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District and municipality in Laos
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Luang Prabang (Lao: ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ, pronounced Loo-ang pah-bang and also spelled Louangphrabang) is the former capital of Laos and a UNESCO World Heritage city.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
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.
Sai Bat
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.
ຫໍຄຳ Haw Kham
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.
ຫໍຄຳ Haw Kham
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.
ພະທາດພູສີ
Phou Si Hill dominates the city, and you can get a great view of the whole area from the summit. There are trails from both sides of the hill, including one just across the road from the Royal Palace/National Museum, and it's about 320 steps to the top. Sunrise and sunset are the most sensible and rewarding times to go. There is a near-panoramic view from the top. The ticket office closes at 18:30, so climbing to the top is virtually free afterwards, which gives you about 30 minutes before it gets dark. If you take the south path down, you'll go past several temples including one claiming to enshrine the Buddha's (rather large!) footprint.
ວັດຊຽງທອງ
The oldest monastery in town and one of the most beautiful.
Wat Phon Phao;ວັດໂພນເພົາ
This golden temple, highly visible from Phou Si, is a shrine for Buddhists who practice Vipassana meditation.
A small information centre with samples of the various UXO (unexploded ordnance) that has been found, information about the scope of the problem and a room with a documentary to watch. Makes the issue just a bit more salient when you see it.
ຕາດ ກວາງຊີ
The stunning Kuang Si Falls are Luang Prabang's top natural attraction. Cascading through multi-level limestone terraces, the color of the water usually varies between milky blue and a deep turquoise, although after heavy rains they can temporarily turn brown. Tuk-tuks, private or shared, green bus from Thatluang Park (45k kip one way), tours drop you at the parking area, from where free electric golf carts next to the ticket booths shuttle around 1 km up the hill at the park entrance. From here, take the signposted "Foot Trail" to the right, which takes you through the Bear Rescue Centre (below) to the base of the waterfalls.
There are three tiered pools that are safe for swimming, although you'll want to wear sandals or reef shoes since the rubble can be sharp. There are some basic toilets can be used as changing rooms, as well as the pleasant Green Jungle restaurant that serves up fried rice and the like ($2 and up). If you keep going up, you'll get to the main waterfall that cascades down from a height of nearly 60 meters, a gorgeous sight especially after rain when it fans out. The paved road to the left of the park entrance leads directly here, so it's also where all the tour groups are shunted, and there are plenty of picnic tables if you've packed a lunch.
A small trail to the left leads via 542 steel steps to the top of the waterfalls, where you'll find a few more pools with a swing and a guy with a boat offering a 200 m punt up the river for 20,000 kip per person. There is also a treetop cafe with great view over the surrounding jungle hills (30,000 kip to enter) and a zipline that brings you back down to the lower basins (US$25). Beware that the signposted route way down the other side of the falls is much steeper than the way up and can be extremely muddy and slippery, so do not attempt this after rain or without proper shoes.
A seat on a shared tuk-tuk to the falls and back including 3–4 hours waiting time costs around US$6, as does a cheap scooter rental for one day, while a private charter for 4-5 runs around US$22–25. The same in an air-conditioned minivan runs around US$12/50 shared/chartered. It's worth getting here as early as you can to beat the crowds and the heat, although the forest is nice and shady. The road is twisty but paved and takes around 45 minutes one way, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops both at the ticketing point and the park entrance. Every travel agent and hotel in Luang Prabang also runs Kuang Si tours, which typically tack on a mediocre lunch and a visit to one of the elephant centers.
Be aware that the road is very dangerous on a scooter, due to the pot-holes filled with sand, as well as the hundreds of tourist-filled vans that speed up and down the road all day. Travellers have reported several horrifying scooter accidents on this road, including full-body grazes and broken bones requiring ambulance pick-up and time in hospital.
Operated by the Free the bears charity with various enclosure for endangered Asiatic black bears, both Moon and Sun bears, that have been rescued from poachers. Small gift shop.
