Go Now or Forever Miss Out: Luang Prabang 3 / 4 day itinerary

Wondering how many days are enough for Luang Prabang and what to do there? I have created this Luang Prabang 4 day itinearary (or 3 full day itinerary) for you to capture all the stunning landscapes, cheap local food, and various souvenirs.

Needless to say Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage City, but do you know? It is probably the only remaining city where you can enjoy a peaceful, safe, and modest (or introverted) local culture as if we traveled back in time for 20 years.

It may not be the most beautiful city you have ever been to. However, the old-time culture there will amaze you, not to mention the price level is super cheap here.

Warning ahead! The unique culture or even the UNESCO World Heritage city status itself is at the edge of extinction. It is not like Maldives where the island itself could sink (yes try to visit Maldives before that). Instead, this is due to the potential over-commercialization such as the establishment of the China-Lao Railway and an increase in tourist visits (ironic right?).

So my advice is you should do a Luang Prabang travel soon. For that, I will provide the details of my Luang Prabang 4 day itinerary or a 3 day itinerary (if you take out the transit time). With that, it shall cover all you need to know about Luang Prabang travel.

Is Luang Prabang Worth Visit?

Yes! Being inscribed on the UNESCO Heritage List in 1995, Luang Prabang is a city where you can have a very life-changing travel experience.

Located in Northern Laos, at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, Luang Prabang is a small city. Despite its size, you will find yourself busy exploring, eating, and shopping there. Furthermore, its price level is one of the lowest in ASEAN Countries. To a certain extent, it is even cheaper than Countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

For example, you could have an hour of Laos massage as cheap as 65,000 Kip (~ 3 USD) versus ~ 6 USD in Bangkok, a lunch at 40,000 Kip (~2 USD) versus ~ 5 USD in Bangkok, and entrance to a reputable Wat such as Wat Xieng Thong for 20,000 Kip (~1 USD) versus ~ 3 USD in Bangkok.

How many days in Luang Prabang are enough?

If you want to maximize your travel experience in Luang Prabang in a short stay, 3 days are sufficient and factoring transit to the city, 4 days are ideal. Thus, I decided to make the below Luang Prabang 4 day itinerary.

In a 3 full day or 4 day Luang Prabang travel, you would only have half a day available respectively on the first (arrival) and last (departure day). Additionally, you will need a day to cover attractions far from the city center like Pak Ou Cave and Kuang Si River. Plus, you would like to have one full day for attractions and culture within the city center.

Of course, you can travel longer than 4 days to chill out in this adorable city. In fact, you will see a lot of tourists from the US or EU staying weeks in Luang Prabang for vacation.

Luang Prabang things to do in 4 days

Arriving at Luang Prabang around 2 PM via the railway, we took a tuk-tuk for 150,000 Kip (~7.5 USD) to the city center. From there, we chose to stay at Villa Oudomlith Hotel booked via Booking.com for 110 3 nights. We picked the hotel given its convenient location. The hotel is great with a very spacious room, private bathroom, friendly staff, and a simple breakfast. We are satisfied with our stay. However, there are also other cheaper options in the city center as low as 5 USD for a bed or 12 USD for a room. You may want to choose an option fitting your preference beforehand.

Luang Prabang Travel Day 1: Arrival, Spa, Night Market & Dinner

Arriving at Luang Prabang around 2 PM via the railway, we took a tuk-tuk for 150,000 Kip (~7.5 USD) to the city center. From there, we chose to stay at Villa Oudomlith Hotel booked via Booking.com for 110 3 nights. We picked the hotel given its convenient location. The hotel is great with a very spacious room, private bathroom, friendly staff, and a simple breakfast. We are satisfied with our stay. However, there are also other cheaper options in the city center as low as 5 USD for a bed or 12 USD for a room. You may want to choose an option fitting your preference beforehand.

Luang Prabang National Museum

Also known as the Royal Palace Museum, it is a former Royal Palace serving as the residence of King Siamang Vong during the French colonial era. It has transformed into a national museum since 1995. Several exhibitions inside the palace include the palace itself with artifacts from monarch period, Haw Pha Bang, a royal wat built to enshrine the Phra Bang Buddha image, and a royal car exhibition.

