We spent two weeks in Laos in July 2022. The country is extremely beautiful and particularly as we went in rainy season, we got to see it whilst the fields and trees were lush and very green.
Unfortunately, it was quite clear to see that Laos is suffering a bit, perhaps at the hands of covid, but potentially after speaking to the locals due to inflation too. We were also some of the first tourists to enter the country after restrictions lifted and we did get quite a few stares from locals because of this!
This meant that a lot of things we had heard about and were excited to do were unfortunately closed down. It also meant that getting into the country itself was quite a difficult feat. Read our blog on how to get to Laos to find out more on this!
Due to this reason, if you are only going to be visiting the main touristy locations such as Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane (the capital), especially in 2022, we would probably suggest that you only need a week to do this. Below is what we would have done if we were visiting Laos again!
This itinerary can be in the order we have said, or you can reverse it, depending on what your travel plans are before and afterwards. We personally were in North Thailand before Laos and were then flying from the Laos Capital, Vientiane so it made most sense for us to do it this way.
Luang Prabang
2 nights
Luang Prabang is a stunning town with the huge River Mekong running through it. There is also a smaller river running adjacent to it called the Nam Khan river. The town itself is quaint, but there are still plenty of things to do there. There are also some great restaurants and bars there.
Some fun things to do whilst you are there:
- Kaung Si Falls (this is a must)
- Phousi Hill
- Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens
- La Pistoche Swimming Pool & Bar
- The night market
Vang Vieng
3 nights
Vang Vieng is much more rural than both Luang Prabang and Vientiane and is where you can do some really fun activities! We suggest you spend 3 nights there so you can have 3 days of exploring and getting involved with what it has to offer.
Some fun things to do whilst you are there:
- Saurka bar for nightlife
- Hot air balloon
- Kayaking
- Caving (one cave you can tube through)
- Hire a buggy
- Viewpoints
Vientiane
2 nights
We were actually pretty shocked when we arrived in Vientiane and saw how bustling and lively the city was compared to both Luang Prabang. Obviously, it was the capital, so we were expecting it to be a bit busier, but it was almost like they weren’t effected by Covid at all compared to other areas. However, although it was very busy, there isn’t particularly a lot of things to do and see here, which is why we think 2 nights is the perfect amount of time.
Some great things to do whilst you are there:
- The huge night market
- Funfair on the river
- Patuxay Monument
- Visit the famous and always packed Irish bar
Without A Paddle Travel 