LAOS – Luang Prabang – Self-Guided Tour in Luang Prabang 4D3N

Number day and night

4 days & 3 nights

Day by day description

This experience provides an in-depth discovery of Luang Prabang and the surrounding area with the help of pre-loaded itineraries on the smartphone of the travelers. With clear GPS routing and indications (including pictures & videos) on the navigation & points of interest, this itinerary focuses on exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Town as well as the beautiful countryside and the stunning natural wonders such as the Kuang Sy Waterfalls. The highlights of this trip are the exploration of the town, the sunset river cruise and the hike from the ethnic village through the mountains to the multi-tiered turquoise waterfalls of Kuang Sy. These are complemented by cultural experiences such as the monk chanting, gastronomic experiences such as the food tour, and optional educational experiences such as a visit to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center, the UXO Museum or the Weaving Crafts Center. A self-guided visit to Luang Prabang provides travelers with a unique and unforgettable experience, on their own and at their own pace and without the need for a local guide.

Selling points

• Carefully selected activities providing a guided discovery of the most beautiful town in Laos and its surrounding natural beauty.
• An application filled with GPS routes and point of interests for travelers to explore the town and countryside on their own.
• A well structured program providing a full visit of these stunning places.
• A 4 day 3 night trip with excellent accommodation options providing a level of comfort which many people do not expect in Laos.
• Possible to combine with other self-guided tours in Laos to create a self-guided itinerary.

Extensions

If travelers include Vang Vieng in their self-guided Laos itinerary we suggest including:

• LAOS – Vang Vieng – Vang Vieng Self-Guided Hiking

If travelers include Vientiane in their self-guided Laos itinerary we suggest including:

• LAOS – Vientiane – Vientiane Self-Guided City Tour

If travelers include Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi in their self-guided Laos itinerary we suggest including:

• LAOS – Nong Khiaw- Self-Guided Tour in Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi 3D2N

If travelers include Hinboun in their self-guided Laos itinerary we suggest including:

• LAOS – Hinboun – Self-Guided Tour in Hinboun 3D2N

Selling points

• Carefully selected activities providing a self-guided discovery of the most beautiful town in Laos and its surrounding natural beauty.
• An application filled with GPS routes and point of interests for travelers to explore the town and countryside on their own.
• A well structured program providing a full visit of these stunning places.
• A 4 day 3 night trip with excellent accommodation options providing a level of comfort which many people do not expect in Laos.
• Possible to combine with other self-guided tours, for example the 3D2N Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi Extension, in Laos to create a self-guided itinerary.

Pros

• Easia Signature – no competitors currently offer self-guided tours
• Cheaper to sell than a conventional visit to Luang Prabang as there is no guide.
• It puts Easia ahead of our competitors and shows that we are innovators as nobody else sells this type of tour in Laos.
• Easy to operate as travelers basically take care of themselves.
• The program is easy to follow.

Cons

• Travelers need to have a basic knowledge of technology.
• There is no guide to assist with on-spot issues.
• Not possible in rainy season (June to October) as it is too muddy.

TIME AND TRANSPORTATION

Notes

• All of the hikes are of an easy-medium level – accessible to everyone who is in ok shape and can walk for a few hours over uneven terrain – technical details can be seen in the program texts.
• Best included in a self-guided tour program to Laos or combined with other destinations.
• On this tour travelers will be responsible for paying for their own entrance fees and other associated costs.
• This tour cannot be done in the rainy season as the hike is too muddy, slippery and there are leeches.
• Developed as one of the first products in our self-guided project for Laos.
• If travelers are not really adventurous or are worried they can’t navigate by themselves, it’s possible to do this module with a guide!

