Luang Prabang Travel Tips

To have a better travel experience in Luang Prabang, there are some useful Luang Prabang travel tips which may be helpful for your Luang Prabang tour. When plan your trip to Luang Prabang, view our answers to questions about Luang Prabang travel to get better understanding of Luang Prabang.

Useful Numbers

  • Ambulance: 195
  • Firefighting: 190
  • Police: 191
  • Tourist Police: 192
  • Laos Country Code: 856
  • Luang Prabang Area Code: 71

Best Time to Visit

The dry season from September to April is the best time to visit Luang Prabang. There is very little rain in this period and the weather can be slightly muggy, but the liveliest New Year of Laos comes toward the end of the dry season.

What to Pack

Luang Prabang has a tropical climate with warm weather throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 38°C, so, shorts and short sleeves are sufficient for most conditions. However, from November to February it can be a little cooler, with a slight difference in temperature between day and night, with temperatures dropping into the single digits at night, so visitors are advised to bring long pants and a thin jacket for the trip. When entering temples and royal palace museum, it is required that the upper body should not show the shoulders and belly button, and the lower body should not show above the knees, so it is best to bring long pants and a long-sleeved jacket.

Transportation

  • By Air: Luang Prabang International Airport is located at the east of Luang Prabang ancient town, about 5km away and about 10 minutes by car. There are flights to Bangkok, Siem Reap, Hanoi, Vientiane and other places. From the airport to the urban area is actually very close, there is no coach, only minivan as main vehicle, the cost is 50,000 kips per person, or you can choose Tuktuk, the price is also between 40,000 and 50,000 kips. Usually, if you contact the hotel in advance, they can provide free shuttle service.
  • By Train: On December 03, 2021, China-Laos Railway had been put into traffic. Taking trains to Luang Prabang is possible.
  • By Coach: Luang Prabang is an important transportation hub in northern Laos. International buses from Kunming, Yunnan and Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, and Hanoi, Vietnam to Luang Prabang, Laos stop at the International Bus station, while buses to Vang Vieng and Vientiane stop at the southern bus station across the road from the International Bus Station. Tuktuk costs about 30,000 kip to get to the coach station from downtown Luang Prabang and takes about 10 minutes to get there.
  • How to Get Around Luang Prabang
  • How to Get to Luang Prabang
  • How to Plan China-Laos Train Tour between Kunming and Vientiane

Currency and Exchange

In Luang Prabang, you can use US dollars or Thai baht directly, but not Chinese yuan. It is recommended to bring US dollars to Laos, as the RMB exchange rate is not as stable as the USD rate in Laos. There are many exchange points in the city, or you can exchange at gold stores, where the exchange rate is a bit higher. UnionPay, VISA and MasterCard can only be used at a small number of ATMs, and the commission fees are high. If you have cash with you, it is very convenient to exchange money on the streets of Luang Prabang, where there are fixed exchange points. The exchange rate of RMB to Lao kip is around 1 to 1449 and USD to Lao kip is around 1 to 16881. The actual situation prevails.

UnionPay and Credit Card

The commission fee for withdrawing money with a bank card in Laos is very high, with a fee of about US$2 for a UnionPay card withdrawal.

  • UnionPay: All BCEL bank ATMs in Laos carry the "UnionPay" logo and usually charge a fee for using UnionPay cards. ATMs are common in Luang Prabang and Vientiane.
  • Card Consumption: Most restaurants, family hostels and handicraft stores in Laos are unable to use credit cards, and only some high-end hotels and restaurants support Visa and MasterCard, usually in popular tourist cities such as Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. Amex and Japanese JCB credit cards can be used to a very small extent.

Tipping

Tipping is not customary in Laos and is generally not required. However, given that the local consumption is not too high, we can still consider taking the initiative to give some tips if we are very satisfied with the service. Laotians will also be very happy with a 10 percent tip after the restaurant check.

Standard of Consumption

Luang Prabang is more expensive compared to other places in Laos. For accommodation, the average guest house is 70,000-300,000 kip, while star hotels start at 500,000 kip. For dining, if you are at a roadside stall, 1 bottle of Lao beer is 7500 kip, 1 meal of buffet is 10000 kip, 1 bowl of rice noodles is 15000 kip; if you are at a mid-range restaurant, the dishes are usually around 40000 kip, and a buffet hotpot by the Mekong River is about 60000 kip. For transportation, the ancient town bike rental 10000-20000 kip/day, motorcycle 150000-300000 kip/day, Tuktuk in the ancient town about 10000 kip/person.

Language

The official language of Laos is Lao, and Thai and Lao are roughly interchangeable, allowing Thais and Laotians to converse in their own languages in the area. English is more prevalent in cities like Vientiane and Luang Prabang, where tourists gather.

