Vientiane Travelers Recommend

Three days in Vientiane is enough time to discover the city, explore a bit of the surrounding countryside, and delve more deeply into Lao food, handicrafts, and culture. You can pedal through sleepy villages, watch the sun sink into the Mekong, relax in a Lao sauna, hike country parks, and feast on the nation’s finest food. Here’s how.

Day 1: Monks and Demons

Start your Vientiane adventure by orienting yourself in the city. Besides historic temples such as Wat Si Saket, Ho Phra Keo, Wat Sok Pa Luang, and Wat Si Muang and landmarks such as Patuxai (Victory Monument), take the time to get educated on the Vietnam War’s devastating consequences at landmine charity COPE. Spend the afternoon at Buddha Park, south of the city, where giant concrete sculptures of deities and demons from Hindu and Buddhist mythology pay tribute to a mystic’s vision. Watch the sun set over the Mekong with a cold Beer Lao in hand, then discover local cuisine at a riverside restaurant.

Day 2: Villages and Lakes

It’s in Laos’ tiny villages, home to literally hundreds of different ethnic groups, that the soul of the country lies, so spend your second day in Vientiane exploring the countryside with a guide. A cycle trip is a great way to discover traditional villages, tranquil rice fields, and unspoiled forests. Alternatively, head to Nam Ngum Lake for a scenic cruise; many tours include stops at the Vang Xang ruins, a salt factory, and Hmong villages. Or head out to Phou Khao Khouay National Park to hike the slopes of Buffalo Mountain. Consider an overnight trip where you can mingle with locals in a simple homestay here. Assuming you’re not staying overnight, wrap up the day with a traditional Lao sauna followed by a street-food feast at Ban Anou Night Market.

Day 3: Culture and Cuisine

Many visitors will want to use their third day in Vientiane to see even more of the countryside around the city. Alternatively, take the chance to immerse yourself in Lao culture. Consider discovering the nation’s rich weaving traditions on a tour of workshops including Carol Cassidy Lao Textiles; go deeper into the world of food with a hands-on cooking course; or shop for handicrafts and fabrics at bustling street markets and intimate boutiques. Finish with an evening that harks back to the nation’s rich past, perhaps with dinner and a show in a colonial mansion, or fine French fare at a fraction of the price you’ll pay in Paris.

With two days in Vientiane, you can enjoy a thorough overview of this quaint riverside city, as well as discovering traditional farming lifestyles and minority villages in Laos’ charming countryside. You can watch the sun set over the Mekong, enjoy a traditional Lao sauna and massage, and savor both fine food and street food. This is how.

Day 1: Buddhist Beauty

**Morning:**Start your Vientiane experience by orienting yourself on a city tour. Visit timeless temples such as Wat Si Saket, Ho Phra Keo, Wat Si Muang, or Wat Sok Pa Luang, check off Patuxai (Victory Monument), and stroll along the Mekong. Cycle tours are a great way to get a handle on Vientiane.

**Afternoon:**Get out of the city for the afternoon in Buddha Park, an eccentric extravaganza of gargantuan concrete sculptures drawn from Buddhist and Hindu mythology by a Thai mystic. Capture classic photographs as you enter a giant pumpkin through a demon’s head or pose with a 3-headed elephant.

**Night:**The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers. Take a stroll along the water at sunset, then relax and soak up the colors with a cold Beer Lao. Devote the evening to a street-food feast, perhaps at Ban Anou Night Market, where melt-in-the-mouth roast duck hangs right beside plates of deep-fried crickets or insect larvae.

Day 2: Country Colors

**Morning:**It’s in the countryside, not the city, that you’ll discover the beating heart of Lao culture. Many will choose to spend the day cycling through unspoiled countryside and Hmong villages, cruising scenic Nam Ngum Lake, or even hiking Buffalo Mountain in Phou Khao Khouay National Park.

**Afternoon:**Take some time to delve deeper into Lao culture in the city. Discover the rich textile tradition of the nation’s many minority groups; learn about the toxic legacy of the Vietnam War at charities such as COPE; or shop for fine silks and charming handicrafts at street markets, workshops, and boutiques.

**Night:**Ease away any aches and pains with an authentic Lao herbal sauna and massage, then treat yourself to an indulgent night out. Consider dinner and a show in a colonial-era mansion; splurge on fine French cuisine at the best prices on the continent; or discover how modern chefs are reinventing Lao classics.

