The 15 Best Mekong River Cruises in Laos

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

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

Review of Luang Prabang’s $40 Mekong cruise to Pak Ou Caves, Lao Whiskey Village, buffet lunch, guides, timing, value, and practical tips.

“The trip was amazing but the highlight was our guide- PingPhong. He brought the group together and made it so fun! As a solo traveler that was very important. The caves were beautiful, Whiskey Village was a blast and the boat ride was picturesque.”

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2.Luang Prabang: Afternoon Kuang Si Waterfalls & Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 158 reviews · 5 hours · from $35Best value

Visit Kuang Si Falls, see the bear rescue center, and cruise the Mekong at sunset on this practical five-hour Luang Prabang tour.

“Visiting the waterfall and the sunset cruise were great! Our guide Pany did a great job communicating before and during the event to make the tour enjoyable. He led the group of us on a great hike to explore some scenic areas of the waterfall, checked in from time to time during our free time, giving suggestions and taking photos for us, and gave us a great going away toast and Lao blessing on the boat ride back. One thing that could be improved is the initial transport to the waterfall was a little chaotic. We were all over the place, switched vans midway, and seemed to merge with another…”

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3.Chiang Rai: 2-Day Transfer to Luang Prabang by Slow Boat

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 149 reviews · 2 days · from $75

Review of the $75 Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang slow boat, with border tips, Pakbeng advice, comfort warnings, and honest value notes.

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

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

Kayak the Nam Ou and Mekong, visit Pak Ou Caves, swim at Kuang Si Falls, and enjoy a Lao buffet lunch for $50.

“The guides are awesome and you really couldn’t ask for a more comprehensive experience of the big sites surrounding Luang Prabang. You get a generous two hours at the falls, which I used to climb to the top and take a dip-highly recommRead more”

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5.Luang Prabang: Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings

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

Taste 15-plus Lao dishes on a four-hour Luang Prabang street-food walk with local guides, a monk visit, markets, river views, and Beerlao.

“4 full hrs of excellent veriey of food tastings, in different settings and good company (small group). Tour guide, Mr Toun, was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He made for an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend!”

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6.Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw: River Cruise, Hike & Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 53 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Cruise the Nam Ou from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw with Lao lunch, village visit, waterfall hike, and sunset views for $55.

“The boat ride to Nong Khiaw was beautiful and comfortable. The van ride to the river boat was incredibly bumpy - if you struggle with car sickness this may be an issue for you. The hike to the waterfall was enjoyable and not difficult. We were led by a local guide (in addition to our main tour guide) - and unexpectedly had to pay an additional $100,000 kip to the guide split between the group, so bring small cash. If you are vegetarian or vegan, note that the meal option is just the side dishes of the meat-based meal (we were served rice, a cabbage stir fry, tofu salad, and…”

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7.Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $45

Explore Luang Prabang after dark with 15+ Lao tastings, local drinks, a monk chat, tuk-tuk ride, and a small group of eight.

“Lahda was a great guide - she explained more than just the food but also a bit about Lao culture and way of life. There was so much food and everything was delicious or seplai! We tried things that we wouldn’t have ordered on our own. Great tour!”

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

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

Cruise from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang by Nam Ou and Mekong rivers, with Pak Ou Caves, lunch, village stops, and sunset views.

“Good option to make the dull ride from Ning Khiaw to LP more comfortable and interesting. Especially the first leg is beautiful on the river, ans the van after is comfortable. We were a bit behind on time, which can happen. Made lunch a bit hectic - for a daily tour operation this should be smoother.”

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9.Luang Prabang: Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner

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

Review of Luang Prabang’s $44 Mekong sunset cruise, with Lao tasting platter, solar boat, river ritual, drinks, practical tips, and drawbacks.

“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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10.From Chiang Rai : 2 Day 1 Night Slow Boat to Luang Prabang

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 26 reviews · 2 days · from $85

Review of the 2-day Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang slow boat, with Mekong views, border help, Pakbeng tips, costs, comfort, and value.

“it was what everyone else has commented, you get what you pay for. 1st boat to pakbeng was packed like sardines. second day boat was better, little bit more room, not as over crowded.”

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11.Full day / Half Day Kayaking and Pak Ou Caves with optional sunset cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · from $41

Kayak the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers, explore Pak Ou Caves, visit Whisky Village, and add a sunset cruise from Luang Prabang.

“We did the half day tour in a small group of six. The whole experience was excellent. We really enjoyed the kayaking and the caves. You definitely need to take a change of clothing - there are lockers at the activity centre where you can leave Read more”

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12.Luang Prabang: Mekong Fishing with a Local Fisherman & Lunch

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

Learn traditional Mekong fishing near Luang Prabang, grill your catch on a riverside beach, and return by tuk-tuk for $69.

“Great experience learning to fish like a local, the guide nou was a very funny man I would definitely recommend this activity if you are in Luang Prabang”

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13.Sunset Cruise Luang Prabang

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 20 reviews · from $35

Review the Luang Prabang sunset cruise, with solar-powered boats, Mekong views, drinks, pricing advice, timing, and booking tips.

“This was by far the best looking boat out there.. it is double deck there's snacks in a drink that comes with it and or you can purchase more snacks and drinks if you'd like.. the activities on the boat were fabulous this is 10 times better than the experience I thought I was going to get”

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14.Luang Prabang: 2D Transfer to Huay Xai by Slow Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 18 reviews · 2 days · from $65

A practical review of the two-day slow boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai, with Mekong scenery, Pakbeng tips, costs, and border advice.

“essayer de fo donner un horaire d arrivée afin de coordonner un transfert vers wchizng Rai”

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15.Luang Prabang Mekong Sunset Cruise and Hot Pot Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $55

Review of Luang Prabang’s Mekong sunset cruise with tuk-tuk pickup, local snacks, SinDat hot pot, beer, and a private guide.

“Great experience , a must do, the views, the local dinner , the guide . I highly recommend . It was a great experience”

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