VIENTIANE & LUANG PRABANG - 5 DAYS 4 NIGHTS

Arriving Vientiane, our Laos representative will be at the airport to welcome you & transfer to your hotel. After lunch in a local restaurant today city tour includes Wat Hoprakeo, built in 1566 by King Setthathirat to house the Emerald Buddha, Wat Sisaket, the only temple in Vientiane that survived the destruction of the city by the Siamese (Thai) in 1828; ThatLuang Stupa Museum shrine (great Sacred Stupa) ,the most important national monument in Vientiane, with a golden stupa believed to contain a relic of Lord Buddha; Pratuxay Monument situated in the centre of Vientiane prefecture, its architecture inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and incorporating typical Lao motifs. Finally see the sunset at Mekong riverside

Transfer to airport for your flight to Luang Prabang, pick up & & transfer to your hotel. Today city tour of the former Royal capital, Luang Prabang, the crown jewel of the ancient Lane Xang Empire (pronounced 'lane sang' - the Land of a Million Elephants). Visit Wat Visoun, the site of the impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao. Phou Sii hill stands right in the centre of this small city. Climb its 350 steps to enjoy commanding views for many miles in each direction. Wat Phu Sii sits atop the mountain, alongside the skeletons of Indochina war anti-aircraft guns! Then continue to visit Wat Mai. Built in 1796, the five-tiered roof of the wooden Sim (chapel) emphasizes the graceful Luang Prabang architectural style. Wat Xieng Thong is considered to emphasize & characterize the uniqueness of Luang Prabang's local style: its several roofs sweep low to the ground. See also the impressive "tree of life" mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana; visit the National Museum, which was once a king's palace. Displayed inside is a collection of personal artifacts of the former royal family, including photos, musical instruments, and many gifts received from dignitaries of foreign countries. Dinner at local restaurant and evening walk of night market.

After breakfast, begin a full day boat trip on the mighty Mekong River to visit the Pak Ou Caves with their lacquered Buddha statues. Then make a visit to the village of Ban Phanom where traditional Lao textiles are woven on ancient wooden looms & the paper making factory.

Today we visit the Tad Khuang Sii waterfall. On the way we visit Hmong village & Ban Ouh village for the Lao & Lu hill tribe people. The falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. The water here has a clear blue-green tint due to the high mineral content. You can climb the stairs and look down from various high viewpoints on the way to the top! Enjoy a picnic lunch & afternoon at leisure.

If you like, we can take you into the centre of Luang Prabang at 5:30 in the morning to watch local people give food & rice to the hundreds of monks who line the street. You can also give rice to the monks - your guide will provide sticky rice for you to give. (This dawn tour is optional - a very early start!) Afterwards a stroll though the morning market before returning to your hotel for breakfast. Transfer to airport for your flight back.
Note: (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)