Laos Thailand Tour 15 Days: Border Crossing

Step into the heart of Laos and embark on Asia King Travel's Laos Thailand Tour 15 Days: Border Crossing that promises to be a real and transformative experience. Discover the hidden gems of Luang Prabang, delve into the traditions of remote villages, and witness the awe-inspiring landscapes that make Laos a destination like no other

15 days 14 nights

Laos

Multi-Country Tours

Attractions

Vientiane - Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang - Golden Triangle - Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai - Bangkok

Duration

15 days 14 nights

Code

LUMT7

Overview

Overview

Travel to Indochina, you can’t miss to see the wonderful scenery of the Thailand and Laos, especially the border cross between Thailand and Laos is amazing, very scenic area off the beaten path. The originality is the highlight of this Laos Thailand Tour 15 Days: Border Crossing, instead of making the classic route between Thailand, Laos, you head north from Laos to the Mekong for a crossing to the border of Thailand to to arrive in Chiang Khong, the countryside off the beaten track.

Tour highlight

Explore the capital of Bangkok and its main monuments, enjoy its unique atmosphere
Discover the traditional Thai lifestyle with a walk in the floating markets.
Visit the historic site of Ayutthaya, former capital of the now defunct Thai kingdom, witness of the glorious history of the country.
North of Thailand, between mountains and Mekong has discovered the history of opium.
Pass the border of Laos, visit Vientiane and Luang Prabang, its spiritual atmosphere and its many temples.
The Laotian countryside off the beaten path, a still wild nature and villages of minority tribes living out of time.
Relaxation in Vang Vieng to enjoy a breathtaking nature, punctuated by sumptuous karst formations conducive to calm and rest.

Itinerary

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Warmly welcome you on arrival at Wattay International Airport. Our driver and tour guide are waiting you to pick up and transfer to hotel, then take your time to have a short rest after a long flight.

In the afternoon, start the excursion this capital with first visit of the oldest Wat Sisaket which is not the only temple that was destroyed during the invasion of the Siamese army and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo. We then discover a national symbol of Laos - That Luang Stupa or the Great Stupa which is coverd with gold.

The last sights would be Patuxay Monument which is famous for Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph.

In the evening, experience the Lao Culture by enjoying the traditional dance & folk song when dinner is served.

After having breakfast, we leave the city for our journey to the Northern to Vang Vieng.

On the way stop at colorful market of KM52 where local people come to trade goods and buy provisions and stop to take a photo at Hin Heup bridge, and the fish market in Ban Tha Heua.
Upon arrival Vang Vieng lying on the Nam Song River with the limstone hill landscape surrounding the town, check in the hotel

In the afternoon, we continue our trip by passing through paddy field areas heading to Tham Phoukham caves which is located to the northeast of the village of Ban Na Thong . Along the way, you will experience the local cultures by greeting the local people and learning about their daily lifestyle. There is a small natural pool named Blue Lagoon in front of the caves where you can take a swim and relax by yourself or you could explore the nearby area.

Afterward, we will take the leisurely boat along the Namsong River while enjoying the sunset behind the mountains.
Overnight at the hotel in Vang Vieng.

We get up a bit early to walk around the town and visit the local market to have a closer look at daily life in a typical Lao rural area.

After breakfast, we head to the southwest of Vang Vieng to visit the cave of Tham Jang, which is famous for being used in defense against the Chinese invaders in the early 19th century.We transfer to visit Ban Phathau village where we could experience different local lifestyles.

Then we make our way to Luang Prabang which is considered as the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia.
we go through some stunning landscape scenery with rice terraced fields and moutainous villages, we should miss to have a few photo when stopping at some small hill tribe village on the way.

We also have chance to enjoy the panoramic view over the surrounding area at the peak of over 2000m. We may make a short stop to visit the local school at Ban Nasala before reaching Luang Prabang.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

We get up early to join the most sacred tradition of Laos - the Buddhist Alms Giving Ceremony which has been existed since 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks coming from many temples in the surrounding area to collect their daily meal from the faithful local people on the streets.

