8 Days China-Laos High Speed Train from Jinghong to Luang Prabang and Vientiane

Day 4 Luang Prabang

Sightseeing and Activities:Giving Alm Bowl to the monks, The National Museum, the Central Market, Wat Xieng Thong, the Night Market
Accommodation:Luang Prabang
Meals:B,L

Optional for early riser at 5:30:
Early morning, enjoy giving Alm Bowl to the monks on the street for making a merit. The Buddhist monks carry for their collection of food as they walk around the village near by only one time a day, early morning. It’s a belief that in order to give people to gain merit before they will start their day life, normally people will have to go to Buddhist temple, but in this case it’s to give people opportunity to do at home, it is not the way of begging as they never ask for any food and even wait for those who are late for giving alms in the morning. (With the Morning Alms Giving, if you do not wish to make an offering, please keep an appropriate distance and observe the ritual in silence. Dress appropriately, shoulder, chest and legs should be covered.)
Then visit the morning Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, Mekhong fishes, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings and local delicacies. Return to hotel for breakfast

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met with guide and driver for transfer to hotel for check in, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent today visit The National Museum (closed Thursdays) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating back from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. The National Museum and the Central Market are not to be missed.
We then continue visit the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low representing the classical architecture of Luang Prabang including the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred, gilded stupa as well as capture a beautiful view of the city and the Mekong River at sunset.

This early evening at 17.30pm, you will be transfer to local house to do Baci ceremonies are an integral part of Lao culture. Held to celebrate a special event, whether a marriage, a homecoming, or a departure, it is based on an ancient belief that the human being is a union of 32 organs and the kwan (or soul) watches over each of them. Since kwan is often the attributed cause of an illness or bad fortune, the Baci ceremony calls the kwan from wherever it may be roaming back to the body and re-establishes equilibrium. The mohkwan is a village elder who chant and call the kwan. At the end of the ceremony, the village elders wrap a white cotton thread around your wrist while chanting an invocation to strengthen the power of the blessings. In Laos, white is the color of peace, good fortune, honesty and warmth. The ceremony is set up at a 115-year-old rustic house on a lotus pond. Enjoy traditional music and dance after the ceremony.

From there, we visit the Night Market, where you can browse a lovely selection of handmade textiles, made by the local people and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 5 Luang Prabang -KhuangSi/ Elephant riding-Vang Vieng

Sightseeing and Activities:an Long Lao H’mong Ethnic village, Kuang Si Waterfall, Ban Muang Khai Elephant Riding Experience
Accommodation:Vang Vieng
Meals:B,L

At around 09:00am, you will meet your tour guide at lobby hotel leaving Luang Prabang with your private guide and driver, you travel for around one hour and twenty minutes out of the town. On the way, passing through beautiful scenery and rural landscapes with rice terraces and pineapple fields. You visit Ban Long Lao a local H’mong village where the culture, customs and language are all different to mainstream Laos. Your hike starts from the H’mong village and takes between two and three hours through primary forest and jungle before reaching the top as spectacular Kuang Si Waterfall where you can visit and enjoy the natural beauty.
Lunch will be served in the local restaurant at Waterfall.

On the way back to Luang Prabang, we make stop at Ban Muang Khai, to enjoy feeding Elephant with riding on its back for 30 – 40mintes (each Elephant can carry only 2papx in one time). The transfer back to Luang Prabang and take the high speed train to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang Railway Station.

Vang Vieng is a riverside town in Central Laos. The town hosts been known as a get-together destination for quite a long time, and whilst regardless these remaining parts more open air situated exercises are currently accessible, for example, mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, giving in, swimming and shake climbing.
Upon arrival at Vang Vieng, visit Tham Jung Cave and we end up the day with a superb panorama of the sunset reflecting over the Nam Song River with long tail boat ride.
Overnight in Vang Vieng

Day 6 Vang Vieng-Vientiane

Sightseeing and Activities:the Nam Song River, Tham Jang Caves, Hmong, Souay and Taidam villages, Optional Balloon to fly over the Vang Vieng City
Accommodation:Vientiane
Meals:B,L

At around 08:30 or 09.00am, we leave this wonderful town after breakfast for our journey northbound to Vang Vieng on route No. 13. We will see some breathtaking scenery enroute as we pass through spectacular countryside towards the mountainous region.
Vang Vieng is a riverside town in Central Laos. The town hosts been known as a get-together destination for quite a long time, and whilst regardless these remaining parts more open air situated exercises are currently accessible, for example, mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, giving in, swimming and shake climbing.
Upon arrival at Vang Vieng, we cross the Nam Song River to Tham Jang caves and today ends with a superb panorama of the sunset reflecting over the Nam Song River with long tail boat ride.
Enjoy your lunch at local restaurant;
Then transfer to your hotel for check-in. Remainder of the day is at leisure.
Dinner is on your own.

Optional Tour in Vang Vieng:
In the early morning, we drive to where Balloon to fly over the Vang Vieng City
After breakfast at your hotel, we start our board on a local tractor through paddy field areas heading to Tham Phoukham caves, where your breath will be taken away seeing the most beautiful and famous limestone cavern, surrounded by natural forests. Along the way, you have chance to explore the local cultures by greeting the local villagers and learning about their daily lifestyle. There is a small natural pool in front of the caves where you can take a swim to refresh yourself from the hot climate or you could explore the nearby area.

You will have a picnic lunch enjoying the scenery. After spending the day at the caves and its surrounding areas, we make our return to the Vang Vieng town, using local transportation or tractor. En route, we visit the ethnic minority villages of Hmong, Souay and Taidam villages meeting the warm and friendly hill tribe people and observing their traditional tribal costumes. Then we drive to Nam Song River bank there will be Tubing or Kayaking await at start to scroll down Nam Song River to your hotel
Overnight in Vientiane

Day 7 Vientiane

Sightseeing and Activities:Wat Sisaket Temple, Haw Prakeo Temple, Patuxay Monument, That Luang Stupa, Xieng Khuan Buddha Park
Accommodation:Vientiane
Meals:B,L

After breakfast at your hotel, we drive out of town to the fabulous capital, Vientiane by express way. Vientiane is the charming and fascinating capital of Laos. This small town conjures up exotic images, with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences.

This afternoon we explore the town; with Wat Sisaket which is the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. This amazing structure features remarkable frescoes and Buddha images. We continue sightseeing by visiting Haw Prakeo, the former royal temple of Laos monarchy, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Statue. We then visit the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph before continuing to the famous That Luang Stupa.

After Lunch, we drive approximately 35km to visit one of Laos’ slightly stranger attractions – Xieng Khuan Buddha Park or Buddha Park. It was Built in 1958 on the banks of the Mekong River This is the site of a large collection of many kinds of Buddhist and Hindu Sculptures then our guide and driver will take you a walk out to the night market to do shopping and enjoying testing street food, back to hotel for the night.
Overnight in Vientiane

Day 8 Departure from Vientiane

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Vientiane
Accommodation:Home
Meals:B
After breakfast is free at leisure until time for transfer to the airport for departure flight to home/ next destination (air tickets is on your own).
Service ends.