“Most visitors to Luang Prabang only get the Disney version,” says Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith. And he should know.
Our time in Laos since 2008 has shown us, time and again, that there’s a far richer country underneath the (admittedly beautiful) surface. But it takes the right people to open those doors.
Experience Laos with hosts like Nith: a prince by birth who left in 1975 and made his name as an artist in France before returning home to mentor the artisans keeping Lao temple stencilling alive, and welcome travellers into his house and garden. And Dr Khamvone Boulyaphonh, one of the country’s eminent scholars of Buddhism and Lao manuscripts, who will sit with you over tea and talk through a tradition that reaches back to Lan Xang, the kingdom of a million elephants that ruled here before the French.
Expect to take to the water to drift along the Nam Ou River, watch Tak Bat from a respectful distance well outside the Old Quarter, and join in with a game of pétanque as the daylight fades over the Mekong.
All made possible by the same partners we’ve worked with since the beginning, and experiences we’ve built entirely ourselves.
We design trips you wouldn’t have known to ask for.
Our Unique Holidays in Laos
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In Our Travellers’ Words
An Epic Adventure Across Southeast Asia
ETG look outside the box
Experience Travel Group live up to their name
How We Plan Laos
We design around river and rail rather than road where possible, letting the landscape set the pace.
Luang Prabang is where most journeys begin, and rightly so. We build in proper time here to get to know the city on our exclusive experiences, beyond the ‘Disneyfied’ version.
The North rewards those who push further. A private boat journey up the Nam Ou through limestone scenery, stopping at riverside villages and cave shrines, time in Oudomxay’s forest reserve, and even Luang Namtha in the far northwest.
East of Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars is one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing landscapes.
Vientiane is sleepier than most capitals. Now linked by rail, we use it as a natural pause en route south, with lesser-visited stops along the way like Wat Dane Soung and Thakhek.
The South is where Laos surprises and opens up. The ancient Wat Phou, the wide, island-dotted Mekong of the 4000 Islands, and the Bolaven Plateau’s coffee estates and waterfalls.
To explore Laos properly, explore our Classic Holidays.
Explore Experiences in Laos
Immersive experiences sit at the heart of ETG. Each one is specially designed to confound preconceptions and share magical, memorable, and truly exceptional moments.
Meet Our Experts
“If you’re looking for an unconventional luxury holiday spot, then you can’t go wrong with lovely Laos. The perfect place to revel in unbelievable beauty and be as up- or low-tempo as you fancy.”
Ella Theaker
Laos Specialist
Hotels in Laos, Chosen In-House
Plenty of polished, highly rated hotels in Laos don’t make the cut for our collection. The ones that do have something special: a proper sense of place, a distinct atmosphere, and hosts who are genuinely glad you came. Some are grand, some are simple, but they all have enough character to stick in your memory. Here are the hotels we keep coming back to, alongside a few off-the-beaten-path finds you’d be hard-pressed to find by yourself.
The Curious Traveller’s Expert Guide to Laos
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Important FAQs about Laos
November to February is the most comfortable period: cool, dry, and the most popular. March to May is warm and dry before the rains. The wet season from June to October brings lush green landscapes and fills the rivers, which affects some boat journeys but adds real atmosphere. Luang Prabang is busy year-round; the quieter months (particularly June to August) offer a different, slower experience of the town.
Ten days to two weeks covers Luang Prabang, the Nam Ou River, and Vientiane with time to breathe. Laos moves slowly and it is better for it. A week is possible but tends to produce a rushed version of the country. If you want to reach the Plain of Jars, the Bolaven Plateau, or the 4,000 Islands in the south, build in more time.
Yes, if you go beyond the obvious circuit. The town is beautiful. The question is what you do inside it. Most visitors follow the same path: the night market, Pak Ou Caves, Kuang Si Falls, Tak Bat from the front row. We design it differently: Tak Bat from a respectful distance outside the Old Quarter, time with people like Nith who open doors the standard tour doesn’t know to knock on. Luang Prabang at its best is slow and particular. It needs a design that matches.
Yes, and it is one of the natural pairings in the region. Laos and Vietnam work well together via the overland routes and the shared Mekong geography. Laos and Thailand make sense if you’re entering through Chiang Mai and want to cross north. The sequence matters: Laos works better as a country you slow down in, not one you pass through. We’ll design the combination so it earns the time you’re giving it.
Not in the usual sense. Every Experience Travel Group trip to Laos is private and designed for the person taking it, but we don’t do “tailor-made”, and that’s deliberate. Because “tailor-made” assembles a trip around what you asked for, from hotels and tours anyone can book. We design around why you’re travelling, using experiences we’ve built ourselves, boutique hotels we’ve scouted out and matched to you, and trusted guides and drivers we’ve worked with for years. That lets us reach parts of the country you wouldn’t have known to ask for.
- All your accommodation in hand-picked, characterful hotels
- Private drivers throughout
- Carefully chosen local guides
- All activities and experiences (some secret!)
- Entrance fees to national parks and cultural sites
- Many meals and snacks throughout
- All regional transport
- International flights on request
- 24/7 in-country support
Laos offers a gentler pace of travel and a strong sense of tradition. With ETG, you’ll go beyond the main sights, exploring lesser-known regions, staying in carefully chosen lodges, and meeting local people who bring the country’s culture to life. Our trusted guides ensure every experience is authentic and enriching, not rushed or routine.