The 6 Best History Tours in Laos

1.UNESCO World Heritage City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 201 reviews · 4.5 hours - 1 day · from $35Our pick

Start before sunrise for the alms-giving ceremony and morning market, then visit Wat Xieng Thong, the former Royal Palace, Wat Mai, and Phousi Hill. Choose a half-day city tour, a full cultural day, or add Kuang Si Falls and a Hmong village. Hotel pickup, small groups, and private tours are available.

“It was a great experience with my tour guide, which was a very knowledgeable about history of Laos and Buddhism. It was a truly interesting journey.”

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2.Vientiane Cultural Tour with Private Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · from $125Top rated

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver exploring Vientiane’s temples, monuments, Buddha Park, and the COPE Visitor Centre. Guides such as Chansay, Toy, Sombath, and Bandith explain Lao history and customs, while the private format lets you adjust the pace and focus.

“Excellent tour! Chansay was a great guide around Vientiane and also very knowledgeable about Lao culture and history, and we had great conversations. Communication was great and the whole day was a smooth process — not too fast and good pace. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Vientiane (and also Luang Prabang). Also, great lunch spot :)”

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3.Cultural Tour with Buddha Park and Patuxay

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 74 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $58

Spend 6 to 8 hours touring Vientiane with an English or Chinese-speaking guide. Visit Buddha Park, Wat Si Muang, Wat Sisaket, Pha That Luang, and Patuxay, with hotel pickup, transport, storytelling, and a lunch break. Guides such as Souk, Nam, Nong, and Kay are praised for clear explanations and friendly help. Admission, lunch, and drinks cost extra.

“Anoudeth is a very good guide and he had great knowledge about historical sites as well as local knowledge. He is a very pleasant and helpful person. The sites included in the tour covered most important sightseeing locationd in Vientiane.”

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4.Craft Your Own Aroma Candle in Heritage Home

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 43 reviews · 2 hours · from $29Best value

Spend two relaxed hours with Gai, Lee, or Sky in a Lao heritage home near Ban Xang Khong. Learn candle making, blend a personal scent from more than 20 oils, pour it into artisan pottery, and prepare local tea while the wax cools. The group is limited to six people.

“I totally enjoyed the activity. Gaia, the instructor was extremely knowledgeable about mixing scents and personalizing the smell of the finished candle. She provided easy to follow instructions on the science of candle making. I am very happy with the end result. While waiting for the wax to cool down, she taught me on how to brew tea. She has different types of delicious flavor tea from the northern highlands in Laos. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Thank you Gaia fir sharing your knowledge. And thanks to your assistant, whose positive spirit lightened your workshop.”

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5.Craft Your Own Aroma Candle in Heritage Home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $29

Spend two hours at Gai Artisan Candles in a Luang Prabang heritage home, blending more than 20 aroma oils into a personal scent. With help from Gai or Lee, you will pour a 100g candle into local pottery, learn about Lao tea, and take home a cotton-bagged souvenir.

“My friend and I absolutely loved the class. Our guide was super informative and very nice. The shop was so cute and quaint! We love the smell of our candles we made and loved how we could paint our boxes as well!”

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6.Luang Prabang’s Beauty & Heritage in 1 Day – All-Inclusive Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $98

Spend about 10 hours visiting Kuang Si Falls, crossing the Mekong to Pak Ou Caves, and stopping at Ban Xang Hai Whisky Village. Choose a group tour for lower cost or a private option for more personal service. Hotel pickup, lunch, transport, bottled water, an English-speaking guide, and boat fees are included.

“Quangsi waterfall, bear secure shelter, on the road all around the Luamg Prabang, and cave with boat cruise tour with tranquil , amazing view of Mekong river, rice whiskey, oh also the lunch with beautiful view place was perfect. Everything was perfect. So nice, especially our guide explain really nice kindly, so I got a really nice experience on my whole trip.”

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