Welcome to Vang Vieng!

Vang Vieng was the biggest surprise for me in my trip to Laos. Many travelers I spoke to made it out to be a party town through and through, but the amount there was to do was unparalleled in the country.

And it really wasn’t even that much of a party town.

What an absolute tragedy. Instead we must be satisfied with hikes up steep karst cliffs, swimming in sparkling blue lagoons, and other monotonous such things.

Here’s some of the best things to do in Vang Vieng.

Rent a motorbike

It’s become a recurring motif for me to start off a list of “best things to do” in a Southeast Asian destination with “rent a motorbike”.

For good reason. While I’m the first to say that renting a motorbike is not always a good idea, having one opens up your options dramatically in almost any destination in this part of the world.

This especially rings true in Laos, where your public transportation options are few and far between.

Only rent a motorbike if you have prior experience– the amount of people I met with knee and elbow bandages (or worse) were truly too many to count.

If you can’t drive, try and find someone who can. Just do your detective work. By that, I mean make sure they’re not a complete moron and such. Just stray away from anyone with an English accent and you should be fine.

Everything I list in this article is a considerable distance away from town, so a motorbike will make things way easier. It’s not a make or break though- hostels always offer transportation, you’ll just have to deal with higher prices and bigger groups.

150k kip ($6-7 USD)/day for a motorbike here would be a good deal. Don’t go too much over that.

Visit the Blue Lagoons

Ah, 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.

I’ll be talking about my three favorites here– and honestly, that should be all you need. The others just aren’t worth it in my book.

If you want in depth details about all of the Blue Lagoons, you can check out this post of mine for the best Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng.

Blue Lagoon 4 (The best one)

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

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 are so many areas surrounding the lagoon to sit and relax, including a number of bamboo platforms as you can see in the photo below.

And you’re not lacking for activities either. It’s got a rope swing and zip-line, as well as a jumping platform that as of March 2025 was in a bit of disrepair, though it’s still possible to jump from it.

Come early in the morning- it fills up later in the day, but if you come early you might have it all to yourself.

This one is in the opposite direction from all of the other Blue Lagoons. You may need a motorbike to make it here– it’s possible that some hostels organize transportation here, but I’m not certain.

Blue Lagoon 2

Blue Lagoon 2 is the next best choice.

It’s more easily accessible, only 20-25 minutes from town.

It’s the largest of the lagoons. Blue Lagoon 2 comprises of two separate lagoons, each larger or at least equivalent in size to any of the other Blue Lagoons.

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.

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 3

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.

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.

Make sure to check out the nearby cave tucked into the towering mountains behind the lagoon.

Hike up to Nam Xay Viewpoint

Nam Xay Viewpoint is the most popular hike in Vang Vieng.

Depending on who you are, that can be a positive or a negative. For me, it’s generally a negative.

But hiking it at sunset is something everyone said was necessary. And after seeing pictures people had taken at the top (especially the famous shot with the motorbike), I had to give it a shot.

It was exactly the peaceful nature escape I had imagined- bumper-to-bumper with 200 other hikers, all climbing under 2 mph so Becky can get the perfect shot of a rock.

But kidding aside, the atmosphere was fun. Maybe not much of a hike, but it had a nice and social vibe.

It takes around 30 minutes to make it to the top at a good pace, maybe slightly longer.

Then you reach the summit and can get your moment of serenity.

Or you can, like me, queue up for a picture with a rusted motorbike and a chance to pretend you’re cooler than you are.

I’m having a laugh but it’s a good time. Definitely add it to the list. The pictures with the motorbike really are quite awesome.

Do some off-roading

So there’s one main road coming from town that forms a loop into a valley. People call it the Vang Vieng Loop. Practically everything you do in Vang Vieng is within this valley.

Most people stick to the main road. But shooting from the main road at specific points are these amazing dusty, winding dirt paths that lead you deep into the countryside- and straight into some of the most stunning views in the region.

It’s really an otherworldly experience. You’ll often just be driving along and there’ll be some goat, cow, or massive buffalo plopped down on the road in front of you.

Nothing quite tests your driving skills like navigating around a 1,200-pound animal in the middle of the road that clearly doesn’t care you have places to be.

There are two specific roads I’ll mention here, but there are more and you should explore them and report back to me.

If you drive directly to Blue Lagoon 2 from town, keep driving a couple of minutes and you’ll see a dirt road on your left. If you look on maps, you’ll see the narrow, tiny road snaking off into the mountains. It’s really long and I went for close to an hour and still didn’t make it to the end.

Another spot is further away. You’ll have to go past Blue Lagoon 3. After five minutes or so, you’ll see two cliffs on your left with a narrow passage between them. Keep your eye out for a dirt road on your left here that will bring you between the two mountains. You’ll eventually reach a house, just continue past it and up the mountain for some incredible views.

A word of caution: the roads at some points are rough and uneven, and if you’re not comfortable on dirt you should probably pass on this one.

Go paramotoring (or hot air ballooning) at sunrise

Can you think of a better way to start a day than by hovering hundreds of feet in the air, gliding over valleys and mountains in the early morning light?

I didn’t think so.

Paramotoring and hot air ballooning are two of the most popular things to do in Vang Vieng. Many come to Vang Vieng just for the sake of doing them.

Vang Vieng used to be known for its wild tubing scene on the river by town. Everyone would have about ten drinks and then cruise through rapids on a small floatation device. Sounds like an absolute blast to me, but a few people had to go and get themselves killed to ruin the fun for everyone.

The authorities shut it down and needed a safer way to bring adrenaline activities back to the town.

Because nothing says ‘safe’ like strapping yourself to a giant fan and a piece of fabric, then floating above rice fields alongside a cliff and hoping the wind doesn’t decide today’s your day.

In all seriousness, to the best of my knowledge there have been no reported accidents and the people who take you seem very professional.

It’s really an incredible experience. You can choose between sunrise or sunset- I’d personally recommend sunrise.

I recommend paramotoring over hot air ballooning for two reasons. First off, I feel that it offers a more personal and adrenaline-inducing experience. You have a closer connection to the landscape below.

Second, it’s cheaper. If you 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 you probably won’t find it cheaper anywhere in the world.

Check out some caves

Tham Chang Cave

Tham Chang Cave is located approximately 2 kilometers south of Vang Vieng and is pretty awesome.

It’s possible to walk, but by motorbike it should take about 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll pay an entrance fee of 15,000 kip (less than $1 USD) and then take a long staircase up through the cave.

Inside there’s some pretty amazing rock formations that are already illuminated so you don’t need a torch or anything.

There’s also just a magnificent vantage point offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside at the top.

Check out the small lagoon at the bottom before you head off.

Cave at Blue Lagoon 3

I said I’d come back to this.

After taking your time to enjoy the lagoon, make sure to check out the nearby cave that’s tucked into the towering mountains behind it.

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.