Every other guide to the Blue Lagoons of Vang Vieng covers the same three – 1, 2, and 3 – and calls it a day. Not one of them mentions the lagoon that took the top spot on my list.
Why? Because they were never there.
There are more of these stunning turquoise pools scattered around Vang Vieng than most people realize, and they are not created equal. Some are worth your whole day, and one or two are worth skipping entirely.
I’ll be ranking all five, worst to best, and the winner is the one nobody else bothered to find.
Map of the Best Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng
Before we get into the rankings, it’s a good idea to get properly oriented.
As you can see on the map, all of the blue lagoons (except #4) are located on what is commonly referred to as the “Vang Vieng Loop”. This is a road that you can take starting and ending in central town and taking about 1.5-2 hours to complete (driving time, but with stops it can easily become a full day trip).
If you do the loop as a day trip, you can make stops at multiple lagoons (and hiking trails, which are also abundant in this area).
But enough introductions – let’s dive into the five best blue lagoons in Vang Vieng!
Note: The observant among you may have noticed a 6th pin on the map above – that’s Blue Lagoon 6, which by most accounts is abandoned. But not everyone – so we’ll be talking about it more later.
Quick Breakdown
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →
| Lagoon | Distance from town | Entry fee* | Best for | Crowds | My rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ~20 min | 20k kip | Jumping platform, Phu Kham cave, zipline | Packed | 5th |
| #2 | ~20-25 min | 30k kip | Two big pools, highest jump platform (~6m), zipline | Calm, esp. mornings | 2nd |
| #3 | ~35-40 min | 30k kip | Rope swing, zipline, tightrope, swimmable cave | Busy vibe (small) | 3rd |
| #4 | ~30-40 min | 30k kip | Clearest water, best rope swing + zipline, bamboo platforms | Near-empty mornings | 1st |
| #5 | ~45 min | 10k kip | Quiet, simple, one jump rock | Deserted | 4th |
*Entry fees as of August 2026 and subject to change.
Blue Lagoon Rankings
5. Blue Lagoon 1
Distance from town: ~20 min
Entry: 20k kip ($0.90 USD)
Worst is first, and first is worst.
It’s not that Blue Lagoon 1 isn’t pretty. Or uninteresting. There’s really just one main issue.
It’s completely inundated by tourists. Which makes lots of sense. After all, most tourists are terrible and interminably lazy (except for you, of course), and Blue Lagoon 1 happens to be closest to town.
And as Blue Lagoon 1 actually happens to be one of the smallest of the Blue Lagoons, the effect is exacerbated.
Now it isn’t my vibe, but it could be yours. If you like the place absolutely bombarded with people, it’s perfect for you.
But in all seriousness, the social atmosphere is there at practically all the lagoons anyway. So if you’re looking for that, there are still better places for it.
Blue Lagoon 1 does have some other activities. For one, there’s the jumping platform you can see in the photo – that’s always a good time. Just know that you’ll have around 50 people watching you intently as you go.
There’s also a cave and zip-line above the lagoon. I didn’t do either of these, and don’t have much information (other than hearing that the cave was mediocre). I did hear you can do a tour that includes the lagoon and zip-line along with transportation for around $30. But I’m not sure how much it would be to pay for the zip-line separately.
In any event, I would honestly advise you to skip this Blue Lagoon. There is really no area it excels in compared to the other ones. The water gets bluer, the scenery gets better, the activities get more fun, and – perhaps most importantly – the tourists get lost.
4. Blue Lagoon 5
Distance from town: ~45min
Entry: 10k kip ($0.45 USD)
Coming in fourth place is Blue Lagoon 5.
Quite unlike the prior lagoon, Blue Lagoon 5 is the quietest Blue Lagoon. This is mainly due to its location. It’s the furthest Blue Lagoon from central Vang Vieng, about a 45 minute ride or so.
It’s quiet, and it’s simple. There aren’t any shenanigans here – no swings, no ziplines. Just the lagoon. And a rock that I suppose you can jump from – I didn’t, but it seems feasible as long as the water is deep enough.
All this is fine by me. But unfortunately, there’s one major problem with Blue Lagoon 5. Which is that it isn’t really a Blue Lagoon. The color of the water is more of the murky green color of your typical lagoon, which was quite disappointing.
So I would also say that you can skip this one, especially if you’re wanting for time.
But if you do have time and are looking to escape the crowds, this could be a nice stop. The drive here is also quite spectacular and something I’d recommend doing anyway, so you may as well.
3. Blue Lagoon 3
Distance from town: ~35-40 min
Entry: 30k kip ($1.30 USD)
Blue Lagoon 3 also happens to be the 3rd best Blue Lagoon in Vang Vieng.
Before I get into this lagoon, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a pretty substantial jump in quality from this point on in the rankings. The next three – while I still have my favorites – are all incredible and well worth a visit.
Blue Lagoon 3 is a good time. The waters are perfectly turquoise, and the lagoon has a whole host of activities including a rope swing, zipline, and ‘tightrope’ walk along a thin wooden plank.
There’s also a small restaurant serving decent food for cheap, which allows you to refuel and remain at the lagoon for a longer period of time.
Make sure to check out the nearby cave tucked into the towering mountains behind the lagoon. A five to ten minute climb up the mountain brings you to the entrance. A further 15 minutes into the cave will bring you to two pools that you can swim in.
