Luang Prabang: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Luang Prabang stands on a peninsula where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong. It was the first capital of the kingdom of Lan Xang, the land of a million elephants, founded in 1353, and the seat of the kings of Laos until 1975. Its temples, wooden houses and French villas make it a world heritage site. Two hours; dress modestly for the temples.
A short history of Luang Prabang
In 1353 Fa Ngum founded the kingdom of Lan Xang, "a million elephants", and made the city its capital. The name Luang Prabang comes from the Phra Bang Buddha statue, which came to the city and became the symbol of the kingdom. In 1560 the kingdom moved its capital to Vientiane, but Luang Prabang remained the religious seat of the monarchy and a city of temples. The French explorer Henri Mouhot died near it in 1861. The royal palace was built in 1904 under the French, and in 1975 the communist regime abolished the monarchy. In 1995 the city was declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Luang Prabang
1Sisavangvong RoadThe main street; the alms round passes at dawn
2Wat Xieng ThongThe royal temple with sweeping roofs
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3Royal Palace Museum
The last king’s palace; cover shoulders and knees
4Wat MaiA temple of gilded reliefs
5Mount PhousiSteps to a golden stupa; sunset is crowded
6Wat VisounThe watermelon stupa
7Traditional Arts and Ethnology CentreThe peoples of Laos
8Big Brother MouseHelp Lao students practise English
9UtopiaA garden bar over the Nam Khan
10Kuang Si FallsTurquoise pools and a bear rescue centre
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Luang Prabang →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Luang Prabang:
Free walking tours in Luang Prabang
The royal town
Luang Prabang stands on a peninsula where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong. It was the first capital of the kingdom of Lan Xang, the land of a million elephants, founded in 1353, and the seat of the kings of Laos until 1975. Its temples, wooden houses and French villas make it a world heritage site. Two hours; dress modestly for the temples.
- Sisavangvong Road · Every morning at dawn hundreds of monks in saffron robes walk barefoot along the streets in single file to collect sticky rice from kneeling townspeople — the tak bat. Visitors may watch quietly from a distance: no flash, no blocking the way, and give only if you mean it.
- Royal Palace Museum · Built by the French in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong. The last king, Savang Vatthana, was forced to abdicate when the communists took power in 1975 and died in a re-education camp; his rooms are kept as he left them. The town takes its name from the Phra Bang, a gold Buddha image kept in the palace grounds.
- Wat Mai · A temple beside the palace whose front wall is covered with gilded reliefs telling the story of the Buddha’s last life before enlightenment and scenes of village life, glowing in the late afternoon sun.
- Wat Xieng Thong · Built in 1560 near the tip of the peninsula, the finest temple in Laos, with roofs that sweep almost to the ground. Its back wall carries a glass mosaic of the tree of life, and a hall holds the gilded funeral carriage of King Sisavang Vong.
- Big Brother Mouse · A Lao project that publishes books for children in a country where many villages had none. In the mornings and evenings visitors can sit with young Lao students and help them practise English.
- Mount Phousi · A hill in the middle of town, climbed by a stair of more than three hundred steps to the golden stupa of That Chomsi, with views over the rivers and roofs. At sunset it is crowded; at sunrise it is almost empty.
Markets and the old quarter
South of Phousi lie the oldest temple still in use, the morning market of the river people and a museum of the many peoples of Laos. Two hours, in the morning.
- Morning Market · In the lanes by the palace, village women sell river fish, frogs, forest mushrooms, herbs and sheets of dried river weed with sesame, the snack called khai paen. It is busiest straight after the alms round.
- Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre · Laos has about fifty officially recognised ethnic groups. This small museum shows the costumes, tools and beliefs of the Hmong, Akha, Khmu and others who live in the hills around Luang Prabang.
- Wat Visoun · Founded in 1513, the oldest temple in the town still in use, with a rounded stupa called That Makmo, the watermelon stupa, for its shape. When it was damaged in 1914, gold and crystal Buddhas were found inside.
- Utopia · A garden of cushions and hammocks over the Nam Khan river, popular with travellers for slow afternoons. In the dry season bamboo bridges are built across the river, washed away again each rainy season.
