Full-Day City Tour of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, Laos
Trip Type: City Tours
Duration: 9 hours
The marveling charm of Luang Prabang is something needs to be visited once in a life time and what better way to do this with your own guide and driver. This extensive full day exploration of Laos’ most recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site has been one of the must-do tours, encompassing all the beauty and splendor that this central Laotian town has to offer. Being the ancient capital of the Lane Bang Kingdom and with an immense number of temples, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, confirming its exceptional value as a cultural site to be protected for the benefit for the Laotian people and to those visiting Luang Prabang.
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The marveling charm of Luang Prabang is something needs to be visited once in a life time and what better way to do this with your own guide and driver. This extensive full day exploration of Laos’ most recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site has been one of the must-do tours, encompassing all the beauty and splendor that this central Laotian town has to offer. Being the ancient capital of the Lane Bang Kingdom and with an immense number of temples, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, confirming its exceptional value as a cultural site to be protected for the benefit for the Laotian people and to those visiting Luang Prabang.This full day trip in and around Luang Prabang will commence at the hotel lobby of your booked hotel, where your English speaking guide will be waiting for you at around 8am (08:00hrs).
Depending on the location of your hotel, the tour usually starts with the Vat Vixoun, Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and once home to the famous Prabang Buddhas. Also known as Wat Visunalat, the temple's most notable feature is the large squat stupa in its forecourt; its shape resembling a watermelon.
Not big in size, but making up in beauty, is the Wat Aham, one of the smaller temples in Luang Prabang. The temple itself consists of a sim (ornate wall) and two ancient stupas; between the street and the temple are two very large and old banyan trees that are considered to harbor the Devata Luang (guardian spirits). As you continue your trip though Luang Prabang, the Vat Mai (short for its official name - Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham) is the largest and most richly decorated of all the temples in Luang Prabang.
Just before lunch, you'll arrive at the Vat Xieng Thong – one of the landmarks and icons of Luang Prabang’s plethora of Buddhist temples. The most beautiful details are the walls of the temple, decorated with delicate gold patterns on a maroon background.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll enter the compound of Laos’ Royal Palace Museum, housing the most important treasures of Laos’ recent past. The famed Pha Bang Buddha image is enshrined here, as well as the collection of personal artifacts of the royal family, including the royal throne of the Lan Xang Kingdom.
The afternoon starts with a unique temple called Wat Sene. The temple’s name is said to come from a donation of 100,000 kip (sene kip in Laotian) which was used to construct the temple in the beginning of the 18th century. Completely restored in 1957, on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, this temple is home to two long boats used in the annual Boat Racing Festival on the Mekong River. Before the group heads up to the final stop of the day, you'll pass by a local Hmong market where local handicraft is sold.
For those with the stamina and the will to see the town from the highest point at the very end of the day, Mount Phousi is the place to be. Also known as the Sacred Mountain, it is the geographical as well as the spiritual center of the city. On the peak is a golden stupa (called officially the “That Chomsi”), striking from a distance and is the first sight of Luang Prabang that arriving visitors will gaze upon. From the top, the view and the sunsets are spectacular; it is a steep climb up, yet most definitely worth it.
After the sun has set and you have climbed down the stairs, your driver will comfortably bring you back to your hotel before dinner time; arrival at your hotel will be approximately 5pm (17:00 hrs), depending on the sunset.
Depending on the location of your hotel, the tour usually starts with the Vat Vixoun, Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and once home to the famous Prabang Buddhas. Also known as Wat Visunalat, the temple's most notable feature is the large squat stupa in its forecourt; its shape resembling a watermelon.
Not big in size, but making up in beauty, is the Wat Aham, one of the smaller temples in Luang Prabang. The temple itself consists of a sim (ornate wall) and two ancient stupas; between the street and the temple are two very large and old banyan trees that are considered to harbor the Devata Luang (guardian spirits). As you continue your trip though Luang Prabang, the Vat Mai (short for its official name - Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham) is the largest and most richly decorated of all the temples in Luang Prabang.
Just before lunch, you'll arrive at the Vat Xieng Thong – one of the landmarks and icons of Luang Prabang’s plethora of Buddhist temples. The most beautiful details are the walls of the temple, decorated with delicate gold patterns on a maroon background.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll enter the compound of Laos’ Royal Palace Museum, housing the most important treasures of Laos’ recent past. The famed Pha Bang Buddha image is enshrined here, as well as the collection of personal artifacts of the royal family, including the royal throne of the Lan Xang Kingdom.
The afternoon starts with a unique temple called Wat Sene. The temple’s name is said to come from a donation of 100,000 kip (sene kip in Laotian) which was used to construct the temple in the beginning of the 18th century. Completely restored in 1957, on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, this temple is home to two long boats used in the annual Boat Racing Festival on the Mekong River. Before the group heads up to the final stop of the day, you'll pass by a local Hmong market where local handicraft is sold.
For those with the stamina and the will to see the town from the highest point at the very end of the day, Mount Phousi is the place to be. Also known as the Sacred Mountain, it is the geographical as well as the spiritual center of the city. On the peak is a golden stupa (called officially the “That Chomsi”), striking from a distance and is the first sight of Luang Prabang that arriving visitors will gaze upon. From the top, the view and the sunsets are spectacular; it is a steep climb up, yet most definitely worth it.
After the sun has set and you have climbed down the stairs, your driver will comfortably bring you back to your hotel before dinner time; arrival at your hotel will be approximately 5pm (17:00 hrs), depending on the sunset.
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