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Things to Do in Vientiane

The capital of Laos, Vientiane is unlike any other world capital. The chaos and bustle that characterises urban centres is markedly absent from this city full of Buddhist temples and monasteries and its broad tree-lined boulevards. Its history under the French colonial rule, which lasted well into the twentieth century, has left its mark in the architecture of the city which is a delightful blend of French and traditional structures. The air of calm that fills the city is a legacy of its strong Buddhist culture which has flourished for centuries in Laos. Spending a couple of days in Vientiane will allow you to explore the city in all its rich heritage. The many iconic and historically relevant Buddhist landmarks that are situated all over the city are its best attractions. Pha That Luang, a symbol recognizable anywhere in Laos, is a grand gold-covered Buddhist stupa. Built around 1566, the stupa stands tall as a symbol of the best of Vientiane’s culture. One of the best things to do in Vientiane are its parades, live music and holy ceremonies in November which attract tourists from all over the world. Other spectacular sites of the city include the worship site of Wat Si Muang where wishes are said to come true, Wat Si Saket which is home to thousands of Buddhist statues, the impressive Patuxai Victory Monument, and That Dam stupa.

Though full of heritage and bursting with tradition, Vientiane is steadily acquiring a modern vibe as upscale hotels and restaurants come up to cater to the tourists who are beginning to discover the charms of Laos. Since Vientiane is not heavily populated, cycling around the city is a great way of enjoying its myriad sights and sounds. Cycle leisurely to all the major landmarks, visit the local markets, and try out the cuisine of Laos which is rich in fresh herbs, and full of curiously rustic tastes. End your stay in Vientiane by strolling down to the Mekong river bank, and watch as the warm rays of the sun colour the river with a passionate glow before it bids the river goodbye. Check out the best things to do in Vientiane for a memorable vacation here.

Wat Mixay

The rooms at the modern-looking guesthouse are all air-con, come with a small cable TV, tile floor, hard spring mattress, some furniture and clean but teeny-tiny hot water bathrooms that could be the dictionary definition of “water closet”. This is a solid budget hotel with a more modern feel and English-speaking reception, which you don’t often get in this price range.

We like the upper floors since they feel removed from the city busyness and some rooms, like #384, have two sets of windows. The owners are a friendly mob and there’s free WiFi in each room. It’s located right on a bustling corner, across from Wat Mixay, and the lobby has an attached cafe that’s a decent spot for emails and fruit shakes. With breakfast included in the tariff, this place is recommended.

Highlights : One of the many Buddhist temples along Setthathilath Road in Vientiane, Laos.

Location : Vientiane , Laos

Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm

The Presidential Palace

The presidential palace is often another name for the residence officially booked for the presidents in different countries. In some countries, however, they are not called by that name. The buildings there are only used to do all the official work and not just for the resident of the president. Some palaces are official residents given to the monarchs who were preserved during the transformation into republics.

The owner of Phil and Diane opened a Presidential palace before being a celebrity photographer. The palace is said to consist of the biggest and largest dance floor and is said to accommodate more than 500 people. However to talk about only Presidential palace which is situated in almost all the countries are equally famous and beautifully created. It is often the workplace for the Presidents. They are differently arranged in different countries to suit the need of a different president.

Ho Pra Keo

This is also written in many different ways like Haw Phra Kaew or Hoe Pha Keo and others. This was formally a temple in the Vientiane in Laos. It is located on the Setthathirath road which is further situated in the south east of the Wat Si Saket. This was first built in the year 1565 to create a house for the Buddha. This has however been built up many a times. The inner part has been converted into a museum which is famous for all the religious and other activities.

As the king moved the capital to Vientiane, this place was built. This was placed on the soil of the royalty. This was a place for a personal worship of the king and was not the house for any monks as we can see in other places. The great statue of Buddha is present there for the past 200 years. It was in the year 1779 that it was captured and the temple was destroyed.

Vat That Khao

This place is situated right beside a place called Vat That Luang which is believed to be the most sacred and believed place in Lao. The place called Luang was established in the 300bc and is believed to be the most sacred as it contain the sacred relic in the form of Buddha’s breastbone. That Khao is believed to be a beautiful and splendid reclining in the form of biggest Buddha situated in the Lao. It is however thought of as big as the Wat Pho which is located in the Bangkok.

However as in Thailand where there are many places of tourist attraction and that almost attracts the tourists towards them, this place is devoid of such tourist attraction. This place is famous for its Buddhist temple and is located across the road in place called Royal Park. Tourists are said to be attracted towards this place because of the Buddhist temple that are situated right there and is famous for it only.

