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Northern Laos Slow - 6 Days (Luang Prabang, Pak Ou Caves, Kuang Si, Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoi)

4.5(10 reviews)6 daysStart and end in the trailhead
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Six days from a UNESCO town into the northern karst. The same route on public boats and buses in guesthouses, which is how the country actually travels.

Slow Compass
Runs this trip
Group trips
Six days from a UNESCO town into the northern karst
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers

Top Highlights

  • Mount PhousiThe whole peninsula is a UNESCO site and nothing in it is more than two storeys.
  • Tak Bat alms roundThe alms round is a religious observance, not a show.
  • Nam Ou riverNong Khiaw sits between limestone walls on a green river and is what northern Laos looks like.

Itinerary

What's included

Included in the price

Accommodation
  • 5 nights accommodation as listed: hostel, homestay or tent, shared
  • Guesthouse accommodation throughout
Transport
  • Shared airport transfer both ways
  • All internal transport as listed: coach, train or shared jeep
  • Mekong and Nam Ou boat transfers
  • All road transport
Meals
  • Meals listed on each day
Guide
  • Trip leader throughout, 1 guide per 15
Permits & fees
  • Kuang Si and Pak Ou entries
  • All entry tickets and permits listed in the day-by-day

Not included

Insurance
  • Travel insurance
Optional
  • International or domestic flights to the start point
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • Flights to Luang Prabang
Additional Services
  • 5% GST and any applicable TCS
  • Most meals
  • Upgrades from shared transport to private
  • Laos visa on arrival
  • Most lunches and dinners

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Luang Prabang Hostel

Hostel

Days 1, 2, 5

Nong Khiaw Hostel

Hostel

Day 3

Muang Ngoi Hostel

Hostel

Day 4

What you'll eat

5 breakfasts and 3 dinners across 6 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.

  • DinnerServed on days 1, 3, 4
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–6

8 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered everywhere; Jain and gluten-free on notice at booking

Operator

Slow Compass
4.5 (10)

Based in Pune

Profile
One other operator runs this tripThe same trip, at their own price, group size and refund window.Meridian Overland₹76,899See all 2Compare

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.5/5
Based on 10 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.5/5
Guide
4.4/5
Itinerary
4.0/5
Transport
4.2/5
Accommodation
3.9/5
Tour operator
4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
H
Hannah Lindqvist – Zurich2026-04-22 · Verified booking

Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Would book with them again.

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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Kolkata2026-04-22 · Verified booking

Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Good value for what's included.

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4
D
Daniel Okafor – Melbourne2026-04-22 · Verified booking

Well paced over 6 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Would send friends their way.

Reply from Slow Compass

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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5
R
Rahul Menon – Nagpur2026-04-22 · Verified booking

Luang Prabang & the north done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Solid operator.

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4
N
Nikhil Joshi – Chandigarh2026-04-22 · Verified booking

Well paced over 6 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Recommended.

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4
S
Sameer Khan – Bengaluru2025-06-26 · Verified booking

Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Recommended.

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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Indore2025-06-26 · Verified booking

Luang Prabang & the north done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Recommended.

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5
A
Aditi Rao – Hyderabad2025-06-26 · Verified booking

Well paced over 6 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude.

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Questions people ask

One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →

₹52,299per personNext 6 NovEMI from ₹4,359/mo