After breakfast, depart Vientiane and take the short flight to Xieng Khouang. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transfer to Phonsavan, meaning the "hills of paradise", the capital of the Xieng Khouang Province. Check in to your hotel and relax.

In the afternoon, take an orientation tour around the town and have the option to visit the thought-provoking UXO Information Centre, run by British organisation MAG (Mines Advisory Group), which has been helping to clear Laos' unexploded ordnance since 1994.

The evening is free to enjoy as you please.

Overnight in Xieng Khouang.

Today you will explore the 3 sites that make up the Plain Of Jars. Despite being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, very few visitors travel to this mysterious megalithic area - so once you make it, you're treated to arguably one of Southeast Asia's quietest UNESCO sites.

Nobody knows how long the jars have been here or what they were used for; some speculate they are funeral urns dating back some 2,000 years. Another theory says that they were probably made to contain and transport "Lao Lao", a glutinous wet rice which is boiled with yeast and left to ferment in large jars. It is believed that they were prepared for a huge celebration, which, for some reason was disrupted whilst the jars were being transported, as other jars in smaller quantities can be found on two other sites close by. Despite being one of the most strategic battlegrounds of the Indochina War, most jars were unharmed and remain a complete mystery even today.

Spend time discovering the plain of undulating green fields where the 300 giant stones jars are scattered, the largest of them weighing six tons and measuring 4-metres high. You will also have opportunities to observe Xieng Khouang's local village life, visit a small monastery in Ban Xieng Di and pass areas that were important battlefields during the American war. Later in the afternoon, drive back to your hotel in Phonsavan, where the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight in Xieng Khouang.

Farewell Xieng Khouang and it is set aside for the long drive west to Luang Prabang - the enchanting World Heritage town and former royal capital. Make your way along winding mountainous roads reaching an altitude of 1,500 m at the highest point. Break up the journey with a few short stops along the way at local villages. The total journey time will be approximately seven-to-eight hours, depending on traffic and weather conditions.
On arrival, enjoy free time to explore Luang Prabang for the remainder of the day. Luang Prabang has many great cafés, restaurants and night food stalls which emerge at dusk, ask the guide for personal recommendations to enjoy your dinner.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Enjoy breakfast at hotel.

We visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. The National Museum and the Central Market are not to be missed. We enjoy a short tour seeing the city’s oldest temple Wat Sene and Wat Xieng Thong, a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty, and traditional art. Later we’ll visit the impressive Wat Visoun, the oldest temple that houses many Buddha images. Next is Wat Aham, the ‘Monastery of the Blossomed Heart’ exudes serenity, and Wat Mai, the largest and most richly decorated of the temples in this city.

Afternoon: you will go by boat to Pak Ou Caves, enjoy splendid natural scenery along the way and observing local fishermen and daily activities along the river. Pak Ou Caves, locally called Tam Ting, are filled with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues. The caves are noted for their miniature Buddha sculptures. Hundreds of wooden Buddhist figures take many different positions, including meditation, teaching, peace, rain and reclining (nirvana).

On the way back, you will also have opportunity to visit the local riverside villages of Ban Xanghai, a popular stop-over producing some special varieties of Laolao, the local rice wine. Second stop at Ban Xang Khong, known for its handmade paper and weaving craft.

On the bright day, you’ll have chance to enjoy the marvellous sunset while cruising down along the mighty Mekong.

Evening, enjoy Luang Prabang night maket, offering a lovely variety of handmade textiles crafted by local and hill-tribe people, along with street food, knick-knacks and friendly banter.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

An early start provides the fantastic opportunity to witness the captivating centuries old daily tradition of the alms giving ceremony, Tak Bat. Before sunrise, hundreds of saffron-clad monks file out from the old town's 35 temples to collect their daily alms from faithful residents.

Back to the hotel for breakfast, travel south of town to the famous Kuangsi Waterfall; the turquoise color of the water with a backdrop of white limestone cliffs gives the waterfall a magical appearance. Depending on the season the water level varies, and you can be swimming in the beautiful pools. While there, you also will have the opportunity to visit the Sun Bear Reserve, a conservation center that rescues animals from the wildlife trade. We also visited Kuang Si Butterfly Park is a project that was initiated in January 2014 by 2 Dutch passionate people from Holland. The mission is to create a research center studying and publishing about Laos butterflies, host plants and preservation because of environmental issues in Laos. Finally, we visit Laos Buffalo Dairy is a socially responsible, sustainable farm, and social enterprise.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Free till pick up by driver and transfer to Luang Prabang airport for departure to next destination. It’s time to say goodbye, we thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.