Regulus K Is visiting Vientiane really boring? No, only if you know where to go! I have made a 1 day Vientiane itinerary for you to perfect your Laos trip.
In my 1 day Vientiane itinerary, I will first give you a bird-eye view of all the essential tourist items by category. Then I will go into the items one by one with a suggested tailor-made visit plan.
First thing first,
Is Vientiane worth visiting?
If you are planning to spend a week purely in Vientiane for your annual leave, I recommend you NOT to do so. If you are to pick a place to visit in Laos i.e. Vientiane or Luang Prabang, trust me go straight for Luang Prabang. .
An interesting fact about Vientiane is, that Luang Prabang used to be Laos’ capital but it had to be moved to Vientiane in the 16th Century due to geographic reasons.
Then why did I bother to visit Vientiane or even write this blog post?
Well first, you are very likely to stay in Vientiane for 1 day or 2 half-days (arrival + departure day). As the capital city of Laos, you are very likely to arrive via Vientiane airport or transfer to the next Country via here.
Yes, there is an airport in Luang Prabang as well, but go check out Skyscanner, the flight is not very frequent.
Fortunately, Vientiane is not that boring. So, my goal here is to give you the information about Vientiane to perfect your visit to Laos.
Vientiane Laos attractions
Essentially, there are four categories for your 1 day in Vientiane. They are:
1. Icon visit
It includes different icons located near the City center such as “That Dam Stupa”, “Patuxay Victory Monument”, “COPE Visitor Center” and “Lao National Cultural Hall”. These Vientiane Laos attractions are all within walking distance. Thus, you shall be able to visit them within 2 hours.
2. Wats
Unlike Luang Prabang, you are not likely to find a daily Almsgiving ceremony in Vientiane. Moreover, you cannot even notice signs about Almsgiving in Vientiane there. However, there are still several ways worth going to near the city center such as “Ho Phrakeo Monumental Museum” (which is a wat), “Wat Sisaket”, “Wat Inpeng”, “Wat Ong Teu” and “Wat Nixai”. Most wats are free of charge except for more popular ones such as the Ho Phrakeo Monumental Museum and Wat Sisaket requiring an entrance fee of 30,000 Kip (~ 1.5 USD) pp.
3. Shopping malls & markets
There are several shopping malls in Vientiane like Talat Sao Shopping Mall and Vientiane Center Lao. They are pretty big but not much of an attraction to tourists like us. So, you may skip them for time-saving.
However, you must visit the night market in Vientiane. The size is almost triple that of the one in Luang Prabang. Although they do not focus solely on tourists, you can indulge yourself in the local life. Plus, there is another hidden gem there other than eating and shopping. I will cover a bit more later.
4. Vientiane Buddha Park
Buddha Park is probably the most unique icon in Vientiane. Frankly, I have not seen other attractions like this on my world travel journey. Although it takes a 50-minute bus to go there, it is worth it. No worries I will show you the Vientiane Buddha Park bus schedule and guide you just right in the next session.
See there is still a lot to do in Vientiane. Now I will break down the 1 day Vientiane itinerary into morning, afternoon, and night sessions. Feel free to fill in to match them with your schedule.
1 Day Itinerary Vientiane – Morning visitng Vientiane Buddha Park
Traveling back from Luang Prabang via the China-Laos railway, I had a morning there before flying to Bangkok. I hesitated a lot about whether to rush to Buddha Park.
Choosing the greedy option, I took the 7:00 am bus (Buddha Park opens at 8:00 am) and spent two hours there. I did not have much expectation but the park amazed me with the astounding statues, the gigantic reclining Buddha, and a big pumpkin-like statue with 4 layers.
It impressed me so much that I had to introduce this unique icon of Vientiane to you here.
What is Buddha Park
Buddha Park was created in 1958 by a monk named Bunleua Sulilat. Inspired by both Buddhist and Hindu mythology, he created the park depicting various deities, characters, and religious figures. Located about 25 kilometers southeast of Vientiane, the Buddha Park is famous for its multiple sculptures including the giant reclining Buddha statue with 40 meters in length. There are over 50 sculptures in the Park with an audio guide available.
