My 12-day Laos route · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 11 nights
- Hotel changes
- 6
- Travel
- Express train, one domestic flight, private car
- Best for
- Older couples and families with children over 10
- Budget
- From 1,680 USD per person (12 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★)
The short answer
My sample private Laos tour runs 12 days: four nights in Luang Prabang, the express train to Vang Vieng and Vientiane, a flight to Pakse, the Bolaven Plateau, Wat Phou and the 4,000 Islands. Price is from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers at 4★ (12 days from 1,680 USD per person), confirmed in your written quote. Domestic flights are quoted separately.
This page is for travellers who want Laos as a trip in its own right: older couples who like slow mornings, families with children over ten, and anyone who has already seen Vietnam or Thailand and wants a quieter country next. Laos rewards people who do not try to hurry it.
My view is that the best private Laos tours run the whole length of the country, from Luang Prabang in the north to the Mekong islands in the south, but with fewer hotel changes than most plans. I would rather give Luang Prabang four nights and drop a stop than move every day.
My sample 12-day route for private Laos tours
This route is based on the published Metta Voyage Laos Highlights itinerary. I have changed it in two ways: Luang Prabang gets a fourth night with a free day, and I go from Vang Vieng straight to Vientiane by train rather than adding a lake night. That keeps the hotel changes to six.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luang Prabang | Airport pick-up, rest, a first walk in the old town, then a private Baci blessing with a local family. | Luang Prabang |
| 2 | Luang Prabang | Royal Palace Museum; boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves; Wat Xieng Thong in the afternoon. | Luang Prabang |
| 3 | Luang Prabang | Dawn alms round with your guide explaining how to take part respectfully; Phousi Hill; the tiered pools of Kuang Si. | Luang Prabang |
| 4 | Luang Prabang | A free day: the weaving centre at Ock Pop Tock, the spa, or nothing at all. | Luang Prabang |
| 5 | Vang Vieng | Express train south, about an hour; afternoon among the karst peaks. | Vang Vieng |
| 6 | Vang Vieng, Vientiane | Tham Jang and the Angel Cave, a swim at Blue Lagoon 3, then the train on to Vientiane. | Vientiane |
| 7 | Vientiane | Wat Si Muang, Buddha Park, COPE and the story of unexploded ordnance, That Luang, Wat Sisaket; sunset by the Mekong. | Vientiane |
| 8 | Pakse, Bolaven Plateau | Morning flight to Pakse, up onto the plateau: a tea plantation, the twin falls of Tad Fane and a coffee farm. | Bolaven Plateau |
| 9 | Wat Phou, Don Khong | Tha Teng market and plateau villages; Wat Phou, a Khmer temple begun in the 5th century; on to Don Khong, the largest island in the Mekong. | Don Khong |
| 10 | Si Phan Don | Long-tail boat through the 4,000 Islands to Don Khone: the old French railway remains and the Li Phi Falls. | Don Khone |
| 11 | Khone Phapheng, Pakse | Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia; back to Pakse, Wat Phou Salao at dusk. | Pakse |
| 12 | Pakse | Fly out of Pakse, or drive across the Chongmek border to Ubon Ratchathani for a flight to Bangkok. | — |
See a published Metta Voyage itinerary for the original day-by-day version: Laos Highlights in 12 Days.
Price from
Private Laos tours at 4★ level start from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing, with your own guide and driver. These are from-prices, confirmed in your written quote.
| Trip | Rate per person per day | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 12 days, 2 travellers, 4★ | from 140 USD | from 1,680 USD |
| 12 days, group of 4 (−5%) | from 133 USD | from 1,596 USD |
| 12 days, group of 6 (−8%) | from 128.80 USD | from 1,546 USD |
| Luxury tier (Amantaka or Rosewood in Luang Prabang) | from 350 USD | quoted individually |
The Vientiane to Pakse flight on day 8 is a domestic flight: it is not included and is quoted separately, as is any flight home from Pakse. We book the express train sections and show them in your quote. To confirm the trip we take a 30% deposit and a non-refundable 100 USD per traveller holding fee (kept even if you cancel early), separate from the 30% deposit; your quote shows how it is applied to the final invoice. The balance is due 45 days before arrival, and card payments carry a 3.5% fee. Before you compare offers, read red flags in a tour quote.
