Laos · MEKONG CRUISES & SLOW BOATS
From a two-hour sunset idle to the full two-day slow boat down from the Thai border, the Mekong sets the pace here. The 15 below are ranked by the travellers who rode them, with honest notes on hours aboard and what the fare includes.
Mekong cruise to Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Falls from Luang Prabang, with whisky tasting, buffet lunch, and sunset options.
“Early morning pick up to the boat. The boat was quite basic but had tea and coffee. The river journey was a bit cold and lasted 2 hours and was nice to see the scenery and get the fresh air. We stopped at the whisky village for 30 minutes wRead more”
A 9-hour Luang Prabang cruise to Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Falls, with Lao rice whiskey tastings, elephants, and time to swim.
“The activity was very Nice and relaxing..The guide Whon, was taking care All of us All the time, an also so comprehensive in the information....definetly recomand!!!”
Cruise the Mekong to UNESCO Pak Ou Caves, taste local rice whiskey, and eat a big buffet lunch with morning or sunset options.
“it all started in absolute chaos... earlier than scheduled and then earlier again...but everyone was helpful and tried their best ! So I'm not complaining, since the tour was very interesting and went on well Sunset on the Mekong is an absolute must !”
Kuang Si Waterfalls swim and trails, then a Mekong sunset long-tail cruise with one drink, plus hotel pickup in Luang Prabang.
“great guide and transport. loved sthe village ststop off and the little museum and demonstrations qere excellent. waterfalls impressive bit very crowded and very difficult to get in and out of for us oldies. lots of large stones under the watet but mot visible. . .Market area near falls very untidy.”
Ride a 2-day slow boat from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang with an overnight in PakBeng, including Thai-Lao border bus transfer for about $75.
Kayak the Nam Ou and Mekong, visit Pak Ou Caves, swim at Kuang Si Falls, and enjoy a Laotian buffet lunch in Luang Prabang
“Breathtaking views of the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers as we kayaked with our small group. After a delicious buffet lunch and some time with the elephants, we truly enjoyed the beauty and coolness of the Kwang Si Waterfalls. Though a long Read more”
Luang Prabang Mekong Meals Food Tour offers 15+ Laotian street-food tastings with a small group guide, monk visit, and Mekong sunset eats.
“4 full hrs of excellent veriey of food tastings, in different settings and good company (small group). Tour guide, Mr Toun, was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He made for an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend!”
Nam Ou river cruise from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw with bento Lao lunch, village visit, waterfall hike, and sunset.
“An excellent full day trip from Luang Prebang to Nong Khiaw. Our guide Nouan (Manifa Travel) was excellent throughout - providing informative commentary on our guided hike and always ensuring we had drinks and were comfortable on the boat trips. One of the most enjoyable trips to get between LP and NK and excellent value for money. An extremely well organised and efficient travel company including pick up from the hotel in the morning.”
An evening Luang Prabang food walk with 15+ tastings, small groups of 8, local drinks and a monk visit, all for $45.
“Lahda was a great guide - she explained more than just the food but also a bit about Lao culture and way of life. There was so much food and everything was delicious or seplai! We tried things that we wouldn’t have ordered on our own. Great tour!”
Old-style boat day from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang on Nam Ou and Mekong rivers, Pak Ou caves, sunset cruise.
“Ça permet de retourner à Luang Prabang de façon très agréable. Les paysages sont magnifiques. Beaucoup plus reposant que la route.”
Luang Prabang solar Mekong sunset cruise with Lao mojito, a 7-dish tasting platter, and a bamboo leaf wish and fish release ritual.
“Average. They didn’t check our tickets properly and if we didn’t ask for the tasting dinner we would have missed out. Cocktails were mostly all sold out and the one we had wasn’t very nice. The fish release isn’t you doing it yourself but the wishes and worries was a nice idea. Not sure if I’d do this again nor recommend”
A 2-day slow boat ride from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang with an overnight stop in Pakbeng, plus border support and UNESCO finale.
“it was what everyone else has commented, you get what you pay for. 1st boat to pakbeng was packed like sardines. second day boat was better, little bit more room, not as over crowded.”
Kayak Luang Prabang rivers to Pak Ou caves, see thousands of Buddha icons, then relax at Manifa Elephant Camp with optional sunset cruise.
“A great experience. The kayaking wasn’t easy but it wasn’t far and it was amazing scenery! We also were really luck and we were the only two on the trip which made it very special. An extra treat was the chance to meet elephants at the end of the trip over lunch and feed them”
Mekong sunset cruise in Luang Prabang on a solar-powered double-deck boat, cocktails included, 2 hours from Khem Khong.
“We paid $35 per person. When we got to the departure location, the company was advertising it for 295,000 Kip ($13.57) per person. I knew there would be a price difference, but triple is a total rip off price gouging. You can go to Sa Sa Sunset Cruise yourself, and not get ripped off. Screw Viator!!! Never will use them again.”
Learn traditional Mekong fishing with a local fisherman, then enjoy grilled fish lunch on the riverbank in a small group from Luang Prabang.
“What an awesome experience!!! The best thing I did when I was in Laos, I went with my friend and we were picked up in the morning by our guide Nou and our driver who were both super friendly. You drive a bit out of town to a village on the river. First they walked us through the brewing process of the local whiskey and offered us free tastings. Then we were introduced to our local fisherman who was to take us out. Once on the boat he does a demonstration of how he casts the net and scares fish into the net from the reeds. We then had a…”
Every kind of Lao day out, and the best of each.
