Flight: TG130 Bangkok - Chiang Rai 08.10 - 09.40

Meet & greet: Upon arrival at Chiang Rai Airport, you will be welcomed to Thailand by a private English-speaking guide, and then transferred to your hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The Legend Chiang Rai (Superior Studio)

Guided tour of Chiang Rai: Today's city tour starts with a visit to Wat Rong Suea Tean, also known as the Blue Temple, another unusual modern Buddhist temple distinguished by its vivid blue colouring and elaborate carvings. After lunch in a local restaurant (payable locally) proceed to Baan Dam Estate, an impressive art installation with intricately carved wooden buildings that was created by Thai artist Thawan Duchanee. Often referred to as the “Black Temple”, the building was constructed with a blend of traditional Thai architecture with a contemporary and unorthodox flair. The name comes from the dark interior, which houses a collection of taxidermied animals made into furniture and art.

Afternoon at leisure: You will then be dropped back into the city. After your tour, you have the remainder of the day at leisure to relax at the hotel, or explore the city independently.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The Legend Chiang Rai (Superior Studio)

Meals: Breakfast

Cycle to the White Temple: After breakfast you will be met by your guide who will take you to your bicycles for your morning bike ride. After a short safety briefing and personalized bicycle fitting, head out through small villages and rice fields before following the Lao River downstream. The bicycle ride is a pleasant ride through lush countryside and provides a window on to the local lifestyles of rural Thailand. Finish your cycle route with a stop at the amazing White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) and then have lunch at a local restaurant near the temple. After the tour you will be transferred back to your hotel in Chang Rai to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Alternative activity: If you would prefer not to cycle today's visit to the White Temple can be arranged by car.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The Legend Chiang Rai (Superior Studio)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey to Chiang Khong, via the Golden Triangle: After breakfast drive northwards to the mountainous area of Mae Salong (Santikhiri), which was originally settled by the renegade KMT 93rd regiment that fled to Myanmar from China in 1949. The mountain is also home to numerous hill tribe settlements, and you will visit both Yao and Akha minority villages. Near the peak of the mountain, you will find several tea plantations as well as tea houses. There are stunning views from the top overlooking Thailand, Burma and Laos along the Mekong Valley. Continue to the northern-most point of Thailand at the Thai-Burmese border and visit the border town Mae Sai where lunch will be served in a local restaurant. After lunch, drive to the Golden Triangle area on the bank of the Mekong River where the three borders meet. Visit the House of Opium, a museum that tells the story of how this illicit cash crop shaped the history and culture of the Golden Triangle region. There are many antique items on display such as opium harvesting knives, scales, weights, pipes, mats and pillows. You will then embark on an hour's cruise along the Mekong River and soak up the riverbank scenery, before continuing by road to your hotel in Chiang Khong.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Chiang Khong Teak Garden Hotel (River View Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer to the border at Huay Xai: After breakfast at the lodge, you will be picked up and transferred to the Thai / Laos border. Say goodbye to your Thai companions, cross into Laos, and join your two day cruise down The Mekong.

