Lao Red Cross Sauna

An informative free tour to all visitors (last tour at 16:30). Operating as a fair trade traditional weaving centre, you can take classes in bamboo/textile weaving, dye your own silk, draw your own batik or just relax at the Mekong garden cafe. A free tuk-tuk departs daily from the Ock Pop Tok shop in the city at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00, with other times possible by agreement.

This small, but perfectly formed museum is dedicated to the ethnic cultures of Laos. Find out more about the groups that make Laos unique and enrich your visit to Luang Prabang. Closed on Mondays, and occasionally other times for exhibitions. On site shop and cafe, with an outlet shop close to the Ock Pop Tok shop.

A museum with one of the few remaining pre-colonisation houses. It also features an area to dress in costumes, learn different crafting technique and quite a good cafe for lunch.

Monks at dawn collect alms of rice from kneeling villagers (and early-rising tourists). Ask your guesthouse host to assist you the day before in preparing if you'd like to get up and give alms in the morning. The alms giving ceremony is one which, while picturesque, is not without its detractors. Unscrupulous local merchants have used the eagerness of tourists to participate in this tradition as a means of making easy money. They sometimes sell unsuitable, stale and even unsafe food, resulting in monks falling ill after having consumed the offerings, Hence the growing resistance to continuing the tradition. The government, however, has made it clear that the monks must continue the custom or be replaced by lay persons clothed in saffron robes in order to keep up appearances, thereby maintaining tourist revenue. If you wish to participate in this ceremony, prepare the food or fruit yourself. Avoid giving food of dodgy quality. Another problem is the rampant photography: while a photo might look nice in your collection, think about how it must feel for the monks to have hundreds of tourists photographing them every day. Some lowlifes even stand next to the monks, blinding them with flashbulbs. Consider watching this old tradition from a distance instead of degrading it.

The former royal palace, now a national museum. It is not a national history museum however. You pass through the state rooms and the private rooms of the royal family and can see the collection of official cars. No photos, videos, bags, or shoes allowed, free locker provided. No bare shoulders, midriffs or knees; you can rent a cloth for 5,000 kip at the locker room if needed. Also on the grounds of the palace is the former royal temple.

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening there is a show featuring one part of the Lao epic Phra Lak Phra Ram. The show is about an hour long and in Lao with story and dance sequences. There are Lao, English and French synopsis available at the ticket desk. The ticket desk opens at least 1/2 an hour before the show and is accessed by entering Royal Palace Museum entrance gate. The museum is closed at this time so entry is free. Curiously the ticket desk is not attended while the museum is open, although they do have the schedule and current ticket prices. Also, the website has a form for tickets, but they do not seem to respond to it.