- Night Market · Every evening the main street closes and hundreds of red-roofed stalls sell silk weaving, quilts and silver made by the hill peoples. Bargain gently; it is a quiet market, not a loud one.
- Sisavangvong Road · The town keeps a curfew: bars close around half past eleven, and the streets are quiet long before the monks set out again at dawn.
Waterfalls and the Mekong caves
Out of town are the turquoise pools of Kuang Si, a cave of thousands of Buddhas up the Mekong and quiet waterfalls. A full day: the caves by slow boat in the morning, the falls in the afternoon.
- Pak Ou Caves · Two caves in a limestone cliff above the Mekong, about two hours upriver by boat, filled with thousands of Buddha images left by pilgrims over centuries. The kings of Lan Xang came here each New Year.
- Kuang Si Falls · A waterfall dropping in tiers through the forest into pools of milky turquoise water, coloured by limestone, where you can swim in the lower pools. At the entrance a rescue centre cares for Asiatic black bears saved from poachers and bile farms.
- Tad Sae Waterfall · A gentler set of cascades reached by a short boat ride, at its best in the wet season, when the water spreads over wide limestone terraces; in the dry months it can almost disappear.
- Luang Prabang Station · The station of the Laos–China railway, opened in December 2021, which cut the journey to Vientiane from a full day on mountain roads to about two hours.
- Wat Xieng Thong · Back in town at the tip of the peninsula, where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong, the temple glows at sunset.
- Night Market · At the end of the market, a lane of food stalls offers a vegetarian buffet: fill a plate for a fixed small price.
Getting to Luang Prabang and getting around
- Luang Prabang Airport · Ten minutes from the old town
- Luang Prabang Station · The new railway to Vientiane and China
Cheap eats in Luang Prabang
Laos eats sticky rice, rolled into a ball with the fingers and dipped into everything: jeow bong, a sweet-hot chilli paste with buffalo skin; laap, minced meat or fish with herbs and toasted rice; or lam, the Luang Prabang stew made with bitter sakhan wood; and khai paen, crisp sheets of Mekong river weed. Baguette sandwiches from the French years are sold on every corner.
- Morning Market · River weed and fish
- Night Market · The vegetarian buffet lane
- Sisavangvong Road · Baguette stalls and fruit shakes
- Utopia · Lunch over the river
Museums in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang’s museums tell of its kings and the many peoples of Laos.
- Royal Palace Museum · The last king
- Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre · The peoples of Laos
- Big Brother Mouse · Books for Lao children
Nature and day trips near Luang Prabang
Two rivers, forested hills, turquoise waterfalls and the great Mekong.
- Kuang Si Falls · Turquoise pools
- Tad Sae Waterfall · Wet-season cascades
- Pak Ou Caves · A Mekong boat ride
- Mount Phousi · The view over the rivers
Things to do in Luang Prabang with kids
With children: swimming at the waterfalls, rescued bears, a boat on the Mekong and caves full of Buddhas.
- Kuang Si Falls · Bears and pools
- Pak Ou Caves · The Buddha caves
- Big Brother Mouse · Meet Lao students
Holy places in Luang Prabang
A town of some thirty temples and hundreds of monks, whose dawn alms round is the heart of its day.
- Wat Xieng Thong · The royal temple
- Wat Visoun · The watermelon stupa
- Wat Mai · The golden reliefs
- Sisavangvong Road · The alms round at dawn
Nightlife in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang goes to bed early: a riverside drink, the night market, and a curfew around half past eleven.
- Utopia · The garden bar
- Night Market · An evening stroll
- Mount Phousi · Sunset over the Mekong
Frequently asked questions about Luang Prabang
What is there to see in Luang Prabang?
The top sights in Luang Prabang are Sisavangvong Road, Wat Xieng Thong and Royal Palace Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Luang Prabang?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Luang Prabang without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Luang Prabang?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Luang Prabang, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The royal town.
How do you get to Luang Prabang and get around?
The main ways are Luang Prabang Airport and Luang Prabang Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Luang Prabang, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Luang Prabang that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Luang Prabang for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.