How to get to Buddha Park Vientiane Laos
Getting from Vientiane to Buddha Park is surprisingly easy if you have the necessary information on hand. First, let’s take a look at the Buddha Park bus schedule. There are also other private tours or taxis taking you from Vientiane to Buddha Park for ~ 20 USD which I think is quite overpriced.
The bus to Buddha Park from the city center is number 14. The schedule is very transparent with the first bus at 6:00 am every 30 minutes. The earliest bus you should get on is the 7:00 AM one and the 2nd stop is the Buddha Park. The Buddha Park opens at 8:00 AM and the bus ride is around 50 minutes. So, by taking the 7:00 AM now, you shall arrive 5 or 10 minutes before the Park opens. The bus fee is 18,000 Kip (~ 2 USD) per person.
The departure point is at “CBS (Central Bus Station)”. You can easily find the platform for the number 14 Vientiane Buddha Park bus inside below.
What to expect in Buddha Park Vientiane Laos
For the Buddha Park Vientiane dresscode, there is no specific requirement but you should avoid shorts or sleeveless dressings. Surprisingly, the Buddha Park entrance fee is very cheap at 40,000 Kip (~ 2 USD).
If you walk fast, you could complete visiting the whole park in around 1.5 hours. While the audio guide is available at extra cost, there is no narrative for the sculpture. If you are opting for the audio guide, it would take 3 hours or more to complete the over 50 checkpoints.
There are also toilets and food vendors inside the park in case you need them.
My recommendation is to quickly browse the whole park and then spend time on the key sculptures such as the reclining Buddha and the big pumpkin. Inside the pumpkin, there are 4 layers of sculptures and you can climb to the talk for the holistic view of the Buddha Park.
The bus from Budda Park to Vientiane is at the opposite side of the Buddha Park entrance. You can refer to the bus schedule for your return trip after the visit.
If you are impressed with the gigantic infrastructure of the park, you shouldn’t miss Angkor Wat in Cambodia if you on long Asia trip.
1 Day Itinerary Vientiane – Afternoon attractions hunting
After the morning Buddha Park visit, you will feel a bit exhausted after the walk and climb. Before starting the Vientiane attraction hunting, I recommend you take a rest first. There are a lot of best-valued local restaurants in the Vientiane center. For Laos cuisine reference, I will be writing a post about Luang Prabang cuisines soon. Although the post is more about Luang Prabang cuisines, you can find most of them in Vientiane as well.
Want to be more relaxed? Take a Laos spa in Vientiane. While the price is more expensive than the massage in Luang Prabang, it is still very cheap. I recommend you take an oil massage for 180,000 Kip (~ 9 USD).
That Dam Stupa
If you are ready, let’s start with the first Vientiane attraction – That Dam Stupa (aka the Black Stupa). It is an ancient Buddhist monument in the heart of Vientiane in the middle of a roundabout. According to local legend, it used to be a gold stupa but the gold cover was taken away by the Siamese army in the 19th century.
No entrance fee is required for this attraction. Feel free to take as many photos as you want.
Wat Sisaket, Ho Phrakeo Monumental Museum and Presidential Palace
Walking south for around 7 minutes, you will find Wat Sisaket one of the oldest temples in Vientiane built in 1818. From there you will find the signature wall of a collection of over a thousand small Buddha statues. Apart from that, there is another main temple there.
The entrance fee for Wat Sisaket is 30,000 Kip (~ 1.5 USD) per person.
On the opposite side of Wat Sisaket, you will find the Ho Phrakeo Monumental Museum.
Ho Phra Keo, also known as the Ho Phra Keo Museum, is a former temple turned museum located in Vientiane. It was originally built in the 16th century to house the Emerald Buddha, which now resides in Bangkok, Thailand. The temple was later converted into a museum to showcase a collection of religious art and artifacts. Similar to Wat Sisaket, it also requires an entrance fee of 30,000 Kip ( ~ 1.5 USD).
