Laos holidays 2024 & 2025

In Laos, you can visit gilded temples, admire dramatic karst scenery and forested mountains, and immerse yourself in local traditions and cultures, such as alms giving in Luang Prabang.

You could also experience what it’s like to work in a rice paddy, take a cookery class to learn all about local ingredients and culinary traditions, or set out along the Mekong on a river cruise.

For a more adventurous trip, you could get out into the jungle-clad hills and mountains on a caving and kayaking tour or go on a guided hiking trip to the 100 waterfalls.

Laos offers a wide range of places to stay from stylish boutique hotels to restored French villas and ecolodges in the mountains of the north. You’ll find the best choice of hotels in Luang Prabang and Vientiane where you can stay in a former royal residence with a spa and choice of swimming pools, or a historical former officers’ residence turned sleek, minimalist hotel. Outside the cities, and in the south, hotels are often simpler but comfortable and may have more traditional styling, but our specialists have found plenty of interesting options from simple guesthouses on the banks of the Mekong to traditional thatched bungalows set in tropical gardens.

Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Vang Vieng are some of the best places to go in Laos, but you’ll also find plenty to explore in the lush hills of the far north and the small villages and temple ruins of the south. You could watch saffron-robed monks collect alms among gilded temples in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, visit caves and small villages in the dramatic limestone karst scenery around Vang Vieng, or explore the mysterious Plain of Jars where hundreds of giant urn-like stones dating back to megalithic times lie strewn across the plains. Hike through the mountains of the north from a base in Nong Khiaw or watch freshwater dolphins in the Mekong and enjoy the slow pace of rural life in the 4000 Islands. Our country specialists will be happy to discuss your interests and offer advice on the best places to go in Laos.

It takes around 16 and a half hours to fly from the UK to Laos, usually with a stopover in Bangkok.

The time zone in Laos is UTC+7 hours. Laos does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Train travel is one of the best ways of getting around northern Laos, while domestic flights are best for travel between the north and the south. The train is comfortable and reliable and links the capital, Vientiane, with Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, and further north. River travel is also possible in Laos, and boat journeys along the Mekong River allow you to visit remote communities in the hills more easily. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to have a private driver between destinations.

Your doctor can provide you with vaccine advice for Laos. You can also check the suggested vaccinations on the Travel Health Pro website. Ensuring you’re up to date with recommended vaccinations at home before setting off on any trip is also a good idea.

If you’re travelling to Laos from a country that is considered to have a risk of yellow fever by the World Health Organization (WHO), then you may be asked to provide proof of vaccination against the disease upon arrival. Consult your doctor for up-to-date advice.

UK passport holders need a visa to enter Laos, but this can be issued online or on arrival. The Lao Official Online Visa can be used for entry through Luang Prabang and Vientiane airports as well as at some land crossings. Applications must be submitted in the three to five days before your arrival in Laos.

Should you choose to get a visa on arrival, you’ll need a passport photo and US dollars to pay the fee.

It's important that your passport is stamped on entry and exit from Laos to avoid any further fees for onward travel.

Please check that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your return home from Laos and that you have at least two full blank pages available.