14 Days In Laos: Our Ideal Route
During our ticketless trip through Asia, we had many doubts about whether or not to go to Laos. We were in Vietnam and had to take a 31-hour bus ride from Hanoi to Luang Prabang and we didn’t know if it would be worth the hassle. In the end we decided to take the risk and, after visiting the country for 14 days, we can tell you that it was the best decision we made, as it is an impressive country. And we want to show it to you in this itinerary of 14 days in Laos.
Laos is one of the countries with less infrastructure and fewer resources in Southeast Asia, so travelling there is different from other countries in the area such as Thailand or Vietnam. However, we think it has a very special charm, as it is a country that, outside of the cities, is all countryside, nature and small, rural villages. This is in stark contrast to anything we’ve seen before in Southeast Asia.
In this itinerary you will find adventure, cultural visits, nature, viewpoints and gastronomic recommendations. In addition, we are going to give you extra places to visit in case you want to extend your time in the country, as it has a lot to offer. Actually, we think we got quite deep into the country, as we didn’t just stay in the most touristy areas and we went into the depths (on a motorbike and alone, quite an adventure!).
If you’re curious, read on and discover our itinerary of 14 days in Laos!
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Previous tips for 14 days in Laos
- Laos is a country with many areas of poor road conditions, especially away from the tourist areas. Be aware that journeys may take longer than you think (take this into account in your itinerary).
- For Spanish citizens (as of January 2025), no visa is required. The problem is that this is effective if you arrive by airport, but if you intend to arrive by land, you may face problems at the border. To avoid this, we decided to get a visa at the Lao embassy, which costs €30 per person.
- Airports in Laos have few and expensive connections, so the best options are to arrive from Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia by bus, which, although it may take longer, is much cheaper. The best way to book your bus or train in Laos is with 12Go.
- In Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane there is a lot of Chinese tourism. This means you’ll need to organise yourself so you can see the sites without large groups of Chinese people crowding around. It’s possible, but if you don’t know how to do it, you may be spoiled by overcrowding.
- Do one of the loops, the Thakhek Loop or the Bolaven Loop. We found the Thakhek Loop a blast and would highly recommend it. And if you don’t drive a motorbike, you can hire a driver and we even saw people doing it by car. If you do decide to do a 14-day itinerary through Laos (or however many days), include this part of your experience – you won’t regret it.
- Always carry cash – few places accept credit cards.
Mobile connection in Laos
During our trip in Laos, one of the ‘problems’ was always being connected, especially in remote areas. Fortunately, with Holafly, we were able to have the best mobile connection during our stay in the country. It really is a country where you need to be connected because the roads are terrible and you can get into trouble and because few people speak English well.
With Holafly, you can get an eSIM with unlimited data for your trip, no need to worry about roaming charges or looking for a local SIM card in each country – best of all, you can activate your eSIM before you arrive and use it from day one!
Oh, and what’s more, 👉 You get a 5% discount by using the code TOMANDOUNRESPIRO when you make your purchase!
Day 1: Luang Prabang
You can imagine how tired we were when we arrived in Luang Prabang after 31 hours by bus from Hanoi. But we love discovering new places, so we got up in the morning with enthusiasm and went straight to discover this wonderful city and to start our 14-day itinerary in Laos.
They say that Luang Prabang is the most beautiful city in Southeast Asia. We are not sure if it is, as we have not seen them all, but we can tell you that it is beautiful, special and with a different aura. It has more than 30 Buddhist temples to discover, an architecture influenced by the French colonisation and a special calm and charm.
During this day we explored many of its nooks and crannies, wandering around and getting lost in its streets. This day we were able to enjoy:
- Walking in front of the Mekong River seeing the French influenced buildings.
- Visiting Wat Xieng Thong, the most important temple in the city.
- National Museum of Luang Prabang (for us, it was just a must-see).
- Wat Wisunarat, the oldest temple in the city.
- Mount Phou Si, from where they say you can see the best sunset in the city (Spoiler: it is not). It was overcrowded.
- Night Market: the night market, known for its handicrafts, especially silk.
The best thing to do apart from these points is to go to the downtown area and get lost in its streets.
After dinner at the Night Market, we went back to sleep in our hotel on the outskirts of the city.
