Is Vientiane, Laos *REALLY* Worth Visiting? (11 Things Not to Miss)

**Updated : September 2023**
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If you're planning a trip to SE Asia, or more specifically Laos, you might be wondering if a stop in Vientiane is actually worth it. From our personal experience, we can whole heartedly say YES. Not only are the people some of the kindest we met on our world trip, but it was also one of the countries and places we felt the most comfortable and safe. Even though we wouldn't recommend spending a whole week here, 48 hours seemed just about right to us! Continue reading for for some of our best recommendations and scroll all the way to the bottom for our 48 hour itinerary!

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What to Know Before Visiting Laos

Like we mentioned above, Laos is an incredible country. As soon as we crossed the border from Thailand, we immediately felt so welcomed and comfortable. If this is your first time visiting Laos (like it was ours) there's a few things you might want to know :

• Currency - Laos uses the Laotian Kip, and it's better to use cash wherever you can since the Laotian banks use a different exchange rate - for example the exchange rate according to Google is 20,425 Kip to 1 US Dollar, however if you use your card you will most likely get a much, much lower exchange rate - meaning you'll pay a lot more. It's also worth noting that USD and Thailand's Baht are accepted widely as well, and it's important to have cash on you for any Tuk-Tuk trips or excursions outside the city.
• Religion - Buddhism is the main religion in Laos, so it's important to dress conservatively especially if you're planning to visit any temples or religious sites - this typically means shoulders and knees covered.
• Geography - Laos is completely landlocked, and is bordered by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Vientiane is the capitol of Laos and sits just about 17 kilometers from the Thailand border.
• Getting Around - Traveling to a new city in Laos or across the border into another country in SE Asia will easily take an entire day, and chances are it'll be a bit chaotic. Getting around in town is a little more straightforward, and we used Tuk-Tuks wherever we wanted to go. We paid $10 for a Tuk-Tuk driver to take us to various stops around the city, not including Buddha Park which lies a little outside town. It's also very important to note that Laos gets extremely hot, when we visited in July we could barely stand to walk around for a few hours during the middle of the day because we would be dripping sweat in just a few minutes.
• Fun Facts - Laos is known to be "the most bombed country" in the world due to the Vietnam War, and there's also no McDonalds in the entire country.

Looking for a place to stay in Vientiane? We stayed at the IBIS Vientiane Nam Phu and loved how central it was!

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11 Best Things to Do in Vientiane

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, and although it is quite a bit more built up than we thought and might not be the top choice for backpackers, we truly enjoyed our time there and were surprised to learn that there is a large expat community living here as well. Our time in Vientiane was short (just 2 full days + 2 travel days) but we found so many things to do and loved getting to meet all the kind locals along the way that we can't help but recommend it. Before we even left we kept talking about how we would love to come back one day! Anyways, as promised, 11 of the best things to do in Vientiane.

1. Pha That Luong

Expected Time : 1 hour
A gigantic, gold covered stupa located in the center of Vientiane that's believed to have been founded in the 3rd century. You can wander the grounds free of charge, but if you want to go inside you'll have to pay a 30,000 kip "foreigner" entrance fee. Around each November, they also hold the Pha That Luong Festival (also called the Boun That Luang Festival) here for three days during the full moon to celebrate the Stupa's religious and historical significance - it is believed that the Stupa itself houses Buddha's hair and breast bone.

2. Buddha Park

Expected Time : 2 hours
One of our favorite stops during our time in Vientiane, Buddha Park is a must stop if you're in the area. Located about 25 km outside of town towards the Thailand border crossing, we paid 40,000 kip to enter as "foreigners" and paid a Tuk-Tuk driver about $8 to drive us there and back (while he waited for us to explore the grounds). Even though we've been exploring SE Asia for the past few months now, the Buddha statues here were some of the most unique we've seen, and the grounds themselves had plenty of plants and butterflies and it was beautiful. If you do go, make sure to climb up to the top of the dome looking Buddha head to the right immediately after you enter - it's really tight but the views are stunning!