Boat cruise to Pak Beng: In Huay Xai, you will be met by your Laotian guide and after the completion of immigration formalities you will be transferred directly to the local pier, where you will embark on the Shompoo Cruise boat for the journey downstream to Pakbeng (shared boat). En route there will be a stop to visit a minority village and discover rural life by the Mekong. Enjoy lunch on board. On arrival in Pakbeng at the end of the afternoon, you will be transferred to your lodge for the dinner and overnight accommodation. Please note that the cruise itinerary is subject to alteration dependent on sailing conditions.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Boat journey to Luang Prabang: After breakfast at the lodge, continue the scenic trip downriver to Luang Prabang. Lunch is served on board, and you will then stop to visit the Pak Ou Caves. These sacred Buddha caves, called Tham Ting & Tham Phoume, are home to numerous Buddha statues of varying shapes and sizes. The site is regularly visited by pilgrims. Afterwards, continue downstream to Luang Prabang. You will arrive approximately 5pm, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Villa Maydou (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Guided tour of Luang Prabang: You can discuss with your guide the option of an early morning start (5.30am) to witness and partake in the daily morning ritual of ‘Tak Bat', or giving alms to the monks. This is a unique ritual still followed by the locals in Luang Prabang. Afterwards, you can also visit the local fresh market to see how the locals shop, before returning to your hotel for breakfast. Your guided tour then continues with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum which provides a fine overview of the culture and history of this ancient city. Then follow the quiet back lanes to the beautiful Heuan Chan Heritage House, where you can explore the house and its antiques while learning about the connection it has with the Royal Palace. After a refreshing Iced Tea in the gardens continue walking up the peninsula to the country’s most historic and enchanting temple, Wat Xiengthong. With its roof that sweeps low towards the ground, this temple's architecture best represents the classical Luang Prabang style. Wander around the temple grounds before crossing the road to Wat Khili where this temple’s charming traditional library building houses an historic photo exhibition of Buddhist heritage. The final visit of the day is at the excellent ‘Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre’, which gives a great insight into the rich and diverse ethnic and cultural blend of Laos.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Villa Maydou (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure: You have a full day at leisure today to explore the atmospheric ancient capital independently. Side trips up the river to the Khuangsi Falls, cycling in the countryside or a visit to an elephant sanctuary can be arranged in advance or locally or through your guide. Staying within the city, there are a number of excellent cooking classes, plus great shopping opportunities in local craft centres.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Villa Maydou (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Train journey to Vang Vieng: This morning you will be transferred to the high-speed railway station in time to board the train to Vang Vieng. The train will take around one hour. Go through officialities, which is sometimes a bit inefficient, and make yourself comfortable in the new train service, which is the first in Laos only started operations in December 2021. Views on the trainline start off with village-life and mountain views while the trainline cuts straight through spectacular mountain sceneries, crossing numerous bridges and tunnels. Upon arrival at Vang Vieng station, you will be met by a local driver and transferred to your hotel with the rest of the day at leisure.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Riverside Boutique Resort (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Discover Khmu Culture in Vang Vieng: After breakfast, head out of town by car to see a Khmu village called Ban Viengsamai. You will be welcomed into a local home to meet a friendly family and to learn about Khmu customs and traditions, including animism. Next, walk to explore the village, visiting the local knife smith who uses traditional techniques to create knifes. Be impressed by his skills, and give it a try yourself. Then continue your explorations and trek through rice paddies to a cave on the other side of the Nam Song River, passing by farmers working in the fields. On the way, you will be taking a rest in one of the local rice huts while learning more about the importance of agriculture in Laos. Then walk back to the family’s home, where the lady of the house will show you how she prepares local rice wine, called "Lao Hai". Next, enjoy a lunch of Khmu specialties together with the family and try the local rice wine if you like. Afterwards, say goodbye to the family and transfer back to Vang Vieng, arriving mid-afternoon with the rest of the day at leisure.

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Kayaking around Vang Vieng: After breakfast, meet your local guide and transfer by car north of Vang Vieng where you will visit the first cave, Tham Xang.  Then explore a number of other caves set within the limestone karst mountains before enjoying a picnic lunch. In the afternoon visit a Hmong village, before kayaking down the Nam Song River back to Vang Vieng, arriving back at your hotel by late afternoon. This kayaking excursion can be challenging, especially when the water levels are high, so we only recommend this for experienced kayakers with good fitness levels.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Riverside Boutique Resort (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey to Vientiane: Mid-morning check out of your hotel and drive approximately 1.5 hours to Vientiane on the first expressway of Laos, which opened in 2020.

Evening food tour of Vientiane: In the early evening (around 6pm) you will be met at the hotel by your guide, and together you will head out for an evening exploration of the Laotian capital. Travelling by tuk tuk, your first stop will be at the night food market near That Luang. This spot comes alive at night and is a firm favourite amongst locals seeking a cheap and tasty meal, with few tourists to be seen. Your guide will walk you through the market, stopping to learn about the different dishes and local dinner culture. Try some of the tasty dishes on the spot, or bring them along with you to our next stop: a traditional Lao style BBQ, or 'sindat'. This hot-pot BBQ meal is a deep favourite of locals, and often overlooked by tourists! The guide will introduce you to this favourite of dishes, and then after dinner you will return by tuk tuk back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Lao Poet Hotel (Urban Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Half day tour of Vientiane: Your tour of Laos' capital city starts with a visit to the enchanting Si Muang Temple. Continue to the Siamese style Wat Si Saket and the That Luang Stupa, the bright golden monument which represents a lotus bud and is used as a symbol of the Lao nation, and Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s very own Arc de Triumph. The tour ends with a visit to the excellent COPE exhibition centre, highlighting a much overlooked aspect of Laos and a major problem many of the local people face on a day to day basis in the form of unexploded ordnance as a result of heavy bombing campaigns during the Vietnam War era.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Lao Poet Hotel (Urban Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast