Laos & cambodia
14-day itinerary through Laos and cambodia
Trip Overview
Day 1 - 3 | Luang Prabang | Rosewood Hotel | 2 nights
Day 3 - 5 | Muang Xai, Oudomxai | Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort | 2 nights
Day 5 - 6 | Luang Prabang | Rosewood Hotel | 1 night
Day 6 - 8 | Pakse / Champasak | The River Resort | 2 nights
Day 8 - 11 | Siem Reap | Zannier Phum Baitang | 3 nights
Day 11 - 14 | Krabey Island | Six Senses Krabey Island | 3 nights
Day 14 | Departure
Day 1 - 3 | Luang Prabang
VIP Fast Track & Private Transfer
Upon arrival, our representative will meet you inside the arrival terminal of Luang Prabang International Airport to handle your visa and immigration check in on your behalf. A traditional Lao host will welcome you with a Champa flower garland placed around your neck. Together with your guide, you will be transferred straight to your hotel. Your passport and luggage will be brought to your hotel separately.
Khouangsi Falls and Free the Bears
Drive to the waterfalls of Tat Khouangsi. Upon arrival, stroll past a series of turquoise pools connected by smaller falls and cascades, leading to the main 90 meter fall, where your breakfast will be set up amid the surroundings. On the walk back through the forest, you will pass the Free the Bears project, home to a group of rescued Asiatic Black (Moon) Bears and one Malayan Sun Bear. In the early afternoon, the bears are often searching for food hidden in their enriched enclosures, or simply sleeping. On the route home, you'll have the opportunity to stop at villages belonging to some of Laos's more than 100 distinct ethnic groups, including Ban Ou, Ban Ouay, and Ban Thapene.
Private City Tour
Return to the UNESCO protected city centre to take in its Laotian and colonial architecture, along with notable Buddhist temples: the Royal Palace Museum, the city's oldest temple, and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai. You'll also visit Wat Xiengthong, known for its roofs sweeping low to the ground, along with the stupa of Wat Visoun and Wat Sene.
Heritage Dinner
Take part in a Baci ceremony at the heritage house, an integral part of Lao culture. The ceremony is held to celebrate a special event such as a marriage, a homecoming, or a departure, and is based on the ancient belief that a human being is a union of 32 organs, each watched over by the "kwan," or soul. The Baci ceremony realigns the kwan with the body. A village elder will wrap a white cotton thread around your wrist while chanting an invocation to strengthen the blessing. In Laos, white represents peace, good fortune, and warmth.
YOUR STAY: Rosewood Hotel | Riverside Room | Breakfasts & Dinner
Day 3 - 5 | Muang Xai
Transfer from Luang Prabang to Muang Xai
After breakfast, transfer to Luang Prabang Railway Station to catch the train to Muang Xai, Oudomxai province. The train travels from Luang Prabang to Muang Xai via D88, departing 09:50 and arriving 10:41, a journey of 51 minutes. You will be met by your driver and transferred to Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort via Oudomxai town.
Visit Nam Kat Waterfall with Trekking and Sky Bridges
After lunch, head out into the jungle on the dirt track toward Nam Kat Waterfall, about 5 km away. At the entrance, you'll trek through the jungle and cross 13 flying bridges over roughly 1 km. Take your time at the waterfall before trekking back to the entrance and riding the ATV back to the Tour Information Center.
Hill Tribe Tour
After breakfast, drive to Muangla District, with the opportunity to see ethnic minority groups including the Hmong, Khmu, Akha, and Taidam. Upon arriving in Muangla, continue the journey for around 30 minutes, following the course of the Nam Pak River and then a hillside road along a hidden valley. You'll reach the Lao Loum village of Phonsavang and continue for a further 60 minutes to Wat Hoytinphabath, a monastery that truly feels in the middle of nowhere. The monastery houses a 35 meter long reclining Buddha, along with numerous effigies and symbols glorifying Buddha in the central temple, which also contains Buddha's footprints embedded in stone. The temple sits in complete harmony with its surroundings, offering an inspiring sense of serenity.
YOUR STAY: Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort | Executive Riverfront Suite | Breakfasts & Lunch
Day 5 - 6 | Luang Prabang
Transfer from Muang Xai to Luang Prabang
After breakfast, enjoy free time at your own leisure until it's time to transfer to Oudomxay Railway Station to catch the train back to Luang Prabang. The train travels from Muang Xai to Luang Prabang via D87, departing 14:04 and arriving 14:54, a journey of 50 minutes. You will be met by the driver and transferred back to your hotel.
'Ahan' Luang Prabang
Enjoy an evening out sampling the best of local life and food in Luang Prabang. One thing you may not know about Laos is its love of Petanque, a game similar to boules, bocce, or lawn bowls, played by young and old alike throughout the country. This evening, experience the game firsthand at one of the local courts with your guide and driver, along with local snacks and a bottle of Beer Lao. Continue on for your main course at Dyen Sabai, a lovely riverside setting on the banks of the Nam Khan River surrounded by bamboo, where you'll enjoy a traditional Laotian BBQ.
Afterward, stroll back into town for dessert or a drink at Mekong Sunset, a restaurant made famous after Barack Obama stopped in for a fresh coconut.
YOUR STAY: Rosewood Hotel | Riverside Room | Breakfast & Dinner
Day 6 - 8 | Pakse
Transfer to Luang Prabang Airport, Flight to Pakse
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Pakse.
Flight QV513: Luang Prabang to Pakse, departing 08:30, arriving 10:10.
Arrival in Pakse and Wat Phou
On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred directly to Champasak, known as the Champa Kingdom, then continue by car to Wat Phou, another World Heritage Site in Laos, recognized by UNESCO in 2002. Wat Phou is the site of ruins that were once part of a temple built before Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and contains some of the most ancient Khmer architecture, dating back to between the 7th and 11th centuries.
Champasak Walking Tour, Basket Weaving Village, and Private Cruise Back to the Hotel
This afternoon, explore the city centre to learn more about the Champasak kingdom and its former monarchy, who ruled the area from 1713 to 1904. Appreciate their former palace and its architecture, influenced by the French. Enjoy a tea break at a family owned tea and coffee house behind the two palaces, then continue on foot through the village to visit the only Christian church in the area and learn about its influence on local life. Drive on to Ban Muangkang village, known for bamboo basket weaving, and walk through the village along the Mekong River in the shade of the trees. Speak with a few local families to learn about their lives and the weaving skills passed down through generations. Enjoy a refreshing sugarcane or coconut juice, depending on the season, before entering the compound of Wat Muangkang, a temple renovated and protected by UNESCO. After a short visit, continue to the boat pier and board a private boat back to the resort in time to catch the sunset.
Bolaven Plateau
Leave early this morning and drive north to the Bolaven Plateau, known for its cooler temperatures at high elevation above the Mekong Valley. The first stop is Ban Lak Sipkao, a village specializing in knife making, followed by a tea plantation and Tad Fan Waterfall, a picturesque twin chute waterfall. Continue to a coffee plantation en route to Tha Teng Market, a colourful ethnic minority food market. From there, explore two fascinating minority villages: Ban Pong Neua, an Alak village with a sacrificial altar, and Ban Kokphung, a Katu village where coffins are kept beneath the houses. Stop at the beautiful Tadlo Waterfall before heading back to Champasak, arriving by early evening.
YOUR STAY: The River Resort | 1 Riverfront Villa | Breakfasts
Day 8 - 11 | Siem Reap
Transfer to the Airport for Your Flight to Siem Reap
Transfer to the airport for your outbound flight to Siem Reap. Flight QV513: Pakse to Siem Reap, departing 10:50, arriving 11:50
VIP Visa and Fast Track Arrival Services
At Siem Reap International Airport, your personal immigration officer will meet you with a welcome sign and fast track you through visa and immigration. Your guide will meet you outside the terminal with a waiting vehicle to transfer you to your hotel.
Angkor Wat and Temple of the Forests
A sunrise tour beginning at pre dawn to watch the sun rise behind the lotus towers of Angkor Wat, built over 30 years under King Suryavarman II (AD 1113) and by some measures the largest religious complex in the world. Originally a Hindu mountain temple, it was converted around the 16th century to a Theravada Buddhist monument, a role it still serves today.
