Discover Luang Prabang 2026

Located on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the old town combines over 30 gold-adorned Buddhist temples with French colonial architecture, above all the magnificent 16th-century Wat Xieng Thong, which is why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

Every morning at sunrise, hundreds of orange-robed monks walk through the streets in a silent procession to receive rice and food as alms from residents, a centuries-old Buddhist ritual that visitors can observe respectfully and in appropriate dress.

The cascading waterfalls about 30 kilometers outside the city tumble over multiple tiers into turquoise limestone pools that invite swimming, surrounded by dense jungle and an attached rescue center for sun bears.

The small hill in the middle of the old town can be climbed via 300 steps and offers, from its golden stupa, one of the most beautiful sunset views over the rooftops of the temple city, the Mekong and the surrounding mountains.

Luang Prabang Airport is only about 4 kilometers from the center and is served several times daily from Vientiane as well as several Asian cities. Alternatively, picturesque but slower ferry boats travel the Mekong from Huay Xai in about two days.

Located on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the old town combines over 30 gold-adorned Buddhist temples with French colonial architecture, above all the magnificent 16th-century Wat Xieng Thong, which is why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

Every morning at sunrise, hundreds of orange-robed monks walk through the streets in a silent procession to receive rice and food as alms from residents, a centuries-old Buddhist ritual that visitors can observe respectfully and in appropriate dress.

The cascading waterfalls about 30 kilometers outside the city tumble over multiple tiers into turquoise limestone pools that invite swimming, surrounded by dense jungle and an attached rescue center for sun bears.