Backpacking Laos: 13 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Laos, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
Read Laos stories1
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Temple town of golden monks.
2
Vang Vieng
Vientiane Province
Karst peaks and lagoons.
3
Vientiane
Vientiane
Sleepy riverside capital.
4
Si Phan Don
Champasak
The lazy 4000 Islands.
5
Kuang Si Falls
Luang Prabang
Turquoise tiered waterfalls.
6
Nong Khiaw
Luang Prabang
River village under cliffs.
7
Plain of Jars
Xieng Khouang
Mysterious ancient stone jars.
8
Pakse
Champasak
Southern hub for the plateau.
9
Luang Namtha
Luang Namtha
Jungle trekking north.
10
Muang Ngoi
Luang Prabang
Boat-only riverside hamlet.
11
Champasak
Champasak
Ancient Wat Phou ruins.
12
Thakhek
Khammouane
Start of the Loop.
13
Phonsavan
Xieng Khouang
Base for the Plain of Jars.
Backpacking routes through Laos
Real trips through Laos, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
The Slow Boat to Luang Prabang: Two Days on the Mekong and Beyond
Riding the two-day slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, an overnight in Pakbeng, Kuang Si falls, then the new railway to Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
Southern Laos Loops: Kong Lor Cave, the Bolaven Plateau and Four Thousand Islands
Two weeks in southern Laos: boating through Kong Lor cave, motorbiking the Bolaven Plateau's waterfalls and coffee farms, then hammocks on Don Det.
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