Luang Prabang Tour & Kuang Si Waterfalls: Temples, Pools

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.67 (93 reviews) 84% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration12h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · JA

PickupAt your hotel

Temples at dawn, waterfalls in the afternoon, mountains at sunset.

A full-day private tour of Luang Prabang combines the city's temples, royal palaces and riverside views with an afternoon trip to Kuang Si Waterfalls, where you swim in emerald pools and visit a bear rescue center and Hmong village. A local guide leads the morning walk through Buddhist sites and tells the stories painted on temple walls; the afternoon is free time before heading to the waterfall. Temple entrance fees, the waterfall, and Hmong museum entry are included; pickup is available in most options.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Luang Prabang city and Kuang Si Falls

Optional morning alms giving
Optional visit to morning market
Free time for breakfast
Introduction at riverview park
Visit Wat Xieng Thong temple
Temple hopping at Wat Sene
Visit Royal Palace Museum
Climb Phousi Hill for views
Free time until afternoon
Visit Kuang Si Waterfalls
Visit bear rescue center
Visit Hmong village

The Experience

The day starts early if you choose the 5:30 am alms-giving option, where you watch monks collect offerings from locals in a living Buddhist ritual that has shaped Luang Prabang for centuries. After that, the morning market opens along quiet streets near the Royal Palace, selling everything from rice and fresh vegetables to the day's catch. You return to your accommodation for breakfast and free time until 8:30 am, when the main tour begins at the riverbank where the Nam Khan meets the Mekong.

From there, a local guide walks you to Wat Xieng Thong, the ceremonial gateway to the city, where you climb the grand staircase as ancient dignitaries once did. The temple, known as "The Temple of the Golden City," sits at the peninsula tip with views of both rivers. You then move through the neighborhood to Wat Sene, built in 1718 with 100,000 stones from the Mekong, and visit the Royal Palace Museum, which displays Lao artifacts in a French colonial building from 1904–09. The morning ends at Mount Phousi, a 150-meter hill in the center of town where you get 360-degree views across the city, its temples, and the mountains beyond. You have free time after this to rest and eat before the afternoon excursion.

In the afternoon, you head to Kuang Si Waterfalls, where the water cascades into emerald pools you can bathe in. The site includes a bear rescue center. On the way back to Luang Prabang, you stop at a Hmong village to meet the ethnic minorities and see how they live. The journey covers roughly 12 hours from start to finish, with an air-conditioned vehicle and driver throughout. Some options include a sunset cruise back on the Mekong, returning around 6:30 pm.

What’s included

Local guide in English or Japanese.
air-conditioned vehicle with pickup.
Kuang Si Waterfalls and Hmong museum entrance fees.
all taxes and fees (temple entrance fees on some options only — check your selection at checkout).

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Manifa travel

Is this one for you?Choose the 5:30 am alms-giving option if you want to witness the Buddhist morning ritual before the temples fill with other visitors; the private format means your guide can adjust the pace and spend extra time at sites that interest you most. If you prefer to sleep in, the standard 8:30 am start still covers the main temples and gives you the full afternoon at the waterfall without rushing.