The famous "Buddha caves" are north of the city on the Mekong and can be reached by road (approximately 1 hr), with a car there and back including waiting to you costing up to 500,000 kip, or river boat (around 1.5 hr). Alternatively, you can hire canoes and a guide for the day, which would allow you to view the beautiful scenery and visit the caves without throngs of other tourists. It's also possible to finish the trip at the "whisky village" where the local Lao lao (rice spirit) is made. There are two caves, one on the entry level and another, the upper caves, on top of the hill. A very steep climb, but worth the effort. A torch is needed to see the upper cave. Simply cross the river at Pak Ou village for 13,000 kip per person (25,000 kip if you're the only one on the boat), walk up the hill and turn right, crossing the school grounds, to find your way to the caves. Motorcycle parking at Pak Ou village 5,000 kip.
Tiered waterfalls which are not as big as Kuang Si, but very beautiful. You can bathe there and elephant rides are available.
A butterfly park near Kuang Si waterfalls. On the shuttle to the falls it will pass on the right. A short walk from the entrance to the falls.
A worthwhile organisation devoted to encouraging literacy in young adults and children. Depending on sponsorship and volunteers, it welcomes tourists to help with English conversation and reading practice. You can just hang out and chat with locals about whatever you like. They publish and distribute books in Lao and English. Consider buying some books to take as gifts to village children if you travel through Laos. They have another branch in Vientiane. Two, 2 hour conversation sessions per day. Lots of nice locally-written kids' story books available to buy, starting from 50 cents for their A6 size books.
People who love activities and treks may find some interesting interactive tours which are designed to support villages outside of Luang Prabang in the north of Laos.
Hike or bicycle alongside the river through a few small Hmong villages and past a few temples (10,000 kip admission) and a cave. Beware the children at the temples with the ticket-takers, especially at the temple with the white stairs leading to the water opposite Luang Prabang. They will swarm over tourists' backpacks, and money will later be found missing. Enquiries to police and village officials will not be fruitful. Island map
A traditional Lao sauna and massage, very popular with locals in the afternoon.
A great way to experience Lao village life without a tour bus. The owner started a library and children's English tutoring centre in his house a few years ago and since has been steadily expanding services with help from volunteers. Lenou sometimes organises dinners on the Num Ou river by request and generally seems to appreciate a helping hand.
Although prices are high by regional standards, riding around the surrounding areas of Luang Prabang is a fantastic way to see the countryside. Fuel for the whole day will cost around 20,000 kip. Common practice is the rental company retains your passport, so make sure they know when you leave and how to recover your passport (or find a shop that doesn't do this). Choose the rental agency carefully, keep the motorcycle safe and take your own lock. Some rental agencies, particularly Khamsay, have been widely accused of stealing bikes after they rent them out to tourists, then demanding US$2,500 compensation from the tourist. Research rental shops thoroughly before choosing one. Motorcycle accidents are common among visitors to the area, particularly on the road to Kuang Si falls. If you are not an experienced motorcyclist in your home country, do not rent a motorcycle in Luang Prabang.
The first non-riding elephant attraction in Laos. They offer three different tours (morning, afternoon, or all day) where you feed and walk elephants. A shuttle is provided from your hotel with and English guide. They seem genuinely concerned about elephant welfare and have programs to help change perceptions of elephants in Laos away from viewing them as purely beasts of burden. In the high season they do seem to book out a few weeks in advance. They do have an office in Luang Prabang.
It has 14 elephants. They are kept away from abusive work and cared by veterinarians, and seem well looked after and relaxed. Offers basic elephant rides, or 1 or 2 day mahout course where you learn the commands to control the elephant. You also get to wash the elephants in the Namkhan River which is a lot of fun.
2 cruises on the Mekong with full meals. Pak Ou Cave cruise goes upstream, includes a visit to the "1000 Buddhas cave" (entrance fee included) and a whisky village, where passengers are given enough time to visit. Sunset cruise goes downstream, includes a traditional music and dance show.
