3 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) and Mount Phousi, then Night market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wat Xieng Thong

      Built around 1560 under King Setthathirath, Wat Xieng Thong is the finest monastery in Luang Prabang, its main hall sweeping almost to the ground in layered roofs.

   2. Late morning

      Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham)

      Bags and cameras go into lockers; shoulders and knees must be covered, and shorts are not allowed.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Luang Prabang khao soi

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

   4. Afternoon

      Mount Phousi

      A hill rising about 100 m above the town centre, climbed by more than 300 steps from Sisavangvong Road opposite the palace.

   5. Evening

      Night market

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

2. Day 2: Morning alms giving (Tak Bat) and Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

   Morning alms giving (Tak Bat), Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham and Wat Sene, then Sunset boat on the Mekong in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Morning alms giving (Tak Bat)

      Keep at least a few metres away, never use flash, and only take part if it is meaningful to you, with rice bought from a trusted source rather than street hawkers.

   2. Late morning

      Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham

      Next to the Royal Palace, this late-18th-century monastery has a five-tiered roof and a veranda covered in gilded reliefs showing village life and scenes from the Lao Ramayana.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Or lam

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

   4. Afternoon

      Wat Sene

      Visit after the alms round, when novices return to the compound and the light is soft.

   5. 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.

3. Day 3: Wat Visoun and Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

   Wat Visoun, Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre and UXO Laos Visitor Centre, then Dinner above the Nam Khan in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wat Visoun

      Originally built in the early 16th century and rebuilt in the late 19th after being burned by raiders, Wat Visoun is one of the oldest temple sites in town.

   2. Late morning

      Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre

      Visit before shopping at the night market to learn how to recognise authentic textiles.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fried river weed

      The morning market sells it dried; restaurants in the old town serve it fried.

   4. Afternoon

      UXO Laos Visitor Centre

      This small exhibition explains how more than two million tonnes of ordnance were dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973 and how unexploded bombs still affect rural communities.

   5. Evening

      Dinner above the Nam Khan

      Book a terrace table at one of the riverside restaurants for Lao set menus by candlelight.

If it rains

• 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

With 3 nights, Old Town centre keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Xieng Thong end of the peninsula ($$$) suits couples, quiet stays and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–9 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.3 hours in June.

More or fewer days

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

Questions travellers ask