Pickup from your accommodation at early morning around 5:15 am in March to October and 5:45 in November to February. We rise early to observe the sunrise procession of monks receiving alms and experience offering food to monks. Morning Alms (Sai Bat) is a longstanding tradition in Laos Buddhist culture, and is very unique to Laos. Laos is the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession.

After morning alms, we visit Luang Prabang morning market. The market lining a couple of quiet streets near the Royal Palace, starts early and is over by mid-morning. It sets up along a couple of side-streets next to one of the city’s many Wats. A butcher and some of the more touristy stalls have actual tables for their wares. But most of the vendors, selling anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground.

Luang Prabang, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique blending of traditional Lao and European colonial influences in its architecture and culture, was the capital of the Lane Xang kingdom from the 14th to 16th centuries, as well as the center of Buddhist worship in the region. Old quarter setting on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, encircled by verdant mountains, offers a natural beauty that is complemented by the craftsmanship of Louangphrabang’s palaces, temples, and traditional houses.

A small park at the tip of the Luang Prabang Peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet.

Wat Xieng Thong, once known as “The Temple of the Golden City”, holds great cultural, historic and architectural importance. It is serenely situated near the tip of the peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, with a grand staircase leading up from the Mekong. For centuries it was considered the ceremonial gateway to the town, with visiting dignitaries and soon-to-be-crowned kings arriving via these steps. (Entrance fee 30,000 kip)

The temple was built in 1718 by King Kitsarath with 100,000 stones from the Mekong river. It literally means "Temple of 100,000 treasures"

[The museum is closed on the last Thursday of every month and cannot be visited] The Royal Palace, which is today the national museum and built by French colonialists between 1904-09, displays a lovely collection of artefacts and offers you an insight into the fascinating history and culture of Laos. (Entrance fee 60,000 kip)

UXO (Unexploded Ordinance) Information Centre exhibits the devastation that Laos continues to suffer as a result of the Second Indochina War. (closed on Saturday & Sunday)

The oldest Buddhist temple dating to the 16th century, known for its large, watermelon-domed stupa.(Entrance fee 30,000 kip)

Mount Phousi is a 100 m high hill in the centre of the old town, located on the peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. As the highest point in town, it boasts the town’s famous and favourite panoramic view. On the summit, the shiny golden stupa of Wat Chom Si sits firmly and greets visitors to the mountain. It was built in 1804 during the reign of King Anourouth and has become a symbol of Luang Prabang’s spiritual significance. (Entrance fee 30,000 kip)