Luang Prabang's Top Icons to Tour
Show up to the Royal Palace Museum at noon and you will find the doors shut until 1:30pm. Luang Prabang’s headline attractions reward a bit of planning far more than most towns this size, and getting the order right saves you a wasted trip.
Wat Xieng Thong
Founded in 1560, this is the temple that defines the Luang Prabang skyline: sweeping, multi-tiered roofs that sweep almost to the ground, the celebrated Tree of Life glass mosaic on the rear exterior wall, and a separate hall housing the gilded 12-meter royal funeral carriage. Give it a full hour if you want to actually see the funeral carriage hall and not just the main chapel.
Haw Kham, the Royal Palace Museum
Built in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong, the palace holds royal regalia, throne rooms, and the sacred Phra Bang, an 83cm gold-alloy standing Buddha that gave the city its name. Two things trip people up here: it closes for lunch from 11:30am to 1:30pm every day, and it is shut entirely on Tuesdays. No photography is allowed inside, and the dress code is strictly enforced.
Pak Ou Caves
A 2-hour longtail boat ride 25 km upstream takes you to Tham Ting and Tham Theum, two limestone caves stuffed with more than 4,000 wooden, lacquered, and gilded Buddha statues left by generations of pilgrims. Book this as a half-day, since the boat journey itself takes up most of the morning.
Wat Visounnarath and That Makmo
Founded in 1512, Wat Visoun is the oldest operating temple in the city, and right beside it stands That Makmo, the hemispherical “Watermelon Stupa” rebuilt in 1932 in a Sinhalese style unlike anything else in town. It is a quieter stop than Wat Xieng Thong and worth the contrast.
Kuang Si Falls
Thirty km southwest of the center, the turquoise, three-tiered pools of Kuang Si run clearest in the dry season, November through April. It doubles as a swimming stop, so bring a swimsuit if the weather cooperates.
The verdict: pair Wat Xieng Thong and the Royal Palace Museum in the same morning, since both are best seen before the midday heat and lunchtime closures line up anyway, and save Pak Ou Caves for a dedicated half-day by boat. For the on-foot version of the old town route between these sites, see walking tours of Luang Prabang .
One concrete tip: check the day of the week before you plan around the Royal Palace Museum. Showing up on a Tuesday means the doors stay shut no matter what time you arrive.