Vientiane: The Best Things to Do in Laos' Capital (2024)

A Cultural Gem in the Heart of Southeast Asia

Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is a city of temples and culture. This city is often overlooked by travelers, as it’s a rather quiet capital. However, that’s why we liked Vientiane, actually a lot more than we both expected to! We found lots of cool things to do, and we think it’s definitely worth spending a couple days here.

If you only have a day or so in Vientiane, we recommend this private tour that will bring you to all of the city’s highlights. The guide speaks English and will teach you a ton about the city and Laotian history and culture! If you’re more interested in getting a taste of Laotian cuisine, check out this food tuk-tuk tour that will take you to try some amazing and unique Laotian food!

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The 6 Best Things to Do in Vientiane

1. Explore Buddha Park

Buddha Park is without a doubt the most beautiful place in Vientiane. This park is a unique and quirky sculpture garden that is home to over 200 statues of Buddha, Hindu deities, demons, and animals. The park was founded in 1958 by Bunleua Sulila, a monk and sculptor who was inspired by both Buddhism and Hinduism.

One of the most striking features of Buddha Park is the Giant Pumpkin of Life and Death. This three-story-tall sculpture has a gaping mouth that you can enter and climb to the top for panoramic views of the park. We highly recommend doing this – the views from the top are unbelievable.

We honestly could’ve spent all day here relaxing and wandering around, it was just so beautiful and green! There are restaurants and shops in the park where you can grab some lunch or get refreshments!

Pumpkin of Life and Death Buddha Park Vientiane

How to Get to Buddha Park

Buddha Park is located 25 kilometers southeast of Vientiane, so it’s not possible to walk. The best options are to rent a moped or to take the bus. If you take the bus (which is certainly the cheapest transportation option), you’ll want to catch bus 14 from the Talat Sao Bus Station. These buses leave every 15 minutes.

Buddha Park is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday-Saturday and from 10 am to 3:30 pm on Sundays. Entrance costs 40,000 kip (about 2 USD).

2. Visit the COPE Museum

This museum is a must-visit when in Vientiane. It’s incredibly sobering, and really teaches a lot about the struggle faced by the people in this country as a result of America’s actions during the Vietnam War. From the years of 1964-1973, the United States carried out over 580,000 bombing missions, which is equal to a planeload of bombs dropped every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day, over those 9 years.

This is such an important piece of history that is commonly left out of history class, so we highly recommend visiting this museum and learning about what happened to Laos during that time and what this amazing organization is doing to help people recover.

The COPE Museum is open daily from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Entrance is free, but you can buy items from their gift shop or donate money to aid their cause. Learn more about Laos’ history and status as the most bombed country in the world from History.com.

3. Shop at the Night Market

If you need anything at all, I guarantee it can be found at Vientiane’s night market. This market is massive – it spans much of Chao Anouvong Park, with tons of vendors selling food, clothes, souvenirs, and handicrafts. You should definitely spend at least one of your nights wandering around here, even if you aren’t looking for anything in particular!

Vientiane also has a bunch of mini markets and food markets scattered around the city, which you can find by just wandering the city at night!

The main Night Market is open daily from 6 pm to 10 pm.

4. Catch a Sunset at the Tipsy Elephant

Watching the sunset from the Tipsy Elephant rooftop bar in Vientiane, Laos is a truly magical experience. The bar is located on the 10th floor of the SureStay Hotel, and it offers stunning views of the city skyline, the Mekong River, and the surrounding mountains.

The Tipsy Elephant opens at 5pm; we would recommend getting there as early as possible – or calling to make a reservation the day before – because it fills up quick (especially the best tables). You can make a reservation by calling the number on their website.

5. Admire the Patuxai Monument

The Patuxai Monument is a triumphal arch that was built in the 1960s to commemorate Laos’ independence from France. This is a really cool monument to see, and you can even climb to the top of it for panoramic views!

The Patuxai Monument is open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm and costs 30,000 kip (about 1.5 USD) to climb.

6. Visit Vientiane’s Temples

Pha That Luang (also known as the Great Golden Stupa) is the most notable temple in Vientiane. It’s a revered Buddhist monument and the national symbol of Laos. It is a sacred site for Buddhists all over the world, and it is also a popular spot for tourists to learn about Laotian culture and history.

Pha That Luang is open from 8 am to 5 pm (but closed between noon and 1 pm) from Tuesday-Sunday and closed on Mondays. The entrance fee is 30,000 kip (about 1.5 USD).

Other temples of interest in Vientiane include Wat Ho Phra Keo, Wat Si Saket, and Wat Si Muang.

