The 8 Best Tours in Northern Laos

1.Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, Mekong & Nam Ou River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 33 reviews · 1 day · from $55Our pick

Travel from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang by river, van, and boat instead of spending the day on the road. Guide Nouan leads the morning Nam Ou cruise, followed by lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp, Pak Ou Caves, Ban Xang Hai, and a sunset Mekong ride. Kayaking to the caves is available at no extra cost for at least two participants.

“la première partie du trajet comme à l allée on est trop nombreux pas assez de place et pas de gilets. sinon le reste très bien”

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2.Muang Ngoi, View Point, Water Fall and Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 26 reviews · 8 hours · from $35Best value

Spend eight hours traveling from Nong Khiaw by boat to Muang Ngoi, climbing to Phanoi Viewpoint, visiting a history cave and weaving village, trekking to Tad Mok Waterfall, and kayaking back at sunset. The day is active, scenic, and best for fit swimmers.

“Sehr schöner und abwechslungsreicher Tagensausflug. Der Guide hat viel erzählen hat viel erklären können. Jederzeit wieder :)”

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3.2-Day Trekking,Hmong village,Home Stay&Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 2 days · from $80

Spend two days trekking from Nong Khiaw through Lao, Khmu, and Hmong villages with guide Bick, sleep in a village home, make bamboo crafts, visit a cave and viewpoint, swim at Tad Mork Waterfall, and kayak down the Nam Ou River. Expect a moderate to challenging trek and simple local accommodation.

“It was such a wonderful experience, our guide Bick made it even better! We had two full days of exploration and I’ve learned more than on my two weeks trip in Laos. Bick showed us so many new things, he was always cheerful and easygoing. I can’t recommend enough as this trip has all the best experience you can have in Nong Khiaw. I would totally do it again, thank you very much for these wonderful memories ❤️🙏”

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4.100 Waterfalls, Nam Ou & Khmu Village Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 7 hours · from $35

Spend seven hours from Nong Khiaw cruising the Nam Ou, visiting a riverside Lao village, hiking up stream-fed cascades, swimming, and eating lunch beside the 100 Waterfalls. English-speaking guides such as Cam, Thongsy, Kham, and Bik have led recent departures, though the cave visit can be affected by closures.

“Commencer avec 1h de retard, la soit disant visite du village n’a pas été faite, on a juste attendu le bateau sur des chaises dans le village, aucune explication ou visite. Ensuite la visite de la grotte était inexistante, on demande quand on va visiter cette grotte et ils nous disent que la grotte est fermée pour travaux. Or, personne ne nous en a informé et on a payé pour. Au final ils nous on remboursé 100 000 kips alors qu’on a payé 60€ d’excursion pour que la moitié des choses proposées ne soit pas faite. On ne recommande PAS.”

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5.Overnight Camping At nong khiaw view point, 360 view

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 12 reviews · from $35

Hike from Nong Khiaw at 2 PM through bamboo and jungle to a 360-degree viewpoint. Guide Ming and the local team provide tents, sleeping bags, dinner, and water. Expect steep paths, a possible scramble near the summit, sunset, sunrise, and an early descent.

“Guide was nice and another group joined st the top which was fun. All went ahead despite the weather which was good! Food was good!”

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6.Plain of jars tour with local guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $146

Spend about eight hours visiting all three Plain of Jars sites, Ban Naphia’s aluminum spoon workshops, and the ruined former capital of Muang Khoun. Your English-speaking guide and driver handle transport, lunch, entrance fees, hotel pickup, and drop-off. Guides named Mr Lar and Su have led this outing.

“Brilliant day exploring with an excellent guide, Mr Lar. He was knowledgeable and very good at explaining the cultural significance of many things we saw on the day. The tour was well paced and I had time to explore on my own at the sites of the jars. In addition we took in the noodle village and the spoon village. Great day.”

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7.Plain of jars share group tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $99Top rated

Join an English or Thai-speaking guide from Phonsavan for an eight-hour tour of Ban Napia and Plain of Jars Sites 3, 2, and 1. You’ll see a working spoon village, walk through rice fields, visit 334 jars at the largest site, and travel in an air-conditioned minivan.

“The tour was great, Plain of Jars , spoon making village, MAG Centre all interesting & fun. Our guide/driver Teh was. knowledgeable & informative, but also very friendly & fun to be with. He speaks English well & is easily understood.”

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8.Nongkhiaw boat trip to Muang Ngoi

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 3 reviews · 1 - 5 minutes · from $75

Join a small English-speaking group for a scenic Nam Ou boat ride from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi. Guide and boat captain Thieng has offered flexible private trips, with stops at Tad Mok Waterfall, an organic farm, weaving villages, Ban Na, and a wartime cave.

“Tour in barca, in tutto il suo complesso, molto affascinante e rilassante in un contesto prettamente naturale.”

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