There are lots of things that make traveling in Southeast Asia great.

The food, sure. The scenery, you bet. We’ll be looking at that in depth.

But the $3 hostels and $5 bill for a big meal + beer is honestly as beautiful of a sight as any lush green rice field or towering karst cliff.

In this post, I’ll be taking you through a guide for the perfect 2 weeks in Laos- and if you stick to my budget, your wallet will be as happy as you are.

Why Laos?

Laos may have been my favorite all-around country in Southeast Asia.

There’s something about it that just feels raw and untouched. The travel experience in Laos is certainly more hardcore than in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam.

So if you’re in Southeast Asia and want (even more of) an adventure, Laos will not disappoint.

Budget Overview

I was surprised to find that Laos was- very relatively speaking- not the cheapest of countries.

Prices were often on par with Thailand, and considerably higher than in Vietnam.

This was at first surprising, since GDP/capita (wealth per person) in Laos is far lower than in Thailand, and even lower than Vietnam.

Here’s the catch- Laos is landlocked and not easily accessible, which raises prices on anything they have to ship inside.

I’m assuming you’ve all had enough with my economics lesson, so I’ll carry on. Just sometimes feel the urge to put that Econ degree of mine to use.

Typical Daily Costs

If you’re looking at the following chart before having ever traveled to Southeast Asia, you’ll probably be laughing your head off at what an idiot this Bold Passport guy is for calling Laos ‘relatively expensive’.

As I said up top, there’s a reason why this part of the world is so popular for travelers. It’s beautiful, but so is Europe, so are the States, and plenty other destinations too. But Southeast Asia- as a whole- is cheap as hell.

A week of budget travel in Europe can get you a week of absolute luxury in Vietnam. That’s just the reality.

The following chart details how you should allot your funds if you want to keep to a low daily budget in Laos.

I’ve included two budgets: the first is a low-end budget, which is what I did and perfectly doable. It’s not like you’re settling down for the night on a hay bale with an empty stomach.

But it can be a bit gritty for some (ie losers), which is why I’ve included a slightly more comfortable high-end budget.

If you’re using a phone, you may want to flip it horizontal to see the chart better. A bit cramped otherwise.

Expense	Low-End	High-End (Still Budget)	Further Breakdown
Accommodation	$4-7 USD	$10-13 USD	Hostels
Food	$10 USD	$15 USD	3 meals (~$3 each) + snacks
Transportation	$10 USD	$10 USD	~$6 motorcycle rental, buses between cities
Additional Activities	$2 USD	$5-10 USD	Often small access payments for tourist spots
Total	$25-30 USD	$35-45 USD	——————————-

Note: These prices reflect how they are during peak season (December-March). They’ll be even lower if you visit in the offseason.

Further Budgetary Tips

So remember when I said that Laos is like the poorest country in the region, yet the prices are still relatively higher?

Time for another economics lesson.

It’s a reality that most Laotians would not be able to head over to Luang Prabang or Vang Vieng and be able to afford meals and a place to stay.

But mostly, they don’t have to. The vast majority of Laotians live off the land. They’re not buying much that is being shipped in from neighboring countries.

The main towns have become largely tourist centers, and this is what really reflects the higher prices.

Venture outside of the tourist centers, and this largely disappears. You’ll soon notice that prices will begin to seem more on par with Vietnam.

I’m not saying that you should head to the middle of nowhere for every night and meal, but you should every now and then (this is what’s so great about having a motorcycle- freedom!).

Not to mention, you’ll often get a more authentic experience away from the main cities, which are designed in specific ways to cater to tourists.

If you eat in town, make sure to eat traditional Laotian food. Not only is it better, but it’s considerably less expensive than international options.

If you eat pizza and pasta every meal, your budget isn’t going to hold. Your stomach may not either. It’s quite bad here.

Rent motorbikes!

Renting a motorbike will grant you so much more freedom and flexibility in Laos, in addition to saving you money.

In each of the three stops we’ll be talking about, the main attractions are out of town. This means you either have to get yourself there or pay someone else to do it. Over time, that adds up.

If you don’t rent a motorbike, chances are you’re going to end up either paying too much for transport or skipping certain activities because you don’t want to pay. Either scenario is bad.

Of course, I’m assuming you have experience on motorbikes. Because I can’t say it’s a good idea to try it for the first time here.

But you guys knew what you were getting into when you clicked this link.

Oh, and try not to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Not fun.

As of March 2025, you can find a motorbike to rent pretty consistently for around 120-150k Kip (~6 USD) per day.

The cheapest model was often the 100-125cc Honda Wave. These bikes are semi-automatic, though. Not that difficult to learn, but it’s an adjustment if you’ve never driven one before. Essentially, it’s a manual without the clutch.

You can get an automatic scooter too, it just may be a couple bucks more per day.

Days 1-3: Luang Prabang

If you’re like me, your first stop in Laos will be Luang Prabang (perhaps via slow boat from Thailand). This guide will work from Luang Prabang in the north down to Thakhek in the south- but of course, you can just flip things around.

Compared to the two other stops, Luang Prabang undoubtedly has the nicest town.

