Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang: Day on the Nam Ou, Peak Camping or Three Days with a Homestay?
4 min read
Short answer. If you only want to get to Nong Khiaw in a more interesting way than a minivan, take the river day on the Nam Ou: €34.26, 4.6 stars from 73 reviews. If the sunrise above the valley is the point, book the overnight camp on the peak. If you have three days and want villages and a waterfall as well, there is the three-day trek with a homestay.
The three, side by side
| Option | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nong Khiaw: River Cruise, Hike & Waterfall | 1 day, one way | €34.26 | 4.6 (73) | Reaching Nong Khiaw by river |
| Camping on Nong Khiaw Peak | 18 hours | €45.08 | 4.5 (180) | Sunset and sunrise from the top |
| 3-Day Trekking & Camping with Homestay | 3 days | €99.19 | 4.9 (53) | Trekking, waterfall and village life |
The river day
This one is a transfer in disguise. You are picked up at your hotel between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m., drive by van to the second dam on the Nam Ou and continue upstream by boat, with a stop at a Khmu village for a Lao lunch. After lunch you choose: a guided hike to the 100 Waterfalls, which takes three hours round trip and brings you to Nong Khiaw around 5:30 p.m., or no hike and arrival around 2:30 p.m. Both end at the riverbank landing nearest your hotel in Nong Khiaw, so you sleep there that night. The description says it is a small group, with a private tour available.
The overnight camp
The pickup from your Luang Prabang hotel is between 8:00 and 8:45 a.m., followed by the drive to Nong Khiaw. The hike starts around 2 p.m. and the itinerary calls it a two-hour trek through bamboo bridges, banana forests and jungle, with sunset and dinner prepared by your guide on top. The page lists tents and sleeping bags, the English-speaking guide, drinking water, dinner and breakfast among the services, but it also says you can bring your own food or reserve food with the operator, so confirm the meals when you book. You are back down in the morning, and the return to Luang Prabang is not included; the operator sells bus tickets for it.
The three-day trek
The pickup is between 8:00 and 8:40 a.m. and the drive to Nong Khiaw takes about four hours, according to the description. Day 1 is the viewpoint camp, day 2 sunrise, a river trip of about 50 minutes, a trek and a swim at a waterfall, and day 3 a jungle trek of three to four hours, ending with a slow boat and about an hour of kayaking downstream. The page lists homestay, meals, camping equipment, boats, viewpoint and waterfall tickets and kayaking equipment, and in the same list personal expenses, travel insurance, tips and the ticket back to Luang Prabang; ask the operator which of these the price covers. The page lists it as not suitable for children under 12, people with mobility impairments, heart problems or vertigo.
Doing it on your own
The Luang Prabang tourism site names minivans from Luang Prabang at 9:30 a.m., and buses from the Northern Bus Station at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. It describes the sunrise viewpoint as a steep climb of 1 to 1.5 hours, and the path to Tad Mok Waterfall as extremely muddy in the rainy season. For the other trips from town, see all Nong Khiaw trips and Kuang Si Falls from Luang Prabang.
Who should skip it
Skip the camp and the trek if you dislike heights, steep climbs or basic sleeping. Skip the river day if you need to be back in Luang Prabang that night: it ends in Nong Khiaw. Its page also lists it as not suitable for vegetarians and vegans, pregnant women, wheelchair users and people with mobility, sight or hearing impairments.
Check dates and prices for the river day to Nong Khiaw
Our recommendation
Take the river day for most trips, the camp if the summit is your reason for going north, and the three-day trek only if you can spare the time and the walking.
