“How many days will I need to see Vientiane during my trip to Laos?” “Should I include Vientiane in my itinerary?” These are ones of the questions that you’re likely to ask when planning a trip to Laos. Your guidebook for traveling will probably only mention a few highlights in the country’s capital city, so you may be considering spending a short time there, or even skipping it altogether. However, you could also be wondering if there are certain things you definitely shouldn’t miss in Vientiane! This is exactly what I went through.
Having been there, I can confidently say that one day is enough to fully enjoy the city. If you travel to Laos by air, it’s a good idea to leave yourself 1.5+ days to spend in Vientiane before or after visiting Luang Phabang. Even on this tight schedule, you can still find time for a relaxing spa visit, or hang around Nam Phu to enjoy some cafe-hopping and shopping. Find the perfect one-day itinerary in Vientiane here.
Spend the morning covering all three key places in one suburb.
In the morning, visit all three of the key highlights that are located in the same suburb. Start with Buddha Park, which is a 50 to 60-minute drive from Vientiane. Then go to Pha That Luang, the golden Buddhist stupa, and Patuxai (Victory Gate). It’s recommended to hire a private car. In total, the trip will take 3 to 4 hours.
According to the guidebook, Buddha Park contains many randomly placed Buddhism-related statues. Okay, it may not explicitly state “randomly,” but that was certainly my takeaway. In fact and to be honest, I got no authentic or religious feeling there (perhaps I was getting it wrong?). In any case, it was interesting to see the various interpretation of Buddhism and we ended up spending around 45 minutes there.
The next site is Pha That Luang, which is the place I really wanted to go. It’s one of the most beautiful Buddhist monuments in the country and is thought to enshrine a breast bone of the Buddha. It dates back to the 3rd century and has undergone multiple reconstructions since then.
The wall surrounding the complex contains many Buddha statues, which have seemingly been installed during the various reconstructions. These Buddhas have a different facial expressions from those seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand and Cambodia, which indicates they were created by local people. I liked those statues.
The final place to visit in the morning is Patuxai (Victory Gate). Said to resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it was interesting to see the exterior and interior decorated with traditional Laotian motifs from Buddhism and Hinduism.
Full-course Laotian traditional lunch
It’s a very short ride from Patuxai back to the center of the city. And now, it’s lunch time!
If you already have some favorite Laotian foods, just find the right place that serves those dishes. If you haven’t yet got any favorites, I’d recommend going to a restaurant that serves a decent Laotian cuisine course, where you’ll be able to enjoy several key Laotian local foods in one go. Here is the lunch course for two pax we we had at Kua Lao.
It includes typical Laotian foods, such as sticky rice, lap, spring rolls, and Laotian sausage.
Our favorites were sticky rice and lap. The most amazing thing about this place was its “jaew bong” dipping sauce. It’s a sweet, savory, savory, and sticky Lao chili paste, which you can enjoy with sticky rice or vegetables together.
Short walk to the two most important temples in the city
After lunch, take a short walk to Wat Sisaket and Wat Ho Phra Keo.
Wat Sisaket has a beautiful five-tiered roof and drum tower with a Burmese-style roof. What I liked most was the more than 10,000 Buddha statues housed in the surrounding cloisters of the main temple. Their facial expression and body language were calm, soft, and peaceful. We took the time to go around and look at them one by one.
Wat Ho Phra Keo stands just across the street from Wat Sisaket.
Originally a formal temple, today it serves as a museum of religious arts. Although the museum itself is small, we found the quality of the displays to be high, especially the Buddha placed on the terrace, some of which date from the 6th to the 9th centuries.
Relax until the evening – wander round the city full of signs of worship, some great Laotian coffee, or enjoy shopping or relaxing at a spa.
This completes all of the key highlights listed in the guidebook. However you will still find many small and big signs of Buddhism worship in the streets. We strolled round the city for a while, on the lookout for small joys.
Black Stupa (That Dam) was one such place that we walked past. While the tower itself looks abandoned from far, the numerous offerings of fresh flowers indicated that local people still respect this site.
Another great thing in the city was the Laotian coffee. You’ll find many coffee shops dotted around, and whenever we found a cafe that looked good, we would hop in and ship a a coffee.
The Little House was the best and had great cups of coffee. The roast level was just right – full bodied but not too bitter – so we purchased two packs of roasted coffee beans. We also loved the cozy and rustic interior, which made us forget we were in the middle of hot and humid Vientiane.
If you’re interested in buying some local products, then head for the Namphu area, where you’ll find many souvenir shops. I bought some organic Laotian black rice, which was one of our favorite local meals.
After spending time walking in the hot weather, it’s a good idea to try a decent massage at a spa. There are several spa chains in the city, so you can choose one based on its good reviews on a review site.
Dive into the night vibe – Strolling in the night market after dinner
Just like on many other trips, evening in Vientiane stretch well into the night. Good meals, strolling for street foods, wandering round the night market – these are just some of the ways to spend the evening. So why not grab some dinner at a restaurant or a booth for street foods, and then head to the night market along the Mekong River?
If you plan on visiting Rue Phai Nam, where vendors operate night-food stalls, it’s good to get there early while test foods are still available.
Lastly, enjoy roaming around the night market in Quai Fa Ngum Street (around Wat Chantaburi) along the Melong River.
And that’s it for what you can cover in one day in Vientiane. here is hoping it helps with the plan for your next trip to Laos!
One-day Itinerary in Vientiane
Morning (8am-12pm): Visit Buddha Park, Pha That Luang, and Patuxay (Victory Gate)
Lunch: Enjoy dome decent traditional Laotian cuisine in the city
Early afternoon (1:30-4pm): Visit two temples – Wat Sisaket and Wat Ho Phra Keo
Late afternoon/Eevning (4-7pm): Enjoy Laotian coffee, shopping, and then relax at a spa
Night (7-10pm): After dinner, stroll around the night markets in the Namphu area.