The recommended route: Laos, north to south
A month lets you do what a shorter trip can't: see the north and the south properly, with the travel between them treated as its own stage rather than an afterthought. There's still no fast road or rail link south of Vientiane, so this route builds in genuine buffer days rather than pretending the journey south is quick.
Days 1 to 6: Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Luang Prabang | Old town, Kuang Si Falls, a Mekong boat to the Pak Ou caves | Or lam, sai oua |
| 4 to 6 | Nong Khiaw | Minivan north into karst country, a viewpoint hike, a boat further up the Nam Ou | River fish, sticky rice |
Days 7 to 10: Vang Vieng and Vientiane
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 8 | Vang Vieng | Train south; kayaking, the Blue Lagoon, a hot-air balloon at sunrise | Riverside dinners |
| 9 to 10 | Vientiane | Train south; Pha That Luang, the COPE Visitor Centre, a Mekong sunset | Laap, Beerlao |
A balloon hit power lines in Vang Vieng in March 2026, so ask any operator about its safety record before you book. Take care with alcohol in Vang Vieng too: six foreign travellers died there in November 2024 after drinking alcohol, and a lab found methanol. Stick to sealed bottles and cans, as Canada's government advises, and turn down free shots.
Days 11 to 21: Thakhek, Pakse and the 4,000 Islands
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 to 14 | The Thakhek Loop | A bus south from Vientiane, then a multi-day motorbike loop from Thakhek through karst valleys to Kong Lor Cave | Noodle soup, grilled fish |
| 15 to 17 | Pakse and the Bolaven Plateau | A short loop through coffee farms and waterfalls, including Tad Fane | Bolaven coffee |
| 18 to 21 | The 4,000 Islands | Cycling between Don Det and Don Khon, plus a half day by boat and tuk-tuk to Khone Phapheng Falls | Fresh Mekong fish |
Thakhek to Pakse is about 350 km by road and takes 5 to 7 hours, and a sleeper bus from Vientiane to Pakse takes 10 to 12 hours. The Thakhek Loop's riding days are about 250 km and 185 km, and motorbike hire runs about US$5 to 10 a day. Unexploded ordnance is a risk across Laos away from marked paths, so stay on them.
Days 22 to 28: Wat Phou and a buffer
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 to 23 | Wat Phou and back to Pakse | A half-day trip to the Khmer temple complex near Champasak | Local rice dishes |
| 24 to 28 | Buffer and onward travel | Slow travel days for the north-south legs, or a border crossing onward | - |
This route follows our Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane guide, the Thakhek Loop guide and the southern Laos itinerary end to end; each has the full day-by-day for its own stage.
Other ways to spend a month
Northern Thailand into Laos, then north to south
Start with Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai, then fly or take the Mekong slow boat into Laos and follow the route above. The slow boat leaves from Huay Xai in Bokeo province: Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel within 10 km of the Thai border there, the UK asks for extreme caution in Bokeo, and Germany advises against travel to Bokeo and Sainyabuli, so read the current advice first.
Best for Two countries without long bus days
Laos as the middle leg of a longer trip
Spend the opening and closing weeks either side of the border, with the Laos north and the Thakhek Loop as the middle stretch.
Best for Thailand, Laos and Vietnam in one booking
Choosing between them
| Choose... | If you want... |
|---|---|
| The whole-country route above | To see Laos properly, without adding another country |
| The northern Thailand combo | Two countries, and don't want to backtrack to fly out of Laos |
| The Southeast Asia Grand Loop | Laos as part of a bigger, fully planned trip with Vietnam as well |
Borders, visas and a month-long trip
Both the e-visa and the visa on arrival give 30 days, which a full month runs right up against. If you need more time, the Immigration Department in Vientiane allows two extensions of up to 30 extra days each, applied for at least 3 days before your current stay runs out, for a fee of 20,000 kip a day plus a 40,000 kip form charge each time. Overstaying is expensive and can mean deportation, so build the extension into your plan rather than leaving it to the last few days. Full details are in our Laos visa guide.
Be honest with yourself about the border crossings too. Coming from Thailand, the e-visa, visa on arrival and the digital arrival form all work smoothly at the main crossings, including the Friendship Bridges and the Bangkok-Vientiane sleeper train. Heading on to Vietnam is more restrictive: the Lao Immigration Department's own list shows a visa on arrival only at Dansavanh (Lao Bao), so get your Lao visa in advance if you're planning to leave by any other Vietnam border post. See our Laos visa guide for the full crossing-by-crossing detail.
What it costs, best time and getting around
Most backpackers spend about US$20 to 35 a day on a bed, food and local transport. The slow boat (about 400,000 to 500,000 kip), the railway, motorbike hire and the visa come on top. November to February is the cool, dry window, while the rainy season runs from May to October and makes the Thakhek Loop's side tracks harder going. April is the hottest month, so we avoid it.
The Laos-China Railway covers the north (Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, about 2 hours end to end; a 2nd-class Luang Prabang to Vientiane ticket is about 360,000 kip) but doesn't reach south of Vientiane, so the Thakhek and Pakse legs are by bus or minivan. See getting around Laos for current fares and timings.
