Temples in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, as I’ve mentioned before on the site, is the spiritual center of all of Laos. With dozens and dozens of temples, it’s easy to spend an entire day (or more) exploring the temples in Luang Prabang. We visited several of them over our three weeks there and I thought I’d share my favorite temples in Luang Prabang with you. While others often get tired of temples, I never get sick of spending time exploring them. Each temple has its own “something special” about it and I want to share that something special from my favorites of the temples I visited with you guys.

Need to Know Before Visiting Temples in Luang Prabang

DRESS RESPECTFULLY: It’s so important to be respectful to the Buddhist culture. Keep knees and shoulders covered. Also, be sure to take your shoes off inside temples. I know that it can be quite hot and humid in Luang Prabang, so the idea of having your knees and shoulders covered can sound miserable. Wear elephant pants or a dress/skirt to take care of the knees. I brought a solid black kimono to wear over anything to cover my shoulders, that way you can take it off in-between temple visits if your dress or top doesn’t have sleeves.
TREAT MONKS WITH RESPECT: Approach respectfully, being mindful of the things they’re doing – don’t interrupt almsgiving, chanting or other activities. Also, don’t touch monks, especially on the head.
BRING CASH FOR ENTRANCE FEES: Not all of the temples have fees, but some do. They’re usually very small, like $1-$3 USD. That said, I can’t think of any that accepted credit cards for the entry fee.

WAT VISOUNNARATH

Wat Visounnarath is one of the oldest temples in Luang Prabang. And this temple feels old, and I mean that in a great way. Because it’s now been practiced in for just over 500 years there’s this deeply beautiful spirit to the temple that’s so present-that you can feel it, even though it has had to be rebuilt and restored a couple of times. Monks are often seen in and around the complex. Inside the temple there are many beautiful Buddha figures. Outside there are massive stupas including the famous ‘watermelon stupa’ (see photo on right, above) named for the shape of the stupa.

WAT AHAM

This temple sits next door to Wat Visounnarath and the site’s spiritual connection dates back to the 14th century. This was the site of the two guardian spirits of the region. Then the Buddhist temple and animal spirit temples sat side by side, but the spirit sites were destroyed in the mid 1900’s. It’s been said that the two spirits were embodied by two bodhi trees that now have figures of the Buddha underneath them.

One of the most spectacular things about this temple was the amount of art and detail that went into it. The entrance is guarded by two stylized tigers (the last photo in the gallery above). The interior is painted from floor to ceiling depicting stories about the Buddha’s life and Buddhism specifically in Laos. They’re so beautiful!

THE CAVE TEMPLE ON THE WAY UP MOUNT PHOUSI

Mount Phousi is adorned with a beautiful stupa and small temple at the top. However, what you might not know is that there’s a cave temple within the mountain if you go up the backside. It’s very small, very intimate, but that’s what I loved about it. We had the whole temple all to ourselves. Be sure to watch your head when you enter and exit, though!

WAT XIENG THONG

This temple is at the end of Old Town. It’s very near the end of the peninsula (where the two rivers come together) and it’s so beautiful. Its name means ‘Temple of the Golden City’. In addition to the temple itself, there are multiple smaller buildings that are just as ornate and beautiful. This temple is one of the perfect examples of why Luang Prabang’s Old Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When Luang Prabang was the capital of Laos, this temple was where the royalty was crowned. This whole temple is adorned with gold paint on the walls + ceilings. Even the doors are gilded with gold; the temple as a whole exudes royalty. Also, on these grounds is the funeral chapel which holds a naga ceremonial barge and old Buddha figures that line the mosaic walls. 

WAT SOUVANNAKHIRI

This tiny temple is very near Wat Xieng Thong at the end of Old Town’s peninsula. It has been newly restored since it was badly burned in a fire. Red was a very common theme in temples in Luang Prabang; so I loved the stark contrast of turquoise tree mosaics on the walls. The big highlight of this temple, though, was the small museum on the grounds as well. They had a beautiful photo exhibit on the nature-based meditation in and around Luang Prabang.

WAT SIBOUNHEUANG

This temple is one that we just walked through the grounds. The monks that live + worship in this complex were out and about cleaning up, touching up paint and more. This temple sits in the heart of old town, closer to more of the tourist hotspots.

WAT SOP SICKHARAM

This neighborhood temple is just stunning. It’s one of my very favorite temples in all of Luang Prabang. The temple’s facade and stupa are both incredibly ornate and have touches of turquoise paint decorating them, which is somewhat unique for this area. Among the grounds there are multiple other figures and stupas. There’s a small separate temple, that houses a large standing Buddha statue as well. I’ve visited this temple a few times now and each time it’s always been so peaceful and quiet. Plus, there are all kinds of potted plants and trees all around these grounds that add to its beauty.

WAT PAHOUAK

This temple is directly across from the Royal Palace and at the bast of the main steps up to Mount Phousi. It’s off to the side and could easily be passed by, but don’t make that mistake. It’s one of the oldest temples in Luang Prabang and inside are almost 200-year-old murals. The walls are covered in a rainbow of scenes from across all four walls. Plus, it’s completely free to enter.

WAT MAI SUWANNAPHUMAHAM

This is the largest of all the temples in Luang Prabang and it’s exquisitely decorated. Matt had started to feel a bit templed out from our day of temple-hopping, however, we were about to pass by this one when the sound of rhythmic drumming drew us in. We stood on the grounds in front of a huge drum listening to a young monk pound out the beat, which my heartbeat quickly changed to. Only after the beat stopped was I able to pull myself away to explore the beautiful temple. It is styled with the iconic red and gold that you see in many temples in Southeast Asia with massive gold facades adorning the front exterior depicting various scenes. Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham is located just next to Royal Palace, so it shouldn’t be missed while on the main tourist path.

WAT PA PHON PHAO

This temple’s name translates to ‘The Peacefulness Temple’ and it’s easy to see why. This is the temple on “the other hill” of Luang Prabang across the river. This temple is used as a meditation retreat for monks. It’s only open during limited times of the day and unfortunately, we didn’t make it there while the temple was open. However, it was still beautiful and the location was enough to evoke a spiritual, meditative feeling. I can only imaging how beautiful the inside is, and even more, how beautiful the sound of the chants are coming from within.

If you’re walking to this temple, the actual directions on Google Maps don’t lead you directly to the temple. Instead, it plops you out on a major road with no shoulder at the base of the hill. Don’t be discouraged, it’s just a little way past that off a path winds up the hill to this beauty.

WAT MANOROM

This temple was really close to our villa and we met our friends Mira + Micha here one night to experience the nightly chants and meditation with the Buddhist monks associated with this temple. We sat outside on the steps, pet the temple dog and waited for the chanting to begin. We entered the temple and sat quietly on the back row. There were monks of all ages coming in to chant. It was like it is in any house of worship across the world: most of the older monks took their chanting + bowing very seriously, while the young monks rushed through the bows and messed about with their friends while chanting – it was sweet to see. The sound was so mesmerizing and completely filled the massive temple. I left feeling awake + alive as we walked home in the moonlight.

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These are just a handful of the beautiful temples in Luang Prabang. As I said before, each temple has its own beauty and offered up its own experience. I highly recommend taking the time to get to know the temples. See what’s different and unique. Talk to monks and other locals. Remember to be respectful. Take this opportunity to learn something new, soak up this aspect of the culture and broaden your horizon.

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