10 One-Day Tours in Laos to Build a Day Around

1.Day Trip to Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 95 reviews · from $32Our pick

Travel from Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Falls with hotel pickup, a small group of up to 10, and time to swim in the turquoise pools. Depending on your chosen option, you may also visit a Hmong village, rice farm, spring restaurant, or buffalo dairy, then return by boat on the Mekong. Guides such as Pany and Phan earn warm praise for attentive service.

“The falls were stunning and the village very interesting, and the guide and driver really took care of us.”

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2.1-Day Tour to Vang Vieng with Private Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $200Top rated

Travel by private minivan from Vientiane to Vang Vieng with a guide such as Chansay, Som, Toy, or Souk. Visit caves, a Blue Lagoon, villages, and the riverside, then choose kayaking or a slow boat at sunset. Zip lining, paragliding, and a hot-air balloon are optional, not part of the base price.

“Excellent tour went to a waterfall in the morning and also done optional zip lining. Done a boat trip in the afternoon and also done optional paragliding.”

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3.One Day Guided Tour: Kayaking, Zipline & Tubing In The Cave from Vang Vieng

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · from $49

Spend about eight hours combining a 7-kilometre Nam Song River paddle and tube float, a picnic beside Tham Nam Water Cave, cave tubing with helmet and light, and a forest zipline circuit. An English-speaking guide, hotel transfers, safety gear, entrance fees, and lunch are included.

“The kayaking was beautiful but 7km for us were too much especially because i felt almost like we were on a race ti get to the end instead of stopping on the way from pictures or landscape appreciation. O suggest they have a stop in the miRead more”

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4.Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Falls Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · 8 hours · from $150

Spend a full day with an English-speaking guide visiting Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Falls. You’ll cross the Mekong by small boat, see hundreds of Buddhist statues, stop at Whiskey Village, visit the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center, and swim in turquoise pools. Guide Tid has earned special praise for his clear explanations.

“This was a great trip. Tid our guide was very knowledgeable and explained in great detail all the information on the caves history. We had a brilliant lunch looking at at the Mekong river, my wife’s dietary concerns were well catered for. The falls were spectacular and we found a quiet pool to swim. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable trip. And of course 5 stars to our driver too”

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5.Luang Prabang’s Beauty & Heritage in 1 Day – All-Inclusive Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $98

You’ll spend about 10 hours visiting Kuang Si Waterfalls, crossing the Mekong to Pak Ou Caves, and stopping at Ban Xang Hai Whisky Village. Choose a group tour for a lower price or a private outing for more personal service. Hotel pickup in central Luang Prabang, lunch, transport, boat fees, water, and entry are included.

“Quangsi waterfall, bear secure shelter, on the road all around the Luamg Prabang, and cave with boat cruise tour with tranquil , amazing view of Mekong river, rice whiskey, oh also the lunch with beautiful view place was perfect. Everything was perfect. So nice, especially our guide explain really nice kindly, so I got a really nice experience on my whole trip.”

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6.One Day Kayaking, Zipline and Tubing In Cave from Vang Vieng

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $75

Spend about eight hours exploring north of Vang Vieng by kayak, zipline, and inner tube. You’ll paddle the Nam Song River from Khmu Village, ride through forest, and float through Tham Nam Water Cave. Hotel transfers, safety gear, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees, and a picnic lunch are included for $75.

“I really enjoyed this half-day kayaking tour in Vang Vieng. Starting at Khmu Village with proper training made me feel safe and confident right away. The scenery along the Nam Song River was incredibly peaceful and beautiful. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.”

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7.1-Day Vientiane City Adventure: Top Sights & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $109

Spend 6 to 8 hours exploring Vientiane by tuk-tuk with an English-speaking guide. Visit a fresh market, Patuxay, Pha That Luang, a silversmith’s workshop, COPE Visitor Centre, and Wat Si Muang. Lao coffee, sweets, lunch, bottled water, and central hotel pickup are included.

“Was a great tour and loved the tour guide because he was very knowledgeable. Loved the food I ate which is very important to me.”

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8.1 Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $70

Travel from Luang Prabang by slow longboat to Pak Ou Caves, stopping at Ban Xang Hai whisky village. After lunch, continue by air-conditioned vehicle to Kuang Si Falls and a Hmong heritage center. Your $70 includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, lunch, entrance fees, and a group capped at 15 people.

“We had a wonderful day on this tour! There were so many fun activities that kept us engaged throughout. The tour guide was friendly and took great care of everyone, which made the trip even more enjoyable. We would definitely recommend this tour to our friends. Thanks for a memorable day!”

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9.Day Trip Vientiane – VangVieng by Express Train

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 4 reviews · 9 hours · from $177

Travel from Vientiane to Vang Vieng by express train with an English-speaking guide and a group of up to six. Explore Tham Nangfa, swim at Blue Lagoon, and take a 30-minute long-tail boat ride on the Nam Song River. Hotel pickup, train tickets, and local transfers are included, but bring your passport, swimwear, towel, and water.

“It wasn’t so good an experience. It was a rip off for the price they charged. The guides were nice and very accommodating but the English was poor. I had to google a lot of the information. They only spend about 1/4 of the price on the actual trip. Everything else goes to overhead. It’s better to do the trip on your own and save some money. It’s not worth paying so much for a guide that doesn’t add much value other than reservations and transportation. The price for it wasn’t worth it.”

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10.Vientiane Day Trip By Bike To Tad Moon Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $150

Spend about eight hours cycling 45 kilometers through villages, rice fields, forest tracks, and Mekong-side roads outside Vientiane. Your English-speaking guide leads the way to Tad Moon Waterfall, then you eat lunch by the river and kayak downstream past Lao river islands. Hotel pickup, bikes, lunch, water, and return transport are included.

“It was a great way to spend the day seeing Vientiane. We rode mountain bikes for 45 km, ate a great lunch by the bank of the Mekong. Took a boat to an island. Along the way there was an elephant that my wife was able to ride on. The ride was long, not too difficult, but it is not for beginners.”

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