2 days in Luang Prabang

Day by day

1. Day 1: Wat Xieng Thong and Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham)

   Wat Xieng Thong, Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham), Mount Phousi and Morning alms giving (Tak Bat), then Night market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wat Xieng Thong

      The rear wall is covered with a glass-mosaic 'tree of life', and a separate hall holds the gilded royal funeral carriage.

   2. Late morning

      Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham)

      In the grounds, the gilded Haw Pha Bang houses the Phra Bang, the revered Buddha image that gave the city its name.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Luang Prabang khao soi

      Noodle shops on the side streets off Sisavangvong Road, mostly in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Mount Phousi

      The gilded That Chomsi stupa crowns the summit, with views over the rooftops, both rivers and the surrounding mountains. A second path down the Nam Khan side passes Buddha statues and a shrine with a giant footprint.

   5. Late afternoon

      Morning alms giving (Tak Bat)

      It is a religious ritual rather than a show, and the town asks visitors to watch quietly from a distance or take part respectfully.

   6. Evening

      Night market

      Bargain gently, and look for weavers selling their own work; prices are lower than in the boutiques.

2. Day 2: Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham and Wat Sene

   Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham, Wat Sene, Morning market and Wat Visoun, then Sunset boat on the Mekong in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

      It housed the Phra Bang image for decades and is where the statue is ritually bathed during Lao New Year.

   2. Late morning

      Wat Sene

      Novice monks live and study here, and its gold-stencilled walls make it one of the most photographed temples on the main street.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Or lam

      Lao restaurants in the old town that specialise in local cuisine.

   4. Afternoon

      Morning market

      It is a short, lively walk after the alms round.

   5. Late afternoon

      Wat Visoun

      Its rounded stupa, That Makmo, is nicknamed the 'watermelon stupa', and the hall displays old Buddha images collected from around the region.

   6. Evening

      Sunset boat on the Mekong

      Hire a private long-tail boat for an hour on the river as the sun drops behind the hills.

If it rains

• Swap in Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (Around Wat Visoun): Visit before shopping at the night market to learn how to recognise authentic textiles.
• Swap in UXO Laos Visitor Centre (Luang Prabang town): Entry is free; donations support clearance work in the provinces.
• Swap in Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre (Mekong riverfront): Book a natural-dye class to take home a scarf you coloured yourself; free tours of the workshops run through the day.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.3 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. Every temple, the palace, the night market and the riverside are within a 20-minute walk of each other on the peninsula.

More or fewer days

• One day in Luang Prabang
• 3 days in Luang Prabang
• 5 days in Luang Prabang

Questions travellers ask