Lao Friends Hospital is the only free children's hospital in Laos, and they are chronically short of blood donors. Among the many children in the area who receive care, the volunteers at the hospital treat over 200 children with thalassaemia, a genetic condition which requires frequent blood transfusions in severe cases. If you are able to donate blood, consider doing it here. Conditions are clean, all equipment is single-use and sterile, and you get some snacks and a t-shirt for your trouble.
Located in a village near rice paddy field and bamboo plantation. Not only you'll learn to cook Lao dishes using bamboo shoots as the main ingredient, but as well you'll learn what can be made out of bamboo, play with bamboo stilts, crossbow, attend a small music+dance show by a Hmong man, get a weaving lesson with a local craftsman & make your own small souvenir.
Lovely gardens by the water a short ride from the city.
They offer day and evening courses. For day class, there are 2 mandatory plus 5 optional dishes to choose from (choose only 3) for a total of 5 dishes plus demonstrations only on how to cook sticky rice and Lao chili paste (very good). Variation is not much as 4 of the 7 dishes presented require eggs (standard class). Instruction is no-nonsense and very fast paced, but Mr Lee, the instructor, is very helpful. It starts with demonstration, then hands on. All the dishes made are eaten, so it may be useful to bring a cooking and eating partner.
Classes have more of a demonstration orientation, with participants helping instructors with various tasks. All courses can be booked at the relevant restaurants.
Moved in 2024 to this place with lovingly designed interior. Typical Lao dishes such as Laab or mango sticky rice. Asked for dietary requirements multiple times. Also offers pottery and candle making classes.
Offers a "rice experience" tour, or you can just stop by this farm. If you visit without a tour, they will still show you around the farm, pointing out the organic vegetables and rice and showing you the traditional tools they use to process rice.
High quality Lao and Western food.
Cheap Lao food. Popular spot for the expats and GVI volunteers.
Cheap Lao food. Great selection all for reasonable price, good cheap smoothies.
Luang Prabang Khao Soi street food. Opens around 17:00. Southwest end of night market.
One food stall says vegetarian and the other "végétalien" (vegan). Approximately 5,000 kip for a plate. Popular with budget travellers, but not an option for those looking for tasty food. Cash only. Eat at your own risk as hygiene is questionable.
Excellent stop for Lao cuisine. Their larb was a favourite in the area. Most of the staff do not speak English, but there is one fellow there that does (and you can point at the menu).
Amazing, authentic French bread, tarts, pastries and cakes. Their pain au chocolat are buttery and delicious. Go in the morning as they often run out in the afternoon.
Consistently good Western and Korean food. Under the big tree on the Mekong River. Good service and free Wi-Fi.
Offers Luang Prabang-Lao dishes and Swiss classics as well as a variety of snacks and fresh salads.
Free Wi-Fi, air-con on both floors and free full-menu delivery service from 07:00-19:30. Great music and friendly staff.
Popular Indian/Tamil food. Great vegetarian/vegan options but serves (halal) meat as well.
Clean and well-cooked food. A small place (blink, and you'll miss it) that looks like a fruit shake place. Locally owned by Lao man who trained at Amantaka Restaurant. Possibly the best steaks in town, certainly great cocktails. Slow service, but worth it.
Excellent coffee. It comes from the surrounding mountains. The banana shake macchiato is recommended. Delicious fresh baked goods such as their cinnamon swirls and banana muffins go quickly. Granola and salad wraps are good.
Lots of pastries and breakfasts (and bread).
A no-name place serving delicious shakes for 5,000 kip and fantastic sweet crepes starting at 7,000 kip.
A lovely restaurant with a mix of Lao and French foods. The food is extremely good, but has its price. Ingredients are of the highest quality, ranging from French Camembert to Laotian lemongrass and river weeds. The menu is both pricey and some items do not justify the price tag. Great ambience.
Italian or local food. Particularly good are the Parmesan aubergine, pork lasagna, fresh pasta with mushroom and truffles, and the tiramisú. Big garden (with a Fiat), big room with air-con and nice terrace on the street with free Wi-Fi. Happy hour with Aperol Spritz and wine for 50,000 kip, and buy one get one free.