Next to the Ho Phra Keo Museum, you will find the Presidential Palace. It is not open to tourists, so just taking photos from outside is enough.
Patuxay Victory Monument
Walking at the main boulevard from the President’s Palace, you will reach the Patuxay Victory Monument. Built between 1957 and 1968, it resembles the Arc De Triomphe in Paris featuring a blend of traditional Lao and French colonial styles. Other than going around or taking photos from the bottom, you can also get inside after paying an entrance fee of around 30,000 Kip (~ 1.5 USD).
It is the most iconic attraction in Vientiane serving as a reminder of Lao’s fight for independence. On your way to the monument, you will also pass by the National University of Lao and Vientiane Library. You can take a quick look inside for the local lives if you have time.
Other attractions in Vientiane
If you follow my 1 day Vientiane itinerary, you should have covered most of the main attractions in the city center. On your way back to the main areas, you can also pay a visit to the COPE visitor center (a free visitor center for education about the bombing period in Laos), the Lao National Cultural Hall, or other Wats.
However, most of them are only worth a short visit, so you may choose to go or not depending on your time.
1 Day Itinerary Vientiane – Night shopping, eating, experiencing local life and FUN
For the full day in Vientiane, I love Buddha Park (the most unique) and am okay with the attractions hunting (pretty standard). However, the night in Vientiane is somewhat of a surprise. There are a lot of walking streets in Vientiane. Every day after around 5 PM they are packed with night markets.
Largest night market in Laos
Unlike the Luang Prabang night market which is only 2 or 3 blocks long, the night market in Vientiane is a larger, more vibrant, and bustling market stretching from Chao Anouvong Park to the King Fa Ngum statue.
In addition to souvenirs, it offers a wide array of goods, including handicrafts, textiles, clothing, accessories, artwork, souvenirs, and traditional Lao products. Thus, the night market is a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike.
As you wander through the market, you’ll be immersed in a local atmosphere. The stalls are brightly lit with colorful lights, creating a festive ambiance. Vendors are more enthusiastic than the ones in Luang Prabang but still share the common trait of introvert.
Vientiane night market food
Vientiane Night Market is not only a shopping destination but also a haven for food lovers. The Vientiane night market food is another big part of it.
You can find all typical Laos street food here such as grilled meat skewer, sticky rice, sweet roti, and Laos sausages. Want to know more about the lovely street food to be expected? Again I will be posting a post about Laos street food soon.
Hidden gem – Amusement Park at Mekong Riverside Vientiane
As you walk along the Vientiane night market, you will find a shining amusement park located just near the Mekong riverside. Probably this is the only blog to put this item in the 1 day Vientiane itinerary.
This lesser-known amusement park provides a charming and fun-filled environment with a stunning backdrop of the Mekong River. The attractions inside are relatively old-school with some carnival games like balloon shooting, basketball shootout, and ring toss. There are also amusement rides like big inflatable slides, mini-carousels, bumper cars, and even a small Wheel of Fortune.
The fee is also very reasonable. Each play at the game booth is around 5,000 Kip (~ 0.2 USD) and 20,000 Kip (~ 1 USD) for amusement rides like the bumper car. I highly recommend the bumper car to you.
Longer stay? How about a 3-day itinerary in Vientiane?
Well, these are all my tips for you to spend a day in Vientiane. What if you want to stay longer like 3 days in Vientiane?
My suggestion would be to chill out or relax a bit. You can go for other activities such as Bowling or the nightlife here. I did not go for the bar due to my hectic schedule but you may check out this website where I find very updated information regarding Vientiane’s nightlife Where to Party in Vientiane, Laos, Nightlife in Vientiane – Just In Travel (justin-travel.com).
However, similar to what I said earlier about Luang Prabang or Vientiane, I will go for Luang Prabang for sure. I would not recommend you to stay long in Vientiane given our opportunity cost for annual leave is high.
Yet, staying a day or two half days in Vientiane is most likely to happen to us. I hope you will find my 1 day Vientiane itinerary useful.
Please leave me a comment for an inquiry or share your journey in Vientiane!
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