VANG VIENG
We traveled to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang by train. The journey took around one hour and was very comfortable and fast.
For more information about train travel in Laos, check the “GENERAL AND USEFUL TIPS FOR LAOS” section at the end of this page — we explain everything there!
Vang Vieng is a small town in northern Laos, located along the Nam Song River and surrounded by stunning limestone karst mountains. In the past, it became internationally famous as a backpacker hotspot, known for its wild party scene, river tubing with alcohol, and a reputation for unsafe activities. Unfortunately, this led to many accidents and gave the town a somewhat dangerous image.
In recent years, however, Vang Vieng has completely reinvented itself. The local government has focused on safety and sustainable tourism, and today the town is far better known for its natural beauty, outdoor adventures, and relaxed atmosphere than for reckless partying.
Today, visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities:
Tubing, kayaking, and swimming in the Nam Song River (now in a much safer environment).
Hiking and rock climbing in the surrounding limestone cliffs.
Exploring caves such as Tham Phu Kham and Tham Chang, featuring impressive stalactites and hidden lagoons.
Hot air balloon rides with panoramic views over the countryside.
Relaxed cafés and riverside restaurants, perfect for enjoying the scenery.
Vang Vieng now offers a much more balanced experience, combining adventure, nature, and relaxation. We really enjoyed our stay and found the atmosphere very relaxed and fun. Yes, there are many people in their 20s, but during the five nights we spent there, we never saw any problems at all — everything felt very laid-back. In fact, evenings usually wind down quite early, around 11:30 PM to midnight.
BEST AREA TO STAY
We stayed five nights in Vang Vieng. Depending on what you want to see and do, we recommend staying at least three nights. If you want to experience more activities without rushing, it’s worth adding at least one extra night so everything feels more relaxed.
The town itself is very small, and you can easily walk around the center. The best area to stay is right in the town center, in the yellow area on Google Maps or nearby. This is where you’ll find restaurants and bars, supermarkets (yes, there’s a 7-Eleven!), and a few small shops.
You’ll also find many, many tour agencies selling tours, bus and train tickets, and activities. Souvenir shops aren’t very common — but we’ll get to that later!
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN THE CITY AND SURROUNDINGS
As mentioned before, the town center itself is small and doesn’t offer much sightseeing beyond restaurants and bars — some with beautiful views of the cliffs — and the night market.
So here’s a summary of the best things to do when visiting Vang Vieng:
Hot air balloon ride
This is one of the top attractions in Vang Vieng. We did the balloon ride and can honestly say it was absolutely fantastic — a truly unique experience.
It’s not cheap, but it’s 100% worth it, especially if you’ve never done it before. Otherwise, you might leave Vang Vieng wishing you had!
You can book it at one of the many tour agencies in town, or, if you prefer peace of mind, you can book it on GetYourGuide in advance.
Viewpoints
There are several viewpoints around Vang Vieng, some easier and others much more challenging.
We chose an easier one — although we later realized that “easier” still means it requires some effort! We visited the Horkham Viewpoint, famous for having an airplane at the top where you can sit and take photos. There’s also a unicorn on another peak. The views are absolutely amazing.
Other viewpoints, which we didn’t do, include the Nam Xay Viewpoint and the Phangern Viewpoint. These are more difficult and potentially dangerous. We decided not to risk it — and here’s a tip: every day in town, we saw young travelers with bandages and cuts on their arms and legs… these viewpoints are no joke!
That said, with breaks along the way, the Horkham Viewpoint is doable, and we definitely recommend it!
Blue Lagoons
There are four Blue Lagoons around Vang Vieng. We visited the two most famous ones: Blue Lagoon 2 and Blue Lagoon 3.
Blue Lagoon 3 is about 12 km from town and much quieter and more relaxing. It also has a small cave just a few minutes’ walk away.
