The 13 Best Kayaking & Tubing Trips in Laos

1.Kayaking & Cave Tubing with Zip Line/Blue Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 410 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $30Our pick

You’ll kayak the Nam Song from a Khmu village, tube through Tham Norn, walk through caves, eat a banana-leaf picnic, and choose a zip line or Blue Lagoon visit. Guides such as Duang, On, Om, Lee, and Ming are praised for clear safety help and friendly service. Expect small rapids, wet gear, and a full day outdoors.

“It was a really nice day, everything went smooth and we had a lot of fun, we felt safe and our guide answered all necessary questions. The only thing is, that it’s a bit hard to understand what’s included in the different packages you book, some of them are shorter than the 8hours that is says.”

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2.Tham Nangfar and Tham Nam Day Tour with Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 147 reviews · 5 hours · from $24Best value

Spend about five hours kayaking the Nam Song River, tubing through Tham Nam, visiting Tham Nang Far, and eating a BBQ lunch by the water. A local English or Thai-speaking guide handles safety, equipment, and transport from central Vang Vieng. The river views are peaceful, while the cave tubing can feel crowded and brief.

“We were enjoying the very peaceful part of the trip when kajakiing on the Nam Song river. Tubing and exploring the caves was interesting too. Tasteful lunch and very friendly guide. Everything well organised.”

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3.Kayak Tour to Pak Ou Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 115 reviews · 5 - 9 hours · from $43

Paddle an easy stretch of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers to Pak Ou Caves, then enjoy a buffet lunch, Kuang Si Falls, and a Hmong village stop. The $43 tour includes hotel pickup, gear, entrance fees, and an English-speaking guide. Expect roughly two hours on the water, stairs at the caves, and a full day of sights.

“My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this activity. Our time on the River with the kayak and guide was such a nice way to take in the beauty of the Laos countryside. Highly recommend this activity.”

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4.FULL DAY – Kuang Si Waterfall, Kayak on the Nam Ou / Mekong River, Pak Ou Caves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · from $50Top rated

Spend about 8.5 hours exploring around Luang Prabang by kayak, minivan, and foot. Paddle from the Nam Ou to the Mekong, visit Pak Ou Caves and Whisky Village, eat a Lao buffet at Manifa Elephant Camp, then swim at Kuang Si Falls. Groups are capped at 15, with some vans carrying eight tourists.

“The whole tour was very good. There was not one that stood out above the others. Just make sure your pick up point is clear. We were waiting but the driver went to our reception to find us.”

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5.Nam Song River Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 69 reviews · 4 hours · from $33

You’ll leave central Vang Vieng by hotel transfer and kayak 6 km north from Ban Viengsamai. An English-speaking guide covers paddle technique, basic capsize safety, and the Nam Song’s story before you glide through small rapids, watch local fishing, and pause beside the river. Bring lunch money if needed, since lunch is not included.

“le guide etait tres sympa et les paysages exceptionnels”

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6.Vang Vieng Tour with Cave Kayak & Zipline

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 32 reviews · 9 hours · from $113

Travel from Vientiane to Vang Vieng for a full day of kayaking, ziplining, cave visits, swimming, lunch, and temple sightseeing. English-speaking guides such as Nam, Souk, Gao, and Mr. King lead the day, with private groups available. Expect a long road journey, active walking, and extra costs for activities and meals.

“Awful weather - heavy tropical rain all day - didn’t put the dampers on this trip. Whilst the zip line was truly fun (and very wet), it was Jung Cave and especially the water cave which won the day. The water cave was simply one of those little experiences that help make a holiday: there I was all alone, swimming into a beautiful underground water system and cave - the water was so clear and so pure, percululating down through the mountains above. Thanks to Mr Saly for his attention all day even though the rain was pretty biblical sometimes”

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7.Day Tour with Kayaking, Ziplining, and Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Spend a full day around Vang Vieng kayaking the Nam Song River, tubing through Tham Chang Cave, hiking, ziplining over forest, and swimming at Blue Lagoon 1. The $55 price includes central hotel pickup, equipment, lunch, and transfers. Expect a busy schedule, shared transport, and possible crowding at the lagoon.

“Such an action packed day starting straight away with zip lining and then kayaking. We felt a bit abandoned during the kayaking as our guide was no where to be seen but another guide from a different tour told us to follow him. Lunch was great- fried rice with a grilled chicken skewer. The cave tubing was fun but wish we had more time there to swim in the nice clear water as the blue lagoon was very crowded. Overall a great day!”

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8.Muang Ngoi, View Point, Water Fall and Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 26 reviews · 8 hours · from $35

Spend eight active hours around Nong Khiaw with an English-speaking guide. Cruise the Nam Ou to Muang Ngoi, visit a history cave and Phanoi Viewpoint, see weaving in Sopchem, hike through farms to Tad Mok Waterfall, then kayak back at sunset. The day costs $35 and suits fit visitors who are comfortable around water.

“It was great. We didn’t see all the listed places and maybe we didn’t do all the activities, but certainly we did a lot.”

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9.Full day / Half Day Kayaking and Pak Ou Caves with optional sunset cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · from $41

Paddle the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers to Pak Ou Caves, where thousands of Buddha icons fill two limestone caverns. Your guide leads the cave visit, then you can shower at Manifa Elephant Camp before returning by car or boat. Choose a half-day, full-day, or sunset option, with shared kayaks possible.

“We did the half day tour in a small group of six. The whole experience was excellent. We really enjoyed the kayaking and the caves. You definitely need to take a change of clothing - there are lockers at the activity centre where you can leave Read more”

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10.Hot Air Balloon,Kayak,Zipline,Blue lagoon1 Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 24 reviews · 1 day · from $186

You will combine a 30-minute hot-air balloon flight with Tham Chang Cave, underwater cave tubing, jungle ziplining, rafting, Nam Song kayaking, and optional Blue Lagoon 1. Pickup is from central Vang Vieng. The balloon runs at sunrise or sunset, with coffee on morning flights and champagne, fruit, and snacks in the afternoon.

“enjoy the multiple zipline, water cave. hotair balloon in morning was awesome. disappointed with blue lagoon as it's too commercial. guide us very efficient.ovetall good tour.”

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11.2-Day Trekking,Hmong village,Home Stay&Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 2 days · from $80

This two-day trip takes you from Nong Khiaw to Lao, Khmu, and Hmong villages, with a village homestay, bamboo handicraft workshop, cave and viewpoint visits, Tad Mork Waterfall, and a quiet Nam Ou River kayak ride. English-speaking guide Bick, also spelled Bic, is praised for his warmth and local insight, though the trek is moderate to challenging.

“Bic is the best guide in all of Laos! Really nice hike through the jungle but it is tough one so I wouldn’t recommend for anyone with mobility issues. Visiting the villages felt authentic, the kids say hello and the locals go about their day without trying to sell anything or anything else to give it a touristy/gimmicky feel. The views are stunning and there is a lot to learn and appreciate about Laos on this trip. But hands down the best part of the trip was Bic. A really lovely guy and an excellent guide who at every opportunity would teach us about the land, people and history of…”

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12.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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13.Kayaking&Zipline&Water Cave&Tham Chang tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 11 reviews · 1 day · from $51

Spend a full day around Vang Vieng kayaking the Nam Song River, tubing through Tham Chang Cave, hiking and swimming, eating a local lunch, and ziplining above forest and river views. Hotel pickup in central Vang Vieng, equipment, safety instruction, and return transport are included. English and Lao support is available.

“Meget ubehagelig oplevelse i Cave tuning pga for mange mennesker på en gang”

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