The Laotian vibes combined with the French colonial architecture make a fascinating mix. Seriously, bravo to those colonists.

People will mention exploitation, cultural erasure, and all that jazz- but wait until you see the shutters on those colonial villas.

Now, before we get into things, you’ll notice that the time I allotted to Luang Prabang is shorter than the other two destinations on this 2-week journey. Simply put, it’s because there’s less to do.

Unless you do a special extra activity that I’ll talk about in the next section, there’s no reason to be here for more than two full days.

Things to do in Luang Prabang

• Go visit the Kuang Si Waterfall. It’s probably the most famous attraction in Laos, and yes- it’s that beautiful photo at the top of the page. Here’s another section of it:

The waterfalls are vast, with many different tiers and pools- and the color of the water is something out of a fairy tale.

It’s undoubtedly the highlight of Luang Prabang.

Now, a few tips: you may read elsewhere that there are “secret pools”. Sorry to break it to you, but this is either complete bullshit or (more likely) the authorities had it closed off recently. Basically, just don’t waste your time looking for it.

However, I discovered my own less-secret-but-still-pretty-secret pools. They’re located pretty close to the parking area for the falls.

I’ll attach it on a map below.

• Explore the town and night market. The town of Luang Prabang is great for strolling around.
  
  The best time to stroll around is after sunset, when the night market pops up.
  
  Make sure to check it out- the main food section is by the beginning of the market at the intersection, and the market then spans down one long street.

• Head to Nong Khiaw for an overnight mountain experience. This one may hurt the budget a bit, but I’ve heard that it’s incredible. I didn’t have time to go myself, but it seemed right up my alley.
  
  Nong Khiaw is a mountainous region north of Luang Prabang. I came across a lot of backpackers who had done tours that camped overnight on the mountains, and they all said it was incredible.
  
  You can book a trip (transportation included) through your hostel or in town, depending on which rate is cheaper/seems better. Another option is to get the transportation yourself, and then sign up for the overnight tour when you get to the small town in Nong Khiaw.

Note: This tour starts in Nong Khiaw, so you’ll have to organize transport from Luang Prabang yourself!

Where to eat in Luang Prabang

There are lots of Laotian-French fusion restaurants around town. By Laotian standards, many of them are pricey. But even the priciest of joints are still relatively affordable.

I can personally recommend Tamarind. It’s an awesome place with some pretty incredible food. They also have a tasting menu that’s very affordable. I don’t remember the exact price, but it was nothing crazy. Try to reserve in advance.

If you want more recommendations, I found this post to be very beneficial.

Now, don’t eat at these restaurants every meal, or you’ll blow through your budget. Treat yourself once or twice, and fill yourself up with some banh mi and other street food.

Where to stay in Luang Prabang

There are plenty of good hostels to stay in in Luang Prabang.

The most famous is Mad Monkey, which is always a solid choice if you want an extra lively experience. In Luang Prabang, things run kind of slow, so liveliness can be a good thing. The only place that’s even open past 12 is a bowling alley.

The Mad Monkey can be expensive though. Other good options are the Jam and Sabai Sabai Guesthouse- I personally prefer these.

You can find all of these on Hostelworld.

Days 4-9: Vang Vieng

It’s easy to get from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. Take a motorbike taxi or organized transport to the train station and hop on the Chinese high speed train.

I’m not gonna lie, it was very bizarre to have something so modern in the middle of Laos. You’ll see what I mean. Book here.

I’d recommend you spend about double the amount of time you spent in Luang Prabang in Vang Vieng.

The town is pretty crappy. But drive about 10 minutes out and it’s an absolutely remarkable place.

Let’s get into it.

Things to do in Vang Vieng

Before I even get into this, I’d be remiss not to mention that I have a post specifically about things to do in Vang Vieng. So check it out as I go into a lot more detail!

• Visit the Blue Lagoons.
  
  The Blue Lagoons are a series of natural pools with turquoise blue waters and beautiful mountains backdrops, all located within 30-40 minutes of the town center.
  
  There are six blue lagoons in the area, each offering a unique experience.
  
  If you want in-depth details about all of the Blue Lagoons, you can check out this (yes, another) post of mine for the best Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng.
  
  For now, I’ll mention a few of my favorites.

If you only go to one Blue Lagoon, make it Blue Lagoon 4.

The water here is just different– the waters are a deeper turquoise, and more clear than I had seen at any of the other Blue Lagoons. There’s also a rope swing and zip-line, which adds to the fun.

Of course, you shouldn’t just go to one blue lagoon. I’d recommend also checking out Lagoons 2 & 3.

Two is the largest, the highlight being its high jumping platform. Three comes with a rope swing and zip-line, as well as a nearby cave with a short walk to a pool.

• Explore by motorbike. Many of the Blue Lagoons and the Nam Xay hike (among other things) are located along a loop you can do from the main town of Vang Vieng. To reiterate from earlier, you really want to have a motorbike- especially here.
  
  Beyond the convenience, the feeling of driving in the nearby valleys, surrounded by cliffs, with wild animals crossing the road at any given time- it’s safe to say that it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss out on.
  
