Attraction Tours in Laos
Travel advisory, October 2026: The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Xaisomboun Province, and unexploded ordnance from the 1964 to 1973 bombing remains in rural areas. Stay on cleared, marked paths and never pick up metal objects. Several tourists have died of methanol poisoning in bars, so drink only sealed drinks. Waterfalls and rivers have caused drownings, so swim only in signed pools. Check FCDO and travel.state.gov for current advice.
Laos has fewer headline attractions than its neighbours, and the best are easy to reach on a half-day outing from a main town. Prices are in kip (LAK), at about 22,000 to 22,500 per US dollar. Several Luang Prabang fees rise on 15 November 2026, and the tourism office lists both figures below.
Kuang Si Falls
The falls are about 30 km from Luang Prabang and open daily from 08:00 to 17:30. The foreigner ticket is 60,000 LAK now and 100,000 LAK from 15 November 2026. Lao nationals pay 20,000 LAK, and children under 12 enter free. A tuk-tuk or shared van costs about 60,000 LAK per person, or about 250,000 LAK for a private vehicle. Swim only where signs mark pools, use the changing rooms, and cover up when you are not in the water, since bikinis and going shirtless away from the pools are frowned on. The water is clearest from November to April and can run brown in August and September. The tourism office page has the current details.
The Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, run with Free the Bears, sits inside the same area and needs no separate ticket. It looks after Asiatic black bears, also called moon bears.
Pak Ou Caves
The caves are open 08:00 to 17:00, and the lower cave holds thousands of Buddha images, with steps leading to an upper cave. The river trip takes about 1.5 hours each way upstream. The foreigner ticket is 30,000 LAK (Lao nationals 15,000) and rises to 60,000 LAK from 15 November 2026. The boat fare is separate, and stops often include Ban Xang Hai, a village known for lao-lao rice spirit, and Don Khoun island. See the Pak Ou page .
COPE Visitor Centre, Vientiane
COPE is free to enter and sits on the grounds of the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation on Khouvieng Road, across from the Green Park Hotel. It opens daily from 08:30 to 17:00, though the website also mentions 16:00, so arrive early. Documentaries play in the Cave Cinema, and Karma Cafe is outside. The shop and donations pay for prosthetics. Details are on the COPE visit page .
UXO and mine clearance centres
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre in Luang Prabang is free, with donations welcome. It stands in Wat Naviengkham village behind the Souphanouvong monument, about a 12-minute walk from the centre, and the tourism office lists it as open daily from 08:00 to 16:00. Other sources say weekdays only, so check before you walk over. In Vientiane the MAG Visitor Information Centre reopened on 25 July 2025 and opens Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 18:00. Hours at the Phonsavan centre vary between sources, so ask locally.
Kong Lor Cave
Kong Lor is a 7.5 km river cave in Khammouane province, about 185 km from Thakhek and 45 km off Road 8. Boats cost about 250,000 LAK per person, or about 350,000 LAK for a solo traveller, and the price reportedly covers park and cave fees. The cave is open 08:00 to 17:00 with the last boat at 16:00, and the trip through takes 75 to 90 minutes. Most visitors stay in Kong Lor village the night before. Confirm the price when you arrive.
Read more: day trips in Laos and sightseeing in Laos . To compare guided outings, browse Viator .