When ascending Phu Si from the northern side, stop at Wat Pa Huak, one of the oldest wooden wat in the city. The gilded, carved front doors are usually locked but an attendant will open them for a tip. Inside, the original 19th-century murals show historic scenes along the Mekong River, including visits by Chinese diplomats and warriors arriving by river and horse caravans. See if you can spot the mule relieving itself!
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.07 MILES
Dominating the old city centre and a favourite with sunset junkies, the 100m-tall Phu Si (prepare your legs for a steep 329-step ascent) is crowned by a…
13.52 MILES
Thirty kilometres southwest of Luang Prabang, Tat Kuang Si is a many-tiered waterfall tumbling over limestone formations into a series of cool, swimmable…
0.64 MILES
Luang Prabang's best-known monastery is centred on a 1560 sǐm (ordination hall). Its roofs sweep low to the ground and there's a stunning 'tree of life'…
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0.64 MILES
The sobering UXO Laos Information Centre helps you get a grip on the devastation Laos suffered in the Second Indochina War and how nearly 40 years later…
12 MILES
Where the Nam Ou (Ou River) and Mekong River meet at Ban Pak Ou, two famous caves in the limestone cliff are crammed with myriad Buddha images. In the…
0.1 MILES
Evoking traditional Lao and French beaux-arts styles, the former Royal Palace was built in 1904 and was home to King Sisavang Vong (r 1904–59), whose…
0.17 MILES
Visiting this professionally presented three-room museum is a must to learn about northern Laos' various hill-tribe cultures, especially if you're…
Ock Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre
1.29 MILES
Set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics,…
Nearby Luang Prabang attractions
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The sacred Pha Bang image, from which the city takes its name, is stored in this highly ornate pavilion that wasn't completed until 2011. The 83cm-tall,…
0.07 MILES
One of the most visited sacred sites in Luang Prabang is located at the top of Phu Si. Built in 1804, by night the the 24m gilded stupa gleams like a…
0.07 MILES
Dominating the old city centre and a favourite with sunset junkies, the 100m-tall Phu Si (prepare your legs for a steep 329-step ascent) is crowned by a…
0.08 MILES
Wat Mai is one of the city's most sumptuous monasteries, its wooden sǐm (ordination hall) sporting a five-tiered roof in archetypal Luang Prabang style,…
0.1 MILES
Evoking traditional Lao and French beaux-arts styles, the former Royal Palace was built in 1904 and was home to King Sisavang Vong (r 1904–59), whose…
6. Royal Palace Car Collection
0.14 MILES
The five-piece Royal Palace Car Collection includes two 1960s Lincoln Continentals, a rare wing-edged 1958 Edsel Citation and a dilapidated Citroën DS…
0.16 MILES
Footpaths lead back from the commercial main drag into a little oasis of palm-shaded calm around Heuan Chan, an authentic traditional longhouse on tree…
0.16 MILES
This monastery close to That Chomsi features a number of gold Buddhas nestled into rocky clefts and niches.