Visiting the Royal Palace Luang Prabang is one of the biggest attractions in the city (also called the National Museum of Luang Prabang). But is it worth it?
As the former residence of the King of Laos, the Palace dominates the Old Quarter of Luang Prabang. Whether you visit it or not, you’ll certainly walk past it many times. It’s no longer a home and instead is a museum showcasing items from hundreds of years of Laos’ history. There are also gifts from nations around the world and an impressive collection of classic cars.
It’s one of the strictest places we’ve ever visited with rules we weren’t expecting. So this guide covers everything you need do know about visiting and, crucially, whether it’s worth your time.
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Need to know before you go
- It costs 60,000 kip per person to enter
- Dress code is more strict than temples. Regardless of gender, you MUST cover your shoulders, full arms and legs, midriff and chest
- Bags and cameras aren’t allowed inside
- If you arrive at the same time as a big group, take time to wander the beautiful gardens before heading inside as it gets cramped pretty fast
- Closes for lunch from 11.30am to 1.30pm
History of the Royal Palace
We’re no historians but here’s a brief background on the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang… cos there’s next to no info about it inside the National Museum!
The Royal Palace was built in 1904 for King Sisavangvong and his family. At the time, Laos was under French colonial rule so the palace was built in the Beaux-Arts style of France (think the Grand Palais or Gare d’Orsay in Paris). You’ll still see the local influence though as it’s adorned with elements of traditional Laos architecture.
Inside, there’s the King’s prayer room which is beautifully designed and very ornate. And an exhibition hall which is less so.
A constitutional monarchy was in place between Laos’ independence from France in 1953 until 1975. But in 1975, the last King (Sisavang Vatthana) was forced to leave the palace by the Pathet Lao during the civil war which abolished the monarchy in favour of the communist party.
In 1995, the building was first opened to the public as a museum. Around the same time that Laos started allowing tourists to enter the country.
What to expect when visiting the Royal Palace Luang Prabang
It costs 60,000 kip per person (around $2.75) to visit the Royal Palace. So it’s more expensive than Luang Prabang’s temples or going up Mount Phousi but it’s not going to break the bank.
We’d recommend giving yourself an hour to look around the complex. More if you want to really read everything and take time to sit in the gardens. So even if you’re short on time, you should be able to squeeze it into your Luang Prabang itinerary.
Once inside, it’s a relatively big area with a temple (Haw Phra Bang), museum building, garage of classic cars, and large gardens.
Be aware that they are very strict on dress code: shoulders, full arms, legs, stomach and chest all need to be covered to enter. Though they have a limited number of cover ups available for free if you need one (when it’s busy, they usually charge a refundable deposit).
At the main residence/ museum, you can’t take any bags, camera or phones inside. You need to put them in a locker (no charge) which is located in the building to your left as you enter the complex. They don’t mention this until you’re about to enter the main building, which did irritate us. Nor do they seem to uniformly enforce these rules.
The Royal Palace is closed for lunch daily. So its open from 8am-11.30am then from 1.30pm-4pm. Extremely civilized, if slightly annoying for visitors.
What you can see at the Royal Palace
Towards the back of the complex is the former Royal Palace itself. Inside, there’s an audience chamber where the King held court and met dignitaries plus his private quarters for sleeping and working. Everything is well preserved with original art and furniture.
Most of the rooms and objects have English descriptions so you can understand what you’re looking at.
The main audience chamber is spectacular – the detail in the walls and decoration is insane. Since photos aren’t allowed, you’ll have to see it for yourself. There’s also a pretty extensive collection of gifts from foreign royalty which are interesting to see.
Towards the entrance is Haw Phra Bang – an absolutely stunning temple. It’s extremely ornate with incredible detail both inside and out.
If you come when the tour groups are visiting then trying to get photos will be a nightmare. But the mid-afternoon is always quieter as people retreat to air conditioning to hide from the heat.
We found the exhibition of royal cars fun to see as the King received many gifts of huge 1950s American-made cars. As Europeans who never saw these things in the wild it’s hard to get our heads around just how big they are!
Is it worth visiting?
The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang is well worth an hour or two of your time. It’s a really beautiful place and interesting enough to justify the whole $3 it costs to get in. Just remember to put your bag, if you have one, straight into a locker when you arrive so you don’t have to go back and do it.
Was it our favourite thing to do in Luang Prabang? Probably not.
But we’d still recommend visiting in a heartbeat.
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