Day 1: Vientiane
On arrival at Wattay Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. The charming and fascinating capital of Laos, Vientiane is a small city conjuring up exotic images, with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences. We start our half day city tour with Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. This amazing structure features remarkable frescoes and Buddha statues. Close to this masterwork is the former royal temple of Haw Pha Kaew which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Afterwards we continue driving to the Patouxai. This imposing monument standing in Lane Xang Avenue, is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triomphe and provides a stunning views of the city. We round off our day with a visit to the great sacred masterpiece and symbol of Laos, That Luang Stupa. O/N in Vientiane.

Day 2: Vientiane - Luang Prabang
The vibrant central market in the heart of Vientiane, sells a wide away of local treasures. We include this famous trading center in a walking tour around the town center before we board a flight to Luang Prabang. The royal capital of the former Lane Xang Kingdom, Luang Prabang with its gleaming temple roofs, fading colonial architecture and stunning mountain backdrop, retains an unique charm rarely found in all Asia. There are plenty to see in this delightful town, some of which are the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the Srilankalese styled temple of That Marko, the shrine of Wat Aham and the five tiered roof Wat Mai. We visit these sites in a half day guided tour and embark on a climb up to Phousi Hill for a beautiful panorama view from the town center and the mighty Mekong River. There are 329 steps leading us on zigzag way past various temples to the sacred, gilded stupa of Wat Phousi at the summit. O/N in Luang Prabang. (B)

Day 3: Luang Prabang - Pakou Caves - Luang Prabang
Today we continue seeing this charming town with the famous Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. The temple structures are decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes ,doorways and marvellous tree life mosaic pattern on an outer wall, representing the ancient temple architecture of Luang Prabang. We board a boat for a leisurely trip on the Mekong River, stopping en route at Ban Xang Hai to visit the distillation of potent local rice wine. Upon leaving this riverside village we wave our way through the stunning mountain landscape to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. They are crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought there by devout villagers. We explore these famous grottos and cruise back to Luang Prabang Town. On arrival we catch a short drive to Ban Phanom , a well known weaving village of the Tai Lue people who used to make royal silk weaving textiles for the Lao former royal family. O/N in Luang Prabang. (B,L)

Day 4: Luang Prabang - Xieng Khouang( Overland)
The exploration of Luang Prabang Town would be not complete without a visit to the national. This interesting mansion at the ground of the former Royal Palace, displays a lovely collection of treasures and artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. Upon leaving Luang Prabang we set forth to the remote Xieng Khouang Province, which was devastated by American bombing between 1964 and 1973. These back roads are a great way to explore the real Laos. We see very few other travellers, mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. The journey is very long , but we can make many stops at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and take some wonderful photographs. The drive will deliver us to Phonsavanh, center of Xieng Khouang by mid or late afternoon depending the roads and traffic conditions. O/N in Xieng Khouang. (B)

Day 5: Xieng Khouang - Vientiane
Heading out of town we set forth to visit the "Plan of Jars", an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are littered all over the plateau. These huge jars are supposedly over 2,000 years old, but most of archaeologists are still mystified about their purpose. We follow it with a trip to the province's old capital of Muang Khun and the nearby villages. They are home of the Hmong people who are very poor but possess an interesting local culture and a colourful history. By mid afternoon we board a flight taking us over the mountainous region back to the capital city. The remainder of day will be free for your own exploration of the town. O/N in Vientiane. (B)

Day 6: Vientiane - Pakse - Wat Phou - Khong Island
The southern bound journey begins as we board a morning flight to Pakse. On arrival you are greeted by our guide and transferred to the boat landing for a leisurely trip on the Mekong River towards the former royal capital of Champasak, a gateway to the pre-angkorian temple of Wat Phu. This hillside edifice was once an important sanctuary of the Khmer Empire. The temple structure was partly destroyed in turbulent history however it is still fascinating to walk among the ruins. We follow a walkway from the lower to the upper section, which features various forms including Vishnu, Shiva and Kala. The temple upper ground also affords a spectacular views from the surrounding valley to the mighty Mekong River. We visit Wat Phou Museum and Oum Moung Temple before we make our way southwards to Khong Island past the many sleepy villages. O/N in Khong Island. (B)

Day 7: Khong Island - Done Khong - Khone Phadeng - Khong Island
Today we embark on a traditional boat to venture into the widest reach of the Mekong River from where thousands of islets jut out in dry season, giving this area a lovely name "Si Phan Done". The longtail boat passes Done Ket and Done Som before it races across the water towards the peaceful island of Done Khone. We stroll through Ban Khone village to explore different local lifestyle close up and some relics of the French colonial period. Upon leaving this island we wave our way to Liphi water fall, which are also called "Corridor of the Devil". The rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins may be seen in this scenic area. At end of the cruise we drive south to visit Khone Phapheng Waterfall which boast the largest one in Southeast Asia. The rest of day will be free for your own exploration of the town or simply relaxation. O/N in Khong Island.( B)

Day 8:Khong Island - Paksong - Tatlo - Pakse
The fertile volcanic plateau of Boloven is our following destination. We travel by roads across Paksong past many charming villages and rolling hills. The deep contrast of lush vegetation and red surface of basaltic soil is incredible all along the way. A part of our pleasure of travelling in this region is to observe the beautiful countryside and meet local people. En route we visit the biggest coffee plantation area of Laos before arriving at Tatlo Waterfall. This mountainous area is home of the many triple groups including the Alack , Katang and Nge people. They still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. By mid afternoon we leave Tadlo for Pakse, stopping en route at the scenic Phasoume Waterfall and a nearby Katu village. O/N in Pakse. (B)

Day 9:Pakse - Vientiane
The bustling town of Pakse is ideally located at the confluence of the Mekong and Xedone Rivers therefore it is a gateway to southern region and nearby plateau. Today we enjoy a short walking tour to explore this riverside town before we travel by air back to Vientiane. On arrival you are greeted by our guide and head out to visit the giant Friendship Bridge which links Laos and Thailand, and the impressive Buddha Park. This landmark represents a curious blend of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures created by mystical monk on a parkland located by the Mekong River. We complete our tour of Vientiane with Wat Ong Teu and Wat Simuang. They are rarely seen in different trips. The perfect way to round off our day is to watch the spectacular sunset over the Mekong River from one of riverside bars. O/N in Vientiane. (B)

Day 10: Vientiane - Departure
There is a free time for your own exploration of the town and catching up on some shopping areas. The trip ends after your transfer to Wattay Airport for departure. (B)