Blue Lagoon 2 is about 7 km from town and much busier. It’s the most famous lagoon, with clear turquoise water, perfect for photos, swimming, and jumping into the water. Because it’s closer to town, there were a lot of young travelers there.
Paramotor Adventure
We didn’t do this one, but it’s definitely on our wishlist for a future visit! It looks incredible. We met a few guys who did it, and they all said it was an amazing experience. You can book HERE if you’d like.
Tham Non Cave
This cave is located near the Blue Bridge. When buying your ticket, you can choose whether you want to visit only the complex or include the cave itself. There’s a lagoon where you can swim, and you can also kayak or try ziplining.
Here, you can also explore a cave inside the water, floating on an inflatable tube — a very fun and different experience.
Tham Chang Cave
Located about 2–3 km from the center, near the Nam Song River, this is one of the most visited caves in Vang Vieng. It’s known for its impressive stalactites and stalagmites. After exploring the cave, there’s a steep trail leading up to a viewpoint on top of the cliff.
Down below, you’ll also find natural pools where you can swim.
And you can rent a bicycle or a buggy and explore the town and surrounding countryside at your own pace.
What we did was hire a private tuk-tuk to take us to the viewpoint we mentioned and to both Blue Lagoons. For us, this was the most practical and stress-free way to see everything we wanted.
If you’re experienced riding a scooter, you can also rent one and visit these places on your own. Another good option is to book a tour that includes several activities and locations — a great way to save time and see more, depending on how long you’re staying.
NIGHTLIFE
Nightlife in Vang Vieng generally ends early, but it’s still lively thanks to the many young travelers in town.
Most places are restaurant-bars, but there are also some proper bars. We went several times to Gary’s Irish Bar, both for dinner and for drinks. The atmosphere is relaxed but fun, and yes — the food is very good if you feel like taking a break from Asian cuisine!
On the same street, you’ll also find Sakura Bar, a large bar with loud music and a lively vibe. It really depends on your taste, but it’s worth checking out and deciding for yourself!
Another street, you’ll also find Jaidee’s and Full Moon, both with a more relaxed atmosphere — great for having a drink in the evening. Just keep in mind: they close early!
For lunch or dinner, there are plenty of restaurants around town, as well as lots of street food. At night, along the main street, you’ll find many food stalls selling everything from local dishes to hot dogs and burgers, all at very low prices.
There’s also the night market, where you’ll find food, clothes, and a few souvenirs. This is where we found the cheapest fridge magnets in Laos.
USEFUL TIPS FOR VANG VIENG
If you’re looking to visit an Instagram-famous photo spot, head to ViengTara VangVieng Resort. It’s a resort with a restaurant, and you can simply go to the restaurant to have a coffee or juice while enjoying views over the rice fields and surrounding mountains. Prices are a bit higher than average, but nothing too expensive.
The Vang Vieng night market is a great place to buy souvenir magnets. It’s where we found the cheapest prices.
There are a few temples in town if you’d like to visit, such as Sysoumangkhararam Temple or Wat That.
If you’re interested in buying handcrafted bamboo items—for yourself or as gifts—such as rice baskets, trays, and similar products, there’s a fantastic stall in Vang Vieng with very good prices. We bought quite a lot there. The stall is not marked on Google Maps, so the best reference point is Lin Nails Salon Vang Vieng, which is on Google Maps. The stall is on the same side of the street, a little before or after it.
For supermarkets, there is a 7-Eleven in the center of Vang Vieng, where you can find a bit of everything.
If you’re interested in sunset views or just a nice afternoon spot, Green Restaurant, BaanLao Café and other restaurants along the same street offer terraces with fantastic views.
If you want to see the hot air balloons, just keep an eye on the sky from around 5:00 PM onwards, roughly half an hour before sunset. The sky fills with balloons.
GENERAL AND USEFUL TIPS FOR LAOS
Check your passport validity and whether you need a visa for Laos.
Attention: It is mandatory to complete both an Arrival Card and a Departure Card for Laos.
