The 15 Best Tours in Laos

1.Cruise to Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,769 reviews · from $48Our pick

Spend about nine hours beyond Luang Prabang with a Mekong boat ride to Pak Ou Caves, a stop at Ban Xang Hai whiskey village, lunch with optional elephant encounters, Kuang Si Falls, and a Hmong cultural center. Pickup, transport, lunch, drinks, and entrance fees are included.

“Great tour that was well organized covering major sightseeing spots around Luang Prabang. I highly recommend the sunset cruise option.”

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2.Cruise to Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,360 reviews · from $52

Spend nine hours seeing Luang Prabang’s top sights with an English-speaking guide such as Mr. Pong. Cruise the Mekong to Pak Ou Caves, stop at Ban Xang Hai for Lao Lao whiskey, eat a buffet lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp, and swim at Kuang Si Falls.

“Excellent tour and guide. Waterfall is a mist see!”

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3.Kayaking & Cave Tubing with Zip Line/Blue Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 410 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $30

Paddle the Nam Song River with an English-speaking guide, explore Tham Norn and Tham Nang Far caves, and eat a picnic lunch by the water. Add the jungle zip line or Blue Lagoon 1, depending on your chosen package. Guides such as Duang, Om, On, and Lee are known for careful, friendly help.

“Fantastic experiences. Did everything in one go from kayaking, tubing to zip-lining. Highly recommended”

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4.Half Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves (Morning / Afternoon)

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 290 reviews · 5 hours · from $40

Cruise from Luang Prabang to Pak Ou Caves with an English-speaking guide such as Thin, Pong, or Pingpong. Explore thousands of Buddha statues, taste rice whiskey at Ban Xang Hai, enjoy a riverside buffet, and choose a morning or sunset return.

“The guide was very entertaining and informative! He did an amazing job!”

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5.UNESCO World Heritage City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 201 reviews · 4.5 hours - 1 day · from $35

Begin with optional almsgiving and the morning market, then explore Wat Xieng Thong, nearby temples, the former Royal Palace, and Phousi Hill. Choose a half-day city visit, a full-day heritage route, or an afternoon at Kuang Si Falls and a Hmong village. Guides such as Boun and Sack bring Buddhist insight.

“Pace was excellent and we managed to cover all the main heritage sights without feeling harassed. Our guide, Mr Siththai, was very informative giving us the right level of information and providing good insights into the history of Lao at its culture. He navigated well through the crowds at the former royal palace. A very enjoyable morning and I commend our guide and the tour to everyone.”

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6.Namxay Viewpoint, Blue Lagoon 1 & Phoukham Cave

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 188 reviews · 4 hours · from $29

Start with a steep, rocky climb to Namxay Viewpoint, then cool off at Blue Lagoon 1 and visit Phoukham Cave’s golden reclining Buddha. Guides such as Gollat, Goddat, and Mr Vee are praised for patient help, but this four-hour trip suits fit adults more than casual sightseers.

“The hike up to the viewpoint was quite challenging, but so worth it once we reached the top! The view was absolutely breathtaking and totally made up for the effort. Finished it off with a refreshing dip in the lagoon — pure bliss!”

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7.Afternoon Kuang Si Waterfalls & Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 158 reviews · 5 hours · from $35

Join an English-speaking guide such as Pany, Khanthong, Vone, or Mr. Da for an afternoon at Kuang Si Falls, forest walks, and a two-hour Mekong sunset cruise. Hotel pickup, transfers, and one drink are included. Bring swimwear, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

“tour guide was amazing and everything was well organised”

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8.Evening Cooking Class & Local Baci Ceremony

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 151 reviews · 4 hours · from $51

Meet your English-speaking guide at 4 PM, visit a local market, cook five Lao dishes, share dinner with a family, join a Baci ceremony, and hear traditional music in a rice-field pavilion. Groups are limited to six, with hotel pickup in Luang Prabang.

