The 13 Treks in Laos That Earn Their Price

1.Full Day Trek to Kuang Si Waterfalls, Remote Village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $48Our pick

Leave Luang Prabang at 8:30 am for Ban Nong Heo, a Khmu village with stilt houses, ducks, and buffalo. Walk 2 to 3 hours through forest and countryside to Kuang Si Falls, enjoy about three hours there, then return by way of a rice farm and sunset Mekong cruise. Guides may include Pany, Da, Vone, Tom, or Bounsou.

“The best experience ever. Da was amazing guide. He walked 8 km with us. Waterfall is a must to see. 👌”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Vang Vieng: Day Tour with Kayaking, Ziplining, and Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Spend a full day around Vang Vieng kayaking the Nam Song River, tubing through Tham Chang Cave, hiking, ziplining, and swimming at Blue Lagoon 1. English and Lao-speaking staff handle safety briefings, transport, equipment, and a local lunch. Pickup is usually between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.

“Wirklich toll organisierte Tour mit einem sehr netten guide!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.The Wild Explorer – 3 days forest trek with homestay and camping

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · from $154

Set out from Luang Namtha at 8:30 am for three demanding days in Nam Ha National Protected Area. With local guides such as Xai, Peng, Pheng, or Jaiy, you’ll trek about seven hours daily, cook forest ingredients in bamboo, and camp near a stream on a mountain peak.

“We did a 3-day hike with two homestays (we asked for a modification of the itinerary which was one night camping and one homestay). We hiked to Nam Vang the first day, and then to Lahou the second day. The experience was as authentiRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Nalan Trail Kmu Ethnic Experience – 2days forest trek with homestay.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $115

Spend two days hiking through Nam Ha National Park, learning forest skills, visiting hill villages, and sleeping in a homestay or riverside lodging. Guide Peng, also called ChanPeng, has led hikes with plant and herb knowledge. Meals, sleeping gear, fees, and a maximum group of eight are included.

“Amazing 2 day hike through Nam Ha with my guide Peng - he was excellent the whole trip, explained native plants and herbs through the walk, and even gave a little tour of the local markets before we started.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Full Day Trek to Kuang Si Waterfall & Village

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · from $63

Spend nine hours hiking about 9 km from Long Lao Village to Kuang Si Falls with an English-speaking guide such as Dang. Walk through rice paddies, orchards, jungle, and local villages, then swim, visit the Bear Rescue Center, eat lunch, and stop at a Hmong cultural house.

“we had a great trek with DANG all day long. Thanks to him for sharing with us his expérience. We had a great day with him !!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Luang Prabang Thin Pha Trail & Tad Sae Falls Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 17 reviews · 8 hours · from $95

Spend eight hours hiking about 12 kilometers through forest, rice fields, limestone country, and Hmong and Khmu villages. Your English-speaking guide leads the walk, with lunch, drinking water, boat rides, village fees, and optional Luang Prabang hotel pickup included. Tad Sae Falls depends on the season.

“Everything was good: boating, trekking, lovely lao villages in the forest, picnic lunch out of the banana leaf at an elderly woman, waterfall, boating again. We got a huge amount of information about the lifestyle and the beliefs of the local people. For us it could not have been better.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Nong Khiaw: 2-Day Trekking,Hmong village,Home Stay&Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 2 days · from $80

Spend two days trekking from Nong Khiaw through Lao, Khmu, and Hmong villages with an English-speaking guide such as Bick, also listed as Bic. Make bamboo crafts, sleep in a village, visit a cave and viewpoint, swim at Tad Mork Waterfall, then kayak down the Nam Ou River.

“We loved exploring the remote villages. The hikes was challenging but not too difficult. The waterfall was beautiful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Hunter Trails, 3 days difficult trekking with Camping & Homestay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $175

You’ll hike old hunter trails south of Luang Namtha with a local guide such as Noy, Mun, Thit, or Xai, spending two nights in the forest and a village homestay. Expect steep climbs, six to seven hours of walking daily, campfire meals, wild food, wildlife spotting, and a group of up to eight.