Unfortunately, photo-taking inside the exhibitions is not allowed. Other than that you will need to adhere to the dress code which requires trousers. You can also rent traditional dresses at the Royal Ballet Theatre inside for 10,000 per piece. Lao’s traditional performance show is also available at the Royal Ballet Theatre.

The performance show is based on Laos traditional folks and each day would have different episodes. Regardless of the episode, I highly recommend joining one for 100,000 Kip (~ 5 USD). And the performance time is 6 – 7 PM daily.

Laos Spa

If there is still some time before 6 PM, you could try a Laos spa before the performance show. There are a lot of Spa shops on the main street of Luang Prabang just outside the National Museum. Most of them have a cheap price as low as 65,000 Kip (~ 3 USD) for a basic Laos massage. Alternatively, you can upgrade your enjoyment to aroma or different types of oil massage for around 150, 000 Kip ( ~ 7.5 USD).

I tried several spas there and found coconut oil messages the best. As for the massage shops, Thai Sawan (next to Luangprabang Massage & Spa)located near the corner of the main street has the best setting. While there is one called” Mekong Sunset View Massage” (on the street of Mekong Sunset View Hotel) is usually less crowded due to its location. Both of the spas are operating as a small family business where all the massages are the daughters of the owners.

Laos massages are the best-valued I have experienced based on 60+ Country experience, you should do a lot in your 4 day travel in Luang Prabang.

You should take a basic Laos massage for relaxation before the performance show at 6 PM

Traditional Performance at Royal Ballet Theatre

After the local spa, you can walk back to the Royal Ballet Theatre for the performance. No worries, you do not need to buy or present the national museum ticket again for only going to the show. Although the show is in Laos, the staff will offer you an introduction to the storyline in English.

The show starts with an introduction dance of Laos girls in traditional outfits. Then different performers will act according to the storyline. The one I had was about the final episode of a hero defeating a demonic king with the help of its allies.

Luang Prabang Night Market

At the end of the show at 7 PM, you can go to the Luang Prabang night market. The night market is open from 5 PM to around 9:30 PM each day. There are hundreds of different pop-up stores on the main street.

From small items like magnets, handcrafts, and hand-made items, to local clothes and silk items, to whiskey, tea, and snacks. You can find all the souvenirs available on this street. Even more lovely the street is only around 2 or 3 blocks, which is very efficient for tourists.

Near the end of the street vendors, you will find an alley of food hawkers on your right-hand side. There you can have your dinner with traditional Laos BBQ such as BBQ fish (~ 40,000 Kip – ~ 140,000 Kip / 2 USD – 7 USD, depending on the size) or different types of meat and livers (~ 30,00 Kip / 1.5 USD) each skewer.

The vendors usually start closing their shops at 9:30PM, you shall have 3 nights during your 4 day travel in Luang Prabang. The best strategy would be to briefly browse the market first on first night then commit purchasing in subsequent nights.

Alternatively, on the opposite side of the alley, there are lots of food stalls selling international food at Lart Leng Square. Generally speaking, I prefer to have Laos food in Luang Prabang. The price there would be a bit higher than the alley.

Luang Prabang Travel Day 2: Full day tour

Apart from the main city area, several attractions in the countryside require transportation. These Luang Prabang activities include Pak Ou Cave, Kai Si Waterfall, elephant camp, and village visits.

A lot of tuk-tuk drivers would be offering private drives to attractions like Pak Ou Cave or Kuang Si Waterfall. Instead, I suggest taking a local tour instead for the efficiency and price.

You will find a lot of options available in the city and also online. The duration ranges from half-day to 2 days. I picked a full-day tour by Trip Advisor.

This tour starts with a traditional boat ride on the Mekong River with the first stop at a local rice whiskey village. After enjoying some complimentary whiskeys and shopping , the boat will take you to the Pak Ou Cave for the thousands of Buddhas.