3. Patuxay

Expected Time : 30 minutes - 1 hour
​This large war monument stands in the center of Vientiane, and is dedicated to the fight for independence in the 1940's. Looking similar to many other arches around the world (Arc de Triomf in Barcelona, Arc de Triomphe in France, and Siegestor in Germany), it's said you can also climb all 7 floors to the top of Patuxay for just 30,000 kip ~ although we didn't see any place to do this. Patuxay itself is free to visit, and we highly recommend stopping by and marveling at the intricate ceiling at the center. There's also a large water fountain next to it that occasionally goes off in sync with some music.

4. Vientiane Night Market

Expected Time : 1 - 2 hours
Located along the river banks of the Mekong, this night market is spread out all throughout Chao Anouvong Park. Like the name suggests, this is a night market - and it's said that the stalls begin to open every night beginning around 6 pm. Most of the stalls were selling clothes - imitations from expensive brands - but if you head to the skinny end of the park where Sithane Road and Quai Fa Ngum meet then you'll find plenty of food stalls there as well! 

5. Weekly Zumba Party on the Mekong

Expected Time : 1 hour
At the other end of the park - where it widens up - you'll find a free weekly Zumba party! We stumbled upon this on accident, and it's very hard to find a set schedule online, but it seems like this event is held every Saturday night at 6 pm!

6. Stop by the Local Carnival

Expected Time : 1 hour
Located along the Mekong river, near Hat Don Chan, you'll find a small - but very fun - local carnival. Although we're pretty sure this is a seasonal event, it's at least worth looking for. (We can't find anything about this online.) We had a blast with the locals and little kids playing the carnival games and winning snack & drink prizes - spoiler, it was very cheap to play each game.

7. Presidential Palace ​

Expected Time : 15 minutes
The Presidential Palace of Vientiane is an icon, and is even featured on Laos' 50,000 Kip bills. Even though this is a cool place to see, it's actually closed to the public and can only be seen from the main street outside the gate. Built in 1973, you can view the front of the palace from nearby Wat Si Sa Ket and the back of the palace from nearby the Chao Anouvong Statue. An interesting fact is that the Palace does not house the President or government of Laos, instead it is now only occasionally used for ceremonies and other government functions. It's also worth noting that there are guards at the entrance similar to those in London, although I wouldn't necessarily recommend trying to get a photo with these guards.

8. Enjoy the Boardwalk

Expected Time : 1 hour
If you're spending time in Vientiane, then you're definitely going to want to spend some time near the Mekong River. With a nice walking path following the river, there are also plenty of small restaurants and markets along the way. Our best recommendation is to visit and enjoy the views along the river at sunset!

9. Wat Si Saket Museum

Expected Time : 1 hour
As one of the oldest temples in Laos, it'll cost you 30,000 Kip to enter as a foreigner. I'll be honest, the temple itself was beautiful and surrounded by 100's of Buddhas - but I wouldn't expect much from the "museum" here. Most the signs have been severely worn down and decayed by weather, so unfortunately we weren't able to read any of them. Would we still recommend a stop here? Of course.

10. Wat That Khao

Expected Time : 1 hour
Built in the 16th & 17th centuries, this free temple complex is unique due to the fact that it houses a large reclining Buddha. We read online that there is a fee to enter, however when we visited there was no one at the open gate and our Tuk-Tuk driver assured us we could just go inside. Not only was there no one at the gate, but we were also the only tourists on the entire property - minus the monks and many cats & dogs onsite - making it a bit eerie. However, the reclining Buddha and other buildings on site were beautiful.

11. That Dam Stupa

Expected Time : 15 minutes
This large, black stupa was our first stop in Vientiane. Built in the 16th century, many Laotians believed it was inhabited by a 7 headed naga that would protect them from invasions by the Siamese Army. Now, it's conveniently located in a small park just a few blocks from the Presidential Palace, and is free for anyone to visit. You'll notice that many locals also still leave offerings here as well.

Watch our Laos Adventures!

Other Laos Posts : 

• 48 Hours in Vientiane, Laos
• Crossing Borders in SE Asia​

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