How Many Days Does it Take to do the Thakhek Loop?

view from high of a river winding through a lush green valley on the Thakhek Loop

The Thakhek Loop is one of the best adventures that the beautiful country of Laos has to offer.

Towering cliffs and limestone formations, caves, and vibrant rice fields highlight the 450 kilometer loop.

How many days it takes to do the Thakhek Loop is ultimately up to you.

I recommend taking a minimum of three days, but preferably four or five.

Allow me to explain why.

Can you do the Thakhek Loop in 3 days?

the vibrant green rice fields in the Kong Lor Valley of the Thakhek Loop — How could anyone rush through scenery like this?

Although completing the loop in three days is certainly feasible, it’s not something I would suggest.

It would look something like this- a day discovering caves in cave alley, a day driving through the limestone karst cliffs and rice fields, and a quick visit to Kong Lor Cave before heading back on the highway.

Trust me, that’s a lot of driving. And it will hamper your experience.

If you are really bent on doing the loop in three days, the better alternative is to pay for the option to transport your bike on a boat through Kong Lor Cave, which cuts back through the loop. I discuss it in depth in my article about the best routes to take for the loop.

The only problem is that transferring your bike through the cave is quite expensive. But if you want to do the loop comfortably in three days, this is by far the best option.

Why you should take your time on the Thakhek Loop (4-5 days)

How many days would I suggest taking to complete the Thakhek Loop? In my opinion, the sweet spot is right around four or five.

This gives you enough time to do almost everything the loop has to offer without moving so fast that you can’t take anything in.

The exact itinerary will depend on the route you choose to take, but the main differentiating factor from the three-day option is that you will get a whole day to explore the Kong Lor Valley, which is definitely the best part of the loop.

With three days, you’ll get barely half a day in Kong Lor before you have to move on. Trust me, the difference is massive.

If you have more time and want to push it to five days, I recommend driving the loop counter-clockwise and then turning back in the other direction after visiting Kong Lor Cave. This will allow you to bypass the highway section of the loop, which is a major plus.

On the way back, I highly recommend focusing more on finding areas of the loop off the beaten trail. If something intrigues you, turn off the main road and go explore. It always leads to the most unique experiences, something that those who rush through the loop will never get.

motorbike on a dirt road in front of a slate blue colored river with towering mountains behind it. — A beautiful area I discovered off the beaten path full of dirt roads crisscrossing a river with incredible views

How many days is the maximum you can spend on the Thakhek Loop without getting bored?

the opening of a cave from the inside, with a river running through it — Xieng Liap Cave, located right by the climbing village

Five days is really the maximum, in my opinion. You simply start running out of things to do- in the grand scheme of things, the loop isn’t that big.

However, if you want to extend the loop there is a great way to do it.

I had no idea it existed until my last day on the loop. I had walked through the Xieng Liap Cave and found that it opened up to what looked like a massive campgrounds.

This turned out to be a climbing village called Green Climbers Home. Essentially, you spend a few days learning how to conquer the steep karst cliffs of the region.

So if you really want to extend the loop, this would be the best usage of your time. I didn’t do it myself, but when I stumbled across it looked incredible and I felt regret. Unfortunately, I’d already booked a bus ticket out of Thakhek that night.

Definitely something worth looking into if you have the time!