Trekking in Laos in 5 Days - Deep in Luang Prabang Cultural Tour

You will be met by our staff and transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in South East Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos. We’ll visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset. From there, we visit the Night Market, where you can browse through a lovely selection of handmade textiles. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Note: as per local regulations, only vehicles of 16 seaters are allowed in the city of Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour of the city's oldest temple, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong where you can see the impressive “tree of life” mosaic set in colored glass. We then board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. We’ll make sure to stop at the Pak Ou Caves, sanctuaries consisting of two large caverns, both repositories for thousands of Buddha images. We will also stop at a few villages during the day, including Ban Xang Hai where the local rice wine is produced. On our way back, we pass by a few more local villages and see the royal temple at Wat Long Khoun. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Later in the morning we go to Phosi Market, which has an eclectic selection of foodstuffs and souvenirs. Afterwards, we head out to visit some ethnic minority villages and see how these colorful people live. We then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfalls where you can swim in the turquoise pools or walk along forest paths. We continue to Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xieng Lek - small villages well known for silk weavings and Saa (jute) Papermaking, and return to the city by late evening to observe the sunset at Wat Phabath.  Overnight in Luang Prabang .

Elephant riding and easy hiking tour to Khmu village
(Walking time total 3 hours, in dry season Tad Sae waterfall is not flowing)
After arriving at the Lao Spirit Resort you will get to see the protected elephants at the “Elephant Park Project” along the Nam Khan riverbanks. We’ll enjoy a 1 hr. elephant ride and then take a short and easy hiking tour in the Fair Trek project area where villages profit directly from your visit. Depending on available time, your Lao style lunch will be served at Ban Houay Fai and we’ll return to the Tad Sae waterfall, taking a boat ride back to the Resort. Return to Luang Prabang by car. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

After breakfast we visit The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture throughout the ages. We also will see the Central Market. After visiting these sights in the morning, there will be free time to venture into town and stroll around the shopping areas. The tour ends after your transfer to the airport for departure.