Where to sleep
Due to budget and availability, we stayed in a place on the outskirts called Marena Guesthouse. Here is the Airbnb link in case you are interested. It was good, but if possible, we recommend staying in the centre of Luang Prabang. Some good places to stay are:
Where to eat
For breakfast, we had it in a very cool coffee shop called Comma Coffee Luang Prabang, and as it was late and it was so hearty, we didn’t eat.
For dinner, we went to the Night Market, as it has a lot of little stalls at good prices, totally recommended.
Day 2: Luang Prabang (14 days in Laos)
Our second day in Luang Prabang was dedicated to one of the star excursions in the area, the Kuang Si waterfalls, the first we had seen in these 14 days in Laos. It’s a natural park about an hour from Luang Prabang where you’ll find some beautiful waterfalls where you can even swim. They are a must in the area, we liked them a lot.
We went early as we read that they were overcrowded and, around 12, it was already full of people. We recommend you to go at 10 o’clock, there won’t be so many people and we were able to swim almost alone.
After that, we went back to the centre of Luang Prabang to try one of the many cafes it has. It is a place with well-kept premises, perfect for a good coffee. We recommend the one we liked best below.
We took it easy for the rest of the day, but you have several options:
- Combine Kuang Si with Pak Ou Caves. Here is an interesting tour from GetYourGuide that combines both.
- Another option is to watch the sunset from a boat on the Mekong. Here is also a tour for you to do it.
Where to eat
We ate on the way back to Luang Prabang at a restaurant on the banks of the Mekong River. Very cool, it’s called Mekong Café.
A top café is Madame Boupha, very tasty coffee and cakes.
For dinner, we went to the Luang Prabang night market. Eating in markets is a great resource in a 14-day route in Laos, unbeatable value for money.
Day 3: Luang Prabang
The third day of our 14 days in Laos started very early. In Luang Prabang there is a very old tradition called Tak Bat, which happens every day at dawn (around 5:30 – 6 starts) where the monks of the temples of the city collect alms from the citizens in a show of humility and dependence.
Our opinion is that it is a beautiful tradition that is currently geared towards tourists, especially Chinese, as we saw that most of the donors were tourists. I don’t know if it was because we saw it in the most central area, but we were a bit disappointed by this circumstance.
After this, the truth is that our day was once again spent wandering around the city, discovering beautiful corners, looking at shops and entering some free temples that we discovered by chance.
The highlight came later, as we discovered a place with 0 tourist sunset (we were 5-6 people) and free, where we saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of our lives. We leave you the place on the map at the end of the post (this way we reward those of you who read the whole post :D).
Where to eat
We ate at a local restaurant in town, which we do not recommend because it was rather weak. It is the e-huu xiengthong Restaurant. We had dinner at the Night Market again.
Day 4: Vang Vieng (14 days in Laos)
How many doubts we had about this place! We had read all about it and didn’t know whether to include it in our 14-day itinerary in Laos. Vang Vieng is a place famous since the 90’s for its party tourism and drunkenness, especially for its star activity, tubing down the Nam Song River. A few years ago, due to several deaths in this activity, the government stepped in to stop it and, since then, it seems to be much calmer. The problem came when a month before we went (November 2024), 5-6 people were reported dead in a hostel in the city for drinking free alcohol mixed with methanol… Our advice is to watch what you drink while you are there.
Finally, as we wanted to go to the south of the country, we decided to stop there. Honestly, it was a great choice.
Getting from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is very easy thanks to the Laos-China train that the Chinese built a few years ago. It takes about 45 minutes and you can buy tickets through Asia’s leading train and bus booking app, 12GO (book early, they sell out!).
We arrived around midday and, after lunch, spent the afternoon planning our next steps and relaxing by the pool.
In the evening, we decided to have a Laotian massage at Seng Dao Massage. It’s a bit of a beating, literally hahaha. However, we think it’s a fun and cool experience to have.
Where to sleep
Top accommodation at a good price. It has a cool pool, very good breakfast and clean rooms. It’s also located right at the beginning of Vang Vieng’s downtown area, so you’re not right in the middle of it but close to it. It’s called Jungle Backpackers View and it’s one of our top recommendations for 14 days in Laos.
Where to eat
We ate at a typical Laotian restaurant that was very correct called Thewkhao Café & Restaurant.
For dinner we opted for our favourite place, Mama’s Sandwiches. Really, crazy cheap sandwiches. The only problem is that you won’t be able to eat it there, but it’s highly recommended. You’ll see that there are about 10 stands in a row. We always took the first one (which is next to the only table there is).
