Laos is criminally underrated by travellers coming to Southeast Asia. Which is wild! We think Luang Prabang is comfortably one of the more interesting, unique and beautiful cities we’ve spent time in. This 3 day Luang Prabang itinerary showcases all the very best that the city has to offer.
The relaxed vibe in the Old Quarter is such a stark contrast to the chaos of nearby cities. It’s the centre of Buddhism in Laos, has a multitude of local craft shops, amazing food, and incredible scenery. Seriously, what’s not to love? It’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List and blends traditional Lao architecture with the strong French influence.
Whether you’re going on holiday or planning a longer trip, 3 days is a nice amount of time to really experience Luang Prabang. We’ve spent over a month chilling out here, trying the different activities, and sampling all the food and coffee. So we’ve whittled it down to the essentials for you to get the most out of your time in this amazing city.
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Day 1: Explore the Historic Quarter
Morning – Immerse Yourself in Laos Culture
No trip to Luang Prabang is complete without an early morning start (sunrise!) for Alms Giving. It’s an important part of daily life where the monks walk through the streets collecting alms (food) from the locals.
But it’s also super popular with tourists and can feel like a circus on the main road (Sisavangvong Road). So we recommend heading a few streets away for a more peaceful experience that’s less intrusive for the monks. Remember to stand on the other side of the street, dress respectfully and only participate if it is spiritually meaningful to you.
Afterwards, take a walk through the Morning Market. Shop local crafts and see what fruits and vegetables are in season. If you want a traditional Laos breakfast, grab some Khao Soi noodles, bamboo sticky rice, or other snacks. Or get something a little more familiar from Cafe Laolu, who do excellent coffee and orange juice too.
Spend the rest of the morning checking out some of the beautiful temples like Wat Xiengthong, Wat Sensoukharam, and Wat Pa Phai (our favourite). There’s over 30 in the city so there’s no need to temple yourself out. Some get flooded with tours though they don’t tend to stay long so it’s worth waiting for them to pass.
Wat Xiengthong is the most popular – for good reason. It’s one of the few temples you need to pay to get into but it’s a large complex with beautiful murals and mosaics. You can only enter from the Sakkaline Rd side and exit on the Mekong river side.
We also recommend getting some of the best coffee in Laos at LuLaLao Coffee when you’re done. They specialise in Laos micro-lot beans and pour over coffee but also do a fantastic latte. For lunch, check out any of these spots:
- For pastry or light lunch: Joma Bakery or Cafe Benneton
- For something more substantial: 1991 Sene Alley has great Laos food at local prices
Afternoon – Explore Luang Prabang’s Museums
The afternoons get very hot making it a great time to visit two museums in Luang Prabang:
First is the former Royal Palace, now National Museum. The palace itself is small but well preserved with stunning decorations and furniture from the last Laos King. It is light on descriptions but everything is labelled in English. Depending on how quickly you’re flying through this 3 day Luang Prabang itinerary, keep in mind that it shuts between 11.30am and 1.30pm for a very civilised lunch. You also can’t take bags or cameras in so leave them in the free lockers near the entrance.
Then head to TAEC (Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre). The whole of the Old Quarter is pretty small so it’s easily walkable or hail a tuktuk.
TAEC has some great information on the different ethnic groups that live in Laos. As well as examples of their unique textile designs and traditions. For us, the standout exhibit is about their work to protect traditional designs/craft from being appropriated by big fashion designers.
It’s worth checking out their explainers on how to tell handmade from factory-made crafts. This will come in handy when you hit the night market to shop for souvenirs.
Evening – Enjoy the Best Laos Food
One of the highlights of visiting Luang Prabang is watching the epic sunsets over the Mekong. Depending on your budget, head to one of the bars on the river banks (we love Cafe 360 for chilled out vibes). Or grab a BeerLao from the shops and visit our favourite viewpoint – it’s marked on our map as “Opposite Taste of Ceylon”.
Then it’s dinner time. And you’re SPOILED for choice of great food in Luang Prabang.
Our top pick is comfortably the best Laos restaurant in the city: Tamarind. They’re passionate about presenting the unique style of Laos cuisine in a tourist-friendly way. So you’ll find dishes here that you don’t see anywhere else… and at a spice level you can handle. All the staff speak good English and can answer any questions you have. It gets crazy busy though, especially in peak season, so you’ll need to book (you can WhatsApp them).
Alternatively, check out Laos cuisine at Khaiphaen. This restaurant helps to train young people to be restaurant workers and has a very accessible menu of Laos dishes. If you like spicy food then make sure to insist on it as they are used to less spice-tolerant palettes.
If you have time in your itinerary for Luang Prabang, it’s well worth doing a cooking class with Tamarind too. Just be aware that the dishes you’ll make come from their “Introduction Sampler” set menu. So ask the waiting staff what to try if you want something different.
Day 2: Enjoy Stunning Nature
Morning – Kuang-Si Waterfall
You don’t have to get up quite as early as day 1, but it’s still worth an early-ish start to get to Kuang-Si Waterfall before the crowds. You can splash around in the stunning turquoise water and walk the trails surrounding the falls.
Give yourself at least a few hours here to wander the paths, hike to the top of the waterfall, swim in the lower pools, and take in the peaceful atmosphere. (Less peaceful from 11am when the tours start arriving).
There’s also a zipline course you can take from the top of Kuang-Si going through the tress and down to the bottom. It was still under construction when we were last there, but the views must be amazing.
On your way to the falls, you’ll find a small section run by Free the Bears. All the Sun Bears (Asiatic bears) here have been rescued from awful conditions by Free the Bears. You can read about their work on the signs and see a few cute bears running around.