You can only submit each one up to 3 days in advance.
This means you should complete the Arrival Card within 3 days before arriving in Laos, and the Departure Card within 3 days before leaving the country.
You can do this online, which is much easier. You’ll receive a QR code immediately, allowing you to avoid wasting time and filling out paper forms upon arrival and departure. Simply keep the QR code handy on your phone.
You can complete the process via the official website HERE. Then click “Submit Online” and choose either “Arrival Register” or “Departure Register”.
You’ll definitely need internet, right? We always install an eSIM on our phones and it worked really well. Just make sure your phone is eSIM-compatible and unlocked for other networks.
We have partnerships with several providers that offer discounts when you purchase through our links. Check the plans, compare them, and choose the one that suits you best. Depending on whether you’re visiting just one country or multiple countries in Asia, you can choose either a local or a regional eSIM. We recommend the following:
Holafly: get 5% off through THIS LINK
Nomad: use the promo code ARTUCWFEMY to get USD 5 off
Airalo: use the promo code ARTUR7072 to get €3 off
Weather matters. We went in January. Days were hot but nights were cooler, so light trousers and a jacket were useful. Always check the forecast a few days before travelling.
Yes, Grindr works in Laos ;)
The local currency is the Lao Kip (LAK). There are no coins, only high-value banknotes, so expect to carry thick stacks of cash.
Install a currency converter app. It makes life much easier.
To make payments in Laos, there’s a fantastic app that we installed and that worked really well for us: LOCA.
This app works similarly to Uber, allowing you to call cars. However, it also has a very useful feature called LocaPay. You simply add your bank card details, and you can pay almost everywhere by scanning a QR code, which many places have—including markets.
It’s extremely convenient and saves you from constantly having to withdraw cash. We used it quite a lot. That said, we never actually needed it to call cars!
If you’re traveling between cities in Laos, especially between Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane, the most commonly used means of transport is the train.
However, booking train tickets isn’t that straightforward. You can only book them up to 3 days before the travel date, and the official app only works on phones with a Laotian phone number. For this reason, the most practical option—and what we did—was to ask the hotel reception to buy the train tickets for us, and then we paid them back.
To make the reservation, they only need your full name and passport number. You can speak to your hotel reception, they’ll show you the available schedules in the app, you choose one, and they’ll book it for you. It’s important to do this as soon as the tickets become available (3 days in advance), as there’s a risk they may sell out.
We traveled by train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. By car, the journey is long (around 5+ hours) and the roads are in very poor condition. By train, the journey takes about 1 hour, it’s comfortable, and seats are assigned.
Online, you’ll find many stories about having to X-ray all your luggage at the train station and being told you can’t take certain items, etc. After reading all of that, we were a bit worried—especially about aerosols.
Here’s our experience: we arrived at the station about one hour before departure. We were allowed in immediately, and our luggage (two large suitcases and two backpacks) went through the X-ray.
They asked us to open the large suitcases and asked if we had whisky. We did—we had bought small bottles of rice whisky in Luang Prabang. We opened the suitcases, they checked, and that was it; we could pack everything again.
Then they asked if I had scissors. I said yes—one small pair and one large pair. I showed them, and they said the large one was not allowed and kept it.
As for aerosols—perfume, shaving foam, deodorant, etc.—they didn’t ask to see them or say anything. Everything went through, including my lighter. All our items were small-sized, which may be why they didn’t say anything.
We noticed a couple behind us who had a large can of shaving foam, and they were asked to show it.
So, based on our experience, the advice is to relax—they don’t seem overly strict. Try to bring aerosols in small sizes, and everything should be fine.
The train journey can also be done from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, and of course the other way around, from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
If you’re booking any tours in Laos and using GetYourGuide, please use our link below or the ones we recommend throughout the page. This helps us keep our website always up to date. Thank you!
Final tip: relax, take things slow, and enjoy Laos at its own pace. That’s part of the magic.