18 provinces · 10 destinations
Where to go in Laos.
Laos is small on a map and big in person. Mountain north, river centre, plateau south. Pick a region, pick a host, pick a way in.
Northern Laos
Mountains, rivers, ethnic Laos.
Limestone karst, the Mekong's middle reaches, Khmu and Hmong villages, the slow boat to the Thai border, and the most photographed UNESCO city in Southeast Asia. Most travelers start here.
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Destinations
Central Laos
The capital, the karst, the loop.
The country's capital, the limestone country that put Laos on the backpacker map, and the cave system in the middle that almost nobody visits.
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Destinations
Southern Laos
Coffee, river islands, Khmer ruins.
The plateau where Lao coffee grows, the pre-Angkor temple at Wat Phu, and the river archipelago where the Mekong widens before Cambodia. The most underrated region in the country.
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Destinations
How they fit together
Common routes through Laos.
Three patterns that work for most travelers, depending on how much time you have and how far you're willing to go.
The classic loop
Vientiane → Vang Vieng → Luang Prabang → Nong Khiaw → back to Vientiane
7–10 days. By high-speed train and minivan. Hits the three biggest destinations plus one upriver escape. The route most travelers do, and for good reason.
7–10 days · From $980
Route 2 · With more timeThe full traverse
Luang Namtha → Luang Prabang → Vientiane → Thakhek → Pakse → Bolaven → 4,000 Islands
14–21 days. North to south, by train, van, and slow boat. Ending at the Cambodian border. The country in full — coffee country, river islands, ethnic villages.
14–21 days · From $1,950
Route 3 · Off-trackThe deep South
Pakse → Bolaven Plateau → Champasak → 4,000 Islands
5–7 days. Fly into Pakse, out from Pakse (or onward to Cambodia). The most underrated region in Laos. Coffee, waterfalls, river islands, fewer travelers.
5–7 days · From $720
Destination guides
The Orchao take on each province.
When to visit, what to eat, where to stay — written by the people who live there.
Design your own route
Where will you go?
Tell us how long you have and what you want to see. We'll build a route and match you with the right hosts in each region.