Laos Thailand Tour 13 Days: A Glimpse of Culture

On arrival at the Luang Prabang airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide and driver then get transferred to hotel by private car. Check in the hotel and have a rest. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.
 

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning alms giving ritual to saffron clad monks. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. Enjoy visiting fresh local markets and back to hotel for breakfast.
 
After breakfast in hotel, depart to visit Wat Visoun, the site of impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao. Continue to visit Wat Aham and Wat Sene Temple. Then, visit to the most photographed temple, WAT XIENGTHONG. Located at the end of peninsular closed to the confluence of Mekong and Khan River.
 
This afternoon, continue to former Royal Palace, now the National Museum. Visit Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief. During Pimai, the Lao New Year, the Prabang normally housed in the Royal Palace Museum is brought and put on public display in this temple. Back to hotel for resting. Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.
 

Today, our guide will pick up you at hotel in Luang Prabang city and start our trip to Living Land Lao Organic Farm at Phoung Van village. Upon arrival, the farm owner will give us introduction in briefs about the tradition and activity of the farm.  You will have chance to experience the real activities and life of a Lao farmer.

You will feel how hard to grow the rice when you try to do all the activities such as ploughing, seeding, manuring, until reaping the harvest. Moreover, you will never regret to learn and realize many type of vegetable by visiting the garden and our guide will kindly help and teach you well.  Learning all those things for the first time could be a real interesting experience.

After lunch, we will reach one of the most beautiful Kuang Si Falls situated 30 kilometers of Southern Luang Prabang. The Kuang Si Waterfall consists of a tiered many of turquoise pools put amongst the dense Laotian jungle where we will have plenty of time to refreshing swim in the pools and hike around the falls.

You’ll also visit the Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park, one of the must-visit spots, a project that was newly opened on January 2014 studying about Lao butterflies, host plants and preservation.

We stop at one of the local villages before getting to Wat Siphouthabath to admire the sunset then find the way back to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Luang Prabang.
 

After breakfast, crossing the Mekong River, you start a walk along the village Ban Xienmienne. You can observe the life of the people and chat with them. Then, you continue to visit the temple of Wat Chompet which is located on a hill, climb the 123 steps to reach it.

After visiting Wat Chompet, go down the hill and go to the pier. Then, we take a local boat on Mekong River in 2 hours to reach the best famous and spiritual Pak Ou Buddha Caves, where we could have a look at confluence of the Mekong & Ou Rivers. Since the 16 century, the villagers built many thousands of Buddha images here.

After visiting, lunch at a local restaurant in front of the cave. Then, you will cruise back to Luang Prabang. On the way, you will stop at Ban Xang Hai, a famous village for its traditional Lao rice whisky production and Ban Xang khong, a village well-known for its wood paper making and also Lao silk weavings with natural dyes.

Arrival in Luang Prabang, transfer to hotel for resting.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
 

Morning pick up at your hotel and then transfer you to the airport for your flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival pick up and transfer you to your hotel for your overnight.
 

Today, we will take the whole day to explore Bangkok – the city of golden temples.

The first destination is the Grand Palace, which includes 3 main sites: Royal Palace, Royal Office and pagodas (Wat) built in 1770s. Nowadays, most of national significant events takes place there.

Wat Phra Kaew is famous not only for its beauty of unique Thailand Buddhism architecture but also for the sacred jade Buddha statue. 

Nearby Grand Palace is Wat Pho - the oldest and biggest pagoda in Bangkok with more than 1000 Buddha statues and the huge one sit-back Buddha in gold..

We will board on a boat to pay a visit along the Chao Phraya River, watching the life of local people close by. On route, we stop at Wat Arun, the most beautiful pagoda in Bangkok not only for its location on the Chao Phraya’s riverbank but also for the different architecture from other pagodas.

After having lunch, we visit the last destination of the day: Wat Traimit. This pagoda is famous for its unique and historic beauty, and also for the huge golden Buddha statue.
Return to the hotel and you are free to explore Bangkok by night.
 