“We highly recommend The Hiker in Luang Namtha for anyone looking for an authentic jungle trekking experience in northern Laos. We did the 3-day Hunter’s Trail through the primary forest of Nam Ha National Park, and it exceeded all exRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Nam Ha NPA 3 Day Wildlife Jungle Camp and Village Homestay Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $149

Spend three days in Nam Ha NPA with local forest guides such as Nom or Xiong. Walk through thick jungle, learn about medicinal plants, fish, hunt frogs, cook with forest resources, sleep at a banana leaf camp, and stay with a village family.

“It was a great experience. Our guide Nom had good English and was very informed, and well-connected with the local people. The tour was relaxing, with lots of breaks and food preparation between the short bouts of hiking. The night by tRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.3-Day Cultural Remote Trek With Homestay

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 9 reviews · 3 days · from $360

Travel from Luang Prabang by river and local boat, then follow village trails through jungle, rice paddies, and mountain valleys. Guides such as Aroun and Chan explain local culture, plants, and customs. Expect simple homestays, no regular electricity, long walks, and a genuine rural Laos experience.

“A big adventure into the real Laos culture by visiting two villages of Khmu and Hmong out in a beautiful valley. We were the only two tourists in 2 months visiting the villages and the people were so welcoming and friendly and hosted us so warmly. Our guide Aroun explained us a lot about the nature and culture, it was extremely interesting and eyes opening! We stayed there over New Year’s and were so warm-heartedly invited to take part in the Khmu New Year’s celebration (sharing food with the whole community, drinking whiskey lao lao, Beerlao, playing music, dancing…). We really enjoyed it a lot and would absolutely recommend this…”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Nong Khiaw 3-Day Trekking & camping, Homstay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 2.5 days · from $180

Travel from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw for a demanding 2.5-day trip through jungle, villages, and mountain country. You will camp at a viewpoint, stay with a local family, visit Muang Ngoi and a cave, swim at Tad Mork Waterfall, and kayak along the Nam Ou River. English guiding and hotel pickup are included.

“Incroyable treck marche jungle rizières le guide super simpa faite le! juste avoir un bon état physique mais vous allez voir des chose incroyable”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Mountain Trek & Local Villages Overnight Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 days · from $200

Spend two days hiking from the Nam Khan River into remote Khmu and Hmong villages, with an overnight family homestay. Guides such as Chai, Arun, Chan, and Oun have led this route. Expect a demanding first day, a shorter second walk, village meals, river boats, and Tad Sae Waterfalls when water levels allow.

“La randonnée était sublime ! Nous avons eu la chance de nous retrouver seulement tous les deux avec notre guide, Arun, absolument adorable ! Le premier jour plein de paysages différents, mais tout de même très chaud 😂 le petit village où on s’arrête est vraiment joli, et les gens très gentil attendez-vous à une bonne nuit mais avec un réveil de bonne heure avec les chants de tous les coqs village 😂 Prenez des bonnes boules quies et des mouchoirs car il n’y en a pas sur place. Le lendemain on arrive assez tôt aux chutes, donc pas de monde, et ça c’est vraiment super ! Belle balade, on…”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Luang Prabang Trekking LongLao to Kuang si falls full day

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7 reviews · from $85

You’ll leave Luang Prabang at 8:30am for Ban Longlao, where a Hmong village guide and English-speaking guide lead a three-hour trek through gardens and rice fields to Kuang Si Falls. Swim, enjoy a sandwich lunch, and visit the rescued bear sanctuary before returning by private tuk-tuk.

“The waterfall was amazing and the hike was beautiful, but the price is clearly excessive knowing that you can order a tuktuk to directly go to the waterfall and also see the bears there. The village also felt a bit like voyeurism or like a human zoo for me which was quite bizarre.”

Check availability →Read our full review