Laos Active Adventure

Bikes, Hikes, Elephants & Heartening Cultural Connections on This Outdoorsy Active Journey 

Hugged by Thailand and Vietnam, mountainous Laos is a place where the hand of time slows to a crawl; a languid Mekong runs the length of its western border country and remote villages are preserved in limestone. With improved infrastructure and reinventing itself as a destination for outdoorsy, nature enthusiasts, Laos Active Adventurer is an antidote for whistle-stop, bucket list overtourism.  

Parking the car, you’ll explore Vientiane and Luang Prabang on two wheels, following bike-friendly streets—a joyful, freewheeling experience you won’t get in Southeast Asia’s chaotic megacities. In Vang Vieng, a river village that has experienced an outdoor recreational renaissance, you’ll kayak serene waters, explore wonders concealed within hidden caves, swim in turquoise lagoons, and make heartening cultural connections in small villages.  

Designed for travelers who want to connect with Lao traditions and communities—whether sipping Lao Hai rice wine while learning about animism, playing pétanque with locals, or trekking alongside rescued elephants in the jungle—Active Adventure invites you to feel deeply, rather than quickly, in Laos.  

Laos Active Adventure: 9 days / 8 nights

Laos Active Adventure Trip Highlights

Begin your Laos Active Adventure in the capital of Vientiane. Receive the VIP treatment upon arrival, greeted by a representative who will fast-track your visa process. A driver will transfer you to the comfortable Souphattra Heritage Vientiane, where you will stay for two nights. Centrally located, you’re just steps from the riverbank and restaurants; enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.  
Rise and ride. Your guide will fetch you after breakfast to get outfitted with a bicycle for a pedal-powered tour of what’s often described as the world’s sleepiest capital. (If you’ve been to Bangkok, Hanoi, or Phnom Penh, you’ll agree!) However, you’ll soon learn of many historical dramas set in Vientiane. Call on Wat Sisaket (the only structure to survive the 1828 Siamese invasion intact), Wat Ho Pha Kheo (which once housed the Emerald Buddha—it was looted and taken to Bangkok), and Wat That Luang (the most sacred structure in Laos). Explore Vientiane’s quirky side, too. Patuxai, the Lao Victory Monument, has an uncanny resemblance to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. In the afternoon, visit Xieng Khouan (Buddha Park) where a renegade monk founded his own sect and created a sprawling lawn of surreal, large-scale concrete statues inspired by Hindu, Buddhist, and Brahman iconography. We think you’ll agree, Laos surprises and delights.  
The next day, trade the city for outdoor recreation in Vang Vieng, a small river town hugged by stunning limestone mountains (A 90-minute drive.) Once a backpacker haunt, this small river town has reinvented itself as an adventure destination. Stay at Riverside Boutique Resort. In the afternoon, you’ll lower yourself into a kayak for a gentle paddle down the Nam Song River. The journey is made memorable with a stop-ff at Tham None (Sleeping Cave). Once a shelter for villagers during the Second Indochina War, today it’s home to bats and the famous “Magic Stone” of Vang Vieng. During the rainy season, we’ll swim through the cave’s entrance. You'll return to your hotel in time to catch a supreme sunset. 
Enveloped by pastoral rice paddies, Vang Vieng is splendid countryside for a joyful, freewheeling journey on two wheels. Cycle into the karst landscapes of the Nam Song and Vang Vieng ranges. You’ll make diversions, stopping at villages, scenic viewpoints, and for a short, steep hike to reach Dok Ngern (Silver Flower Cave) where hidden corridors reveal a stunning array of stalagmites and stalactites. The afternoon ends with a swim in one of the Blue Lagoons—a scene that reminds us of The Jungle Book. Dinner and sunset are at your leisure.  
Spend a day getting to know the people who call Vang Vieng home. Alongside a guide, you’ll visit Hmong and Khmu villages (two of Laos’ ethnic minorities) where you’ll be invited into homes and private spaces for genuine cultural exchange. Learn about animism practiced here and sample rice wine, a product of the area’s agricultural activities.  
 Depart Vang Vieng by high-speed train for Luang Prabang, the spiritual heart of Laos. You’ll check into Rosewood Luang Prabang, an exclusive hideaway with a design flair that nods to Indochina’s golden age of travel. Unpack and relax into your Hilltop Tent for an under canvas experience. Later, set off on an exclusive sunset invitation. Next to the Mekong River, play a relaxed game of pétanque with your Lao hosts. Then enjoy a storytelling experience with a live musical accompaniment for an entirely unique and memorable explanation of Luang Prabang’s cultural and historic significance.  
Begin your first full day in Luang Prabang with a quintessential experience: alms giving. Rise at daybreak to watch queues of barefoot, saffron-robed monks as they weave single-file through the city streets, collecting rice (alms). It’s a sacred, time-honored ritual in Laos and we’ll situate you in a spot far from the tourist crowds where you can offer alms in a way that feels genuine. Before returning to the hotel for breakfast, ascend the 328 steps to reach the summit of Phousi Mountain for the best views of Luang Prabang. Your afternoon continues to introduce you to Lao faces in unique, remote places. Via bike, meet both Khmu and Hmong peoples living harmoniously in neighboring communities. Wind your way through rice paddies and orchards that lead to a forest harboring a cave once used as a shelter during the Second Indochina War. Afterward, a moderate jungle hike brings you to a top-of-the-waterfall viewpoint and you’ll savor a wilderness picnic of Lao specialties. If it’s hot, take a refreshing dip in the series of pools at the foot of Kuang Si waterfalls.  
On the last full day of Active Laos Adventure, you’ll set off by bike with a guide who will share Luang Prabang’s must-do's and hidden gems from a local’s perspective at a relaxed pace. Admire the 500-year-old Wat Xieng Thong—possibly the finest example of Luang Prabang architecture—observe royal objects at the National Museum (a former palace), and weave through side streets while making every excuse to stop for any craving or curiosity that begs closer inspection. We’ve saved a special experience for your last afternoon: a therapeutic jungle trek with elephants. Venture to a nearby village and cross the river to meet a herd of rescued elephants. Supplied with sugar cane and bananas, you’ll make fast friends. You’ll then set off on jungle trails and pass through bucolic Laos farmland. Stopping off at a stream, these gentle giants might enjoy a playful splash in the water. Walking beside the elephants on a narrow dirt path, listening to their gentle footsteps and the sounds of the jungle, you’ll develop a profound sense of respect and connection with these incredible animals. 
A driver will fetch you from Rosewood Luang Prabang for an airport transfer. Begin your international flight home or continue onto the next leg of your luxury Southeast Asia travel adventure.  

Price

Starting at $5,900 per person sharing in 2025

Laos Active Adventure On a Map