Post Office

The symbol of the Lao Post Office is the Bureau de Poste in French, and parcels sent in Laos must be opened for inspection by the postal staff. The Bureau de Poste de laProvince de Luangprabang is located near the junction of Fa Ngum Road and Kitsalath Road, just across the road from the Tourist Center. The post office is open daily from 8:00-11:30 and 13:30-17:00, with night service from 17:00-22:00, subject to availability.

Internet

Luang Prabang has many places with high-speed internet access, many internet cafes are equipped with Skype, and most cafes, restaurants, hotels and guest houses offer wifi, making internet access very convenient. You can buy phone cards from four operators in Luang Prabang including ETL, Unitel, Beeline and MPhone, and Unitel is the most recommended cell phone card in Laos.

Commonly Spoken Lao

Greeting:sabaidii
Thank you:khop chai
Sorry:kho tuo
Bye:la kon
Yes:men
No:bo men
Help:suai
Restroom:hong nam
How much:thao dai

Medical Care

Medical care in Laos is not well developed, and tourists with serious injuries or illnesses almost always have to be flown to Vientiane, or transferred urgently to hospitals in northeastern Thailand, or flown on direct flights to Chiang Mai or Bangkok. It's a good idea to bring your own anti-mosquito spray and anti-diarrhea medication in case you are unaccustomed to the climate of a new place. Pharmacies can be easily found in the ancient town and are usually open until 8:00 pm. The general level of local medical care is limited, and the cost of medical treatment abroad is high, so it is advisable to bring your own medicine and purchase insurance.

  • Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital
    Address: a few km outside of the center at Ban Phoumok, Luang Prabang District, Luang Prabang Province
    Tel: +8561-71254026
  • Boua Phanh Pharmacie
    Address: It's one of the better pharmacies downtown on Th Sakkarin street
    Tel: +856-71-252252
  • Chinese Hospital
    Address: Ban Phu Mok
    Tel: +856-71-254026

University

  • Souphanouvong University
    Address: National Road 13th, Ban Done Mai, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
    Tel: +856-71 254931-2

Banks

The US dollar is common within Laos and the Thai baht is available in some places, but the use of foreign currency is less appropriate in terms of exchange rates, so it is advisable to change to local currency for use depending on usage. As a small economy, the value of the Lao currency changes quickly, so be aware of the shrinking purchasing power of the currency. There are not many banks in Luang Prabang, gathered on the Sisavangvong Road/Foreigners’ Street, while this street is also dotted with many currency exchange points and ATMs. Foreign currency exchange can be done at hotels, banks, and foreign currency exchange points, with little difference in exchange rates.

  • Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao/Lao Foreign Trade Bank(Central Bank)
    Address: On Th Sisavangvong Street
    Tel: 856-21-213200
    Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30-15:30
  • Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao/Lao Foreign Trade Bank(Central Bank)
    Address: On Th Pha Mahapatsaman Street
    Tel: 856-21-213200
    Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30-15:30
  • Laos Joint Development Bank
    Address: on Th Sisavangvong Street
    Tel: 856-21-213531
    Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30-15:30

Tourist Information

  • Luang Prabang Provincial TourismDepartment and Tourism Information Centre
    Address: Near the junction of Chao Fa Ngum Road and Kitsalath Road, next to post office
    Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 08:00-11:30 and 13:30-16:00
    Tel: 071-212-487

Other Tips

  • Monks are highly respected in Laos, so please ask permission and keep your distance when taking photos with them. Women should never approach or touch the monks, nor should they touch each other with objects, i.e., when handing something to a monk, they should put it on the table and then let the monk take it.
  • The temple is very sacred for the locals, so please dress neatly when entering temples, without showing your shoulders and belly button on the top and above your knees on the bottom. Take off your shoes when entering the main hall. Be respectful in front of the Buddha statues. Many small Buddha statues or sculptures are sacred to the locals and should not be touched without permission.
  • Locals consider the head sacred and the feet dirty. It is considered very rude to touch someone's head, even a child's; don't point at people or things with your feet, or sit with your feet on high places.
  • Due to the prevalence of Hinayana Buddhism, the local people are relatively conservative, so tourists should pay attention to their behavior in public, do not have excessive intimate actions, and do not dress too revealing. The local people are gentle and usually talk softly, so tourists should not make loud noises in public.
  • A variety of fried insects and various wild animals are sold in local markets, so please do not buy them. On the one hand, it may be infected with unknown diseases. On the other hand, it is also to protect wild animals.
  • The Kip denomination is very large and there are many zeros on the currency, so it is easy to get confused at first. It is recommended to separate the different denominations in different envelopes to make it easier to pay the bill.
  • The locals have the habit of taking off their shoes when entering a house, so many Guest Houses and stores require you to take off your shoes when entering, so please do in Rome as Rome does.
  • Top Things To Do in Luang Prabang
  • How to get to Pak Ou Caves in Luang Prabang?
  • Luang Prabang Tours from Kunming

Keep Reading