The 12 Best Mekong River Tours in Laos

1.Half Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves (Morning / Afternoon)

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 290 reviews · 5 hours · from $40Our pick

Spend five hours exploring Pak Ou Caves, Ban Xang Hai whiskey village, and the Mekong near Luang Prabang. Morning departures usually travel by boat toward the caves and return by minivan, while afternoon trips reverse the order and may finish with a sunset cruise. English-speaking guides such as Thin, Pingpong, and Pany lead the tour.

“The best sunset experience in Luang Prabang. You have to expedite too! The boat was wonderful and the guide super friendly. I really enjoy my time with him and it was nice to share a hot pot with a local”

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2.FULL DAY – Kuang Si Waterfall, Kayak on the Nam Ou / Mekong River, Pak Ou Caves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · from $50Top rated

Spend about 8.5 hours combining river kayaking, Pak Ou Caves, Whisky Village, Kuang Si Falls, and lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp. You’ll paddle through limestone scenery, see thousands of Buddha images, and have time to swim in the falls. Small groups, bottled water, kayak equipment, entrance fees, and a vegetarian buffet option are included.

“A very full and exciting day. Especially enjoyed the kayaking, waterfall and the excellent buffet lunch with the elephants.”

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3.Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 58 reviews · 4 hours · from $45

Spend four hours eating your way through Luang Prabang with a local foodie guide. Try 15+ Lao tastings, visit market stalls and old eateries, meet a monk, watch sunset by the Mekong, and finish with noodles and Beerlao. Groups are limited to eight.

“Fabulous in every way!! Great guide and excellent food coming a wide range. Highly recommend!!”

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4.Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $45

Start at 4 pm in central Luang Prabang for a three to four-hour food walk with 15-plus tastings. Your guide may be Lay, Som, Lahda, or Latda. Expect riverweed crackers, Lao sausage, grilled Mekong fish, khao piak sen noodles, local drinks, a monk conversation, and a tuk-tuk ride to a family-run dessert shop.

“This was an excellent tour! We got lots of delicious food and drinks, plus a nice walk around the town. Our guide spoke fluent English and she was so sweet and knowledgeable. The other people doing the tour were all so nice and our guide encouraged everyone to talk to each other. Great for groups or solo travelers alike. Definitely a must do!!”

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5.Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, Mekong & Nam Ou River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 33 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Travel from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang by river instead of a long van ride. You will cruise the Nam Ou, transfer by minivan for lunch at Manifa Elephant Camp, visit Pak Ou Caves, and stop at Ban Xang Hai. An optional kayak leg reaches the caves, and guides such as Nouan and Poon lead different sections.

“la 1ere croisière etait exceptionnelle le repas tres bon également et la grotte est surprenante”

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6.Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 27 reviews · 2 hours · from $44

You’ll spend two hours on a solar-powered, double-decker wooden boat drifting along the Mekong near Luang Prabang. Enjoy a Lao mojito, seven small tasting dishes, sunset views, blankets, and a simple river ritual involving wishes and fish release. Hotel pickup by tuk tuk is included, but the return to your hotel is not.

“Average. They didn’t check our tickets properly and if we didn’t ask for the tasting dinner we would have missed out. Cocktails were mostly all sold out and the one we had wasn’t very nice. The fish release isn’t you doing it yourself but the wishes and worries was a nice idea. Not sure if I’d do this again nor recommend”

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7.Mekong Fishing with a Local Fisherman & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $69

Nou or Tid guides you from Luang Prabang by tuk-tuk and fishing boat to meet a local Mekong fisherman. Learn traditional net methods, try them yourself, and eat freshly grilled fish on a quiet riverbank. The small group is limited to six, and a stop at a local whisky village may be included.

“What an awesome experience!!! The best thing I did when I was in Laos, I went with my friend and we were picked up in the morning by our guide Nou and our driver who were both super friendly. You drive a bit out of town to a village on the river. First they walked us through the brewing process of the local whiskey and offered us free tastings. Then we were introduced to our local fisherman who was to take us out. Once on the boat he does a demonstration of how he casts the net and scares fish into the net from the reeds. We then had a…”

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8.Luang Prabang Mekong Sunset Cruise and Hot Pot Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $55

Meet your guide and travel by tuk-tuk to the Mekong jetty behind the Royal Palace. A two-hour slow-boat cruise brings sunset views of Luang Prabang and Chompet, followed by SinDat hot pot, snacks, local beer, and bottled water. Your guide helps with ordering and can take photos.

“What a great evening. Our guide, Mr Tid, was very informative & explained many things about the Mekong River.”

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9.1 Day Mekong Cruise to Pak Ou Caves and Kuang Si Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $70

Spend 8 to 9 hours traveling from Luang Prabang by Mekong boat and air-conditioned vehicle. Visit Ban Xang Hai, Pak Ou Caves, Kuang Si Falls, and a Hmong heritage center with an English-speaking guide, lunch, hotel pickup, and a group limit of 15.

“We had a wonderful day on this tour! There were so many fun activities that kept us engaged throughout. The tour guide was friendly and took great care of everyone, which made the trip even more enjoyable. We would definitely recommend this tour to our friends. Thanks for a memorable day!”

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10.Dine and Cruise on Mekong River

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $65

From Luang Prabang, choose a 4:30 PM Mekong sunset cruise with dinner and a Lao dance show, or a morning trip to Pak Ou Caves with lunch. Hotel pickup is included, the group is capped at 30, and the boat returns around 8 PM for the evening option.

“Nice show, on the small side. Really enjoyed the local music they played throughout the meal. Remember your kip for drinks.”

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11.Unwind with a Sunset Cruise on the Mekong River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $35Best value

Join Victoria Xiengthong Palace at 4:30 pm for a 90-minute to two-hour sunset cruise from its Luang Prabang hotel. You’ll pass stilt houses, fishermen, and green riverbanks while enjoying comfortable seating, open views, snacks, and a drink. The boat returns to the hotel meeting point.

“We booked this last minute so hadn’t done any research which is unusual. However it turned out to be a truly amazing experience and one we will never forget. We felt like royalty it was that good. The food amazing, the sunset spectacular and overall service way over 5 stars. Absolutely recommend this to anyone.”

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12.Mekong River Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours · from $65

Spend five hours with a small group of up to six, meeting chef Sing at Luang Prabang’s morning market before preparing four Lao dishes aboard a boat. Choose meat or vegetarian recipes, including mok, laap, lemongrass-stuffed dishes, and mango sticky rice. Hotel pickup, tuk-tuk transport, ingredients, and lunch are included.

“loved the whole day....sing was an amazing guide very informative and a good cooking teacher, would recommend doing this!”

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