Wat Chan

To view Thailand in a completely new way, one needs to go through all the unseen and unvisited places in Thailand such as a four-hour long drive to a place called Ban Wat Chan. This place is situated in the opposite side of the border. This place is not that famous as other places situated nearby such as Pai. If we are to judge from other’s point of view, it can be said that this place is the most amazing thing, and the college students are yet to explore them for the small beautiful mountains present.

It can be said that Wan Chan is the situated in the most ancient and isolated location. But with the beautiful environment there that has been untouched and unharmed by any. The roads are beautifully curved and are unused by any.

Vientiane City Pillar Shrine

This new shrine was finished in the year of 2012, and the contractor handed it over to the Information Ministry of tourism and culture. This particular shrine is situated in the Phaiwat village in the Sisattanak district. The spot where it has been made into consisted of 473 fragments remains of the city stone pillar which was marked long back to the 5th or 4th century and was buried along with other remains.

The main reason behind the construction was to preserve the old heritage and the other artifacts remains which were believed by the foreign travelers to be belonging to the city of Vientiane. There are many activities done there which includes certain religious ceremony and some traditional celebrations. The valued items are said to be placed on the pillar, and many worshipers tend to donate special items. They in return get all the good luck blessings in the form of items such as holy books, Buddha statues, etc.

Lao People's Army Museum

The museum is situated in Vientiane in Laos, which is further located in the Defense Ministry on the Phomvihane road. This particular museum is said to establish in the year 1976. It is a house for all the important weapons and many such ancient tools and also contains the photographs of the army of the Lao People’s. These pictures were taken during the period starting from 1950 until the place was liberated and the people got independence leading to the establishment of their Democracy in the year of 1975.

There is an exhibition that takes place right outside the main building. The exhibition is on different war vehicles and planes used in the war. There is a statue of Lao leader which is one of the important figures of that place. The gallery consists of many such stories of the different soldiers. The journey should be done with the help of a bus that leads towards Dongdok.

Lao Textile Museum

Underneath the raised house there are old looms and antique spinners that you would not find in use anywhere today. Upstairs, textiles are hung on the walls or are simply stacked in cupboards. The collection has some stunning pieces, with several made by different ethnic minority groups. Unfortunately, the textiles don’t have proper storage or display conditions and many of them are deteriorating.

There is also a studio where they produce silk pieces for their shop and a glossy cultural education centre with professional displays on natural dyes and indigo pots (clearly there has been NGO funding and involvement). The educational centre is largely used as a showroom for large tour groups and it isn’t an active, working, living craft centre you can just drop in on.

Highlights – The museum also offers Lao cooking classes, although these didn't yet appear to be up and running during our visit, and on Saturdays, lessons on traditional Lao mus

Location – Vientiane , Laos

Prices: Admission 30,000K

Opening Hours: 10am to 4pm

Wat Sokpaluang

Spas and massage shops are in plentiful supply in Vientiane, offering something for every budget. But for something more memorable, take the three kilometre trip out of the centre to Wat Sok Pa Luang, and down a path to the side of the temple you will find a rickety old jungle house offering Lao massage and traditional herbal spa; a hand-painted sign points the way.

The traditional massage and herbal sauna experience at Wat Sok Pa Luang isn’t for everyone as the facilities are basic, on the other end of the spectrum to a fancy hotel spa treatment, without the sycophantic staff or exclusiveness. But what you do get is the most authentic experience, with true Laotian hospitality and massage beds so close to the forest you can reach out and touch it.

Highlights – Healthy herbal sauna Lao-style, in the leafy grounds of Wat Sok Pa Luang.

Location – Vientiane , Laos Opening

Hours: 1pm to 7pm

Wat Ong Theu

It was then rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries and now holds an important position as the national centre of Buddhist studies. The temple is quite colourful, with bright yellow and red accents. Enter the sim and the Phra Ongteu, its namesake large bronze Buddha, dominates in a serenely seated bhumisparsa mudra “earth witness” posture, signifying the moment just before he attained enlightenment.

Though the temple is not the most spectacular, its central downtown location makes it a convenient place to go for a meditative stroll. The wat is home to Sangha College, which was first established in 1929 by Prince Phetsarath and Somdet Phra Loukeo Outhen Sakda, head of the Lao sangha and Governor of Vientiane.

