Our 7-Day Laos Itinerary ๐ โ๏ธ ๐บ๏ธ
Who needs another humdrum holiday when you can trudge through seven days of endless temples in Laos? ๐ฎโ๐จ
From Vientiane’s bustling markets to Vang Vieng’s adrenaline-pumping activities, our itinerary ensures you’ll never get bored (or rested ๐คซ).ย Dive into the heart of Southeast Asia’s best-kept secret. You’ll be questioning why you didn’t visit sooner.
Highlights
- A Route and a Schedule
- Our Budget for Laos ๐ธ
- Discovering Laos by Train
- Pre-book Your Trains
- Vientiane ๐ธ Tranquility & Culture
- Luang Prabang ๐ Rivers/Waterfalls
- Vang Vieng Uncorked ๐ฅ
- Seven Days in Laosโฆ
- Things we carry on the Train/Bus
Our Route & Schedule
Most travellers to Laos arrive at Wattay International Airport just west of the country’s capital – Vientiane. Our planned route through Laos was the classic:
Vientiane/ Vang Vieng/ Luang Prabang/ Vientiane
Though not strictly in that order ๐.
Our schedule was as follows:
- Day 1: Vientiane – We tried to get our bearings. We mostly just found a bar.
- Day 2: Vientiane – We “discovered” the city (translated: we walked until our feet filed a formal complaint)
- Day 3: Vientiane – We explored the outskirts, because the centre wasn’t dusty enough.
- Day 4: Luang Prabang – We checked out the UNESCO vibes and felt very cultured.
- Day 5: Luang Prabang – We visited waterfalls and pretended the water wasn’t freezing.
- Day 6: Vang Vieng – We explored the town and dodged backpackers in inflatable tubes
- Day 7: Vientiane – A final day of “relaxation” before the flight home.
Patuxai Victory Monument – Vientiane, Laos
Our Budget for Laos ๐ธ
Planning a trip to Laos involves a fair bit of mental arithmetic and the occasional prayer to the gods of currency exchange. We spent our time juggling accommodation, transport, and an alarming amount of local Beerlao. Here is how we managed our travel costs for 2 people sharing:
- Online visas: โฌ100
- Flights to and from Laos: โฌ460
- Accommodation + breakfast: โฌ100 per night
- Transportation (buses, taxis): โฌ25 per day
- Food & drink: โฌ50 per day
- Activities (entrance fees/tours): โฌ10 per day
Based on these estimates, our total budget for the trip was around โฌ900-โฌ950 per person.
Spoiler Alert: Our finalized costs came to โฌ925 per person. We can be terrifyingly efficient when we want to be. ๐
High-Speed Hopes ๐ Discovering Laos by Train
Using Vientiane as our initial base, we planned to use the relatively new high-speed railway system that runs between Laos and China.
A welcome result of China’s ambitious and highly successful Road & Belt initiative, these trains will get you from Vientiane to Luang Prabang in just less than 2 hours.
We planned to spend our first 3 nights in Vientiane at a 4* hotel on the Mekong river, just 2 kms from the center of town.
Laos high-speed trains
From there, our plan was simple:
- Train to Luang Prabang for two nights of colonial charm.
- Train back to Vang Vieng for a one-night stand with the mountains.
- Back to Vientiane for a final night of sanity before flying out.
Pro Tip: Book your train tickets early. “Spontaneity” is just another word for “standing in the aisle for two hours.”
First Impressionsย ๐คจย Is Laos Actually Any Good?
Laos is a rapidly developing SE Asian country, assisted by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). So if you’re planning to visit Laos, go there now while it’s still relatively cheap.
- Don’t expect too much from the cities, get out and enjoy the natural environment and stunning scenery.
- Plan in advance some fun activities. There’s plenty to do if you give yourself enough time.
- The local Laos food is OK, but nothing special. We prefer the spicier cuisines of the more southern SE Asian countries
- The people are great, and we got to meet some really nice locals.
The Climate Factor ๐ก๏ธ
Laos is a mountainous country. Vientiane is 175 m above sea level, and Luang Prabang 305 m above sea level.
Take into account the weather for when you’re travelling. Depending on the time of year, it can get quite windy and chilly, especially in the evenings.
We travelled at the end of January, and we’re very glad we took along some woolies (we didn’t need coats).
If you enjoy swimming or other water sports, understand the water is bracing โ๏ธ even in the middle of the day with a hot sun shining.
Our Related Laos Articles
While you’re here, have a gander at our deep-dive reviews of:
- Vientiane ๐๏ธ๐บ French colonial charm meets local tradition.
- Luang Prabangย ๐๐ฆ Mekong river sunsets and lush waterfalls.
- Vang Vieng โฐ๏ธ๐ถ Misty mountains and adventures that involve more mud than we anticipated.
We left Laos with a lighter wallet, heavier SD cards, and a profound respect for high-speed rail.
We highly recommend you see it for yourselfโjust remember to pack a jumper.
If you’re interested in our 7-day Laos itinerary, take a look at our other Tropical Travel Plans. You may also like:
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