Bangkok (Thailand) to Laos Mysteries Revealed 12 Days

Upon arriving in Bangkok, you'll be greeted by your guide and transferred to your hotel. 

Spend the rest of the day at your leisure, exploring the city and getting settled in.

Meeting Point

Please proceed to the meeting point located on the 2nd floor, inside the arrivals hall, at Exit B gate No.6. Your representative will be wearing a blue polo and holding a sign with your name on it, or in case of multiple pickups, the signs may be hanging on the aluminum railing at our meeting point. 

Morning

Today, take on no less than four of Bangkok’s finest temples and a tour around the city’s fascinating canals. 

• Start out at Wat Traimit - home to the world’s largest solid golden Buddha - before hopping across the old city streets to see an even larger Buddha statue at Wat Pho. 
• Hop across the road to the next stop, the magnificent Grand Palace, another sprawling temple complex boasting some of the finest Thai-Buddhist architecture in the entire country. 

• Explore the vast grounds and numerous dazzling buildings, including the highly-revered Wat Phra Kaew, home to the prized Emerald Buddha statue dating back to the 14th Century.

Afternoon

After grabbing lunch, spend the better part of the afternoon on the water, meandering through the quaint canals and taking in the quieter side of life from the seat of a traditional ‘long tail’ boat. 

• The tour of the Thonburi side isn’t complete without the spectacular and iconic Wat Arun 
• Take time to explore the iconic temple towering 79 meters over the Chao Phraya River.

Note: Clients should wear long pants, shoes that cover the heel, and shirts that cover the upper arm (no vests). This is to show respect to the Thai people.

7:00: The guide will pick you up at the lobby. Prepare for a morning of color and passion as you’re picked up at your hotel and driven 100 km southwest of Bangkok to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in the Ratchaburi province. 

The floating market sells fresh fruits, flowers, colorful apparel, souvenirs, and more aboard vendor boats and along the waterways. Walk around or rent a paddle boat to see the market from the water. 

Mae Klong railway market is the next. The railway runs through part of the market, which sells fresh produce, meat, fish, snacks, apparel, and accessories from dawn to night. 

As the train passes, shoppers will leave the tracks and sellers will swiftly pack their products and close their awnings.

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• Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Free at leisure until car picks up at the hotel and transfers to airport for flight to Vientiane.

On arrival at the Wattay International Airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel. Welcome to “the city of the moon”, the least developed capital city of Asia. 

Free for the rest of the day to stroll around the city. The welcome dinner will be served at the local restaurant with the traditional dance & folk song, the best chance to experience the Lao culture.

Morning

In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power. 

Then transfer out to see Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong Riverside meadow, close to the Friendship Bridge. 

There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe.
Afternoon

See the major sights of the capital, including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. 

On the way to Lao’s national icon, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa. 

Stop en route to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. 

A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day. Overnight in Vientiane.

Morning

Leave the capital early for our journey northbound, as you will see some breathtaking scenery en route as we pass through spectacular countryside towards the mountainous region. 

Along the way, we visit the busy and colorful market of KM52, where various hill tribes come to trade goods and buy provisions. 

• Make a short photo stop at Hin Heup Bridge and the fish market in Ban Tha Heua.
• Reach our destination Vang Vieng, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism.

Afternoon

Start our board through paddy field areas heading to Tham Phoukham caves, where your breath will be taken away seeing the most beautiful and famous limestone cavern, surrounded by natural forests. 

Along the way, you have a chance to explore the local cultures by greeting the local villagers and learning about their daily lifestyles. 

There is a small natural pool in front of the caves where you can take a swim to refresh yourself from the hot climate or you could explore the nearby area.

Night

Transfer back to town, we will enjoy the leisurely boat along the Namsong River while admiring the sun setting behind the mountains. Overnight in Vang Vieng

Morning

8:30: Guide & driver pick up at the hotel. 

Today, we start exploring the town by visiting the most famous in Vang Vieng, the cave of Tham Jang, which was used in the early 19th century in defense against the Chinese invaders. 

Cross the river to Ban Phathau, a very pleasant village where we can explore the different local lifestyles. 

We then travel to Xieng Khouang. The roads are beautifully paved, and we stop at a few small hill tribe communities for photos. 

Afternoon

The view is stunning, with steep terraced fields and hill towns. Laos' hill tribe villages vary in prosperity yet all have life. Come to the peak of Phou Phiengpha to take in the mountainous vista. 