  I’d recommend venturing off the main roads. You’ll find endless dirt roads weaving through countryside and up to the most incredible views.
  
  If you want specifics, I give some in my off-roading section of this post.

• Go paramotoring or hot air ballooning at sunrise (not so budget). I felt I should probably include this. While not being a budget activity, it is the cheapest place in the world for either of these things (they say).
  
  If you walk around town, choose a good place and bargain a little, you can get it down to 1.5-.6 million kip ($70 USD). A hot air balloon trip would likely put you back more like 2.5 million ($110 USD).
  
  Not cheap, but once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing.

Where to eat in Vang Vieng

The food isn’t great in the main town of Vang Vieng.

Most of the places you’ll find are overpriced and highly mediocre international eateries. Ugh.

But as the old saying goes, you only need one.

I ate most of my meals at a Laotian/Thai place called Cook Savang. Nothing extravagant, just good, cheap food. You can look it up on Google Maps.

There’s also a bunch of banh mi and roti (fried crepe/pancake of sorts) stands interspersed around town. 30k ($1.20 USD) for a sandwich doesn’t give much to complain about.

Where to stay in Vang Vieng

I stayed at the Golden Dragon House, which was amazing for the price ($7 USD including a fantastic breakfast). It’s got a nice social space and the vibes were overall very nice.

However, there are plenty of other places, especially if you want more of lively atmosphere with nighttime activities and such. Mad Monkey, again, is a good option.

But of course, you can just take the cheaper option and then head to the Mad Monkey to hang out at night.

Here’s a look at all the options on Hostelworld.

Days 10-14: Drive the Thakhek Loop

Getting to Thakhek is a bit of a pain in the ass, but it’s worth it. Especially if you’re heading to Vietnam anyway.

OK, maybe more than a bit of a pain. It’s basically a full day of travel. You can book through 12Go or with your hostel in Vang Vieng, whichever is cheaper.

I’d recommend you get in at night, so you can get a full night’s sleep in town before heading out for the loop.

By the way, don’t bother coming to Thakhek if you aren’t going to drive the loop. Definitely not worth it.

Things to do along the Thakhek Loop

I should mention that I have a complete guide on the Thakhek Loop, so I would check that out. I’ll still give a synopsis here, of course.

• Check out some caves. This region is famous for its karst cliffs. The karst made up of very soluble rocks (water dissolves them over time), which over millions of years led to the formation of absolutely massive and awesome cave systems.
  
  The most famous is the Kong Lor Cave. It has a river running at its base so you can take a boat ride through it. It’s so massive that it takes almost an hour to go one way.
  
  Make sure to join a group for the boat if you’re solo. Even if it’s just a couple strangers waiting on the ticket line- it’ll be substantially cheaper.
  
  Two other great ones are the Xieng Liap Cave- which is partly filled with water that you can swim through- and the Dragon Cave, whch has some incredible formations.
  
  And the Tham Nam Non Cave (a hidden secret). Check out my other post for more details.

• Head up to some viewpoints. It’s a beautiful region and you want to see it from the best spots possible.
  
  Dragon Cave also has a hike to a nice viewpoint in addition to the cave. You’ll also want to check out the Pha Katai and Limestone Forest Viewpoints.

• Take a dip in some springs and waterfalls.
  
  There are a couple I’d recommend. First off, the Cool Pool. It’s absolutely stunning, sitting at the base of a cliff with the most magnificent waters. And it’s certainly cool. More like cold.
  
  Then there’s the Song Sa Waterfall. It’s not quite as well-known, and the water isn’t quite as nice, but it’s a blast. There are several levels of falls, and places to cliff jump. Always a bonus.

Where to eat on the Thakhek Loop

Where you’ll eat generally ties into where you will stay. The places I recommend you stay for the first two night both serve food (and pretty good food too- stay tuned).

Other than that, there’s only one spot really worth mentioning.

When (if) you’re staying by the Kong Lor Cave, you must eat at ‘the best one Restaurant Konglor cave’. Yes, that is the name of the restaurant. I love Laotians.

It happens to in fact be- by far- the best one restaurant in Kong Lor. Go. Food is great, ambience is killer. And they speak English and French, to a degree. More importantly, they’re awesome people.

Where to stay on the Thakhek Loop

Again, I have a whole post on this topic. I slaved for y’all.

But it’s honestly pretty simple.

The first night (you’re doing the loop counter-clockwise), stay at the Sabaidee Guesthouse in Nam Theun. It’s an awesome and quaint place, and the best part is that they have a communal BBQ for dinner.

The vibes are great, and it’s a bit pricey for our budget at ~$5 USD, but still worth it (all you can eat).

The next night, you’ll head to San Hak Guesthouse in Na Hin. They also have good food and nice places to chill, and the rooms are shockingly nice.

In Kong Lor, Spring River is a cool option, tucked away in the trees.

There are plenty of other options too though- if the rice fields are in bloom, you should stay in a bungalow and take in the beauty from your little balcony.

So with all my golden tidbits in mind, please head on over to Laos and have the best time, while spending the least amount of money.

And please leave comments below if something needs to be updated! Much appreciated.