The only Belgian restaurant/bar in Luang Prabang. Excellent price/quality food. It has an appealing range of Belgian beer, cocktails and wine. Known for its lasagna, stews and curries. Recommended for vegetarians. A green bamboo garden with fairy lights confers a pleasant ambience. Attentive staff.
Specialises in introducing Western tourists to Lao food, so the dishes are offered with explanations and the menu is full of information. Traditional Lao food in sampler format. Platter combinations of dips, salads, etc., as well as set menus. Only a small wine list, but good range of fruit drinks. Popular cooking classes in a garden setting. Sells food products, recipe books.
Downstairs is a book shop/swap and upstairs is a bar selling drinks and cake in a room covered in cushions for lazing around and reading. Movies everyday at 19:00. A tad greedy and unfriendly on the book exchange business.
Established and highly popular watering hole, with cosy brick-lined rooms and an outside terrace. Notable for their ethnic fashion shows at 19:00 most days of the week and their range of Lao Lao cocktails.
Run by a laid-back couple. Thai and Western food. Good wine, by the glass. Garden seating. Temple in front and street life can be enjoyed.
Aims to be a relaxing garden by day and tropical jungle lounge by night, when it fills up with backpackers. Gorgeous views along the Nam Khan River, great venue and a laid back crowd, very popular and a good place to meet other backpackers. Free Wi-Fi. When they close everyone is pushed out into tuk-tuks headed for a bowling alley quite a way outside of town (rumored to be run by the Mafia) where the party continues.
ເຮືອນພັກບຸນທັນ
Good, clean rooms with AC. The place itself is very quiet, but the roosters next to it are noisy.
Has two wings with decent clean doubles 40,000 kip. Triple room 50,000 kip. Free Wi-Fi and water.
Run by a local family. It's on the Khan River. Free filtered water and bananas are available. On Saturdays they serve a free home-cooked dinner.
Nice family, wooden rooms and floor, bike rentals, tidy. Double rooms with fan and private bathroom. No Wi-Fi.
Clean and comfortable dorm beds (includes free breakfast and coffee). The guesthouse is run by a nice local family who, if you're lucky, will occasionally provide you with delicious Lao BBQ and Lao whisky. Free Wi-Fi, cable TV and filtered water.
A traditional Lao-style home with 3 upstairs rooms, all with self-contained baths and a new cheap room downstairs with a shared bath. Free Wi-Fi, drinking water, and regularly bananas or other fruit. Laundry, coffee, breakfast and bicycle rental. There is a dress shop in front where you can have clothes made, repaired or altered.
A large two-storey guesthouse, mostly empty despite near-Christmas dates and outrageous prices closer to the Night market. Rooms are a bit old but clean and large. Large common area, free water dispenser. Several restaurants and other guesthouses in the same area.
Free filtered water and bananas are available. Not so merry though, the options further down the alley (Cold River and Sysomphone) are more appealing.
Clean rooms with attached or shared bathroom, fan or air-con, free Wi-Fi (but a bit unreliable), laundry service 8,000 kip/kg.
Has a good view of Nam Khan River behind the guesthouse and is around a 10 min walk to Sisavangvong Rd. Friendly and helpful family/owner. Free bananas, water, and Wi-Fi. Owner has good info, prepares a free dinner once a week for guests, has sticky rice if you stumble across dinner, collects guests' photographs in an album, and shares things he knows about the Lao people or the country if you ask. Rooms with shared hot-water bathrooms. A newer, cleaner building in the back has fresher rooms for 70,000 kip.
Acceptably sized rooms with fairly small bathrooms. The rooms located close to the street are noisy, but the new backrooms are OK.
In a small alley on the Mekong riverfront near the night market. Cheap, quiet, new and spotlessly clean.
Guesthouse in a Lao-style villa in the protected zone. Clean dorms with bathroom/showers inside. Movies are shown in the evening. Extra services are quite expensive: storage of valuables in a safe for 20,000 kip, laundry service 18,000 kip. There are cheaper laundry services nearby.