Roadbook Template Trip:

• https://protracer.mhikes.com/5f8865f28aabe9.86390725/travels/template/5033/details

Inclusions:

• Self-guided program downloadable to the Roadbook app on the travelers’ phones.
• Transfers Luang Prabang – Ban Long Lao and Kuang Sy – Luang Prabang
• Sunset Cruise (Khopfa Cruise)
• Accommodation (hotel to be chosen by sales)

Exclusions:

• Entrance fees (on the city tour, at Kuang Sy, at TAEC)
• Meals and drinks and snacks (such as the ice cream at the Buffalo farm and the food on the food tour)
• Bicycle Rental (Optional)
• Tuk-Tuks (Optional)

Quotation guideline:

• On ERP the module for this tour can be found here:
  • Tour Classification: S41-Easia Active
  • Language: English
  • Tour Type: FIT
  • Tour Name: SGT – Luang Prabang (Active) – 4D3N – ENG
  • Tour Code: 210224103136
    
• Sales should change the airport transfers in the module if travelers stay in a hotel outside the city center.
• Sales need to add the accommodation to this module.
• Sales can add the SIM card and internet package if necessary.

• On this tour travelers will be responsible for paying for their own entrance fees and associated costs. The costs they will have to pay will be as follows:

• • On the city tour:
    • Wat Visoun – 20,000kip/person
    • Wat Aham – 20,000kip/person
    • Wat Xieng Thong – 20,000kip/person
    • Royal Palace – 20,000kip/person
    • Wat Mai – 20,000kip/person
    • Phousi Mountain – 20,000kip/person
  • On the food tour:
    • Khao Soi – 15,000kip/person
    • Salapao – 5,000kip for 2 pieces
    • Namvan – 5,000kip/person
    • Naemjun – 25,000kip/plate (can be shared)
    • Tam Mak Taeng – 18,000kip/plate (can be shared)
    • Khao Jee – 3,000-5,000kip/piece
    • Khao Nom Kok – 5,000kip/serving
  • Other entrance fees:
    • Kuang Sy – 20,000kip/person
    • TAEC – 20,000kip/person

Hotels that can be used for this SGT itinerary:

LUANG PRABANG

• Cold River – 2*
• Villa Chitdara -3*
• Villa 2 Riviere – 3*
• Sok dee Residence – 3*
• My Lao Home – 3*
• My dream Boutique – 3*
• Parasol Blanc hotel – 3*
• Le Sent Boutique Hotel – 3*
• Maison Dalabua -3*
• Luangsay Inn – 3*
• Sunshine Garden – 3*
• Maison Souvannaphoum – 4*
• Satri House – 4*
• 3Naga Luang Prabang – 4*
• Victoria Xiengthong Palace – 4*
• Soupthatra Hotel – 4*
• Le Belair Boutique Resort -4*
• Villa Maly – 4*
• Kiridara Hotel – 4*
• Sofitel – 4.5*
• AVANI+ – 4.5*

Market suggestion

Number of PAX

10

Important notes

• Day 1: Pick-up no guide at airport. Self-Guided Assistant needs to contact travelers and meet them for the briefing.
• Day 2: Khopfa Cruise – need to book the cruise and provide traveler names to the suppliers as they will go to the pier by themselves.
• Day 3: Transfer to Ban Long Lao and pick-up at Kuang Sy. Ask the driver to provide his phone number to the travelers and take a photo of them so he can find them easily. Stop at buffalo Ice Cream shop on the way back. Drop-off at hotel if arriving early in Luang Prabang or near Wat Phaphai if arriving closer to 5pm as travelers will see the monk chanting.
• Day 4: Transfer no-guide to the airport.

Contact

Khopfa Mekong Cruise

• Name: Mr Benoit Delaby
• Phone: 020 921 000 12
• Email: [email protected]

• Product Photos
• View more photos in Media Library

English

DAY X – ARRIVAL IN LUANG PRABANG
When you arrive at Luang Prabang airport, you’ll meet your driver and travel by car to your hotel.

