Yes, Laos is one of the easiest countries in Southeast Asia to backpack on your own, because the main traveler corridor is well connected and guesthouses happily take walk-ins.
The train links
Vientiane,
Vang Vieng and
Luang Prabang in 1 to 2 hours per leg, and buses and minivans cover the rest. Dorm beds run about 100,000 to 200,000 kip (US$5 to 10), simple private rooms 250,000 to 450,000 kip (US$12 to 21), and a backpacker budget of US$25 to 35 a day is realistic. English is common in traveler hubs. The remote north, Phongsali and the
Thakhek Loop take more patience, slower roads and a phrasebook.
Two weeks is the right amount of time for a first trip to Laos, enough to see the north and center without rushing, while 10 days suits the center and south and 5 days covers one region well.
With 5 days, stick to
Luang Prabang and
Nong Khiaw. With 10, go from
Vientiane to the
Thakhek Loop (3 days by scooter) and finish in
Si Phan Don. With 15, combine Vientiane,
Vang Vieng, the
Plain of Jars, Luang Prabang and
Muang Ngoi Neua. Covering north and south properly takes 3 to 4 weeks, since a Vientiane to Pakse bus alone is 9 to 10 hours.
Yes, you can travel all of Laos without a car, using trains, buses, minivans, boats and the occasional rented scooter.
The fastest link is the railway:
Vientiane to
Luang Prabang takes about 2 hours, with
Vang Vieng roughly 1 hour from the capital. Overnight sleeper buses run Vientiane to
Pakse in 9 to 10 hours, minivans connect Luang Prabang with
Nong Khiaw in 3 to 4 hours, and boats reach
Muang Ngoi Neua and the islands of
Si Phan Don. For the
Thakhek Loop you will want a scooter, usually around 100,000 to 150,000 kip (US$5 to 7) a day.
The must-visits in Laos are Luang Prabang, Kong Lor Cave, Si Phan Don and the Nam Ou valley around Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi Neua.
Luang Prabang deserves 2 to 3 days for its temples and
Kuang Si Falls, 45 minutes out of town.
Kong Lor Cave, a 7.5 kilometer boat ride through a mountain, is best reached on the 3 to 4 day
Thakhek Loop.
Si Phan Don needs 2 to 3 nights of island time near the Cambodian border. Add
Vang Vieng for karst scenery and the
Plain of Jars near Phonsavan if you have two weeks.
If you are short on time in Laos, keep Vientiane to one night and leave out the slow detours such as Savannakhet, the Bolaven Plateau and the Plain of Jars.
Vientiane is easy to cover in a day before taking the train north.
Savannakhet has a faded colonial center but adds a night on the long road south. The
Plain of Jars is fascinating, yet
Phonsavan sits 8 to 10 hours by bus from Luang Prabang, so it costs two days of travel. The
Gibbon Experience near Huay Xai is a big splurge at around US$300 or more, and only fits easily if you cross in from northern Thailand.
Yes, our itinerary-planner does exactly that. Set your trip length in days, give your interests and travel style, optionally give start- and end location and/or some mandatory stops you would like to include and the itinerary planner creates your personalized routes for Laos in seconds. Try it out!
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