The city of Vientiane became the capital of Laos in 1563, and since then, this bustling city center has been recognized as the country’s cultural, artistic, and religious hub. From ancient Buddhist monuments to French colonial buildings, the city is an excellent place to dive into Laotian history. Here are some must-see attractions.

The Great Stupa (Pha That Luang)

Perhaps the most important national monument in the nation, this Buddhist stupa dates back to as early as the third century BC. The 148-foot-tall (45 meter) golden stupa is believed to enshrine a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone.

Wat Si Saket

This temple is believed to be the oldest surviving wat in the city. Built between 1819 and 1824, the structure managed to survive the Thai invasion in 1828 that claimed many of the city’s other Buddhist structures. A statue of the Buddha seated on a snake-like deity sits inside and is believed to date back to the 13th century.

Victory Gate (Patuxai)

Vientiane’s version of the Arc de Triomphe dominates the skyline of the commercial district. This seemingly out-of-place monument was erected in the 1960s to commemorate the Lao who perished during the prerevolutionary wars. A climb to the top rewards with panoramic views of the city.

Lao National Museum

The Lao National Museum, housed within a French colonial building, maintains a collection of art, artifacts, and objects tracing the history of Laos from prehistoric times to the present. It’s an excellent place to kick off a visit and brush up on your local history.

Wat Phra Keo

This temple was built in the 16th century as a place to house the famous Emerald Buddha after it was stolen from Thailand (then Siam). Today, the site serves as a museum for religious art, displaying a collection of Laotian Buddha statues, Khmer carvings, and other religious relics.

Even if you have only one day in Vientiane, you can get a very good overview of Laos’ sleepy capital. Besides touring timeless monasteries and Lao landmarks, learn about the consequences of the Vietnam War or Laos’ rich textile traditions, photograph the crazy sculptures at Buddha Park, and watch the sun set over the Mekong. Here’s how.

Morning: Tour the Temples

Buddhism is embedded deep into Lao culture, with many Lao men spending some of their life as monks. Discover it on a tour of timeless temples, such as Wat Si Saket, Ho Pra Keo, Wat Sok Pa Luang, or Wat Si Muang, coupled with Lao landmarks such as Patuxai (Victory Monument), the nation’s answer to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. Some guided tours enable you to meet and mingle with the monks. Locals love to travel by bike, and pedal power is a great way to explore Vientiane’s flat and quiet streets.

Afternoon: The Concrete Jungle

Buddha Park, a green expanse outside the city covered in giant concrete sculptures from Hindu and Buddhist mythology, is a mecca for photographers and Instagrammers, and many visitors choose to spend the afternoon there. Alternatively, stay in Vientiane and learn about the consequences of the Vietnam War at charities such as COPE, which makes prosthetic limbs for the many thousands of Lao people injured by unexploded weaponry. Laos’ many minority groups produce startlingly beautiful textiles in materials including silk, as well as stunning handicrafts. Exploring workshops, markets, and boutiques is a rewarding way to spend the afternoon.

Night: Sunset Over the Mekong

Spend the evening discovering Vientiane’s vibrant street-food culture. Start with a cold Beer Lao beside the Mekong, as the sun sinks slowly into the calm waters of this majestic river and the street stalls fire up their grills. Then head to Ban Anou Night Market and join the locals in feasting on everything from grilled duck or pigeon to noodle soups, sticky rice, and insects such as crickets or bee larvae. A good guide will work as a translator and help connect you to the vendors. Wrap up the evening with a shot of the national spirit, lao lao (rice whiskey).

Lao culture can be found in and around Vientiane in a variety of ways, from food to religious sites. Whether you want to stay in the city or venture into the countryside, here are some ways to gain insight into the heritage and current way of life for Laotians.

• Learn how to make Lao dishes with local ingredients at a cooking class.

• Join a half- or full-day tour to Buddha Park, home to more than 200 statues of Buddha, Hindu gods, and other religious symbols.

• Take a city tour to visit temples such as Wat Si Saket, one of the oldest and most significant in Vientiane.

• Get a glimpse of village life at Ban Hat Khai on a trekking tour in Phou Khao Khouay National Park.

• Check out what’s for sale at Talat Sao, a central market in the city.

• See the art of weaving at Lao Textiles.