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Pak Ou Caves

Pak Ou Caves: Our most recommended tours and activities

Luang Prabang: Cruise to Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Waterfalls

1. Luang Prabang: Cruise to Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Waterfalls

Enjoy a private or shared group boat tour to the Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Waterfalls departing from Luang Prabang. You will be picked up at your accommodation and travel straight to the pier. Hop onboard a long tail boat for a relaxing journey aong the Mekong River. Enjoy the views from the water as you pass by local villages and fishing communities. After the first hour and a bit, the boat makes its first short stop at the popular Ban Xang Hai, also known as ‘the whiskey village’. Explore the village, see the process of making Lao Lao, the country’s beloved rice whiskey, and taste the finished product. Continue by boat traveling slowly along the Mekong in the direction of the glorious Pak Ou Caves. Arrive at a small boat landing dock where stairs lead you straight up to the cave. These limestone Buddhist caves have been a place of worship for thousands of years, over this time a collection of Buddha statues and idols have filled these spiritual natural caves Enter the Ou River to visit the limestone cliffs. Then, after a 30-minute boat ride down the Mekong River, arrive at Manifa Elephant Camp for lunch. Enjoy a full buffet-style lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and free-roaming elephants. After lunch break, travel by car to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. Enjoy 2 hours of free time to explore the three-layered Kuang Si Waterfalls. Walk the trails of the nature reserve and swim in the refreshing turquoise water pools and visit the bear rescue center. Depart for Luang Prabang, with a short stop at Ban Na Uan Hmong village on the way. Return to the city with drop-off at your hotel.

Luang Prabang: Kayak Tour to Pak Ou Caves

2. Luang Prabang: Kayak Tour to Pak Ou Caves

Discover Laos' varied and scenic landscapes on this guided tour. After getting picked up from your hotel in Luang Prabang, head north to the Nam Ou Riverside where you will begin your kayak tour. This is an easy river for kayaking where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the tranquil countryside and see naturally-formed limestone cliffs.  Kayak your way towards Pak Ou, where you will visit the famous Pak Ou Caves – 2 linked caves crammed with thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by devoted pilgrims. Enjoy a guided tour of the caves before starting the second section of your kayak on the Mekong River. Paddle down the Mekong for 30 minutes to reach your lunch destination. Sit down to a delicious buffet lunch as you admire breathtaking views of the Mekong. After lunch, continue to the Kuang Si Falls and enjoy some free time to explore these unique 3-layered falls. You could go for a walk through the trails of the surrounding nature trails, take a dip in the refreshing turquoise water pools or pay a visit to the bear rescue center. Finally, begin the journey back to Luang Prabang. Stop at Ban Na Uan hmong village and get the chance to experience Hmong village life, meet some of the local people and see their traditional embroidery crafts. Get dropped off back at your hotel at the end of the day.

Half Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves (Morning / Afternoon)

3. Half Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves (Morning / Afternoon)

Explore Laos’ one of the most respected holy sites Pak Ou Caves on this half-day river cruise. We depart Luang Prabang boat pier in the morning. Float down the Mekong river and see many scenery of countryside. We will enjoy a 3-hour morning boat trip. Stopping by a local village "Ban Xang Hai" for tasting their unique homemade local rice whisky and rice wine. A local tour guide will accompany throughout the tour. Tour guide will explain the history and culture of Pak Ou Caves. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Afterward, we enjoy buffet lunch at the restaurant overlooking the Mekong surrounded by tropical forests. Return to Luang Prabang city by minivan at 2:00 pm The afternoon tour will start by car taking you to San Hai Village for lunch. Then visit the cave by boat and continue cruising to Luang Prabang. It is the same except that the order and time of the itinerary changes. The tour date is reschedulable until 7 pm day before. Please contact us by email or message or visit Manifa Travel office (opposite of Villa Santi Hotel)

Luang Prabang: Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Falls Day Trip

4. Luang Prabang: Pak Ou Caves & Kuang Si Falls Day Trip

Visit the Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Waterfall on a full-day tour, with a scenic drive up and down the length of the Mekong River. Start with early morning pickup and relax on the 40-minute drive to Pak Ou Village. Admire locally-produced crafts, before crossing the mighty Mekong River in a small boat to the base of a limestone cliff. Enter the impressive Pak Ou Caves, filled with Buddhist statues and relics. Take your time to explore this incredible place, scented with burning incense and overlooking the impressive landscape. Climb a winding set of stairs, grab a flashlight, and find another fascinating cave to visit. After enjoying the caves, stop for lunch at the base of the caves. Cross back over the water and drive downriver for 1.5 hours, to reach the famous Kuang Si Waterfall. Stop at the popular Whiskey Village along the way, to sample local Lao Lao. Admire the rushing turquoise waters of the falls, surrounded by beautiful jungle scenery. Visit the bear sanctuary while there. We drop you back in Luang Prabang where your tour ends.

Full-Day Private Guided Pak Ou Caves & Ethnic Village Tour

5. Full-Day Private Guided Pak Ou Caves & Ethnic Village Tour

Set off into the Mekong River after being gathered from your hotel, passing scenes of fishermen and wildlife on the way. Once you arrive at the Pak Ou Caves, head to Tham Ting, the first cave. The smaller cave is illuminated from the entrance, making it a popular place to burn incense and offer prayers. As your guide leads you through the dark cave with a light, catch sight of the Buddha icons, numbering in the 1,000s that fill the place.  After your excursion through the caves, hop aboard your boat and make your way to the village of Ban Xanghai. Here, you can witness the traditional method of making lao-lao, the local rice wine. A short drive then takes you to Ban Phanom, which is famous for its handwoven textiles. Watch the craftsmen deftly work at their looms, weaving silk and cotton into intricate patterns. Conclude your day of adventure with a leisurely boat trip back to Luang Prabang.

Other Sightseeing Options in Pak Ou Caves

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What people are saying about Pak Ou Caves

Overall rating

4.8 / 5

based on 39 reviews

Thanks for the nice tour. Everything worked well, good organization and all employees were very friendly, courteous and helpful. Thanks for the cozy and lovely day, would definitely do it again for the price! Please remember tips, they really try! Start at the hotel with a new minibus. Comfortable boat tour including coffee, tea or water. Boat in fair condition and toilets were well maintained. Our tour guide Worn was very accommodating and answered as many questions as possible. Buddha Caves were visited. Very tasty food on the elephant Manifa Farm (try the pumpkin soup) followed by feeding the free-roaming elephants, no sticks, no chains... all very natural, elephants let themselves be stroked against banana bribery, ;) Visiting two villages Was a waterfall visit gg. afternoon, so very empty, but already cooler return journey with a new minibus with air conditioning.

Two hour boat cruise on Mekong See a lot of great scenery with refreshments Lower cave was cool Climbed to upper cave , not worth the effort Arrived very scenic area for lunch Lunch was very good Then came the elephant Feeding her bananas was awesome Into car to travel to waterfall There are four layers of the fall Don’t leave at stage two thinking u have seen it all Absolutely beautiful Bears were an extra treat, watching them play Then only 35 mins back to LP. Great day and value for money. Oh and pit stop to try local whiskey and chance to buy it from village.

Mr. Pong was a lovely tour guide, who tried everything to make you feel comfortable. The tour was really nice, especially the waterfall and watching the sunset from the boot. Be aware that the roads are really bad.

Waterfall and boat trip are excellent, be prepared for a long minibus journey

Great trip. Lots of things to see. Highly recommended.