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 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 to 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 - Khouang Si Waterfall
The former Royal Palace has been turned into a national museum. This interesting structure displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. We visit this masterpiece and continue to the magnificent 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. Heading out of town we make our way through the verdant and rugged scenery to the beautiful Khouang Si Fall surrounded by lush forest. The waterfall tumbles over multi tiered limestone formations into the cool and clear pools ideal for anyone seeking an enjoyable escape. An ideal way of spending your last evening in Luang Prabang is to relax in a cafe by the riverfront. O/N in Luang Prabang. (B)

Day 4: Luang Prabang - Pakou Caves - Pakbeng
Today 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. The river cruise passes 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. Upon leaving the Pak Ou Caves we wave our way upstream to Pakbeng. This lovely village sets against the mountain backdrop and overlooks the confluence of the Mekong River and Nam Beng Rivers. The various ethnic minorities are frequently seen on the main street of Pakbeng and small vendors sell local textiles and handicraft. O/N in Pakbeng. (B,L)

Day 5: Pakbeng - Houeixay - Thailand
The traditional morning market in Pakbeng also attracts numerous ethnic minorities who converge from the outlying valleys and mountainsides to sell their goods and buy provision. Today we have time to walk around this bustling congregation and re-embark on our boat navigating towards Houeixay. The pace of our trip is very relaxing, a perfect way to observe the breathtaking scenery and the rural life close up. Along the way we will anchor for a short walk to visit some riverside villages, which are inhabited by the Hmong and Yao people. They are very poor, but have an interesting local culture and a colorful history. On arrival in Houeixay Town you are transferred to the border gate for entering Thailand.( B,L)