In the afternoon, you will have a tasty buffet with BBQ skewers and drinks (including beers!) at Manifa elephant camp. There you can touch and feed the elephant with bananas (no additional fee).

After lunch, you will take an hour and a half bus to the Kuang Si Waterfall. There you would have around 2 hours to walk around, enjoy the waterfall scene and even swim there. Remember to bring your swim shorts and bikinis.

Garavek Storytelling

On the way back to Luang Prabang city center, the bus will drop by a local village for a short-guided visit. You will see the traditional wooden houses and the lives of local villages. You shall return to the city around 6 PM.

If you still want to explore more, you can go to Garavek for a Laos storytelling session. Every evening (6:30 – 7:30 PM) it hosts a session about traditional Luang Prabang folks’ stories in English for 100,000 Kip (~ 5 USD) per person. Two storytellers will present folk stories related to landmarks like Phushi Mountain and the Mekong. Additionally, they will also play Kehe, a bamboo Laos instrument with some lighting effects.

After the session, you could have dinner at the night market followed by a spa to end the day.

Luang Prabang Travel Day 3: Full-day exploration of Luang Prabang City Center

For the last full day, I recommend you devote it to the attractions within the city center. Because you will need to start in the early morning it’s better to leverage on your accommodation as a short break from time to time.

Early Morning Alms Giving Ceremony

Alms-giving is a must-go item for Luang Prabang. The alms-giving ceremony, known as Tak Bat in Lao, is a centuries-old tradition in the Buddhist culture of Laos. It takes place daily in the early morning in Luang Prabang, starting from the temples and spreading to the main roads and backstreets.  For the time, it is usually around sunrise meaning ~5:30 am in the summertime and ~6:30 am in the wintertime. It usually ends around 7 or 7:30 am.

Some websites may suggest 5:00 AM but you would usually find an empty street during that time.

The Alms-giving ceremony is an important religious event for the people of Laos. While tourists are welcome to participate or observe, it is crucial to treat the ceremony with respect and follow proper etiquette. There are notice board nearby for the information. You are also reminded to take off the shoes if you are to do the Alms-giving.

You can prepare some candies or biscuits for that, but there are usually sticky rice and snacks available for sale during that time. The usual package is around 50,000 Kip (~2.5 USD), including the chair, the scarf, a basket of sticky rice, and a plate of snacks. If you are not doing the giving, you can also take photos nearby.

The best location for the ceremony is on the main street. There you will see the Buddhist monks and novices in orange robes walk barefoot to receive offerings of food. If you find it is too crowded on the main street, you can also go for some side streets with wats nearby.

Morning Market

After the Alms giving ceremony, you can check out the local morning market near the main street. Unlike the night market, the morning market is mainly for locals with grocery products, food, and live animals. However, you can still find a lot of Laos snacks and have breakfast there.

Wat Hopping  

There are over 30 temples in Luang Prabang. Most of them are open to visitors and even free of charge. In particular, you can find wat clusters in the areas near Wat Xieng Thong. The most famous must-visit in Luang Prabang is “Wat Xieng Thong”. Built-in the 16^th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Luang Prabang and the place for crowning the Laotian King. An entry fee of 20,000 Kip (~1 USD) per person is required.

Other major wats include Wat Mai Suwannapumaram near the Royal Palace Museum which is renowned for the place of ritual cleansing of Prabang sacred Buddha from the palace during Lao New Yea, Wat Visoun the oldest temple built in 1513 in Luang Prabang, and Wat Aham with colorful ancient temple guardian figures at the front door.

You can hop as many wats as you want in the afternoon. After taking a casual lunch, you can either relax via a spa or at your accommodation before your next stop.

Sunset at Phou Si Mountain

Around 5 PM, you can take a short hike for the sunset at Phou Si Mountain. It is a small mountain located at the center of Luang Prabang only 140 meters high (around 200-something stairs). The entrance fee is 20,000 Kip (~ 1 USD). You can find several shrines and Buddha statues up there. Given its central location, it is the best place for you to have an overview of the stunning view of the whole of Luang Prabang. More fascinating, you can indulge in the view of the night market and sunset from there on top.