Highlights – This temple is one of the most important in Laos, Rebuilt in the early 20th century.

Location – Vientiane , Laos

Phou Khao Khouay National Park

Sprawling yet little-visited Phou Khao Khouay National Park is located only 40 kilometres northeast of Vientiane, accessible via Route 13 headed to Tha Khaek. The park, which means “Buffalo Horn Mountain”, features some beautiful scenery and a vast array of biodiversity ranging from dense jungle to cool, misty pine forests, rivers and waterfalls, including noteworthy Tad Leuk and Tad Xay – both can be visited in a single daytrip.

It is the closest National Park to Vientiane, but ironically it can feel like one of the least accessible to the average traveller. Sights within the park are sprawled out and the tourist heyday has come and gone, with many of the once highly touted activities and accommodation set up to be the next big thing now dead or crumbling. Still, the park remains an amazing swathe of nature less than two hours away from the rapidly developing capital city.

Highlights – Bolikhamxay, Khet Phiset Xaisomboon (Special Zone), Vientian Prefecture, Vientiane Province

Location – Vientiane

Houey Hong Vocational Training Centre For Women

Houey Hong Vocational Training Centre for Women was established originally to provide training in the art of weaving for Lao women from poor backgrounds. Over time, with funding from international non-governmental organizations, the training centre has expanded its scope to include minority ethnic groups and disabled folk. The Centre was founded by Japanese-educated Chanthasone Inthavong in 1998, and offers short courses in weaving, dyeing, sewing and small business administration.

Together with the job placement programme, it hopes to help generate income for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Situated seven km from Vientiane city centre in a Houey Hong Village, Chanthabury District, the centre is surrounded by a pleasant garden.

Highlights: The sporadic nature of its funding means that the centre has to support itself and it does so by selling crafts made on the premises and offering tailoring services.

Opening Hours: Monday through Saturday 08:30 – 12:00, 13:30 - 16:30

Location: Houey Hong Village, Chanthabury District

Wat Ho Phra Kaew

Vientiane boasts several beautiful temples or wats, but one of the most impressive and interesting of them is Wat Ho Phra Keo. It was originally constructed in 1565 as the Lao royal family’s personal chapel, and as a home for the Emerald Buddha after it was snatched from northern Siam (Thailand). This sacred jade statue was reclaimed by the Siamese in 1778 and now sits in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.

Highlights – The interior of the temple is now a museum that houses many Lao treasures such as a gilded throne, Khmer Buddhist stone tablets, wooden carvings, bronze frog drums and palm-leaf manuscripts.

Opening Hours: The temple is open from 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00 every day.

Location: Wat Ho Phra Keo is situated on the corner of Thanon Setthathilath and Thanon Mahosot. It is next to the Presidential Palace and across the road from Wat Si Saket. Mahosot Hospital is on the opposite side of Thanon Mahosot.

Vientiane Pha That Luang

The air-conditioned shopping mall (the only one in Laos) is the best place to find electronics, sports equipment and jewellery, while the cavernous original Morning Market is fairly overflowing with mass-produced silks, cheap T-shirts, trinkets and other souvenir type items. Talat Sao is the market to visit if you are looking for something in particular – although bear in mind that the catwalks of Paris and Milan are a long way from Vientiane.

Despite looking like a shopping mall in a provincial town rather than the flagship shopping destination of a capital city, Talat Sao mall is still a breath of fresh, air-conditioned air to many tourists battling with the tropical heat outside. There are a range of shops and services for tourists to enjoy over five floors, including a Big C supermarket, a three-screen cinema, a children’s play area with plenty of arcade games and flashing lights, and a food court on the fourth floor.

Location: Vientiane , Laos

Opening hours: 8am-noon & 1-4pm Tue-Sun

Patuxai Victory Monument

With its crenellated upper level topped with five ornate towers in the traditional Laos style, the Patuxai Victory Monument cuts a distinctive figure on the Vientiane skyline. It forms the centre piece of Patuxai Park, and is dedicated to the Laos who were killed in the fight to gain independence from France, as well as from the nation’s earlier occupiers, Siam and Japan.

Highlights: Patuxai was built between 1957 and 1968 using funds from the U.S. government.

Opening Hours: From 08:00 to 16:30 on Mondays to Fridays, and 08:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Location: Patuxai is situated at the far end of Thanon Lane Xang in the government and diplomatic district. The monument sits on the large ‘island’ formed where the avenue splits into two, opposite the Ministry of Justice to the south and the Prime Minister’s office to the north.

