14 In Laos/ Travel

Mount Phousi Luang Prabang, Laos

Matt and I spent about three weeks in Luang Prabang last year after I broke my arm. We took the slow boat here from Thailand and settled in. We used our time in this gorgeous Lao city for me to rest up and to really get to know my favorite city from my last trip through Southeast Asia. One of the biggest must-sees in the city is to climb it’s tallest central hill, Mount Phousi, and look down on the city and surrounding natural beauty.

QUICK TIPS FOR MOUNT PHOUSI

✈︎ There’s a 20,ooo kip fee. (About $2.5 USD) If you go up the Nam Khan River side, you can see many overlooks, figures and enter Wat Tham Phou Si from here without spending the fee.
✈︎ There are two routes up. One entrance (my preference) is on the Nam Khan River side. It’s a bit less steep and meanders through the trees and past overlooks and statues. It’s quite beautiful. The second staircase up (in front of the Grand Palace) is much more direct, and therefore steep. Both routes get you to the same place and you can take one up and one down, if you want. If you do this at sunset, I recommend going up the back side so you don’t miss all the overlooks when the sun goes down.
✈︎ If you’re going for sunset; get up there early. We were up there in the low season and still there was a massive crowd up there!
✈︎ Remember to be respectful. Yes, this is a popular destination, but it is also a sacred stupa. People rudely climbed all over the stupa at the top of Phousi. Locals asked them to get down and Matt even hollered at people once because they weren’t listening.

OUR VISITS TO MOUNT PHOUSI

Because we were here so long we went up top twice and each both was different. We always went for sunset, so that helped make it worth two visits. Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB I loved this overlook. It looked down over a lot of the river and it’s the first right that you can take on the walk up from the Nam Khan River side.  Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB
Along these steps there’s a serpentine figure that you see lining steps of many Southeast Asian temples. This area starts all the figures and even the cave temple. Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB This reclining Buddha is so beautiful.  Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB  \ Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Looking down into town from the top of Phousi. Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Those mountain views are unreal!

This adorable kitten found me both nights and would not leave my side. Many times people would come up to pet him or try to entice him, but he stayed right by me. He was so sweet and he got loved on a lot by me. Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB We loved watching boats go up and down the Mekong as the sun started going down. Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB   Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB

Mount Phousi is a seriously stunning place to visit. That’s why it’s so popular. While sunset is stunning, it’s also the most popular time to visit and the views are gorgeous any time during daylight. Even though there are loads of steps, it’s so worth the view and the experience to take the walk up to this gorgeous viewpoint + stupa.

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Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB Climbing Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang is a must for any visit to LPB

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14 Comments

  • Reply
    Eloise
    January 20, 2018 at 9:18 am

    The views from up there seem amazing, no wonder why you did it twice! And the steps are good to exercise. But if it gets hot during the day, the lovely colours are not the only reason why I’d rather climb it when the sun is going down 😉

    • Reply
      Paige Wunder
      January 21, 2018 at 3:20 pm

      They’re amazing! I wish I had gone up for sunrise as well. The steps are good exercise, and the extreme sweating in the afternoon is why I wish I had gone for sunrise instead – or maybe in addition to! Haha.

  • Reply
    Beverley Goodsell
    January 20, 2018 at 9:29 am

    Oh the views looks so incredible, and that cat looks so adorable. But I can definitely see why you would want to do it twice. Do you know how many steps there where?

    • Reply
      Paige Wunder
      January 21, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      I’m not sure how many steps went up. This is one of the few places I didn’t count them.

  • Reply
    Medha
    January 20, 2018 at 11:08 am

    Love the views from the top and those temples. The reclining Budhha is pretty awesome, I love Asian temples and their architecture. And of course, the sunset views are pretty awesome, makes the trip to the top absolutely worth it. Thanks for sharing these tips for visiting Mount Phousi.

    • Reply
      Paige Wunder
      January 21, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      Thanks for reading! Mount Phousi is pretty incredible! I loved the reclining Buddha as well.

  • Reply
    Megan Indoe
    January 20, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Oh this brings back so many memories! I loved Luang Prabang and Phou Si was so fun, but very crowded for us, to go at sunset! I LOVE the photos of you guys sitting in the window. Also, you guys did such a great job capturing all the Buddha statues that are sort of a part of the mountain and brush. This makes me want to go back to LP, it was one of my favorite spots in SE Asia.

  • Reply
    Jackie Sills-Dellegrazie
    January 20, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    So pretty! I love the sunset photos over the Mekong. I can see why you visited 2x at sunset. Great tips about the 2 ways up to the top of Mount Phousi. I like that you can take one route up and the other down for a change of scenery. Sorry to hear you broke your arm, but how nice to slow it down in a such a pretty place.

  • Reply
    Marissa
    January 22, 2018 at 1:08 am

    This looks like my kind of hike! I’d probably take the steep staircase on the way up for the workout and the other path on the way down. Sunrise would be the best time to go to make the hike even more magical.

  • Reply
    Rocio Novarino
    January 22, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    we have been in Myanmar and it looked quite similar. I remember I was amazed between all these temples and statues. Peace, joy and praying. Just a very natural life.

  • Reply
    Anita Hendrieka
    January 22, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    What a beautiful view from the top! I seem to always attract animals on hikes too, in particular cats. Sometimes I have no idea where they come from, they just appear from nowhere. Great post, definitely bookmarking this for the future!

  • Reply
    whisperwanderlust
    January 23, 2018 at 4:11 am

    Wow, the views from up there are breathtaking! I had a similar hike in Coron, Philippines and even though it was pretty exhausting, the reward was worth the effort. Lovely kitten!

  • Reply
    Carol Perehudoff
    January 23, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Great tips. Sunsets are so much more easy than sunrise tours. Sadly, I skipped the climb when I was there but went to a strange cave across the river instead. And then I twisted my ankle and my excursions were cut short. Next time!

  • Reply
    Buddy The Traveling Monkey
    January 23, 2018 at 10:06 pm

    Those certainly are beautiful views! What an amazing place to rest up and heal. Do people ever go there for sunrise?

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