Day 5: Vang Vieng (14 days in Laos)
In Vang Vieng you have many options of activities, tours, excursions… and many ways to do them, as you can rent a bike or motorbike and do it on your own or join one of the many tours.
On this 5th day of our 14 days in Laos, we decided to rent a motorbike and do it on our own.
The first thing we wanted to do was to visit one of its famous lakes. On the outskirts of the city you can find up to 6 Blue Lagoons, numbered. 1, 2 and 3 are the most touristic and where many of the combined tours end, making them crowded from 11:30-12. 4, 5 and 6 are less touristy, but still crowded and, looking at the reviews, we don’t think 5 and 6 are worth it. That said, we decided on the Blue Lagoon 4 and we were absolutely right. In the map below you can see all the Blue Lagoon marked.
We went to Mr. Kham (great service and brand new motorbikes) to rent our bike first thing in the morning, and we arrived there at 10 o’clock. We were able to enjoy the zip lines, swim and relax with a maximum of 5 people until 11:30, when more people started to arrive. At that time, we packed up and went on with our day.
Right next to Blue Lagoon 4 there is a cave that is not very touristy but we loved it. It is the Loup Cave and the idea is to go for 30 minutes practically in the dark (they leave you a head light) and, as there are not many people, you will probably only go inside. We thought it was super cool and not very crowded, so we recommend it 100%.
After stopping for lunch, we wanted to go and see one of the most mythical places in Laos, the photo that everyone wants to take in Laos, the Nam Xay viewpoint (the photo above :)). In Vang Vieng there are many viewpoints, but this is probably the most famous one. It takes about 30 minutes to go up and it is not easy, there are steep and complicated stretches, but the views are VERY worth it, it is very beautiful.
Once at the bottom, we decided to go back and have dinner to finish the day.
Here are some activities from our favourite activity provider, GetYourGuide, to complement the Vang Vieng experience.
Day 6: Vang Vieng
6th day of our 14 days in Laos and last day in Vang Vieng and we wanted to make the most of it. We went back to renting a motorbike to get around and planned the day first going to explore the surroundings of the city on our own and then doing the star activity of the city, tubing.
This time we headed first to Pha Ngern Viewpoint (although we didn’t go up because we read that it was 1:30 to get there and back and we didn’t have time because of the tubing), and then we made our way by motorbike to the Blue Lagoon 3. We think it could be an activity in itself.
After the motorbike tour, we went back to the city to start tubing. We wanted to do it on our own, in one of the few places they let you do it. We leave you the location (you can also see it on the map, but basically it’s next to the Vang Vieng Paradise Hotel), as they don’t show it on Google Maps, just go and ask and they will tell you the time to go. We also leave you the starting point (Organic Farm) and the end point of the activity.
The tubing consists of getting on a float and going down the river for 1:30 – 3 hours (the time depends on the current, we stayed 3 hours as there wasn’t much current). We wanted to check if this activity was still problematic and, to be honest, it didn’t seem to be. It is true that there are bars where you can stop for a drink, but it is not overcrowded and the people do not drink too much. However, either they continue to control it, or it will surely go back to what it was.
After the tubing activity, we had a drink in the area near the river, where there are lots of bars right on the riverbank and it’s cool to walk around for a while.
Day 7: Transfer to Thakhek (14 days in Laos)
Getting around Laos is not easy due to its poor road infrastructure. On this day of the 14-day Laos itinerary, we had to go from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, and then take a bus several hours to Thakhek. This meant that we were on the move all day, so it was a day with no activities. We took the bus with 12Go Asia, we leave you the link in case you want to use the same route as us.
Where to sleep
We stayed a bit far from the centre of Thakhek and we don’t know if we got it too right. The hotel was very good, with good food in the restaurant, good service and good rooms, but the motorbike rental for the loop did not convince us. They gave us a motorbike without a luggage rack, which meant that we had to carry it hanging all the way around the loop, which was a bit of a bad experience.
Apart from that, it is a good hotel at a good price. It is called Song Lao Guesthouse.
Where to eat
We ate on the bus on the way (which we hated the most of our 14 days in Laos) and had dinner at our hotel as it was not too central and was very tasty.
Day 8: Thakhek Loop (#1)
There is not much information on this loop as it is not as touristy as the Ha Giang loop in Vietnam. But we think it’s going to be. We loved it and it was the highlight of our 14 days in Laos.
