Laos is a country packed with culture, history and stunning landscapes – not to mention the lively backpacker hubs renowned for their tubing parties. Former home to the mighty Lan Xang Hom Khao kingdom, survivor of the most bombing endured by any country in the world, and site of UNESCO World Heritage Listed temples, Laos is a truly fascinating destination where the locals are friendly and life operates at a more laidback pace.
Laos tour packages offer culture, adventure and moving history
Laos tour packages are packed with adventure, and include Mekong River cruises, visits to the fascinating Wat Si Saket and Wat Xieng Thong Buddhist temples, and stops at the COPE Visitor Centre. Tours start and end in Luang Prabang and Vientiane, with a number of benefits such as organised temple entrances with local guides, advice for ensuring respectful morning almsgiving to monks, and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of community-based village homestays where you will get to know the friendly locals.
Tour comparison Laos includes itineraries with walking tours of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, where travellers are led by knowledgeable local guides. Both private and public transport are used in Laos tour packages, with all comforts attended to and assistance provided for smooth border crossings in the case of tours combined with Vietnam and Indochina.
Your Laos travel guide will lead an orientation of Vang Vieng, where the famous inner tubing and parties along the Nam Song River take place. Optional excursions on Laos tour packages include cooking classes, elephant rides with mahouts, slow boats up the Mekong, and day trips to visit caves and waterfalls.
Itching to plan your trip? Take a look at our tour comparison Laos and find the right itinerary for you.
Want a taste of that insider Laos tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.
- Laos is a landlocked country bordered by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China.
- The official country name Laos People’s Democratic Republic is often shortened to Laos PDR, which in turn led to the coining of the expression, ‘Lao Please Don’t Rush’, aptly describing the nation’s mellow lifestyle.
- A large part of the Mekong River flows through Laos, and the world’s 12th-longest river also passes through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- Laos shares the Annamese Mountains with its neighbours. The 1,100 km mountain range extends from Laos into Vietnam and a small area of northeast Cambodia.
- Laos has endured the most bombing of any country in the world, with the US dropping more than two million tonnes over the course of 580,000 missions from 1964 to 1973.
- The capital of Laos is Vientiane, which sits on the banks of the Mekong River and is just 20 km from the border with Thailand.
- Luang Prabang was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Laos until communist takeover in 1975. The city is comprised of 58 adjacent villages, with 33 of those part of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed ‘Town of Luang Prabang’.
- The capital of the Luang Namtha Province, Luang Namtha, serves as a popular base for biking and trekking to hilltribe villages in the area.
- The fishing area of Si Phan Don, which translates directly to ‘Four Thousand Islands’, is a riverine archipelago whose name aptly describes what is to be found there.
- The backpacker hub of Vang Vieng is legendary for its tubing parties, and is also a great place for mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and swimming.
- 25 km north of Luang Prabang lie the fascinating Pak Ou caves, with Tham Ting and Tham Theung – meaning lower and upper cave – home to hundreds of miniature Buddha statues overlooking the Mekong River.
- Sisavang Vong was the longest reigning king of Asia, ruling from 1904 until his death in 1959, during which time he fathered up to 50 children by multiple different women.
- The communist movement and organisation, Pathet Lao, formed during the 20th century and assumed power in 1975, when they established the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
- The hidden bomb shelter city of Vieng Xai was the site of the former Pathet Lao headquarters, where significant bombing occurred throughout the 1960s. Schools, hospitals, markets and even entertainment venues such as theatres were hidden in the caves with a population of around 20,000.
- The countryside surrounding Phongsali is the go-to spot for the quintessential rice paddy fields, not to mention the 400-year-old tea plantation near Ban Komaen.
- Bolaven Plateau is an elevated region between the Annamite Range and the Mekong River, home to rivers and picturesque waterfalls.
- Kaysone Phomvihane led the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party from 1955 to 1992, and was the country’s first Prime Minister and then President.
- Lan Xang Hom Khao, which means ‘Million Elephants and White Parasols’, was the powerful unified kingdom that existed in southeast Asia from the 14th century through to the 18th.
- The 2008 movie ‘Good Morning Luang Prabang’, which was the first commercial film produced in Laos since 1975.
- The traditional mouth organ ‘khene’, singer Vichai Koviseth and poet Brian Thao Worra all came from Laos.
- Sepak Kataw, which is essentially volleyball played with the feet, is a popular sport in Laos.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
