Day 1: Vientiane
Vientiane (Lunch)
Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon we visit the main temples of the city. Passing the side of the Patuxai, one of the city's landmarks, we reach the most sacred place of all Laos, the That Luang, a grandiose stupa that is said to contain a relic of the Buddha. We return to the old city to visit the ancient Wat Si Saket, where more than two thousand images of the Buddha are kept. Across the road is Wat Phra Keo, where we visit the Museum of Religious Art. Return to the hotel.
Day 2: Luang Prabang
Vientiane - Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)
Transfer to the airport. Flight to Luang Prabang. Transfer to the hotel. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Visit Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital located in a valley on the middle course of the Mekong and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The numerous temples give the town a sense of mysticism and spirituality that is felt by every visitor. We visit Wat Visoun, Wat Sené and Wat Xieng Thong. In the late afternoon, we climb to Wat Chom Si, at the top of the Phu Si hill, to wait for the sunset and enjoy the beautiful view. Return to the hotel.
Day 3: Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang (Breakfast, Lunch)
Full day dedicated to the visit of the caves of Pak Ou by a cruise up the Mekong River. The first stop is in a village where, among various interesting traditional activities, the lao-lao, the very strong national liqueur, is distilled. We continue upriver until we reach the famous caves of Pak Ou. The caves are high in a vertical cliff and a long wooden stairway leads to the entrance. The inside is filled with thousands of Buddha images, from various times, offered by the population. Lunch in a typical restaurant. On the way back we moor on the right bank of the Mekong, in front of Luang Prabang, for a short walk to the village of Ban Xangkong Sa, famous for its paper processing workshops and its ancient temples. Return to Luang Prabang to visit the handicrafts market that opens on the main street in front of the gates of the ancient Royal Palace in the evening. Return to the hotel.
Day 4: Vientiane
Luang Prabang - Vientiane (Breakfast, Lunch)
Early wake-up call (before dawn) to watch the daily silent procession of over 200 monks, with the Patriarch at their head, who silently accept the food offered by the people. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Visit the National Museum inside the building of the Royal Palace. A rich collection of objects that belonged to the treasure of the royal family is displayed in the large, breezy rooms. The most precious item here is the Phra Bang, the gold statue symbol of the ancient Lan Xang kingdom. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Vientiane. Transfer to the hotel. Lunch in a typical restaurant. After lunch, we visit Buddha Park and Wat Simuang Temple. Return to the hotel.
Day 5: Pakse
Vientiane - Pakse (Breakfast, Lunch)
Flight to Pakse. Arrive in Pakse and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Bolaven plateau, a region known for tea and coffee plantations. Lunch in a typical restaurant. We visit villages where the local ethnic groups Laven, Alak, Nghé and Suei live. Each village is built around an open space in the center where the Protector spirit dwells. Return to the hotel.
Day 6: Khong Island
Pakse - Champasak - Don Khong (Breakfast, Lunch)
After crossing the Mekong we reach Champassak for a visit to the very sacred Wat Phou, a place of great spiritual power for centuries, where the emperors of Angkor worship the god Shiva. Now the temple is revered by the Laotian and Cambodian Buddhists. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Returning to the left bank of the Mekong, we travel southwards along the river until we reach Si Pan Don, literally 4000 islands, an area of rare natural beauty, unique in the world. Arrival at the hotel on Don Khong, the largest island.
Day 7: Khong Island
Don Khong (Breakfast, Lunch)
Free time in the morning to explore Don Khong, an island that offers one of the most evocative and grand landscapes of old Indochina. People still live a traditional way of life, fishing and farming. Lunch in a typical restaurant. After lunch, we visit the famous Khone Phapeng waterfalls, the only rapids of the Mekong, which block navigation between Cambodia and Laos. Around these waters, if very lucky, is possible to spot the very rare pink dolphins. Return to the hotel.
Day 8:
Don Khong - Pakse (Breakfast)
Transfer to the Pakse airport or to the Laos/Cambodia or Laos/Thailand border.