It is a loop that you can do in 3 or 4 days. We, as we will explain in our next post about the Thakhek loop, did it in 3 days as we think it is the best way.
There are quite a few stops to make during the loop, and as always, some of them are really touristy and others are worth it.
On the first day we went from Thakhek to Nam Theun. As stops we made:
- Elephant Cave: small and simple but not bad.
- Xieng Liap Cave: our highlight of the day, we really liked this cave. We spent 2 hours there quietly between bathing and taking pictures. Take little luggage inside, flip-flops to cross the cave and swimming costume as there is a natural pool.
- Pha Katai viewpoint: I don’t know what to tell you about this place. The views are top, but the ascent seemed a bit dangerous because of the stairs that are not in very good condition and are anchored to the rocks. However, the top is well worth it. To get to the site, follow Google Maps, you will seem to be making a mistake as you will be going to a place where everything seems abandoned, but there will be a girl who will charge you the entrance fee and will show you the way.
They are not fixed spots, but the scenery itself is breathtaking as you go along the route, especially from the viewpoint onwards. If you are lucky enough to have a sunny day, you will see sunsets to die for.
We arrived at night (we don’t recommend driving at night in this loop, as there are potholes in the roads and it’s not very safe) at the hotel, to have dinner, sleep and enter 2025, as it was New Year’s Eve.
Where to sleep
We slept in a place that we really liked, run by a very nice family who also have a very nice restaurant called Mind House Bungalow. The only problem, the wifi is terrible and there is no mobile connection, but it’s good to disconnect 🙂
Where to eat
We ate at a super local but very tasty and very cheap place along the way. It’s super secluded on the main loop road, so you’ll be relaxed. It’s called Natuong Restaurant.
We had dinner directly at our hotel, which had a restaurant.
Day 9: Thakhek Loop (#2) (14 days in Laos)
This second day of the Loop was based less on stops and more on spectacular scenery, which changed every few minutes. You will find them on your way on the second day, you can’t get lost, just follow the main road and you won’t be able to stop, like us.
- Views of the lake with the sunken trees
- Field of lilac flowers (brutal)
- Immense conreo fields
Apart from this, we went to the Dragon Cave and its viewpoint, a VERY recommendable stop, as we found the cave very beautiful and it has a viewpoint to end the visit.
Again, the road gave us brutal landscapes, where we stopped to take pictures and fly the drone.
We ended up staying in a place that deserves to end the day with light, because it was spectacular. Click on the link below and take a look at the photos, it makes you want to stay there, doesn’t it?
Where to sleep
As we said, the best accommodation of our days in Laos. It’s called Konglor Khamchalern Guesthouse, it’s 5 minutes away from the Konglor cave gate and it has amazing views. If you make the loop, stay here, listen to us and thank us :).
Where to eat
Lunch was in the same restaurant as Dragon Cave. OK, no big deal.
Dinner was also at our hotel, the Konglor Khamchalern.
Day 10: Thakhek Loop (#3)
Day 10 of our 14 day tour of Laos and we arrive at one of our favourite places and the main attraction of the whole loop, the Konglor Cave.
This cave is the largest in Laos and is almost 7 km long and at some points up to 100 in width and height. The idea is that you are taken through the cave in the dark, making stops at different points where you get off to walk through it. It is impressive, you can’t see it in pictures because of the darkness, but it was immense.
You end up leaving through another exit, where they let you rest for a while. There is the option (although we don’t recommend it due to the state of the roads), to put your motorbike on the boat and, when you get out of this exit, continue your way there, on a road that takes you directly to where we stopped to sleep on the first day, Nam Theun. In this area, you can also stay in some pretty nice huts (see the link in the section on where to stay for this day) and go cycling or trekking.
We decided to go back the way we had come and arrived back where we had left the motorbike. The visit lasted about 2 hours.
After that, we headed to the last point of the loop, which we found spectacular. It’s called The Rock Viewpoint and it’s a lookout point that has been converted into an amazing zip-line park. The views are brutal, yes, and you can pay a small fee for a 20 minute tour to see the views of the rocks, but nothing compared to the zip lines. You pay 30€ and you get 2 hours of activities, with zip lines, spider nets, via ferrara… quite an adventure. We didn’t do it because this is part of our 7 month trip and we are on a budget, but we recommend including it in your 14 day Laos tour.