Black Stupa (That Dam)

That Dam, or black stupa, is located on a quiet roundabout not far from Talat Sao (the morning market) and the American Embassy. That in Laotian refers to an inverted bell shape (or unopened lotus flower) structure that usually contains relics of the Buddha. Legend has it that a seven-headed water serpent – a ‘Naga’ lived here to protect the stupa that was once covered in pure gold.

During the Siamese-Laotian war in the 1820s, the gold was pillaged and taken to Siam, now Thailand, leaving the legacy that is the black stupa today. Known as the ‘Black Stupa', many locals believe this mythological structure was once inhabited by a seven-headed dragon (now dormant) that stood to protect the city from the threat of the Siamese.

Highlights : Known as the ‘Black Stupa', many locals believe this mythological structure was once inhabited by a seven-headed dragon (now dormant) that stood to protect the city from the threat of the Siamese.

Location: Chantha Khoumane Road, Vientiane

Wat Si Muang

Wat Si Muang is one of Vientiane’s most popular sites of worship, and offers a fascinating insight into how old animist beliefs have blended seamlessly with Theravada Buddhism. According to local legend, when the temple was being built in 1563 a young pregnant woman named Si Muang volunteered to sacrifice herself to appease the angry spirits.

During the That Luang Festival every October or November, this temple is one of the focal points of the celebrations, and Si Muang is fêted as a guardian of the city. On a daily basis, Wat Si Muang attracts crowds of local Buddhists who want to benefit from its ‘good luck’ powers.

Highlights – This temple is more interesting for its story than for its architecture.

Location: Wat Si Muang is located at the eastern end of Thanon Setthathirath, in the triangular area formed just before the street merges with Thanon Samsenthai and turns into Thanon Thadeua.

Opening Hours: The temple is open from 06:00 to 19:00 every day

Cope Visitor Centre

If you visit beautiful Lao PDR, we invite you to come to the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane, where you can learn more about COPE. There are a range of things to see and do. Take time to wander through our large free exhibit where you will learn about the UXO problem in Lao PDR and the work undertaken by COPE and the CMR to provide disability services for people affected by UXOs.

As part of the exhibition you can watch a number of excellent documentary films about UXOs and COPE. Inside the COPE Visitor Centre you will find our gift shop where you can purchase t-shirts, postcards, and other items or simply make a donation. You can also enjoy custom made ice cream and hot and cold drinks at our Karma Cafe.

Highlights – Explore the free exhibit, Purchase unique gifts or make a donation Location – Boulevard Khouvieng, Vientiane, Laos

Opening Hours: 9am to 6pm

Wat Sisaket

Wat Si Saket situated in Vientiane is renowned for its group divider lodging a great many little Buddha pictures and lines with several situated Buddhas. These pictures for the most part date from the sixteenth and nineteenth hundreds of years and come in all sizes and are produced using wood, stone and bronze – more than 6,800 Buddhas altogether. In the event that meeting the sanctuary at a young hour in the morning, guests will go over the numerous local people that go to beg and make merit and in addition to offer nourishment to the friars. It is an enchanting day by day function to witness. The sanctuary is very shady as it is encompassed by tropical organic product trees.

Highlights – Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, City on the Mekong, The Rugged Charm of the, Top of the Land of a Million Elephants

Opening Hours: Daily from 08:00 – 16:00

Location: On Lan Xang Road (across the street from the Presidential Palace), Vientiane

Prices: 5,000 Kip per person.

Mekong Riverside Park

The Vientiane Night Market is aimed primarily towards tourists, with clean, orderly stalls, and all manner of merchandise that make great souvenirs or mementos. It all begins around sunset when a small army of sellers begin setting up their red-roofed stalls directly on the riverside promenade. You can’t fail to see it. The whole riverside area is alive at this time with joggers and dog-walkers taking advantage of the cooling breezes and stunning backdrop of the sun lazily sinking into the Mekong river.

Products on offer are fairly typical of night markets throughout the region. You will find a predictable array of Buddhist-inspired paintings and knickknacks, cheap sunglasses, and Beer Lao T-shirts. The clothes stalls tend to be geared towards the backpacker market with fishermen pants and one-size-fits-all dresses and skirts.

Highlights – Built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, the three-headed elephant (aka Erawan and Airavata)

Location – Night Market Quai Fa Ngum Vientiane Laos

Best time to visit: 6pm to 7:30pm