Continue to Phoukhoun's T-Junction and turn right into Xieng Khouang province. After that, the journey gets difficult with some zigzagging mountain roads, and we will stop to visit local hill tribe settlements or stretch our legs. 

Before reaching Phonsavan, we spend time visiting Tham Pra, the Indochina War hospital.

Morning

8:30: Guide and driver pick up at the hotel. You will journey through Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars in the morning. 

The Plain of Jars is a huge archaeological complex littered with mysterious 2000 years old stone jars sized from 70cm up to 3 or 4 meters. Their true origin remains a mystery. It seems that they were carved into boulders. 

Visit the three sites and local villages to see village life. Site 1 at Thong Hai Hin, near the town, is the largest. Site 2 is Hai Hin on Phou Salator, which means "mountain" in Lao. Finish at Hai Hin Lat Khai site 3. Site 3 has 150+ jars. 

Ban Xiengdi, a modest monastery with Buddha figures, is nearby. You will pass American secret war battlefields on the way back. Bomb craters remain. 

Afternoon

Muang Khoun is the only location in the former provincial capital that survived the secret war American airstrikes. A big sitting Buddha and ruined pagodas are must-see attractions.

Return to Xieng Khouang.

Morning and Afternoon

Visit the Central Market of Phonsavan to watch the different hill tribe people barter and exchange merchandise.

 Breakfast at the hotel, then take the direct transfer to Luang Prabang.

After numerous photos halts, we continue driving, enjoying the splendid natural scenery of the mountains, the forest and the landscape. 

The roads are well paved along the way for a smooth journey; go through some stunning landscape scenery with a mixture of steep terraced fields and hill villages. 

Each hill tribe village in Laos has a different feel, some are more prosperous than others but all have plenty of life. 

Reach Ban Phoudam Village, where we can see the two hill tribe minorities of H’Mong and Khamu living in harmony, before driving to Ban Kiew Nya for the panoramic view prior to reaching Luang Prabang.

Morning

8:30: Guide and driver pick up at the hotel. 

• Visit Royal Palace Museum, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family. 
• Embark on a leisure cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside, before reaching the mysterious Pak Ou Caves.

Two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. 

Along the way, we halt at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. 

Afternoon

After returning to the city, explore Wat Xiengthong, a stunning Lao temple with a two-tiered roof, exquisite mosaics, and a lovely "tree of life" glass montage on the rear temple wall. 

Afterward, we will discover the Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (closed on Monday) to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures. 

From there, we will transfer to visit Wat Prabath to admire the sunset, a peaceful place to catch the last beauty of the day. 

The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Morning

As the sun rises, we will prepare to join Laos' most sacred ritual, daily morning almsgiving, which dates back to the 14th century. 

Over 200 Buddhist monks leave temples to collect their daily meals from devoted citizens waiting peacefully on the streets. We will then visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Locals trade grains, vegetables, fish, and chicken here. This is your finest chance to taste local life. 

• After breakfast, we climb Phousi Hill to see the city and the Mekong River, a breathtaking point to watch the sunset, where you will also have a panoramic view of the city. 
• The Prabang Buddhas lived at Luang Prabang's oldest temple, Wat Visoun, built-in 1513 by King Wisunarat (Visoun). 
• Head to Luang Prabang's largest waterfall, Kuang Si, which has three tiers and drops 50 meters into azure pools before flowing downstream. Tourists and locals love swimming in the pools. 

Afternoon

Briefly visit the Bear Rescue Centre, which houses two dozen creatures rescued from poachers and traffickers. 

Before returning to Luang Prabang, we visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park, which aims to build a research institute investigating and publishing about Laos butterflies, host plants, and preservation. 

The Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Centre, a lovely, traditional workshop where weavers, spinners, and batik workers prepare high-quality fabrics, gives free tours every half-hour. 

Spend a peaceful overnight Luang Prabang.

8:00: Guide and driver pick up at the hotel, transfer to Elephant Village. 

The Camp Manager will greet you and give a briefing. After a 30-minute elephant ride on the neck, you will return by boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and swim in the clean water. 

Elephant Village Restaurant serves a buffet lunch with coffee or tea and water. We can explore before returning to the center.

Explore the tomb of 19th-century French explorer Henri Mouhot, who rediscovered Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang. We leave for the airport.