Lifetime Mekong River Cruise Tour from Thailand to Laos – 6 Days

* BRIEF ITNERARY:

DAY 1: PICK UP FROM CHIANG MAI – CHIANG RAI – CHIANG KHONG
DAY 2: DEPART FROM CHIANG KHONG – HUAY XAI – PAKBENG (B,L)
DAY 3: PAKBENG – LUANG PRABANG (B,L)
DAY 4: LUANG PRABANG CITY TOUR – KHOUANGSI FALLS (B)
Day 5: LUANG PRABANG –  FREE (B)
DAY 6: LUANG PRABANG – DEPARTURE(B) 

DAY 1: CHIANG MAI – CHIANG RAI – CHIANG KHONG (-/-/-)

A van will pick you up at 8 am from your hotel in Chiang Mai. On the way we stop to visit the hot spring, Wat Sang Kaew Photiyan, “Wat Rong Khun” or “White Temple”, see temporary art by Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat in Chiang Rai and lunch over there. Then we travel to Chiang Khong in the afternoon and check in at your hotel in Chiang Khong.

Overnight in Chiang Khong

DAY 02: CHIANG KHONG – HUAY XAI – PAKBENG. (B, L)

The next day in the morning we have a van to pick you up at 7:15 am from the hotel to take you to the Thai and Lao border No.4 and cross to Huay Xai Laos (No guide).

On arrival, you will get through the border checkpoint to exit to Laos and right here, you’ll have to pay a little fee of 25 Thai Baht for the bus transfer from the checkpoint to the slow-boat pier (your own account).

DOWNSTREAM MEKONG RIVER CRUISE – 2 DAYS OF BOAT SERVICES

• From October to March: Departure every Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
• From April to September: Departure every Monday and Friday.

At 08:00am, the guests will meet our English-Speaking guide with a welcome sign at Houay Xay immigration office (Lao border). Our guide will assist customers to apply for the visa. Note: Visa on arrival cost 40USD per person or you can apply for Laos E-visa in advance (35USD per person)

After getting the VISA, guests will take a sharing transfer (minivan) to the slow boat pier to embark on the boat. During the morning, Quick lecture about Do’s and Don’ts in Laos and fun facts will be presented by our guide. Lao traditional Lunch set is served on board. Before reaching Pakbeng, we will stop to visit a traditional Kamu village (Ban Houa Phalam), a tiny cozy place which host about 90 families. Travelers will learn about rural lifestyle in a very remote area. The boat will arrive at Pakbeng before the night.

Overnight in your hotel in Pakbeng

Note:

We recommend to the travelers to be at Chiang Khong thai immigration border at before 07:30am to make sure to meet our guide in Lao side on time. If the travelers are already in Houay Xay, we will arrange pick up at their hotel between 08:30am and 09am. The boat will leave Houay Xay at latest at 09am

DAY 3: PAKBENG – LUANG PRABANG (B,L)

The boat will leave Pakbeng at 08am. Enjoy the beautiful nature and jungle during your journey. In the morning, our guide and cooker will make a short demonstration on how to make some lao desserts and local drinks that travelers will eat later in the afternoon. First stop will be at Ban Baw village, a complex but harmonic mixed of three ethnicity: Lao Loun, Shan and Tai Lue.

Today the village is famous for its lao lao whiskey making. Right after the visit, a Lao traditional Lunch set is served on board. In the afternoon, the boat will stop for the second visit at the Pak Ou Caves (Tham Ting) and its over two thousands Buddha statues. It is one of the most important Pilgrimage place for lao people. After the visit, enjoy the homemade desserts and drinks made by our team and the travelers. The boat will arrive in Luang Prabang before 4:30pm.

Pick up at boat pier and transfer into hotel.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 4: LUANG PRABANG CITY + KUANG SI WATERFALL TOUR (B)

After breakfast, we visit the National Museum at the former Royal Palace.  It displays a collection of artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temples of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai

We then continue towards Khouangsi Waterfall, en route, we visit the local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Ban Ou, Laoloum and Ban Thapene, and then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall. Here you can take a dip in the inviting pools or walk along the forest trails surrounding the waterfall. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for silk hand weaving and for traditional Saa Paper making.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 5: LUANG PRABANG – FREE DAY (B)

Breakfast at hotel

Today, you’ll be free on your own to explore hidden charms of Luang Prabang (No services)

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 6: LUANG PRABANG – DEPARTURE (B)

Breakfast at hotel

Today, you’ll be free on your own until transferred to airport for your onward flight home.

End of services.

End of services.

CHILD POLICY

• Free of charge for children under 6 years old.
• Between 6 and 12 years old, we charge 50% of the normal rate.
• Over 13 years old, full rate is applied.

PROGRAMS INCLUDED (only applicable for joinning cruise*):

• Guided Chiang Mai tour to Chiang Khong
• Transfer from Chiang Khong Hotel to the border
• Welcome at Lao immigration in Houay Xay + assistance to apply for the visa to Laos.
• Transfer on a sharing minivan from Lao immigration office to slow boat Pier in Houay Xay for downstream and vice-versa for upstream program.
• Crew service during the cruise.
• Baggage handling during all the cruise.
• Admission fees for visiting sites serviced by our English-speaking guide.
• Lunch on board as mentioned in the program (except for charter boat).
• Free flow of drinking bottled water, coffee & tea on the cruise
• Accommodation in Chiang Khong and Pakbeng, Luang Prabang with breakfast

 PROGRAMS EXCLUDED:

• Visa/immigration and/or overstay fees in Laos or in Thailand.
• Personal insurance.
• Beverages, personal expenses, and tips.
• Other expenses not mentioned above.

To get more details on how this tour will be taken place on the field, please check at https://vietlongtravel.com/news/travel-guide/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-mekong-river-cruise-tour-from-chiang-mai-to-luang-prabang