You can rent a headlamp from the restaurant for 10,000 kip (about $0.50 USD). Or go with your phone light, although I’d recommend the headlamp since you’ll often need your hands free. And once you get to the pool, take a moment to turn them off and sit in the thick darkness, hearing nothing but the steady drip of water echoing around the cave walls.
Blue Lagoon 3 is located around 35-40 minutes from town, which makes it harder to access and leads to a smaller number of tourists wading in its waters. However, it’s also one of the smaller lagoons. So even if there are fewer tourists, it can have a busier vibe than, say, Blue Lagoon 2, which is closer to town but larger.
2. Blue Lagoon 2
Distance from town: ~20-25 min
Entry: 30k kip ($1.30 USD)
Just as Blue Lagoon 3 came in 3rd, Blue Lagoon 2 comes in 2nd. Good. It’ll make it easier for you all to remember.
As I had just alluded to, Blue Lagoon 2 is quite large. It actually comprises of two separate lagoons, each larger than any of the Blue Lagoons we’ve spoken about thus far.
This allows Blue Lagoon 2 to maintain a sense of calm and quiet. Especially earlier on in the day – it generally still has a chill vibe later on, but it can definitely fill up on some days. If you want guaranteed peace and relaxation, come in the morning.
Both pools at Blue Lagoon 2 are quite beautiful as can be seen in the photos below, with nice waters and mountain backdrops.
They also offer multiple activities. One pool offers a zip-line into the water, and the other offers a jumping platform – the highest (around 6m) that you’ll find at any of the Blue Lagoons. It’s fun to jump and to sit back and simply watch the procession, ranging from some doing backflips to some staring down at the water and having panic attacks.
Blue Lagoon 2 is located about 20-25 minutes from town. If you’re doing the loop, it’ll either be your first or last stop. I’d recommend you start here, as it’s better in the morning.
1. Blue Lagoon 4
Distance from town: ~30-40 min
Entry: 30k kip ($1.30 USD, includes 10k kip bridge crossing fee to reach lagoon)
I wasn’t even planning to go to Blue Lagoon 4. Nobody mentioned it, it was in the opposite direction from everything else, and I didn’t give it a thought until my last day – which was a mistake.
I arrived around 9:30 in the morning to the most beautiful lagoon I’d seen in Vang Vieng, with literally nobody there. The water is a deeper, clearer turquoise than any of the others, there are bamboo platforms to laze on, and the rope swing and zipline are like Blue Lagoon 3’s but better.
As is the common theme, Blue Lagoon 4 also tends to fill up later in the day, but come in the morning and you may have to lagoon all to yourself. I spent nearly two hours teaching myself to do a backflip off the rope swing, and it was infinitely helpful not to have the crowds witnessing the motley of back, stomach, and face-flops that were to ensue.
And when they did arrive, I was ready to show off.
I have a whole post dedicated to Blue Lagoon 4 with full logistics, how to get there, the on-site restaurant, and everything else – check it out here.
Update: Apparently new sauna and steam room opened up at Blue Lagoon 4 in 2026, and costs 100k kip. Sounds great, as long as it doesn’t attract more of a crowd!
What’s With Blue Lagoon 6?
I’ll be straight with you: I never made it to Blue Lagoon 6, so this isn’t a ranking.
Blue Lagoon 6 is a bit of a mystery to me, and I hope one of you can help me solve it. Lots of other blogs and google reviews say it’s abandoned, yet others claim to have gone there recently and found a beautiful, empty spot all to themselves.
I didn’t go during my trip because all indications at the time seemed to say that it wasn’t worth trying. But I’ve since become curious, with new things I’ve seen online.
So consider this the open question of the bunch. If you make it to #6, I genuinely want to know what you found – leave a comment and settle it.
It’s located on the main loop between Blue Lagoons 2 & 3, so you’ll be in the vicinity – though by most accounts it’s a tough drive off of the main road.
How to Get to the Blue Lagoons
The best way is undoubtedly by scooter. You can rent one in town for $5-8 USD a day, and it gives you unmatched flexibility and opportunity.
The only other way to get to the Blue Lagoons independently is by bike. But I warn you, the roads can be really bumpy at times and it’s going to be a long ride. And my favorite Blue Lagoon (#4) will be quite the trip.
But I understand that not everyone feels comfortable on a scooter.
If you aren’t renting a scooter, you have two options: hiring a tuk-tuk or joining a tour.
I had my scooter, so I never took a tuk-tuk in Vang Vieng. But I heard from lots of people that the prices aren’t too bad – though this depends on your negotiating skills, as there is rarely a set price.
If you take a tuk-tuk, try and get a group of people so that the price is cheaper.
The other option is to join a tour.
Tours can also be a good option for ease of mind and meeting new people, but it really depends on your preference. One thing I’ll say is that there aren’t many tours specifically for the Blue Lagoons – they’re generally combined with other activities like rafting and caving.
I’ll attach some links for tours below and you can have a look!
Blue Lagoon Tips
A couple tips before I leave you to it.
Time your visits intelligently. This means go at a time where you have sunlight and fewer crowds.
The best way to guarantee fewer crowds is to go early. I’m not even talking that early. As I mentioned earlier, I got to Blue Lagoon 4 at 9:30 and there was not a soul.
Several of the Blue Lagoons sit by a cliff face, including 2 & 3. Make sure to visit Blue Lagoons 2 and 3 (especially 3) before the late afternoon, when the sun retreats over the cliffs.
Now go off and explore!
