Top 10 in Luang Prabang, Laos

Last Updated December 2022

Luang Prabang is often listed as a favorite city in Southeast Asia, in fact, I would tell you it’s mine. It’s a small town filled with spirituality, culture and natural beauty. Unlike many other cities it was actually really easy to pick my top 10 in Luang Prabang because the highlights stood out so much to me – not to say there aren’t a lot of other amazing things to do here, though. This post will introduce you to the things you must do in Laos’ most popular destination.

VISIT KUANG SI FALLS

Kuang Si Falls is a spectacular turquoise waterfall that will just completely blow you away. It’s easily one of the most spectacular falls I’ve ever seen. When you visit, don’t assume that the smaller, lower falls are the highlight because they’re not. They’re the perfect place to swim, but the uppermost section of falls that the path leads you to is the most beautiful. Take a picnic, go for a dip or simply just enjoy the soothing sound of these falls. To have a more peaceful experience get there as close to opening as possible. Oh, and don’t forget to stop in at the Bear Rescue Center and check out the sanctuary housing the cuties native to this area. Although Kuang Si Falls sits a bit outside of Luang Prabang, it is easy to get there by tuk-tuk, motorbike or even as part of a private tour!

Side note about the Bear Rescue Center: I’ve heard from other travelers that this isn’t the most ethical place to visit. I’ve heard that the staff can harass the bears to get them to look at cameras. Although this wasn’t my experience and the brief research I’ve done leads me to believe it’s a legit organization (Free the Bears) I still want to be open about the things I hear because I try to promote ethical animal tourism as best as possible.

MOUNT PHOUSI

Mount Phousi is probably the most popular destination inside the actual city of Luang Prabang. Climbing to the top of the hill means that you get a spectacular view of the city and the two rivers that surround it. In addition to the stunning views, you pass through statues of the Buddha, temple entrances and ending up at a Stupa that sits at the peak. Remember that this is an insanely popular spot for sunset, so if you plan to catch the sunset there, get there early for a good spot. Also remember that while this is mostly a stellar viewpoint for travelers, it’s a sacred spot for locals. Don’t forget to be respectful.

VISIT THE MANY, MANY BUDDHIST TEMPLES

Luang Prabang is well known for its beautiful temples in and all around the city, but especially in the Old Town. In fact, 34 of the temples (or ‘wats’ as they’re known in Laos and across southeast Asia in general) are UNESCO-protected since the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had a fantastic time popping in and out of them across the city. It’s a great way to spend an entire day or spread it out over your stay. Don’t forget to do this respectfully, though. If you’re truly interested in Buddhism and want to dedicate and hour to truly experiencing this religion, you can sit in on evening chants. Only do this if you can commit to staying the whole time as not to interrupt and be respectful. I can’t express that enough.

TAKE A YOGA OR MEDITATION CLASS

Luang Prabang Yoga is an amazing yoga co-op that hosts classes in their own studio above Sena as well as retreats in Nong Khiaw and even other countries! We participated in both a meditation class and a yoga class with Luang Prabang Yoga and loved both. Yoga a great way to exercise and ground yourself, while the meditation is a great way to create focus in your life. There are many reasons to love Luang Prabang Yoga. The instructors are fantastic, they offer varied classes and, if you’re in the area for a while, you can join their loyalty program! Never tried yoga before? Don’t worry their classes are available for yogis of all levels.

LEARN ABOUT SAFFRON COFFEE

Saffron Coffee is a sustainable coffee company which works with local farmers to create organic, delicious coffee while promoting a legal, sustainable life for locals – replacing opium crops with coffee. Saffron Coffee has a cafe along the Mekong in Luang Prabang and it’s one of the best places to treat yourself in the entire city. In addition to being one of my favorite places to eat in Luang Prabang, they also offer coffee tours, which I highly recommend. On this tour, you get to learn more about the process of growing, harvesting and roasting their coffee. Then, to cap it all off you get to have a coffee tasting and try some of their baked goods.

SHOP + EAT THROUGH THE NIGHT MARKET

Luang Prabang has a fantastic night market filled with amazing goodies – trinkets, art and food! Matt and I found some really incredible works of art that we brought home and framed for our bedroom. However, the products aren’t the only show-stopper, there area also so many different foods that you have to try. There are fresh smoothies, tasty baked goods and a massive vegetarian buffet that will leave completely satisfied for an unbelievable price. It’s so much fun to wander through all the different stalls watching the locals + tourists interact. Don’t forget to brush off your bargaining skills!

UXO LAOS VISITORS CENTER

The UXO Laos Visitors Center is a museum/center that explains the very serious issue with Unexploded Ordnance (think mines, bombs, etc) that are leftover from the Vietnam War that are still a problem today. Many of these UXO are small and look like toys that children in villages mistake as toys, mines are accidentally detonated and Laotians are left maimed, or worse, killed. This center teaches visitors about this issue. The donations from visitors are used to help educate villagers about UXO and fund the programs that help dispose of the UXO to make Laos a safer place for both its locals and its visitors. I found this to be an informative and very humbling experience.

EAT ALL THE DELICIOUS FOOD

The food we ate in Luang Prabang is off the charts! Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Dessert… They have it all! Highlights for me can be seen on this list. You can find everything from beautiful baked goods to local delicacies and Western treats that you’ve been living without. A few treats that come to mind are veggie fried rice, brownies, queso and proper strawberry milkshakes! Dig in!

RESPECTFULLY OBSERVE THE DAILY ALMSGIVING

The daily almsgiving of Luang Prabang is world-famous. In fact, that’s often the initial draw to this city. Because of its notoriety, this daily tradition is often mistreated by tourists. There are rules to respectfully viewing this tradition: keep your distance, don’t follow the procession down the street and remember this act is a religious one. Also, if you choose to take part in this tradition, be sure dress modestly and, most importantly, buy your alms from the morning market, not people on the street, to be sure you’re giving the monks food that is safe for them to eat. A local told us about this scam – the people on the street are selling leftover food from days before that might not be safe to eat. There’s definitely something magical about watching the monks dressed in their brightly-colored robes spill out from the temples into the streets just as the sun is rising. Let’s keep it magical and not behave badly so that this tradition can continue, while also welcoming tourists, for centuries to come.

SPEND TIME ON ONE OR BOTH RIVERS

Getting out on the rivers is a huge part of exploring this gorgeous city. It isn’t every city that’s nestled between two rivers, but Luang Prabang sits on the mighty Mekong and the smaller Nam Kahn rivers. There are opportunities to kayak, take a slow boat or travel down river to Pac Ou Caves. My first visit, I ventured to Pac Ou, but the second we took the slow boat from Thailand. It’s such a gorgeous, mountainous area, so be sure to take the opportunity to catch this unforgettable landscape from one of the rivers.

THINGS ON MANY OTHER TOP 10 LISTS:

NATIONAL MUSEUM – This building used to be the Royal Palace. I visited this museum on my first trip to Luang Prabang, but I didn’t think it was necessarily a must-see unless you love visiting palaces of the past. If you have extra time and aren’t on a tight budget, though, it is something new to do.

PAC OU CAVES – This is often advertised as a cave temples, however, its lower cave is a cave filled with hundreds of small Buddha figures that have been “retired” or discarded from temples or homes. The upper cave was a cave temple but there isn’t much left at all.

Our Favorite Accommodation in Luang Prabang

location is perfect because it is right along the Mekong and in the heart of old town. I really loved having the river view and the beds are unbelievably comfortable! We loved eating out so much that we opted out of the free breakfast and negotiated a discount.
VILLA MAHASOK This is our favorite of the many places we stayed in Luang Prabang that’s still open as of 12/2022. Matt loves the beds here (I agree they are great) and he loved its close proximity to his favorite places to eat (ie Bamboo Garden). However, it sits just outside of Old Town which meant a lot more walking. Its big draw for me is the daily free bottled water and the amazing shower!

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Last Updated December 2022