Continue by road to Ta Prohm, 11 km away, pausing for entry passes at the Archaeological Park entrance. Walk through the temple from the west entrance to the east entrance to meet your driver, a walk of 1 to 2 km, pausing for a light breakfast along the way. End the morning at Angkor Wat via the less frequented eastern causeway, exploring the central complex and its detailed bas reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and ancient battles.
HeroRATs
Visit APOPO's Visitor Center in Siem Reap for a guided tour of their landmine detection program, where African giant pouched rats known as HeroRATs are trained to sniff out landmines and unexploded ordnance across Cambodia. See a live detection demonstration and the chance to hold a HeroRAT yourself, alongside insight into Cambodia's landmine history and clearance efforts.
Beng Mealea, Banteay Srei, and Banteay Samre Temples
In the morning, drive to the remote temple of Beng Mealea, often called the blueprint for Angkor Wat. Built under Suryavarman II, this 12th century temple is overgrown with roots and vines and largely collapsed, with an atmospheric feel. Walk through darkened doorways, past crumbling pillars, and along promenades lined with naga balustrades, exploring the less visited courtyards.
Travel through villages and rice paddies to Banteay Srei (AD 967), around 37 km from Siem Reap, a pink sandstone temple known for its intricate carvings and excellent state of preservation. On the way back, visit Banteay Samre, built in a style similar to Angkor Wat, with an old causeway lined with stone lions and naga balustrades.
YOUR STAY: Zannier Phum Baitang | Terrace Villa | Breakfasts
Day 11 - 14 | Krabey Island
Transfer to Six Senses Krabey Island
Private transfer to Siem Reap Airport for your domestic flight to Sihanoukville. Flight K6131, Siem Reap to Sihanoukville, departing 11:30, arriving 12:40
Transfer from Sihanoukville Airport to Krabey Island by own arrangement with Six Senses. A member of the Six Senses team will meet you at the airport and transport you by private road transfer to the jetty, followed by a 15 minute speedboat journey to Six Senses Koh Krabey Island, just off Ream National Park. Retire to your private villa and settle into the surroundings.
Six Senses Krabey Island
Six Senses Krabey Island sits on a private 12 hectare island just off Ream National Park, a short speedboat ride from the mainland at Sihanoukville. The resort has 40 free standing pool villas set among jungle and coastline, each with a private plunge pool, floor to ceiling windows, and views over either the jungle or the ocean. On site you'll find two restaurants, Tree for refined Cambodian cuisine and Aha for lighter, casual fare, along with a sunset bar, an ice cream parlor, and the poolside Double Dip Hangout for snacks and drinks. The Six Senses Spa draws on traditional Khmer healing practices, and guests also have access to indoor and outdoor gyms, a rooftop yoga pavilion, an aerial yoga studio, a boardwalk running along the coast, a sky observatory for stargazing, and an open air cinema for evenings under the stars.
YOUR STAY: Six Senses Krabey Island | Ocean Pool Villa | Breakfast
Day 14 | Departure
Transfer to Sihanoukville Airport
Take the Six Senses shared speedboat to the Ream jetty, then continue by private road transfer, approximately 10 minutes to Sihanoukville Airport.
Departure via Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.
Pricing & Inclusions
See our Booking Terms & Conditions here.
Satarting at $16,500 Per Person
Price is per person, Based on two people in double occupancy.
Accommodation: All luxury accommodations as described in the itinerary.
Luang Prabang, Rosewood Hotel | 2 nights
Muang Xai, Oudomxai, Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort | 2 nights
Luang Prabang, Rosewood Hotel | 1 night
Pakse / Champasak, The River Resort | 2 nights
Siem Reap, Zannier Phum Baitang | 3 nights
Krabey Island, Six Senses Krabey Island | 3 nights
Transport:
Airport transfers in private, as described in the itinerary.
All private transfers as needed for the tours and experiences.
Trains & Flights
All required train tickets in Business/Frist Class
All required domestic flights
Touring & Activities: All experiences, activities and tours as described in the itinerary.
Meals: All breakfasts as listed in the itinerary with some lunches and dinner depending on activities.
Other: City taxes associated with your accommodations. Restaurant reservations and coordination. All insider tips and recommendations for your trip. Local team on call 24-hours a day during your trip.
Exclusions
International flights
Travel insurance
Spa or wellness treatments
Meals and activities not listed in the itinerary
Tips