After you’ve checked in, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to yourself though our Self-guided Assistant will contact you and come to visit to welcome you to Laos and give you a tutorial on how to use the App. We included a self-guided food tour on the App which we highly recommend you try this evening. As well as letting you try some of the local delicacies it will also give you a chance to stretch your legs and get a feel for the town.

Eating is an important part of Lao culture and a time when families and friends come together after a hard day of work. On this tour your taste buds will be awakened as you taste a selection of popular Lao dishes. You will enjoy a delicious bowl of one of the Lao staples – Khao Soi or Pho. This is one of the most popular meals, not only in Laos but in all of Southeast Asia. You will also try the steamed buns with egg and pork called Salapao. If you’re craving something a bit more refreshing you could try Namvan, a sweet dessert type drink especially popular when the weather is hot. You’ll also try Namejun (Spring Rolls) and Tam Makteng (Cucumber Salad), popular dishes often shared among friends as they enjoy an evening drink. You’ll finish at the night market where your culinary adventure will end with some tasty Kaojee and Khao Nom Kok!

Once you’ve eaten your way around the town, you’ll be able to explore Luang Prabang’s famous night market before heading back to your hotel to rest in preparation for tomorrow’s exploration!

Flight arrival time: xx
Flight number: xx

Note: Check-in at the hotel from 14:00. The starting time for the Food Tour should be between 5pm and 6pm, though it isn’t a big problem if started a bit later.

DAY X – LUANG PRABANG TOWN
On your App you’ll see that we included a City Tour for you to do today and a relaxing sunset cruise to finish the day.

Before you do this though we recommend you wake up early, around 05:00, to see the Alms Giving ceremony and visit the colorful Morning Market – you’ll see links to their locations as well as some additional information.

The city of Luang Prabang with its privileged location at the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and the foot of an age-old mountain range is one of the most beautiful cities in Southeast Asia. On this tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Town, you’ll have the chance to view its most emblematic temples and cultural sites. There is also a variant of the route which takes the more physically capable to the top of Phousi Mountain where they’ll be rewarded with panoramic views. The jewels of the city are Wat Visoun (the oldest temple in the city), the splendid Royal Palace Museum and the stunningly beautiful temples of Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Mai.

On your map you’ll also see that we included several restaurants which are the ones we recommend the most for lunch and dinner later in the day. You’re free to stop and eat whenever and wherever you want but these are our favorites!

You’ll want to make sure you’ve finished the City Tour and are at the pier before 16:15 as that’s the time your sunset cruise departs. We included the location of the Khopfa Cruise on the App – simply make your way there and tell the staff there is a booking under your name and on you get! A relaxing sunset cruise along the mighty Mekong is the perfect way to end any day! Soon, the sun will start to descend, and the sky will dramatically start to change color – oranges, reds, pinks and purples will appear as the sun falls behind the lush tropical mountains. Unwind and enjoy the snacks while sipping some wine or enjoying a refreshing Lao beer, available for purchase from the bar. Enjoy the peaceful feeling as the day draws to an end and the boat floats calmly along this mighty waterway on its way back to Luang Prabang.

Once you’re back on solid ground, choose somewhere for dinner, either somewhere you saw during the day or one of our suggestions on the City Tour map, before retiring to your hotel for the night.

Distance of the walking: 4.2 kilometers (without Phousi) or 5.1 kilometers (with Phousi)
Duration of the walking: approximately 4 hours, including stops (or 5 hours with Phousi)
Elevation: 12 meters accumulated ascent, 12 meters accumulated descent. (and an additional 65m of ascent/descent if including Phousi).
Duration of the Cruise: Approximately 2 hours 15min, from 16:15 to 18:30.

Note: A sun hat and sun cream are recommended on the walking tour. Included on the cruise: welcome snacks and water. Other beverages available for purchase at the bar.

