Charming Luang Prabang 5 Days

On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to check in the hotel.

After a soft rest, your city tour begins with a visit to the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, a superb piece of Lao temple architecture, which presents a sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics including a beautiful ‘tree of life ‘glass montage on the rear temple wall.

If time permits, we will take a short walk around the small streets of city center, watching the life of local people, and visiting the traditional house of Heuan Chan, the Chantal wooden house dating back to 100 years old.

After that, you will visit Haw Kham Royal Palace, which was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.

Late afternoon, we climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic sunset view of the city and the Mekong River.

From there, join a private Baci ceremony at a local family. The Baci ceremony as a traditional ritual of the Lao people expresses the spirituality of the country and is a highly memorable experience and a deep insight into Lao culture for the participants.

Dinner will be served after that for you to share with the host family. This is the best chance for you to have first-hand experience of local life and culture.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

After breakfast at the hotel, you will first visit Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. From there, we transfer Traditional Arts & Ethnology Center, the collection of diverse Lao ethnic groups. We will stroll around to visit the center to understand more about the Lao diverse ethnic culture.

After that, we will join the seminars of “Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Change in Laos”

This fascinating 60-minute presentation and question-and-answer session gives background on Laos’ ethnic communities, their history, and their culturalpractices, including livelihoods and crafts. Guests have an opportunity to learn about lifestyles in ethnic villages, and are shown unique artefacts fromTAEC’s collection that are not accessible to the general public.

The seminars are led by one of the two TAEC Founder/Directors, either Thongkhoun Soutthivilay, a Luang Prabang-native who worked at the Luang Prabang National Museum for 10 years, and who has attended trainings and conferences in the US, Thailand, Netherlands, Japan, and Brunei; or Tara Gujadhur, an American who has worked in Luang Prabang for over 10 years, with a background in anthropology and sustainable tourism development

The ethnic Khmu lunch will be served at TAEC Café.

In the afternoon, we will drive out of the city to visit Ban Xangkhong, the Thai Lue village, which is famous for its arts and crafts.

Here, we will join the demonstration of the process of making the Saa paper, which is the special handmade paper of Lao people, made from mulberry tree. The demonstration will take about 01 hour, then you can try making some products from the paper such as lantern, handbag, or book. You can bring what you do back home as the souvenir.

If time permit, we can visit some traditional textile loom, and the nearby Ban Xienglek.

Transfer back to your hotel late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Note: TAEC closes on Monday

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we will transfer to Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Center, which is set on the grounds of stunning tropical garden on the Mekong, it’s the perfect place to learn more about this unique Lao art.

First, we will join 2.5–hour hands-on workshop & learning experience, which is the great introduction to the world of Lao textiles where visitors get to try a bit of everything and dye their own scarf.

Here is the workshop structure:

Meet the Silkworms – an explanation of the worms’ lives; some interesting facts regarding sericulture; Guests prepare mulberry leaves and feed the worms.

Preparing Natural Dyes – a brief introduction to natural dyes; guests are invited to prepare two dye sources sourced from plants growing in the LCC gardens; guests dye white scarves in their chosen colours.

Refreshments Break: Fruit platters and Lao-style drinks

Meet the Weavers – an introduction to the looms and the different weaving techniques.

Ikat Weaving Demonstration – guests are invited to try weaving and spinning on our demonstration looms.

The lunch will be served at the Silk Road Café.

In the afternoon, you have the option to join 01 of the following classes (not included in the price, extra charge as below):

Natural Dye Class

You will be taught the secrets of natural dye preparation and try mixing them yourself, with many of the ingredients coming from the surrounding gardens. By the end of the class you will have 3 dyed silk skeins to take home as souvenirs.

Weaving Class

One of the expert weavers will be your personal tutor to help you master the impressive art of weaving. As a novice you will select just two colours and create a placemat with a Lao motif. You can witness the Lao ladies weaving incredibly intricate patterns and truly appreciate their skill having tried yourself!

Hmong Batik Drawing Class

The Hmong Batik Class is an introduction to Hmong culture. Each student will create a wax resist, Hmong style design on hand loomed hemp. Due to time constraints it is not possible to complete the dye portion of the process. The natural hemp renders a beautiful finished piece.

Bamboo weaving class

Join the master bamboo weaver and learn about the many uses of bamboo in Laos. Half day class students will weave a placemat or traditional fan.

Transfer back to your hotel late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang

An early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents (Tak Bat: Lao Monks' Morning Alms). This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. From there, we will take a short visit to the morning local market near the Royal Palace. At the market, you can find anything from rice, to fresh vegetables, to steamed fish, frogs, and anything else that might be the day’s catch, just set up on the ground, this is what the locals do every day. This is really the chance for you to get a real flavor of the local culture.

After breakfast, we board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On our way back, we pass the local villages at Ban Chan. The village is renowned in the region for its pottery making. Admire a young man work the clay into a small bowl, and visit the underground kilns which are used to cook hundreds of jars at a time. These ancestral methods are transferred, from one generation to another and require patience and dexterity. Feel free to support them by buying a little figurine in order to support their handicraft (at own expenses).

We then walk to the nearby Chanthavinh Resort, where we will spend the night peaceful night in Luang Prabang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Chanthavinh Resort

You are free to stroll around the resort and the nearby village, or just relax at the inviting pool before taking the departure flight

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: NA