Luang Prabang is a city where time feels slower and life unfolds at a gentler rhythm. Golden Buddhist temples stand alongside colonial-era villas, while saffron-robed monks move quietly through the streets. Children play outdoors or zip past on motorbikes, and backpackers gather in clusters, easily recognisable in their elephant-print trousers.

Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northern Laos, Luang Prabang was once the royal capital of the country and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO plays a significant role in shaping the city, with strict regulations governing renovations – even down to the approved colour schemes for doors and façades. This may sound strict, but the payoff is a city that feels cohesive, elegant, and remarkably well-preserved. Add French colonial villas, glowing sunsets over the Mekong, and soft golden-hour light, and it’s a dream destination for street photography.

That said, Luang Prabang is also Laos’ most visited city – and it shows. Guesthouses, boutique hotels, cafés, travel agencies, and tuk-tuk drivers line the streets, and prices are noticeably higher than in neighbouring Vietnam and parts of Thailand.

If you’re visiting Laos for the first time, Luang Prabang is the ideal place to begin your journey. From bustling night markets and riverside cafés to nearby waterfalls and scenic viewpoints, the city provides plenty of things to see and do at a welcoming pace that eases newcomers into the rhythm of Lao culture. Keep reading to find out what to see, do and eat while you’re in Luang Prabang.

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What to See and Do in Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Waterfall

Kuang Si Waterfall is one of Laos’ most beautiful natural attractions, and is a must-visit during your time in Luang Prabang. Located about 30 km south of the city, it’s a series of waterfalls leading to a 60 metres (200 ft) drop. Surrounded by dense forest, the mineral-rich water creates striking blue-green pools, where visitors can swim and cool off. There are also hiking trails to viewpoints and designated picnic spots.

When it comes to visiting Kuang Si Waterfall, timing is everything. Locals strongly advised us to go as early as possible, and they were absolutely right. Kuang Si Waterfall opens at 8am and we arrived around 8.30am, after a bumpy one-hour drive from Luang Prabang. It was worth the early start as there were only a handful of other visitors.

It costs 60,000 Lao kip (LAK) per person and oddly, the man at the ticket office had no change whatsoever. We had to waste several minutes’ waiting for other tourists to arrive and give him smaller notes before we could get our change. So bring exact change with you!

After buying your ticket, a free shuttle bus takes you uphill to the entrance of the park. If you need to use the toilets, use the ones near the ticket office, not at the top of the hill (trust me!). Take a photo of the map when you arrive – it shows walking routes, designated swimming areas, cafes, restaurants and toilets in the Kuang Si waterfall park. 

There are three waterfalls here, with the third being the biggest and grandest. I suggest going directly to the third waterfall as you’ll have the best chance of having it to yourself, or at least only sharing with a handful of others. Then you can visit the smaller waterfalls on the way back to the entrance. 

After admiring the main waterfall, we climbed to The View (a treetop café). It’s an extra 30,000 kip and you need to climb 546 metal steps to reach the top. As someone who really dislikes climbing stairs, it was tough going. Take your time and don’t rush it! It was endearing to see motivational signs every 100 steps telling you how many calories you had burned (although I am sure I burned more than they suggested!)

At the top, it was cloudy at first, but around 10am the view cleared and the scenery was fantastic. Walking back down, we could hear the tourists before the roar of the waterfalls – there were dozens of tour groups, posing for photos, armed with selfie sticks, tripods and little awareness of personal space. It suddenly made perfect sense why the locals told us to visit early. Had we arrived at the park after 10am, it would have been a fairly miserable experience. 

I decided not to swim – only a few people were in the water, and there was a whole line of visitors taking photos right beside them. The last thing I wanted was to end up in dozens of strangers’ holiday pictures in my swimwear. Later, I read some unsettling Google reviews mentioning male visitors staring at women while they swam or got changed, and even taking photos without their knowledge or consent. Unfortunately there are no lifeguards or members of staff at the waterfalls to stop terrible behaviour like this.

On our way to the exit, we visited the Bear Rescue Centre, where we saw a very chilled sloth bear up close, as well as brown bears. There was a huge queue for the shuttle bus back down, so we walked instead. All in all, I do recommend visiting Kuang Si falls but only if you can arrive early like we did.

When to visit Kuang Si falls

The dry season (November–March) offers the clearest turquoise waters, while the rainy season makes the falls more powerful. I’ve read that during the rainy season, the water is often brown and muddy, and flows so quickly swimming isn’t possible. 

Getting to Kuang Si falls

• Local bus (from the bus station) – Price: 120,000–150,000 kip (≈ $5.50–$7.00). Reliable but less flexible, with fixed departure times.
• Songthaew (shared pickup truck) – Price: 108,000–215,000 kip (≈ $5–$10). A low-budget option but you often have to wait until it fills up with passengers before leaving.
• Shared minivan – Price: 140,000–150,000 kip (≈ $6.50–$7.00). Cheap and convenient, though usually limits your time at the falls to around two hours.
• Private driver / Loca app (Lao’s version of Uber) – Price: Anything from 865,000–2,160,000 kip (≈ $40–$100!). Comfortable and flexible, but prices vary widely. It’s definitely worth asking around or negotiating.

Mount Phousi (Phousi Hill)

Phousi Hill is one of Luang Prabang’s must-visit spots, offering panoramic views over the city, the Mekong River, and the surrounding mountains. The walk up is relatively short and not too difficult, but it does require some care – parts of the path are uneven, and a few of the bricks on the stairs are missing, so it’s best to wear sturdy shoes. 

