Day 1

Arrive Vientiane
Arrive Vientiane and check into your hotel. Depending upon your arrival time, your guide spends the afternoon with the group wandering this sleepy capital city to explore the charming colonial buildings. In the evening, we’ll head to a popular restaurant for a welcome dinner. For those who want to kick on, we can check out the nightlife and try the local brew.

Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 2

Vientiane
Start your day with a Lao coffee! We then make our way to Wat Si Saket, Vientiane’s oldest surviving temple and Haw Pha Kaew, a renovated royal temple that now functions as the national museum of religious art. The group visits the most important national monument in Laos, Pha That Luang - a symbol of both Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. As you wander the monasteries, there is plenty of opportunity to meet the novice monks who are happy to describe their lives of devotion.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 3

Drive to Vang  Vieng
After breakfast in the hotel, we drive around 160km north to the small town of Vang Vieng set on the banks of the Song River (Nam Song) amid majestic lime stone mountains. This area is a photographer’s delight with the main attraction, the dramatic landscape and spectacular caves. In the afternoon, savor the local area and explore a nearby cave. Tonight we stay in a guesthouse on the picturesque Song River.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 4

Hike, cave + kayak
Vang Vieng has become the number one adventure destination in Laos. Today’s activities confirm this theory. We start our active adventure with a hike to hidden caves to explore these natural caverns. Then, trek through jungle and villages to marvel at some awesome rock formations. In the afternoon, be prepared to get wet as we paddle kayaks down the Song River back to Vang Vieng.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 5

Cave exploration in the highlands
Today the group travels deeper into the mountains and rugged hinterland. At first we travel by car winding slowly along mountain slopes, over mountain passes and through small villages to reach a recently discovered cave. Now you become that intrepid traveller as our guide leads the group through dark cool tunnels and caverns. Don’t forget to bring your head torch! Tonight is spent in a small basic lodge in the jungle surrounding Vang Vieng.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Jungle Lodge / Camping (it can get very cold at night - so be prepared!)

Note: Cave is only accessible in the dry season.

Day 6

Kayaking the Ming River
Wake up to the peace and quiet of the jungle. After breakfast, our mini-van takes us to Nam Ming River. Make sure you have your daypack ready, carrying only essentials for the next three days. Your main luggage is transferred ahead to the Xieng Lom Elephant Camp. It’s time to step aboard our rafts to paddle down the Ming River. Equipped with life jackets and helmets, we take on fast flowing rapids and calm waters as we pass stunningly beautiful scenery complete with forests, mountain ranges and villages. Tonight, we camp under the stars on the banks of the Nam Ming. Now, that’s a million star hotel experience! (In the wet season you overnight with a family.)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camping / Home stay

Day 7

Trek the highlands 
We continue our adventure on foot through the hinterland of Laos. The group is now off the beaten track as we trek through dense jungle and along mountain ridges via remote villages. Through this authentic Laos experience we observe how the local villagers live under such isolated conditions. Tonight, we stay in one of these remote villages with simple bedding and mosquito nets.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Village home stay

Note: Trekking is graded moderate, but can be challenging in the wet season.

Day 8

Trek the highlands
Today we trek further into the remote highlands where the village population is sparse in comparison to the thriving lowlands. The landscape is a mixture of rugged wilderness and agricultural plots farmed by many generations of mountain people. Here, we meet the Hmong and Khamu who make their living by crop rotation, raising farm animals under these difficult and rugged mountain conditions. Tonight, the group stays in a local village.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Village home stay

Day 9

Trek to lowlands - Elephant Village
Today is our last day of trekking. We descend the high country and head to the lowland plains. Around midday, the group arrives at the beautiful Elephant Village nestled on the banks of the Nam Ou. After our wilderness experience, the resort is an idyllic oasis where we can take a well-deserved shower! There’s also a wonderful restaurant offering both Lao and international cuisine. In the afternoon we take a boat trip to Tad Sae Waterfalls (falls flow from August - January).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Elephant Lodge

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 11

Luang Prabang, Monasteries + Temples
Luang Prabang is Laos’ foremost tourist show piece. Deservedly so! The gleaming temple roofs, partially renovated provincial French architecture and eclectic mix of residence gives this town loads of character and style. Today our group takes in as much as we can - from pagodas to temples, old colonial architecture to the monastery mountain of Mt Phou Si, which commands grand views of this spirited town perched between the Mekong and Ou Rivers.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 12

Relax at Kuang Si Waterfalls
Today is a day to catch our breath and relax at Kuang Si Waterfalls. This beautiful spot, 32km south of Luang Prabang, has many tiered waterfalls cascading down lime stone formations into a series of cool pools, perfect for swimming! Here, we ‘hang out’ and enjoy the serene environment with a picnic lunch. There is also an animal enclosure housing sun bears and a tiger. The animals have been saved from poachers and are kept here in preference to releasing them to meet the same fate.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 13

Boat trip on the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves
Another easy-going day where we take a 25km boat trip upriver to Pak Ou Cave, also known as the Cave of a Thousand Buddha statues. Rightly so, as the cave is crammed with Buddha images of all shapes and sizes! In the afternoon, we head back to Luang Prabang where you have plenty of time to do some last minute shopping from some of the exquisite textile and craft outlets that line the main street. If shopping is not your thing, why not; have a massage, dine out at any of the great restaurants, walk along the banks of the Mekong or watch the sun set with a beer Lao from one of the many bars overlooking the river…Tonight we say farewell to our group over dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 14

Meals: Breakfast

Monthly departures from Vientiane

$AUD price per person

Laos Climate
Laos has three distinct seasons. The cool dry season between November and February with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in mountain regions. During this season, the rivers are navigable and the roads are passable. This gives way to the hot dry season from March to June where temperatures can soar over 35 degrees Celsius. Some rivers are harder to navigate, and boat journeys in remote places may not be possible. In the north, the months from March through to the first rains in May or June can be very hazy as smoke from the burning of secondary forest hangs in the air. June to October is the wet season where temperatures are in the 30s. The country is at its most beautiful and lush and rivers are accessible, however it can be difficult to get around in remote places by road.

Health issues

Good medical advice usually recommends vaccinations in advance of travel to Laos. We suggest you consult with your doctor to discuss health care needs specific to your holiday.

Insurance

You must have comprehensive travel insurance to travel with us. Insurance should include cover for personal accident and medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, baggage loss and cancellation or curtailment of your holiday. Your final trip dossier vouchers will not be confirmed until you confirm possession of appropriate insurance. Better be safe than sorry!

Pre and post tour arrangements

We can arrange additional hotel nights at the beginning or the end of your tour or if you are interested in doing additional touring we can organise a private tour to cater to your interests and time frame. Check out the IJE website for more details.

Handy travel tips + travelling responsibly
For more information on how you can participate in sustainable tourism go to Handy Travel Tips. For assistance in planning your trip go to Laos Visa + Travel Guide.