After this, came the worst part. 3 hours of driving with virtually no stops. The last part of the loop (if you do it in a circular way, it is a motorway with no stops of interest. It’s in very good condition because of that). It was tough, but we preferred that to repeating all the way back by adding a 4th day.
Where to sleep
We sleep in the same hotel where we booked the motorbike, for convenience. Song Lao Guesthouse.
Where to eat
We ate at a place on the road that was very good, listed as a Local Restaurant on Google and had dinner at the hotel.
Day 11: Pakse (14 days in Laos)
And we head to the last point of our 14 days in Laos, the city of Pakse. This is the most important city in the south of the country and is famous for being the start of another famous loop, the Bolaven Loop. This time, we were so exhausted that we decided to skip it and visit in two days what the nearby city had to offer (which is quite a lot).
The first day was a Thakhek – Pakse transfer, and it took several hours, so we basically arrived and could only have some dinner. Here is the bus we took with 12GoAsia.
Where to sleep
Highly recommend this accommodation. Right in the centre, clean, very helpful owners, large rooms and motorbike rental. It’s called Nangnoi Guesthouse and to book you have to call directly to the number that appears on Google (they speak English).
Where to sleep
We had lunch on the bus and dinner at a very good Korean restaurant near the hotel, called Lao Korean Restaurant.
Day 12: Pakse
2-3 days would be more than enough time to visit Pakse (if you don’t do the loop, which would be 3-4 days).
We spent the first day visiting the Wat Phou, a complex of famous temples about an hour from Pakse. To be honest, we didn’t think it was anything special, very simple and small, but it is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country, so if you like this kind of visit, you should go. It will take you a morning to go, come back and see it.
In the afternoon you can stroll around Pakse near the river and go to Wat Phousalao, a temple with a large Buddha and a viewpoint overlooking the city. Then there is a small Night Market, but it’s a good place to have dinner.
Where to eat
We recommend having breakfast at Amor Café, very good and at a good price. For lunch we went almost every day to Pakse Market, where you can eat cheap and quite good. At dinner time we went to Sanga Hostel, good value for money.
Day 13: Pakse
For us, this 13th day of the 14 days in Laos was a super cool and full day. Basically, we did part of the first day of the loop by motorbike, which takes you to several spectacular waterfalls and, you can go and see a coffee plantation, as this area of Laos is famous for that as well.
Our route for the day was:
- Tad Fane Waterfall: Brutal. Another place where you have a spectacular zip line activity.
- Tad Gneuang Waterfall: we thought it was the most beautiful waterfall. You can swim in it, which is also a plus.
- Tad Champee Waterfall: the most special as it is small, quiet and you have a giant pool to swim in. We loved it.
After spending the whole morning going from waterfall to waterfall with the motorbike, we went to the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative, which has tours of the plantation every day at 10am and 2pm for 5$ per person. We arrived a little late so all we could enjoy was a great cup of coffee.
On the way back, if the weather is good, we recommend watching the sunset at this spot in Pakse town.
Where to eat
We had breakfast at Amor Café.
For lunch we went near the Tad Champee waterfall, to a place that doesn’t have too many good reviews but we liked it. It’s super local and run by a single woman, but we couldn’t find it on Google.
At dinner time we went to Lao Korean Pakse again.
Day 14: Pakse (14 days in Laos)
We will be honest with you, we took this day off to plan the next steps of our big trip. However, we would like to add that we missed the visit to another top area of Laos, the 5000 islands. There is a way to visit it from Pakse on a day tour, which was offered by our hotel and is what we would have liked to do if we had not had to plan.
From this point we went to Bangkok on a 12 hour overnight bus, which is a good way to get to a big airport ‘quickly’, as the airports in Laos have expensive flights and few connections. We took the bus as usual with 12Go Asia. Here is the link to the one we took, which is the only one.
Where to eat
We had breakfast next to the hotel, in a super tiny coffee shop owned by a man who loves coffee and pastries and who studied engineering in France. Very good, called 100% Arabica Bakery.
Lunch at the market and dinner at Cham Pa Hom, very good and cheap.
Maps of our 14 days in Laos
Below is a map of all the places we recommend in 14 days in Laos.
Laos is a wonderful country. So much so that 14 days in Laos was not enough time. We would have liked to explore more and discover some of the areas we couldn’t get to (especially the northernmost part). Anyway, we have an excuse to come back 🙂
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via comments or RRSS and we’ll be more than happy to help you with anything.
