Example Itinerary
Peak Laos: Heights of Phongsaly
- Duration
- 5 days / 4 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.
- Interests
- Off the Grid, Tribal
- Destinations
- Laos
It’s time to head off the beaten path with this five-day tour of north Laos – one of the prettiest, yet seldom visited parts of the country. Start by getting to know the capital, Vientiane, before flying upcountry to Boun Neu – not too far from the Chinese border. From there, you’ll be spending the second night at a family homestay at Akha Nugui, all before heading on to the quaint town of Phongsaly. This, both the northernmost and highest town in the whole of Laos will be used as a base, as you venture on to to see untouched hilltop tribes, towering mountains, local villages ,and out-of-town excursions into the countryside. End the tour with a flight back to your starting point, Vientiane.
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
- Vientiane: Get to know the complex story of Laos through the capital's mix of colonial, traditional and modern attractions.
- Cultural Exchange: A homestay experience with a local family in Akha Nugui offers an authentic taste of Northern Laotian life.
- Remote Phongsaly: Watch the sunset over Phongsaly Town, the northernmost and highest town in the country, at the stupa atop Phou Fa Mountain.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
MapVientiane
Depending on arrival time in the Laotian capital, you'll head out to some of the city's most magnificent temples and monuments, including That Luang Stupa and Sisaket Temple. Take time to refresh and reenergize yourself in your luxurious suite at Settha Palace Hotel before departure the following day.
Hotel Options
Day 2
MapAkha Nugui
Fly out of the capital to the northernmost airport in the country at Boun Neu. From there, hit the dirt roads and make you way over the hills for 2.5 hours to the village of Akha Nugui, where accommodation with local families has been arranged. There's chance to see several hilltop tribes and ethnic villages on the way, and you'll arrive in time for a sunset dinner with your host family.
Hotel Options
Day 3
MapPhongsali
Say goodbye to your hosts of the previous night and hit the road again (in a 4x4) to Phongsaly, the northernmost and highest town in the whole of Laos. The 3.5-hour drive takes you on to the spectacular Phou Fa Stupa, which overlooks the town and boasts some memorable views as you watch the sun set over the hills of Northern Laos.
Hotel Options

Day 4
MapPhongsali
This penultimate day has been set aside for further exploration of Phongsaly Town, as well as the gorgeous surrounding countryside. After breakfast, there's visits to the town's main museum, a local market and a neighboring village. An excursion in the afternoon will take you 15 miles out of town to a 400-year-old tea plantation and whisky village, before returning to your guesthouse in the evening.
Day 5
MapDeparture
Fill up at breakfast before bidding farewell to Northern Laos. A morning drive takes you to the airport at Boun Neu where you'll catch an onwards flight to Luang Prabang. Arrival here marks the end of this five-day tour - you're now free to travel on to your next destination of choice.

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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Couple from Nevada - Aman Private Jet Expedition, Spring 2017: Marcela Vanhara
It wasn't our first trip with Remote Lands but again they proved they are the best! Everything ran smoothly from start to finish.