Best Time to Visit Vientiane

The best time to visit Vientiane is during Laos’ dry season from November to February. During this time, you’ll experience pleasant weather with comfortable temperatures ranging from the low 70s to mid 80s Fahrenheit (around 21°C to 29°C) and minimal humidity. It’s the perfect time for sightseeing, exploring temples, and wandering through Vientiane’s charming streets!

If you’re into cultural festivals, try to plan your visit around the That Luang Festival, which is typically held at the end of October or the beginning of November. This is certainly an exciting time to be in Vientiane – there are parades, candlelit processions, concerts, fireworks displays, and lots of other events!

Where to Stay in Vientiane

The best area of Vientiane to stay in is downtown close to the night market park. This is the part of the city with the most restaurants, bars, and things to do!

Vientiane Accommodations

where to stay in Vientiane Syri Guesthouse

BUDGET

Syri Guesthouse Hostel & Cafe

MID-RANGE

New Champa Boutique Hotel

HIGH-END

Salana Boutique Hotel

View More →

How to Get to Vientiane

As the capital of Laos, Vientiane is super easy to get to both from within the country as well as from international destinations!

How to Get to Vientiane from International Destinations

The easiest way to get to Vientiane from most international destinations is to fly into its international airport (VTE).

However, if you’re coming from Vietnam or Thailand, sleeper buses may be the cheapest option. You can check prices and purchase tickets on 12Go.

Get your Cheap Flights on Skyscanner

How to Get to Vientiane from Luang Prabang

To get to Vientiane from Luang Prabang, the best options are flying, which takes about 40 minutes, or taking the train, which takes about 2 hours.

Lao Skyway offers super cheap flights (from around 31 USD) from Luang Prabang to Vientiane on Fridays and Sundays, but you can also grab a flight for around 77 USD from Lao Airlines any day of the week. Check out cheap flight options on Skyscanner!

Though flights are cheap and quick, we highly recommend taking the train instead to experience some of Laos’ beautiful scenery (and maybe to make a stop in Vang Vieng on the way!). The train ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is one of the most beautiful train rides I’ve ever been on, and I really don’t think this should be missed.

Be advised that you need to buy your train ticket at least 3-4 days in advance, even more if possible. Train tickets sell out quickly!! You also need to arrive at the train station around an hour in advance; you have to go through security to get into the station and you never know how long that will take! Tickets are cheaper if you buy in person, but if you cannot, book your tickets in advance on 12Go – expect to pay around 30 USD per ticket for a one way journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

How to Get to Vientiane from Vang Vieng

To travel from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, your options are to take the train or a bus, though for this journey we recommend taking the bus. The bus is certainly the cheaper way to travel; a bus ticket will cost around 9 USD, which is about half the price of the train. Additionally, it only takes about 1.5 hours which is very similar to the train time (especially if you add in the transportation to get to and from the train stations). Buses are also more convenient for those who like to buy transportation tickets the day before.

Book your Bus or Train Tickets on 12Go

How to Get to Vientiane from Thathek

For those that are coming from Vientiane after doing the Thathek Loop, you’re in for a nice 8 hour bus ride! You can purchase tickets on 12Go; expect to pay about 20 USD for the ticket.

How to Get to Vientiane from Other Domestic Locations

From destinations not mentioned above, you’ll likely be able to travel to Vientiane by bus. If you can’t find the route you want on 12Go, just head to the bus station in whichever town you’re coming from and talk to the people there to figure out a route!

A Note on Traveling by Bus from Vientiane

Vientiane has three major bus stations: Northern, Central, and Southern/International. The names correspond with the directions in which the buses are going. For popular international and domestic locations, you can find tickets on 12Go and purchase them ahead of time.

Book your Bus Tickets on 12Go

However, if you’re heading to a less common destination, you may have trouble finding tickets online. If you can’t find the bus you want on 12Go, we recommend going to the bus station before your travel day to see what is available (there are many more destinations available to travel to by bus than what’s on 12Go, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t find the route you want!). Keep in mind that for the Southern/International bus station (and I imagine the others as well), you can only buy tickets one hour before departure.

^{Bus Schedule at the Southern/International Bus Terminal Nov 2023}

How to Get Around in Vientiane

Vientiane is a compact city easily explored on foot, allowing you to soak in the sights and atmosphere at your own pace.

However, if you want to get to attractions located a bit further away from the downtown area such as Buddha Park, you’ll need an alternate route of transportation. Renting a scooter is a popular and affordable option – we rented a scooter for a day to do some exploring and found driving in Vientiane to be very easy.

If you don’t feel comfortable renting a scooter, tuk-tuks are another option. However, you really need to make sure that you negotiate a fair price before hopping in because they’ll always try to charge foreigners as much as they can.

Keep Exploring Laos…

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Our Favorite Travel Resources

Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.

Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.

Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.

Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.

International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.

eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.

Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!

Vientiane: The Best Things to Do in Laos’ Capital