After that, we shall have chance to taste the flavor of local life by visiting the temporary morning market where the local people gather and exchange goods such as rice, vegetable, fish and so on.
Back to hotel for light breakfast then take a local traditional boat at Kamu Lodge pier at 08:30am and cruise upstream to each one of the most stunning caves in Luang Prabang - Pak Ou caves

We are back to Luang Prabang in the afternoon, en route, we have a stop at Ban Phanom, a small village being famous for its hand weaving. We continue our trip toward Khouangsi Waterfall, on the way we visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, Ban Ou, Laoloum Village and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then head to one of the most beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can dash around in the turquoise pools or stroll around the forest trails.

We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village being famous for silk handweaving and for traditional Saa Paper making.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

In the morning, transfer to the Luang Prabang pier. Boarding the traditional boat for a cruise along the Mekong River towards Pakbeng. During the cruise, you willvisit the Pak Ou caves, "cave of thousands of Buddha". Then stop at Ban Xang Hai village to observe the local rice liquor making.. Lunch on board the boat. Arrive in Pakbeng in the late afternoon, check in at the hotel. Free time for a walk in the city
Overnight in Pakbeng.

Breakfast at the Lodge (optional: walk to the Pakbeng Market, where minorities come to sell their wares).
At 08:30, we will embark for a second day of cruising. During the cruise, you will make stops and visits to villages of ethnic minorities living at the rhythm of the Mekong. Lunch on board the boat. Arrival Huay Xay then you are transferred by shuttle bus to the immigration. Cross the border to Chiang Khong in Thailand. Our private vehicle are waiting to pick up and transfer you to hotel. Check-in the hotel and the rest of day is at leisure.

Today we will take a boat trip along Mekong Kong River to see Thailand, Burma & Laos, confluence at the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle is known for its beautiful scenery. Some of the sights in the area include a large golden Buddha image seated in a boat, an ancient temple on a hill and the House of Opium Museum.
We continue the trip by heading to the northern Thailand to Doi Mae Salong. which has early history focusing on opium trading. Climb up and down the green hills, covered with tea plantations. Here, you will get a chance to taste the delicious tea of the region.

From Doi Mae Salong, we will visit two villages of ethnic minorities: the village Akah of Loyo, and the village Lisu of Ban Hanygo.
After lunch, we visit the Mae Fah Luang botanical garden, sited high up on the mountain of Doi Tung. Coming here, visitors are rewarded with a stunning display of plants and flowers
Heading to Chiang Rai. Check in the hotel and relax.

Morning after breakfast, we will visit the local market to discover the local products. After that we visit the world famous Wat Phra Kaew, one of the oldest and most revered temple in Chiang Rai city, where the Emerald Buddha image was once enshrined.

We move on to Wat Phra Singh, which was the storage of Phra Buddha Sihingh statue. The main structures of the Lanna style temple are the ubosot, the viharn, a chapel containing a footprint of the Buddha and the Kuti or monks living quarters.

Continue to visit Baan Dam (Black House), an eclectic mix of traditional northern Thai buildings interspersed with some outlandish modern designs.

We have lunch then take a boat to cruise on Mae Kok river from Chiang Rai to Karen village where you can watch elephants or feed them, especially enjoying your 1 hour elephant riding.
Heading back to Chiang Rai to overnight.

Have breakfast and free time until transfer to Chiang Mai. It takes about 4-hour driving, therefore you can take your time to relax after checking-in the hotel in Chiang Mai.
In the afternoon, 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.

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.
Return to the hotel and the rest of day is on your own.

This day will start with a transfer to Doi Inthanon National Park. It will take approximately 2 hours to this highest peak of Thailand. On arrival, we will spend 2-3 hours trekking through the jungle following a narrow mountain trail which leads us to stunning hidden waterfall in the middle of lush jungle. Along the way before reaching the Pagagayaw Karen hill tribe village, we will pass through the farmland where you will see the coffee plantation, flowers farm and the beautiful rice terraces. Discover the Pagagayaw Karen hill tribe village and taste a cup of locally grown coffee, then move on to Vachiratharn Waterfall, a 70 meters high thunderous waterfall. Enjoy the cool fresh air at the waterfall before we continue back to the ground.
After that you will visit the beautiful architecture of Napamaytanidol Chedi and Phra Mahatat Napaphon Bhumisiri which build to honor the 60th birthday of King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit. Heading back to Chiang Mai for your overnight.

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!
Relax until you are transfer to the station for the overnight train to Bangkok. Overnight on train.

Arrival Bangkok in the morning, 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 Pra Kwae 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 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.