Cheap flights To Luang Prabang (LPQ) from $53

Luang Prabang deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This city has been isolated geographically and so has maintained its unique local charm throughout the years. The ancient capital of Laos, Luang Prabang is one of the best examples of French colonial architecture in Southeast Asia.

Attractions

The city is full of coffee shops and street cafes that beckon for you to sit for a while and watch the world go by, especially along Phetsarat Road.

Luang Prabang is known for its Buddhist temples; chief among them is Wat Chomsi. It sits atop Mount Phousi in the middle of the city. If you would like to get out of the city, you can take a boat trip up the Mekong River.

Hints and tips

Luang Prabang is comfortable most of the year with average temperatures in the low 80s Fahrenheit, and the nights are cool. The hottest time of the year sees temperatures climbing over 100 degrees before the rains come in March and April.

Visitors fly to Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ), which sits only a couple miles out of town and can be easily reached by taxi. If you wish to fly during the popular Pi Mai or New Year's holiday in early April, then plan ahead as reservations fill up early.

Luang Prabang sits in the tropics, at the same latitude as southern Mexico. The 2,300-foot elevation gives it warm days and pleasantly cool nights throughout most of the year. 

In January, when temperatures hover between the high 50s and low 80s, Luang Prabang dresses in bright costumes and celebrates its biggest Buddhist festival, Boun Pha Wet. This commemorates the rebirth of the Buddha as the compassionate prince Vessantara, and sees processions in the streets and recitations by monks in the temples.

Temperatures rise into the 90s during low season, in spring, and the air becomes progressively stickier and the monsoon rains approach. The Boun Pi Mai, or Laotian New Year, in early April celebrates their arrival. Luang Prabang is decorated with bright bunting, Laotians parade in traditional costume, and Buddhas are removed from the temples and washed with flower water. This water is then collected and thrown on locals and tourists alike. Prepare to be doused.

The rains diminish in late July in time for the colorful Boun Khao Padab Dinh boat races on the Nam Khan River. These are held in honor of the naga—dragon-like water spirits associated with agricultural fertility. There is a similar festival in October, when boats built and decorated in the scores of villages near Luang Prabang are brought to the town, filled with ritual flowers, and ceremonially set alight on the river.

Temperatures cool in late October, skies are blue, and there’s barely a drop of rain, making this the best time to visit the city or to take a trek into the surrounding hills. Be sure to visit one of the Hmong villages in December. This is when the villagers dress in intricately weaved skirts and shirts, don sparkling silver jewelry, and celebrate harvest with a weeklong festival of traditional music and dance.