This lodge is in an ethnic Kamu village. It purports to offer a sustainable and socially responsible tourism concept.
A rather nice accommodation with a quiet courtyard, close to both the Mekong and the night market. Air-con, hot water, 24/7 free tea and drink water, free Wi-Fi. They offer limited possibilities to buy tickets to other cities. Be aware that the rooms on the ground floor have virtually no daylight.
Centrally located, new and clean in green, peaceful environment. "Lao-colonial" -style house with wooden floors and homey feel rooms. Private and shared baths with hot, separate showers. Free coffee corner. Has a balcony with city view. Belgian-Lao management. Air-con an optional extra US$4.
Near Mt Phousi, not on the main street side, but the other side. Rooms have private bath and air conditioning.
Local family-run guesthouse in a well-kept restored old building. Central location. The nicely decorated clean rooms have en suite baths with either balconies or gardens attached. Free Wi-Fi, bottled water, bananas provided. Family is friendly and invites guests to join them when they make family trips to local attractions.
Higher-end guesthouse. Hot water shower and air con. This hotel is quiet with a little traffic noise until about 23:00.
There are lots of good guesthouses along here. This one is good value for a double en suite room with breakfast included. There's a good laundrette just opposite the entrance.
Family guesthouse close to the main attractions. Each morning at dawn, the orange-dressed Buddhist monks walk just a few metres away from the terrace for the alms-giving ceremony.
This converted family villa is on the bank of the Nam Khan River. Only 10 min walk to the night market and historic centre. Rooms with riverview & family rooms available.
Nice, clean, comfortable hotel with friendly staff.
Guesthouse in the city centre, close to the Royal Palace and the morning market. Rooms offer air-con, TV, Wi-Fi (unreliable) and free water.
Surrounded by protected area, mountains and pristine forests. 12 km from Luang Prabang. Guided and self-guided walks to waterfalls and ethnic villages. Mountain bikes available. Has a very nice swimming pool. Charming double and twin bungalows in the tropical garden, and a family bungalow. Organic garden, restaurant with homemade food.
Luxury resort by the Aman group, and probably the most expensive hotel in all of Laos. Set in the large garden estate and graceful colonial buildings of what was once the French hospital, just south of Phousi Hill. Airy, elegant and tranquil throughout, the décor and furnishings reflect the city's French colonial history. Only 24 "suites", some with private pools. Rates include two meals and free transport around the city with a branded tuktuk. If you can't quite justify a night, drop by for a US$10 Beerlao at the poolside bar/restaurant and soak in the ambience, which includes live traditional music in the evenings.
On the doorstep of the night market, which is a mixed blessing. A nice, authentic view, but prepare for vendors packing up stalls at 01:00 with the windows being as soundproof as paper. Rooms not quite up to scratch for this price: no shower curtain and cleverly designed taps ensure a wet floor. However, clean and comfortable. Friendly staff and free airport transfer.
A quite wonderful hotel in a restored colonial building overlooking the Khan River. All rooms are decorated with local fabrics and furniture and very much in keeping with the hip and funky image of the hotel. Try to stay in the original building if you can. Superb French/Asian restaurant in the lobby.
An atmospheric set of comfortable neo-colonial buildings on the site of Prince Phetsarath's old residence. Many rooms have idyllic views of both the Mekong River and the hotels gardens and ponds. During the winter season, breakfast is served outdoors on a terrace with spectacular views of the Mekong River and the surrounding hills as they emerge from the morning mist.
Beautiful hotel on the outskirts of the city, with views overlooking Mt Phou Si and the hills surrounding Luang Prabang. The relatively large rooms offer very comfortable beds. The infinity swimming pool has great views, and sometimes masseuses from the spa will offer complimentary 5-min massages to people lounging by the pool. The spa offers a range of massages and herbal steam baths. Small gym on-site.
A 15-room Lao-colonial villa in the quiet area of the UNESCO precinct. The clean rooms, decorated by local artisans, are centred around a lush tropical garden, includes breakfast and Internet/Wi-Fi.
