Example Itinerary
Jungles, Rivers & Elephants: Vientiane to Luang Prabang
- Duration
- 10 days / 9 nights
- Price Per Person
-
Terms & Conditions
Price is based on double or twin hotel room occupancy and includes accommodation, transfers, car/driver, English-speaking guide, activities and entrance fees, breakfasts and some casual lunches while touring. Flights and optional special activities will be quoted separately. Most personal expenses, including dinners, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments and gratuities can be paid on the spot while traveling. Prices may vary depending on season, choice of accommodation and other factors.
- Destinations
- Laos
With bookend tours of current and ancient capital cities, you will learn of Laos’ history and culture through ancient architecture and modern urban life. A three-day trek through the jungle with a night spent beneath stars and canopy, scenic vistas, and traditional village visits will give you a taste for the authenticity of rural life. After traveling by foot through the jungle, take in the scenery from a higher vantage point atop an elephant! A two-day boat tour of the North’s main aquatic artery, the Mekong River, provides a rare window into the flow of life. This 10-day, action-packed tour is the perfect combination of relaxation, exertion, adventure, cultural immersion, and unforgettable moments.
This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.
Highlights
- Nam Ha National Park: Trek to and camp in the heart of the jungle at Nam Ha National Park, known for its biodiversity and remote tribal communities.
- Mekong Cruise: The "Mother River" winds through six Asian countries and you'll experience its power and beauty on a two-day boat excursion from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang via Pakbeng.
- Luang Prabang: This ancient capital is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site of Indochinese-style villas and tranquil temples tended to by orange-robed monks, best explored during the sunset calls to prayer.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
MapVientiane
Upon arrival in Vientiane, a car will be waiting to take you to the luxurious Settha Palace Hotel. Check in, freshen up and take the rest of the day to enjoy the hotel’s amenities or explore the surroundings. Consider going for a dip in the gorgeous hotel pool and a delicious meal at La Belle Époque.
Hotel Options
Day 2
MapLuang Namtha
Enjoy a leisurely morning before an afternoon flight to Luang Namtha. If you prefer to forego the relaxation, take a guided tour of the COPE Centre, busy markets and other sites of Vientiane. Your northbound flight will take you to Luang Namtha, and a short drive will take you to your hotel. Take the rest of today to enjoy as you please, preparing for the action-packed days ahead.
Hotel Options

Day 3
MapNam Ha National Bio-diversity Conservation Area
After breakfast, your personal guide will prep you for your multi-day trek through the Nam Ha National protected jungle. Begin at Khmu village and follow a trail that leads to a ridge. Continue along this trail which passes through forest and upland rice fields as you learn from your guide about how Remote Lands' local office is working together with the local villages to protect and regenerate the forest. The trail brings you through a local village where you can stop at the market for a look before descending down to the banks of the Nam Ha River. Here you will rest for the night at a local homestay. Share a hearty traditional meal with your local hosts.
Hotel Options
Day 4
MapLuang Namtha
Continue your trek today as you head off through the forest along the banks of the Nam Ha River. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the deers and monkeys that live in this part of the forest. Your trek will bring you to a village by the afternoon where you can meet with villagers and enjoy a picnic lunch together. After, cross the Nam Ha River and enter the Nam Ha Protected Area. The trail follows a stream through dense jungle. Keep an eye out for the local fauna. Eventually the trail opens to rice paddy fields before you reach the Nam Tha River. Here, cross the river in a traditional wooden canoe to return to Luang Namtha.
Hotel Options

Day 5
MapHouay Xai
After breakfast, take a 2.5-hour drive to Huay Xai, stopping along the way to explore villages inhabited by some of the region's ethnic minorities. Among other stops is the famous Kao Rao Cave, which will leave you in awe. Check into the Riverside Houay Xai Hotel by late afternoon. The evening is yours to take in the sunset, enjoy a drink at one of the local riverside bars and relax.
Hotel Options
Day 6
MapPak Beng
Enjoy breakfast before boarding a boat on the Mekong River to Luang Prabang via Pakbeng. The Mekong is one of the largest, longest rivers in the world and boasts a fascinating history. A source of life, sustenance and transport, it is a bustle of constant action. Take in the stunning and ever-changing scenery along the river. Spend the night at a local hotel.
Hotel Options

Day 7
MapLuang Prabang
Board a boat and continue your cruise to Luang Prabang. Arrive at the ferry landing in the late afternoon. Check in to your luxury hotel and enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Hotel Options
Day 8
MapLuang Prabang
Enjoy majestic and regal Luang Prabang, a city whose unique history has been preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit palaces and monasteries and get swept up by the enchantment of antiquity preserved. After a traditional lunch of Luang Prabang specialties, head to Tai Lue, famed for textiles and weaving. Take a refreshing break from touring at the scenic Kuang Xi Waterfall and its crystal clear surrounding pools. Fit in a few more sites and close the day watching the sunset over the city from the top of Mount Phousi.

Day 9
MapLuang Prabang
Begin the day with a therapeutic hike through the jungles with an elephant from the local elephant sanctuary which strives to rehabilitate retired elephants saved from logging camps. Feed the elephants treats by hand and follow them to their favorite watering hole for bathing time. Spend the afternoon at leisure.
Day 10
MapYour journey across Laos' picturesque countryside and bucolic towns has come to a close. After breakfast, spend your time at leisure until your private transfer to the airport for your journey home.

Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
Laos Silk Weaving Up Close
- Author
- Ronan O'Connell
Lao people have been weaving these colorful threads for more than 1,000 years with silk made from mulberry leaf-fed silk worms.
Dinner at the Rosewood Luang Prabang with Chef Sebastien Rubis
- Author
- Tyler Roney
If you’re talking about fine dining in Luang Prabang, you’re talking about Rosewood Luang Prabang — and most certainly about culinary director Sebastien Rubis.
Southern Laos: Tribal Secrets Unlocked
- Author
- Jay Tindall
Southern Laos offers rarely seen and almost epic tribal adventure. The Brao, Alak, Katu or “Katang” and Ta Oi tribes all offer fascinating cultural insights.
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