Early in the morning, after having breakfast, we pay a visit to Meaklong Railway Market - a local market has grown up along the rail tracks. When a train pulls in or out of the station, the sellers quickly clear their stalls, and set them up again when the train has passed.

We continue our way to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which specializes in trading fruits, vegetables, etc… by small boat. 

After having lunch, we will fall into the relax atmosphere in Rose Garden, a huge park built in the middle of rural scenery with the major attractions of Thai Village. Here you can enjoy the activities and shows like Thai boxing, elephant parade, etc.

Return to the hotel and you are free at leisure.
 

Having a breakfast and we will transfer to pay a visit in some sites of Ayutthaya Historical Park. Being a ruin with many temples which characterize the handicraft architecture, the park was recognized as World’s Heritage Site by UNESCO.

• Wat Phu Khao Thong is a massive pagoda towering in the middle of paddy fields. There is a high golden plated chedi on the top, which makes the pagoda outstanding.
• Wat Phra Sri Sanphet was the most important temple of Ayutthaya with 3 towers standing high together in Ceylonese style.
• Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit is the pagoda in which the bronze Buddha statue in the attitude of subduing Mara is situated. This is one of the biggest Buddha statue in Thailand. 
• Wat Lokaya Sutha is considered as the sacred place for pilgrims since it’s famous for the reclining Buddha statue. It is also the most important relics in most of those in Wat Lokaya Sutha.

Heading back to Bangkok. En route, we visit the Royal Summer Palace in Bang Pa-in district.
Being a favorite resort of royal, the Royal Summer palace showcases an eclectic collection of buildings that blend European, Khmer, Thai and Chinese architectural styles..
The rest time of day is on your own.
 

The morning will be on your own to go to shopping or explore Bangkok by yourself.
In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport, taking a flight to Chiang Mai. Checking-in the hotel in Chiang Mai and then you are free

Today morning, we have a walking tour to the old town with a stop at the old wall, the moat and a door of the old town. You will see the most beautiful temples of Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Singh temple. built in Lanna style architecture. Known as “The Monastery of the Lion Buddha’, this temple houses a number of highly revered and very old Buddha images.

The next is Wat Phan Tao, an ancient temple sitting right next to the sacred Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai town.
Next to Wat Phan Tao is Wat Chedi Luang. This is a Buddhist temple in the historic centre of Chiang Mai, Thailand.  

Then you will stroll along small streets lined with traditional houses, where you will take a rickshaw tour. After that, you will take a walking through the central market of Warorot, which is a great spot for travelers wanting to experience the true Thai culture and daily life.

In the afternoon we visit the Doi Suthep hill. The mountain's temple is one of the most historically and spiritually significant places in Thailand. So, many Thais and foreigners come to experience the special magic of this holy place.
Return to the hotel and you can relax or enjoy going to the night market.
 

After breakfast, departure for Chiang Dao, famous for huge limestone mountains. Interstingly, when you visit an elephant camp, you can watch the elephants taking their morning bath and demonstrating some their skills. You will also learn how to properly ascend the elephant and lumber along a trail in the dense, leafy forest and along the Mae Ping River. Lunch is served at local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will get an up-close look at the river on a bamboo raft trip.

You will languidly cruise past traditional teak houses high on stilts along the lush banks. Bidding farewell to chilled-out Chiang Dao and its gentle people won’t be easy. Soften the blow with a stop at an orchid farm on your return to Chiang Mai. Revel in the assortment of colors and designs from stripped to dots. At the end of the day, you’ll have seen that Thailand’s natural bounty is an open-air art museum.
 

Morning after breakfast, we transfer to Elephant Poopoo Paper Park, which is an eco-friendly, naturally built, outdoor museum park that shows how the paper is produced from elephant poop fibers! 
In the afternoon, time would be free at your own until we transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Bangkok.
 

The time will be on your own until we transfer you to the airport, taking an international flight to your hometown.