DAY X – KUANG SY WATERFALLS
Meet your driver in the reception area at 07:30 and travel into the mountains, through the valleys and passing local villages along the way. After reaching the Hmong ethnic community of Ban Long Lao, open the App and start the Hike to Kuang Sy activity. Before you set off on the hike, make sure you get the driver’s phone number and a photo of him and the car number plate to make locating it when you arrive at Kuang Sy a bit easier. Then, start your walk to the famous Kuang Sy waterfalls, walking through the village, the vegetable gardens, rice fields and forests under the shade of hardwood trees, such as rosewood and ebony. Just before arriving at the waterfalls you’ll come across the source of the river and a small restaurant, a great place for an early lunch! After another 30 minutes you’ll arrive at the Kuang Sy waterfalls where you can rest, swim, have lunch if you didn’t already have it, and visit the bear sanctuary before finding your driver (give him a call if you need to and he can go meet you at the ticket office) and heading back towards Luang Prabang.

On the way back, the driver will stop by the roadside at the Buffalo Dairy Farm, a social enterprise which rents female buffaloes from local farmers to milk them while providing the locals with a regular source of income.  Here you’ll be able to buy an ice cream made from buffalo milk – it’s delicious and a great reward after a long hike!

Depending on the time you arrive back in the town your driver will either drop you off at your hotel or in the center near Wat Phaphai Temple. It’s usually around 17:30 when the monks start their evening chanting. It happens in all the temples in the town and you can join should you wish to (we included the location of our favorite temple, Wat Phaphai, on the App though you can go to any of the temples in town) – take off your shoes, cover your knees and shoulders, and sit cross-legged at the back of the temple and observe the peaceful ceremony in silence. If you feel like you’re interrupting or don’t belong there then you can also sit outside in the temple gardens and listen to the magical chanting as you watch the colors change in the setting sunlight.

Once again, where you have dinner is up to you! Don’t forget you can always look back at the City Tour map to see our recommended restaurants!

Distance and duration of the hike: 8 kilometers – about 3h 30min
Transportation: Luang Prabang to Ban Long Lao, 25 kilometers – 1 hour; Kuang Sy to Luang Prabang, 30 kilometers – 45 minutes

Notes: We suggest taking a photo of the car number plate to make locating it at Kuang Sy easier. The chanting starts around 17:30 and lasts for up to 2 hours.

DAY X – DEPARTURE FROM LUANG PRABANG
Today is your last day in Luang Prabang. Depending on the time of your flight there are a few nice things that you could do which we explain below – we also included the locations of these places on the App to help you find them!

Don’t forget that you will also need to check out from your hotel today. If you have a late flight you can check out and leave your luggage at the reception before collecting it and meeting your driver later in the day for the trip to the airport. 

Visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center
Located near the center and within walking distance of most hotels is the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center. This museum is made up of two main exhibition rooms. The first room highlights specific ethnic groups through a series of displays that feature information, photographs, ethnic clothing and household objects. The second room is dedicated to presenting the ethnic groups’ wedding customs and ceremonies. A small video room presents an informative 20-minute film.

Visit the UXO Museum
Located near the center and within walking distance of most hotels is the UXO Museum. Learn more about Laos’ wartime history and the unexploded ordinances that still threaten the country. In this small two-room museum you will be given explanations about the NGO activities, as well as the history, the impact and the risks of UXO in Laos. Besides the large information boards in the exhibition, there is also a 25-minute movie for you to watch. The movie explains what happened and how it affects the people in Laos nowadays.

Visit the Weaving Craft Center at Ock Pop Tock
Ock Pop Tok Weaving Craft Center is a bit further from the center so you’d need to either take a tuk-tuk or find a bicycle to use, either from the hotel or one of the many rental shops. It is the perfect place to visit if you are interested in traditional Lao handicrafts. At the center, you will have the chance to discover the beauty and secrets of Lao textiles. There is also a beautiful tropical garden that sports a lovely view of the mighty Mekong River and mountains and a restaurant offering some really tasty breakfast and lunch options.

Flight departure time: xx
Flight Number: xx

Note: Check-out at the hotel will be 12:00 at latest