The first week of our 15-day tour of Laos and Cambodia allowed us to discover part of northern Laos, including Luang Prabang and its surroundings. Let's start with our first two days in the magnificent cultural capital of Laos!
In this article, I share with you my Luang Prabang tourist circuit with the Google Maps route to follow in pedestrian GPS mode! And in addition, I am attaching a guide to activities and visits to do around Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang: Spirituality, Culture and Beauty
I expected to discover a noisy, bustling, polluted city, with appalling traffic of tuc-tucs and scooters like in most Asian cities. Well, no: Luang Prabang is a small town of a little over 400 inhabitants, very calm and quiet, full of trees and flowers. There is a sort of bohemian atmosphere there that I loved!
This former royal capital is one of the most important and interesting tourist sites in Laos because it is the center of Lao culture, Buddhist tradition and its spiritual practice. The numerous and magnificent temples are a good illustration of this cultural heritage.
Luang Prabang in 2 days - How to get around?
The historical and cultural center (temples, Royal Palace, museums, markets) is concentrated within a 5 km stretch along the Mekong River. Since we had chosen a very well-located guesthouse (see my hotel selection for the tour ), visiting Luang Prabang was very easy on foot or by tuk-tuk.
What to do, what to see in Luang Prabang in 2 days?
Since the list of tourist attractions is too long to try to do everything in just 2 days, here are the activities and sites that I have selected as my " must-sees in Luang Prabang " which can be planned over 2 days at everyone's own pace:
- The TAK BAT ceremony at 5:40 am: Morning quest of the monks in the streets to whom the locals and tourists offer food;
- The Royal Palace now the National Museum;
- Temples:
- Wat May (one of the largest and most beautiful temples in Luang Prabang);
- Wat Xieng Mouane;
- Wat Pakhan;
- Wat Xieng Thong;
- Ascent to the top of Mount Phousi to admire the sunset (arrive at the top at 17 p.m.);
- Night market (craft market at the bottom of Mount Phousi);
- Restaurant Bouang (run by 2 French people who have revisited the typical dishes of Laos).
Circuit map to visit Luang Prabang on foot
Here is the route that you can follow on foot to visit the most emblematic sites of Luang Prabang on foot.
What to see around Luang Prabang?
If you stay more than 2 days, here are the activities and visits that you can plan from Luang Prabang:
- Next to Luang Prabang, the Kuang Si Falls are a spectacular natural site. Despite their tourist popularity, they are definitely worth the detour. You can swim in the turquoise water pools and admire the waterfalls surrounded by lush vegetation.
- Another unmissable activity: the cruise on the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves. The caves themselves are not exceptional, but the Mekong River cruise offers beautiful scenery and a peaceful ambiance. You can also experience local life by taking a boat to the other side of the river.
- You can also visit an elephant park where you can interact with these animals in a setting that respects their well-being.
- Another option is to rent a scooter and go on an adventure in the Luang Prabang region, discovering the rice fields, local villages and picturesque landscapes.
- You can also visit the Living Land Farm, a farm that offers an immersive experience in the world of rice, from planting to harvest.
- Finally, don't miss the Ock Pop Tok, a craft center that offers weaving classes and high-quality artisanal products.
My cheap hotel in Luang Prabang
Because it was very well located, inexpensive, and highly rated on Booking.com, I had selected the Nocknoy Lanexang Guesthouse . In the heart of the historic center, 500 meters from the night market and the Royal Palace, this modest little establishment is located on a quiet street where the majority of Luang Prabang's guesthouses are found.
Her little extra : the kindness of young Phoeng who welcomed us like royalty and gave us good advice and helped us organize our trips to Pak Ou, Kuang Si, Muang Ngoy…
Its only slight drawback : the room was very small (lack of space) but clean and air-conditioned!
Now discover the rest of my tour with: