Luang Prabang Stopover , 4 days

On arrival at Luang Prabang  Airport, you are greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel. The ancient town of Luang Prabang is strikingly built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The  human life in place  has been recognized in place for over thousand years; however, Luang Prabang began a prosperous time, once being the royal capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom. The old-time appearance of Luang Prabang  has been changed since the protectorate  of the French, whose influence led to the construction of many colonial villas. This remarkably preserved town with saffron-clad monks, exquisite cuisine, gleaming temples, vibrant cultural traditions, distinctive artwork, relaxed atmosphere, traditional wooden houses and colonial style structures, makes it an unforgettably beautiful destination. We start  exploring Luang Prabang Town with the oldest temple of  Wat Visoun. This sacred monument was all  but mainly destroyed by invaders from southern China. However, it is still interesting to have a look at the replica built over the original temple ground. We embark on a walk uphill, following the zigzag path of 318 steps on Phousi Hill , which is topped by a glittering golden stupa.  This rising shrine dominates Luang Prbanag skyline and  lends  a panoramic view from the town old quarter  to the Mekong and Nam Kha Rivers, and undulating mountains in the far distance.

Today, we continue exploring Luang Prabang with  the famous temple of Wat Xieng Thong, which is set near  the confluence of  the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers. This striking structure is decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways, featuring an elaborate tree of life mosaic and  intricately carved walls. We follow it with the former Royal Palace, a showcase of Lao traditional and French architecture style. This mansion has been changed into the National Museum where display many artifacts and treasures dating from the early king period right through the last sovereign. We walk a short distance to  Wat Mai, a large and nicely decorated temple in Luang Prabang, which is extensively adorned with black and red lacquer decoration and gold leaf. Heading out of the town, we travel by road towards Pakou Caves and make stops  at Ban Xieng Lek and Ban Xang Khong. These craft villages are  specialized in weaving traditional silk and making Saa Paper from mulberry tree. The scenic drive continues to Ban Pakou, from where we take a short boat trip across the Mekong River to explore the mysterious Pakou Caves. They are  crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought here by devout villagers. We embark on a private local boat and start our cruise downstream  to Luang Prabang Town. This relaxed  boat excursion gives us some fantastic views with a blend of mighty river,  mountain backdrop, and riverine life.

There are no activities planned on this final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Luang Prabang Town, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Luang Prabang Airport for  your departure.