An old palace transformed into a hotel, with the "Angsana Spa" within the hotel. Spacious rooms with great amenities. Each room with a balcony. Small but clean swimming pool, hearty breakfast, all staff know you by name as there are only 24 rooms. Within walking distance to all the attractions.
A beautiful boutique hotel with personal touches, on the tip of the peninsula, at the very end of the old town, in the UNESCO World Heritage Area. The view you have from the rooms and café/restaurant is the meeting of the Mekong River and Nam Khan Rivers. The hotel is quiet and peaceful with the beautiful former royal temple Wat Xienthong as your neighbour.
This resort sits amid landscaped grounds and gardens, and has picturesque views over Phou Si and the town. The property has a traditional Lao spa and a restaurant, offering both indigenous and French cuisine. Regular shuttles are provided and boat trips arranged.
Nice colonial hotel with 7 rooms on one side and 8 on the other. The restaurant is fairly cheap, but the rooms are rather overpriced. There are a few executive suites, the most costly coming with their own set of stairs. But beware: your nights may be troubled as there is a cockerel that sings every morning at the hotel at about 03:00. The attitude of the owner has put off some guests who report this in forums.
Boutique hotel that is a former royal residence. The property is a blend of traditional Laotian architecture with echoes of its French colonial past. Internet and breakfast included.
Villa-style resort, good restaurant, with a terribly mosquito infested pool. Massage and spa service.
Superior guest house in a quiet street just a minute walk from the city centre. Excellent service and peaceful atmosphere. Full breakfast included.
Beautiful, peaceful jungle resort 15 km outside of the city. Colonial style bungalows with great views of the Nam Khan and mountains beyond. Good food and many activities offered. In the mornings, you can see elephants bathe in the river. Supports local villages.
3.5 stars hotel. 20 classic rooms, 10 superior rooms. While the story of Parasol Blanc started in 1885 and King Sisavang Phoulivong, the hotel is very recent and rooms are super modern. Friendly & multilingual staff (English & French especially). Bicycles lent for free. Rooms with a private balcony overlooking a tropical garden and a lotus pond, protected by the UNESCO Free Zone. Cable TV. Plugs everywhere. Substantial, diverse & delicious breakfast (including baguette, croissants, Nutella, Vegemite, fresh fruits, Lao delicacies) 06:30-22:00.
Allows ATM withdrawal multiple times, 2M kip for only a 30k kip withdrawal fee.
Good rates for money changing.
Good rates for money changing.
This supermarket formally called Dara Supermarket is huge. Pretty much everything you could want can be found here. Local Lao and tourists all shop here. With a great variety of all your shopping needs. There are local Lao goods, as well as others from Thailand, China and as far away as Malaysia.
An ethical trading company with superb galleries. Also run classes and visits to village weaving facilities.
A very good selection of books. The exchange operates on a "one for one" basis plus 20,000 kip, and all books are also available for purchase. All of the money raised by the book exchange goes to buying provisions for the Luang Prabang Government Orphanages and Ethnic High Schools.
By plane
A tuk-tuk costs 80-100,000 kip (Mar 2020). There is a taxi counter at the exit of the arrival hall. Taxis are a flat rate of 80,000 kip for 1–2 people (as of Dec 2022).
By train
Train is by far the fastest, most comfortable way to reach Luang Prabang, but demand consistently outstrips supply and it can be hard to buy a ticket.
By bus
3 km from the town. Tuk tuk should cost no more than 50,000 kip from town to either.
By car
Hwy 13 connects Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng and Vientiane in the south and via Hwy 1 to the north. Hwy 13 is sealed and in relatively good shape during dry season all the way to Vientiane.
By boat
Boats ply the Mekong to and from Huay Xai at the Thai border, stopping in Pakbeng where you can catch overland connections towards the northeast and the border with China.
5 km long and 500 m wide, which makes it small enough to comfortably cover on foot, and this is in fact the only way to climb Phousi Hill.
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Luang Phabang · International · LPQ
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