then, get right down to business with a guided tour of the National Museum within the former Royal Palace, home to a stunning collection of artifacts, painting, and mosaics. After learning about the holiest temple of the city, Wat Visoun, meander past glittering stupas atop Mount Phousi. The 328-step climb affords the most wonderful sunset views over the city and the mighty Mekong River. Head back to the city centre for a shopping extravaganza at the iconic Night Market, where you can find an impressive selection of unique textiles handmade made by ethnic minority artisans who live in and around Luang Prabang. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang 

Take part in an ancient Luang Prabang ritual this morning* and wake up before dawn to offer alms to hundreds of saffron-robed monks as they make their way to their respective temples. Watch the town come to life during the procession and treat yourself to a hot bowl of delicious noodle soup at a local stall afterwards or return to the hotel to partake in the buffet if that’s more to your liking. 

The day continues with a tour of the Morning Market, filled with a diverse number of products such as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpetre amongst chickens, vegetables, and hill-tribe handicrafts, followed by a visit of the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, elaborate tree of life mosaic and intricately carved walls representative of classic Lao design. 

An upstream Mekong River voyage aboard long-tail boat beckons as you explore the exquisite natural scenery surrounding Luang Prabang on an upstream cruise to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves filled with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, make stops at several villages to catch a glimpse of daily life in the rural countryside, like Ban Xang Hai where potent rice wine is distilled. Peek inside Tham Ting and Tham Phoum caves, which like Pak Ou, house numerous Buddha statues. 

Return to Luang Prabang in the afternoon and learn all about silk hand weaving and traditional Saa paper at Ban Xang Khong Village. The rest of the day is free to enjoy at leisure. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang 

*Please tell your guide a day in advance if you wish to participate in this experience so they can prepare an appropriate offering. 

Soak up the idyllic countryside ambiance this morning on a community-based living rice farm surrounded by breath-taking mountains and glimmering rice paddies. Try your hand at life as a local farmer with other travellers, ploughing the rice fields with one of the resident buffaloes (a muddy experience!) learning about the 13 steps of rice production, and sampling some rice-based snacks afterwards. Local handicraft workshops like bamboo weaving, blacksmithing, and sugar cane processing are also available to join in on. The morning ends with a tour of the organic garden and how natural herbs are used here to create traditional medicine. 

After lunch at the Living Land Farm, transfer by private vehicle to Buffalo Dairy Farm, a social enterprise supporting the local community by renting buffalos out to farmers to help them earn extra income. Not only do they improve the health and well-being of the buffalos by supplying the animals with better feed, vaccinations, and overall care, they also work at improving animal care standards in the country. Tour the farm, cuddle the buffalos and even give them a bath or feed them if you’re brave enough. 

After trying some tasty ice-cream and cheese, take in the beauty of ethereal Kuang Si waterfalls, a beautiful 50m high waterfall with multiple turquoise rock pools, set amidst lush tropical rainforest. The Asian Bear Rescue Centre is also available to visit for those who would love to support this amazing refuge that created a safe haven for bears saved from bile farms and the illegal wildlife trade. 

Conclude a perfect day of travel by watching the sunset at Wat Pha Baht Tai, a monastery along the banks of the Mekong featuring elements of Thai, Vietnamese, and Lao design. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang 

Free at leisure until your transfer to the airport for ongoing booked travel. 

SERVICES INCLUDED

+ 02-night hotel stay in Vientiane, twin/double share (see Accommodation section for details)

+ 03-night hotel stay in Luang Prabang, twin/double share (see Accommodation section for details)

+ Daily breakfast at hotel’s restaurants

+ 04 lunches at local restaurants on day tours

+ Service of English-speaking local guides in Vientiane and Luang Prabang (please enquire for other languages)

+ Private boat trip to Pak Ou Cave

+ Rice experience at Living Land farm (join-in on site)

+ Buffalo Dairy farm guided tour (join-in on site)

+ One-way train ticket from Vientiane to Luang Prabang (second class ticket)

+ Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air conditioned vehicle unless stated otherwise

+ Entrance fees for mentioned visits

+ Taxes and service charges.

SERVICES EXCLUDED

+ International and domestic flights (quote separately on request)

+ Visa fees, travel insurances

+ Meals other than mentioned above

+ Early check-in or late check-out fees

+ Camera/video entrance fees (if any)

+ Personal expenses (drinks, laundry, telephone, etc)

+ Tips for guides and drivers (at your discretion)

+ Additional transfers required due to emergency situation

+ Peak season surcharge and compulsory gala dinner on 24 Dec and 31 Dec

+ Other services not clearly indicated in the package inclusions above.

PAYMENT 

A non-refundable deposit of 10% of the total booking is required within three (3) days from the date of confirmation. The balance payment is due 45 days prior to the tour commencement date. For bookings made less than 45 days, full payment is required. Bookings will be cancelled if payments are not received by the due date(s).

Payment can be made via bank transfer or credit cards. In addition to the total payable amount, credit card payments will incur a merchant fee of 1.6% for MasterCard and Visa, 2% for American Express. Any bank charges and merchant fees must be covered by the customer.

CANCELLATION

Confirmed bookings must be cancelled by the party leader in writing (by email) and this will only be effective once the written cancellation is confirmed by ATA Holidays. Cancellation will be subject to the following cancellation fees from the date the written cancellation is received:

• more than 45 days prior to the tour commencement date - 10% of total cost

• between 31 and 45 days prior to the tour commencement date - 25% of total cost

• between 16 and 30 days prior to the tour commencement date - 50% of total cost

• within 15 days prior to the tour commencement date or “no show” - 100% of total cost.

AMENDMENT

Requests for amendments to confirmed bookings must be submitted in writing via email by the party leader. While ATA Holidays will endeavor to accommodate all reasonable amendment requests, we cannot guarantee that such requests can always be fulfilled. If the requested amendments are possible, a revised quotation will be provided, which may include additional charges arising from the amendment itself, fees imposed by Third-Party Travel Providers, or administrative fees applied by ATA Holiday. In all cases, the following amendment fees shall apply:

• For amendments made more than 45 days prior to the tour commencement date: a charge of $100 per amendment for itineraries of less than seven (7) nights, or $200 per amendment for itineraries of seven (7) nights or longer.

• For amendments made within 45 days of the tour commencement date: the standard cancellation fees outlined above shall apply, and new arrangements will be charged at the prevailing rates.

No cancellation or amendment fees shall be applied in cases where changes arise due to a breach of contractual obligations or an error on the part of ATA Holidays, or when such changes are made by a Third-Party Travel Provider through no fault of the customer.