“Excellent cooking class. Very hands on. Also the ceremony was very elaborate”

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9.2-Day Transfer to Luang Prabang by Slow Boat

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 149 reviews · 2 days · from $75

Start with an early Chiang Rai pickup, cross into Laos by bus, then spend two days on a shared slow boat along the Mekong. You will overnight in Pakbeng at your own expense, carry your luggage off the boat, and arrive in Luang Prabang around 5 PM on day two.

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10.Tham Nangfar and Tham Nam Day Tour with Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 147 reviews · 5 hours · from $24Best value

Spend five hours kayaking down the Nam Song River, tubing through Tham Nam cave, and visiting Tham Nang Far, or Angel Cave. Your English or Thai-speaking guide provides safety gear, a waterproof bag, hotel pickup, and a banana-leaf BBQ lunch. Small groups make the outing easier to manage.

“D was amazing made us all feel safe and cared for ! The kayaking was so much fun and then the caves were very much worthy too ! Absolutely value for money ! There is also an option to do zip lining which I highly highly recommend!!! And lunch was delicious ! Thanks so much :)”

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11.Kayak Tour to Pak Ou Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 115 reviews · 5 - 9 hours · from $43

Start with an easy kayak run on the Nam Ou, visit Pak Ou Caves, paddle 30 minutes on the Mekong, then eat a buffet lunch and visit Kuang Si Falls. Guides such as Lan, Vone, Mungkone, and Yearxiong are praised for friendly, clear guiding. Optional sunset cruise and cycling add-ons may be available.

“Really enjoyed our day kayacking along the Ou river, exploring the Ou caves and visiting the Kuang Si waterfall. Kayacking was lovely though a bit short - only 2 hours kayacking and would have liked to kayak for longer. Lunch was exceptional - one of the best lunches I’ve had during a tour and in a beautiful location. The waterfalls were wonderful too, though would have been nice to have a bit more time as there is a lot to explore, especially if you want to climb to the top of the hill overlooking the waterfalls. Overall, a great day seeing all the best spots around Luang Prabang.”

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12.Bamboo Weaving Workshop & Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $44

Spend four to five hours with local instructors such as John or Sia, learning bamboo’s role in Lao life, weaving a small mat, and cooking bamboo shoot dishes. Choose a morning lunch or evening dinner session, with hotel pickup, music, and a meal served in a bamboo tray.

“Fantastic activity jam packed full of fun and our tour guide was brilliant.”

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13.Day Trip to Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 95 reviews · from $32

Travel from Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Falls in a small group of up to 10, swim in cool turquoise pools, visit optional local stops, and return by Mekong sunset cruise. Guides such as Pany and Phan are praised for warm, attentive service. Choose the half-day or full-day format carefully.

“Im very satisfied with the tour! I will say Kuang Si is gorgeous and relaxing so you may just want to come here on your own if you want to spend all day. If you want to check the place out and swim you will still have plenty of time though. The hmong village is cool but I wish we would have spent more time there and learned more. But I am still satisfied!”

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14.Living Land Rice Farming Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · from $64

Spend about five hours at Living Land Farm outside Luang Prabang, learning the 14 steps of rice production with guides such as Johnny, Kham, Sai, or Geo. Expect muddy feet, water buffalo work, bamboo weaving, sugar cane pressing, rice snacks, and an optional traditional Lao lunch.

“Excellent learning opportunity. Actually went into a rice field and worked. Plowed a field, planted rice seeds, transplanted rice. Lunch was excellent. Our guide was knowledgeable and professional. There was much added including learning about the way of life of the people. BEWARE -- you are going into a rice field -- you will get muddy, wear shorts.”

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15.Luang Prabang City Tour & Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 87 reviews · from $44

See Luang Prabang at dawn, visit the morning market, temples, Royal Palace, Phousi Hill, and Kuang Si Falls. Guides such as Boun Louam, Thin, and Sack bring local stories to the city tour, while air-conditioned transport handles the long day. Alms giving is an optional 5:30 am start.

“The tour to Luang Prabang City was very nice. I was able to learn about the history of the country, with a very friendly guide. The Kuang Si Waterfalls is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life. I will definitely come back.”

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