Read next: How to do a Bear Care Tour in Luang Prabang
On the way back to town, grab an ice cream from Laos Buffalo Dairy. You can do a short tour here too to meet the buffalo and learn more about how they work with the community.
Afternoon – Mount Phousi
A must-do activity in Luang Prabang is take in the views from the top of Mount Phousi. You get a panoramic view of the city, the mountains, and the rivers. It’s seriously breathtaking.
There’s also a small temple at the top so you need to dress respectfully.
It’s one of the most popular spots for incredible sunset views across the Mekong. This means it gets CRAZY bust at the top from around 4pm onwards. So if you want to see the sunset, we recommend going early and chilling out though there’s a high chance someone will shove you out the way as the sun starts to go down.
If you’re not bothered about seeing the sunset from the top (we just can’t with the crowds), mid-afternoon is usually when it’s quietest. Mostly because it’s up 328 stairs so it’s a sweaty climb in the midday sun. We like to go at this time to enjoy the countryside around Luang Prabang in a more peaceful setting.
Either way, be prepared for a short hike. It costs just 30k Kip for some of the most amazing views in Luang Prabang, if not in all of Laos.
Evening – Old Night Market
The Luang Prabang Night Market dominates a big area with lots of stalls and a stage with big screen. But for food…. we don’t rate it.
Instead, we much prefer the “Old” Night Market.
You’ll find it in the alleyway next to Indigo House and the food here is much more like the food eaten by locals.
There are stalls selling many types of food, with tables across the alley from them to eat at. We like getting some grilled skewers, sticky rice, and a papaya salad then watching the world go by. As everything is made to order, you can specify how spicy you feel comfortable with. Grab a couple of BeerLao and soak up the atmosphere (and great flavours).
Day 3: Caves and Crafts
Morning – Pak Ou Caves
Visiting Pak Ou Caves is a half-day activity as they’re about 2 hours down the Mekong River. We debated about adding them to a 3-day itinerary of Luang Prabang but spending time floating down the Mekong is an experience in itself, so here we are.
To avoid the crowds, we recommend getting the earliest public boat at around 8.30am. The boat is the easiest way to get to Pak Ou caves and leaves from opposite Saffron Coffee, so you can grab a little caffeine before your trip.
The two caves were once used as shrines to the river spirits and were converted into Buddhist places of worship in the 15th century. There are thousands of Buddha statues hidden in the caves though you’ll need a torch to see the ones in the upper cave.
The boat trip also stops at “Whiskey Village” on the way to the caves. Here they make and sell Laos whiskey in the small village, plus other handmade items.
If you’re very budget conscious then it’s worth looking at tour prices to Pak Ou caves around town as some are a little cheaper than the public boat. Just make sure to check if cave entrance is included and what time they set off. The downside is you’ll probably be there when the caves are at their busiest.
Afternoon – Learn a New Skill
All over Luang Prabang, you’ll see signs for different classes. You can learn everything from woodworking, silk weaving, batik drawing, jewellery, cooking Lao food or even knife making. It’s a great way to not only learn something new and making a unique souvenir but also to support local artisans.
Some that we really rate are:
- An awesome cooking class with Tamarind which starts at 4pm and runs to 8.30pm (they also run a morning class that includes a market tour). You’ll learn to cook some delicious food in a beautiful setting outside the city. Plus, they give you a recipe book to take home so you can wow your friends and family.
- Lon Wood Workshop helps you carve the perfect souvenir under their careful guidance
- Ock Pop Tok run a huge number of craft classes from half day ones right up to multi-day immersive experiences. Katie LOVED her time at their silk weaving class and plans to go back for a different class next time we’re in Luang Prabang
- Make a beautiful piece of jewellery at Garden of Eden Luang Prabang. They get extra bonus points for being next to Dyen Sabai which make great cocktails at their 2-for-1 happy ‘hour’ from 12noon to 7pm.
Luang Prabang is stuffed full of amazing artisans so getting a new skill is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Evening – Sunset Cruise and Shopping
If you haven’t spent enough time on the water today, it’s worth heading back out for a sunset cruise.
There are so many different options from a quick 30mins on a boat to a full evening experience with dinner. We wouldn’t recommend a super short one as they don’t tend to hang around until the sky is at its best colours and you’ll mostly be looking at other boats doing the same thing.
Afterwards, head to the main street of the Old Quarter. In the evenings, it’s lined with tents and people selling amazing handmade items from their blankets on the ground. Peruse all the craft clothing and fabrics for sale at the night market including beautiful art on handmade paper and various trinkets.
You can do some light haggling at some stalls at the Night Market but many have fixed prices and won’t negotiate. Generally, everything is very reasonably priced so haggling felt pretty unnecessary to us.
Please don’t buy anything made from UXO. Despite the heart wrenching signs, it’s illegal to trade it and it’s extremely dangerous for people to collect.
Visiting Luang Prabang but not sure where to stay?
Check out our guide breaking down the pros & cons of each area, and recommended hotels for every budget
Final Thoughts
This is a quick and sweet 3 day Luang Prabang itinerary to allow you get a lot out of your trip. Three days is plenty to pack in a lot as long as you’re happy with the early starts. But then, you’ll probably want to beat the heat and crowds anyway and the whole town shuts down by 11pm.
With amazing food, scenery, temples, and local crafts it really ticks all the boxes for an incredible city to visit.
If you have a little longer you can explore some of the more unique things to do, though we appreciate not everyone has the luxury of time. For example, quieter temples on the other side of the Mekong, the Paper Village, one of the other waterfalls, or even a half-day trip to Free the Bears larger sanctuary. Luang Prabang has it all!
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