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Cambodia | Thailand | Laos | Vietnam | Myanmar
Signature Tours | Mekong Experience | Student Experiences
Under Your Own Steam Tour
Back to Laos Tours
Get out of the car and start touring! Laos is a wonderful country to explore under your own steam so in this 8-day tour we encourage you to paddle, trek and boat your way to new and exciting experiences. The kayaking on the Nam Song will be through stunning scenery and landscape, the trekking in Luang Prabang will introduce you to people and cultures so different from your own and boating on the Mekong will allow you to relax and soak up the calm and peaceful atmosphere in Laos. Discover Laos for yourself!
Day 1 Vientiane - City Tour
Catch your flight - .
Arrive in Vientiane where you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel to check in. Afterwards hit the town and take a guided city tour including Haw Pha Kaeo, Wat Si Saket, Pha That Luang, and Patuxai. You may choose to be dropped off for lunch in center of town or return to the hotel. In the evening you will be picked up for a traditional dinner including a Lao music and dance performance.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at Green Park Boutique Hotel - Classic Room
Day 2 Vientiane to Vang Vieng
After breakfast enjoy the north bound drive through beautiful landscape before reaching Vang Vieng in the early afternoon. Once you have reached Vang Vieng check in to a quaint riverside bungalow before bicycling through the countryside and across the Nam Song River. Your first stop will be at one of the most famous caves, Tham Jang. It was used as a bunker during defense against the Chinese in early 19th century. The view from the cave, surrounding landscape and tranquil pools make this a must see. Then you will head out through the village of Ban NaThong on a scenic dirt road for approximately 6km until you reach Tham Phu Kham. The Lao consider this the most sacred of the caves in Vang Vieng and contains a bronze reclining Buddha. After your decent from the 200m climb cool off with a dip in the inviting blue lagoon before heading back to town for the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Thavansouk Resort BanLao - Bungalow Room
Day 3 Vang Vieng - Kayaking
In the morning you will be transferred from Vang Vieng to the Khmu village of Vieng Samay, about 10 km north of Vang Vieng. After an introduction to the basics of kayaking, the Nam Song offers various small but fun rapids on the way to the first stop at the cave of Tham Nam Thaem. This cave cuts straight through the mountain, so one emerges on the other side of the range for some panoramic views of the Nam Kouang valley. A trek back over a small pass leads up to a Lao style picnic lunch on the riverside. The next paddle stop is at the Organic Farm, where mulberry tea and a variety of fruit wines are produced. The Tham Non Cave lies further downstream. As one of the biggest caves in Vang Vieng, it served as a rescue shelter for the villagers during the Second Indochina War. Today it is home to a bat colony and 'The Magic Stone of Vang Vieng'. The final leg is a gentle paddle - before returning to Vang Vieng in time to catch the sunset from the terrace of the Ban Sabai Riverside Bungalows if desired or a short walk back to the resort.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Thavansouk Resort BanLao - Bungalow Room
Day 4 Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang
After an early breakfast continue by private van with new guide through the winding mountainous roads of the north. Stop and have lunch at local noodle shop in Phou Khon The scenery on the drive is some of the best in the whole country but this long journey on the winding roads can be difficult at times. Don’t worry; your guide will have all proper medications and solutions to ease the journey. Arrive to Luang Prabang in the early evening and unwind with a massage or take a stroll through the night market.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Le Calao Inn - Mekong View Room
Day 5 Luang Prabang - Trekking Biking with Village Homestay Day 1
Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you'll be driven to Ban Kok Ngiew, the starting point of your biking tour. You will bike along dirt roads and through the countryside for approximately 15km before stopping in Xienglom village and enjoying a picnic lunch on the banks of the Nam Khan River. From here your guide, along with a local village guide, will take you across the river in a small boat. You will trek through the countryside until you reach Huay Fai. Houy Fai is a Khmu village located high on a mountain. Here you will enjoy dinner cooked by your guide and stay overnight with your village family, sleeping Lao style on a small mattress with a mosquito net.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Luang Prabang - Trekking Biking with Village Homestay Day 2
Wake up Lao style to sounds of roosters and enjoy a simple breakfast before your morning departure from Ban Houy Fai. You, along with your guide and a local guide will trek through the mountainous countryside along a small stream for a few hours. Along the trek you will pass through a Hmong farm, Thin Pa. Stop for a rest and picnic lunch before continuing on the final leg of your trek. At Huay Yen you will cross the river to Souan Luang Village where you will meet your driver and head back to Luang Prabang by private van.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Le Calao Inn - Mekong View Room
Day 7 Luang Prabang - Day on the Mekong
After breakfast, take a longtail boat crossing to the right bank of the Mekong to visit the pottery village of Ban Han. From here take a thirty minute walk to Wat Long Khoune village to see its local temple. Return to your boat which will stop by a rice wine distilling village on its way upriver. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and cross the river to visit the Pak Ou caves, famous for thousands of miniature statues of the Buddha. Return to
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Le Calao Inn - Mekong View Room
Day 8 Luang Prabang - Departure
Transfer to Luang Prabang airport from your hotel in time for your flight - .
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour Rate: $1,725.00 per person double with $1,065.00 single supplement
Price includes:
- Air tickets Bangkok - Vientiane / Luang Prabang - Bangkok
- Boat tickets as specified above
- Accommodation as specified above
- Air-conditioned car/van with driver
- Licensed English speaking guides
- Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
- Meals as specified in itinerary, including water
Price excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
- Airport tax
- Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
- Tips
Cambodia | Thailand | Laos | Vietnam | Myanmar
Signature Tours | Mekong Experience | Student Experiences
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