Where I’d stay
At the 4★ rate we choose a central 4★ hotel in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and Pakse and name it in your quote. On the Bolaven Plateau and the Mekong islands the hotels are simpler; we book the best available and name them too. If you upgrade one stay, make it Luang Prabang, where you spend four nights. These are the two I compare.
Amantaka, Luang Prabang. Twenty-four suites on a historic garden estate at the foot of Mount Phousi, inside the old town and a 10-minute drive from the airport. The Mekong, Khan and Pool Suites each open onto a private pool, and the resort can arrange the dawn alms offering. It suits guests who want to walk out of the door to the temples.
Rosewood Luang Prabang. Twenty-three rooms, villas and hilltop tents by Bill Bensley, built around a waterfall in the Nahm Dong valley, about 24 minutes from the airport and outside the old town. Free on-demand transfers run to town from 9 am to 9 pm. It suits couples who want nature and quiet, and families with children over ten who like a tent with a view.
The longer comparison is in Amantaka or Rosewood in Luang Prabang.
Why private, and how I’d adjust it
Laos has few large hotels, long distances in the south and a slow rhythm that a shared tour cannot follow. A private guide lets you start after breakfast instead of at dawn, skip a cave if the stairs look too much, and stay longer where you are happy. In our experience, guests enjoy Laos most when the plan leaves room for an unplanned afternoon. My reasoning on pace is in why Laos needs a slow pace.
- Older travellers. Phousi Hill has 329 steps; our guides offer it as optional. Drives in the south are usually two to three hours, and we break them with stops.
- Families with children over ten. Add a morning at Green Jungle Park near Kuang Si, where the zipline is optional and the trails can be walked instead.
- Longer trip. Seventeen days allows the Plain of Jars, as in the published Laos in Depth itinerary.
- With Vietnam and Cambodia. Luang Prabang has direct flights to Siem Reap and Hanoi. My three-country route is on the Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour page.
- Season. November to February is the easiest window: dry, sunny and cool, especially on the Bolaven Plateau. March and April are hot, and smoke from field burning can haze the northern views. From June to October the land turns green and the Mekong falls are at their strongest, while the islets of Si Phan Don show best in the dry months.
Mistakes I see most often
- Two nights in Luang Prabang. The alms round, Kuang Si and the Pak Ou Caves fill two days on their own. We recommend four nights.
- Skipping the south. Wat Phou and the 4,000 Islands are a different Laos from the north, and the one flight to Pakse makes them easy.
- Too many hotel changes. I keep it to one move every two days where the route allows.
- Not checking entry rules early. Check the current visa options on laoevisa.gov.la before you book flights.
Our team builds every Laos trip from the published routes and changes the days to fit you. Send us your dates and the pace you like, and we will reply with a written plan.
Sources
Visa: Lao eVisa portal (laoevisa.gov.la). Destination information: Tourism Laos (tourismlaos.org).
Checked and updated 11 November 2026. — David, for The Metta Voyage team.
Questions about this trip
How much does a private Laos tour cost?
From 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing at 4★ with a private guide and driver, so 12 days is from 1,680 USD per person. Groups of four save 5% and groups of six save 8%; the price is confirmed in your written quote.
How many days do I need in Laos?
Twelve days covers Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and the south at an easy pace. Seventeen days adds the Plain of Jars.
What is the best month to visit Laos?
November to February is the easiest window, dry and cool. March and April are hot, and from June to October the land is green and the Mekong falls are at their strongest.
Are domestic flights included?
No. The Vientiane to Pakse flight and any flight out of Pakse are quoted separately. The express train sections are booked by us and shown in your quote.
Can I combine Laos with Vietnam or Cambodia?
Yes. Luang Prabang has direct flights to Siem Reap and Hanoi, and Pakse connects to Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City. We adjust the route and quote the combined trip.