Once you reach the summit, you’re rewarded with breathtaking scenery in every direction. You can see the Mekong River winding through the landscape, temples scattered across the town, and layers of mountains fading into the horizon. It’s a peaceful spot to relax, take photos, and enjoy a quiet moment above the bustle below. 

The entrance fee is 30,000 kip, and the site closes at 6:30pm, so start climbing slightly before sunset if you want golden-hour views. Phousi Hill is very popular at sunrise and sunset, so arrive early to help you secure a good spot. On the way down, take a different route to see more Buddha statues and temples – including Wat Xieng Mouane, which we visited afterwards.

UXO Lao Visitor Center

The UXO Lao Visitor Center is a small but powerful exhibition providing insight into the devastating legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos. I had heard that during the American/Vietnam war, Laos was heavily bombed to the extent that it’s the most heavily bombed country in history per capita. However, I had no idea the bombing was still causing deaths and injuries all these years later.

It’s free to enter (donations welcome to continue their important work) and all displays are in English and Lao. There’s a 10-minute documentary with English subtitles, explaining how UXOs are being detected and destroyed, and how the Lao government supports survivors with training and alternative employment. There are some harrowing statistics and emotional stories by people personally affected.

Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC)

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) is a social enterprise and museum dedicated to preserving Laos’ diverse ethnic cultures. It costs 35,000 kip to enter and there are a few small rooms with exhibits on textiles, clothing, weaving, and traditions of groups such as the Hmong and Tai Lue. Clear, well‑presented information boards in both English and Lao explore each group’s history, arts, and cultural practices, as well as the ways they are adapting to globalisation and a rapidly changing world.

There’s an on-site café, a children’s play area, and a small shop selling scarves, bags, purses, and accessories, which directly support local communities. There’s a helpful section explaining how to identify real vs fake embroidery at markets – useful if you’re planning on picking up some gifts or souvenirs in Laos! 

Sunset Cruises on the Mekong

A really popular activity in Luang Prabang, day or night, is taking a boat ride along the Mekong river. There are lots of companies offering one or two-hour boat rides from the riverbank, with the ideal time to set off being around 4.30-5pm to catch the sunset.

A word of warning – while some boat operators are focused on providing a peaceful, scenic experience, others are painfully loud “party boats”, which blast music and karaoke. Unfortunately the singing (which sounds more like wailing and shrieking!) really disturbs the calm riverside atmosphere. Definitely ask before buying your ticket if there’s any live music, karaoke or performances on board. Private sunset cruises are available for a quieter option, though nearby boats may still disturb you.

Food in Luang Prabang: Markets, Cafés & the Ultimate Laos Food Tour

Mekong Meals Food Tour

I joined the Mekong Meals Food Tour, and it was a fantastic introduction to Lao cuisine. Throughout the evening, we sampled a ton of delicious dishes, including Lao sausages, papaya salad, a whole pun pa grilled fish, fried coconut cakes, fried sticky rice, roast chicken and bamboo infused with lemongrass, khao piak sen noodles, fried bananas, and a traditional Lao dessert. Be warned – this is a LOT of food! I could easily have skipped lunch beforehand.

I particularly liked that we visited different types of eateries – from an elegant riverside restaurant, to casual local spots, and finally the buzzing night market. I strongly recommend doing this food tour at the start of your time in Luang Prabang, so you get a good overview of the local cuisine and know what to look out for during the rest of your visit. You can book the Mekong Meals Food Tour here. 

Night Market & Street Food

Luang Prabang’s street food night market has two main parts. There’s an enclosed area with plenty of seating, clear pricing and lots of variety. We tried quite a few dishes here including larb (minced meat salad), fried fish with Thai basil, chicken curry, slow-cooked beef ramen, and the utterly moreish banana & nutella roti.

There’s a second street food night market on a long, narrow street next to Indigo cafe. This one has less seating and more of a local feel to it. You can expect to find fried coconut cakes, meat skewers, bags of peanuts, river weed, dried fruit, curries, noodles, stewed meats – and more unusual items like buffalo skin.

Take a look at these accommodation options in Luang Prabang, suitable for a range of budgets:

• Moon’s House ($) – We stayed here for four nights and enjoyed it for the most part. Comfortable beds, nice decor, complimentary breakfast, and great mountain views from our bedroom window. Soundproofing was a bit of an issue (due to inconsiderate neighbours), but to be fair, most places we stayed in Laos had poor soundproofing!
• Villa Phonethavy ($$) – A clean, comfortable guesthouse in a great central location, just a short walk from Luang Prabang’s old town and major sights. We stayed here for one night and were pleasantly surprised at how quiet and peaceful it was. There’s free coffee, tea and water, and a nice outdoor seating area.
• Golden Lotus Palace ($$) – Bright, comfortable rooms in a prime location, just steps from the night market and the riverfront. For something unique, this hotel offers a free morning alms ceremony in the morning and a free morning market tour.
• Villa Phounsab Tourist Street ($$) – A highly rated guesthouse on Tourist Street, with a peaceful garden and inviting balconies to relax on after a long day of sightseeing.
• Golden Sun Boutique Hotel ($$$) – A charming hotel well-rated for its stylish décor, friendly service, and peaceful atmosphere just steps from the night market.

I hope this blog post has shown you that Luang Prabang is a really special city, well worth visiting. If you’ve been there, what was your favourite thing that you saw, did or ate? Let me know in the comments!

Ciao for now

Izzie, the Curious Sparrow