Souvenir & Laos Hotpot

By now you have already covered all the major attractions in Luang Prabang! Before you depart tomorrow, let’s have a Laos “Moo Krata” (dual hotpot) near the night market. The dual hotpot has both hotpot and BBQ in a single setting heated by coral. With that, you can grill your favorite meat while boiling other food in the same aluminum pan.

It’s slightly more expensive than other Luang Prabang food but still very reasonable compared to other places in the world. You can order your meat or vegetables on an A-la-carte basis.

After that, you shall treasure your last chance to hunt for souvenirs at the night market. The bargaining range is around 30% depending on the items. Again most of the items are very cheap even compared to Vietnam or Thailand.

Luang Prabang Travel Day 4: Final morning & Departure

If you are still looking to explore new attractions in the final morning, you could go to museums such as the UXO Lao Visitor Center (a free museum for education on the dangers of UXO) or the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center. Furthermore, you can also try to walk the Old French Bridge (not for those with a fear of heights). These attractions are relatively far from the main city center and you may take a tuk-tuk for around 20,000 Kip (~1 USD).

Alternatively, you can choose to chill out a Lulalao Coffee, the most renowned coffee shop in Luang Prabang after breakfast.

Instead of taking a tuk-tuk for around 150,000 Kip (~7.5 USD) to the railway station or airport, I recommend you choose a shared van which would cost only 50,000 Kip (~2.5 USD) for the same journey.

Other tips for Luang Prabang travel

As mentioned, the greatest thing about Luang Prabang is its nostalgic, tranquil, and peaceful culture. The price level, the attractions, and the cuisines are merely a plus. After reading our Luang Prabang 4 day itinerary, you shall know where to go, what to do and to eat. Remember the culture itself would not be there forever.

Before you go let me provide some other tips for traveling Luang Prabang to conclude.

Is Luang Prabang safe?

Yes, it is one of the safest cities in the world. The locals are honest and hardworking. It is safe for solo travelers even if you walk alone at late night or early morning. You barely see any homeless or beggars on the street.

Most of the shops or hawkers in Luang Prabang are family businesses. They are warm and welcoming, although could be a bit introverted due to the culture. You would not feel pushed or forced even during taxi seeking at the airport or railway station. This is probably the only place I have ever experienced after traveling 60 + Countries in the world.

Currency exchange in Luang Prabang

Currency exchanges are available at most of the hotels. Besides you can also use USD for payment directly but will get exchanges in Kip. The best rate in Luang Prabang should be via the Phongsavanh Bank which has a rate very close to the indication on Google.

Transportation in Luang Prabang

There is no public transportation in Luang Prabang. You can reach most of the destinations in the Luang Prabang 4 day itinerary on foot.

The common means of travel is via tuk tuk which is not expensive. A ride from the airport or railway station is around 150,000 Kip (~ 7.5 USD). For a 10-minute ride, it is around 20,000 Kip (~1 USD).

For the transportation to the attractions in rural areas, I would strongly suggest you use local tours. There are plenty of options there.

For getting back to the airport or railway station, you can book a shared minivan at your hotel or local operator there for 50,000 Kip ( ~ 2.5 USD).

Language in Luang Prabang

Similar to Laos as a whole, Lao is the main language locally. Yet, most of the locals can speak simple English or Mandarin. Moreover, they are very helpful even if they cannot speak English.

What if I want to stay 5 days, 1 week, or 2 weeks in Luang Prabang

Although, we covered all the main attractions in 4 days, Luang Prabang is also an ideal place for a longer stay. You can indulge yourself in the adorable culture, and lovely food and there are also nice bars available. There are a lot of retirees enjoying weeks-long trips there.

Again, the clock is ticking. Luang Prabang is most famous for its culture as a UNESCO city. However, it is on the edge of distinction. I am amazed and grateful for my experience in Luang Prabang.

I hope you will also go there before it changes.

Please leave me a comment and let me know about your travel to Luang Prabang!