Luang Prabang · Planning your trip
Best time to visit Luang Prabang, month by month
Dry season, hot season, rainy season: what Luang Prabang is like month by month, and which period to choose for your trip.
Dry season
November to February
Hot season
March to May
Rainy season
May to October
Our tip
November to January
When should you go to Luang Prabang? There is no bad season, but each has its own face. The dry season is the mildest, the hot season the most stifling, and the rainy season turns the country completely green. Here is what to expect, month by month.
The three seasons
Dry season · hot season · rainy season
From November to February, it is sunny and mild, with cool mornings. From March to May, the heat builds and the air gets hazy. From May to October, the rain falls mostly in showers, and the rice fields fill with water.
“The landscape becomes completely green, alive, almost unreal.”
In short
- Most pleasant: November to February
- Hottest: March to May
- Greenest: July to October
- Festivals: Pi Mai in mid-April, Ok Phansa in October
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Luang Prabang, season by season
Nov. to Feb.
The dry season: clear skies, mild days, cool mornings. It is high season, book early.
Mar. to May
The hot season: strong heat, haze in the air. Pi Mai, in mid-April, cools everyone down.
May to July
The first rains: nature turns green again, farmers prepare the rice fields.
Aug. to Oct.
The rainy season: showers, bright green rice fields, high rivers. Fewer people, and Ok Phansa in October.
For Kuang Si
The water is most turquoise in the dry season; in the rainy season, the falls are more powerful.
Do
- Book early for high season and festivals
- Sightsee in the morning in the hot season
- Bring a light raincoat in the rainy season
Avoid
- Ruling out the rainy season: it is often the most beautiful
- Midday outings in April
- Forgetting a sweater in December
Travel with us
Our tours · Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang temples and Mount Phousi
A day in the old town with your guide, in French, English, Chinese or Thai: the day market, the Royal Palace, Wat Xieng Thong and Wat May, then Mount Phousi, by private tuk-tuk.
From 65 € / person
See the tour
Our tours · Luang Prabang
Mekong cruise and Pak Ou caves
The town in the morning, then about two hours by private boat on the Mekong to the Pak Ou cave and a village where rice spirit is distilled.
From 78 € / person
See the tour
Our tours · Luang Prabang
Kuang Si waterfall and Hmong village
About an hour's drive to the Kuang Si waterfall, a stop in a Hmong village and at the buffalo farm, then the Ock Pop Tok textile workshop before returning to your hotel.
From 72 € / person
See the tour
Our tours · Luang Prabang
Street food at the night market
A street food evening guided by our students in training: they learn French with NK Seeds and introduce you to Lao food among the stalls of Luang Prabang.
From 30 € / person
See the tour
Our tours · Luang Prabang
Sindad evening, the Lao barbecue
An evening around the sindad, the Lao barbecue you share, with our students in training: they learn French with NK Seeds and introduce you to the meal Lao people love to share with friends.
From 30 € / person
See the tour
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Luang Prabang?
November to February for mild, dry weather. But the rainy season, greener and quieter, has a lot of charm too.
Can I travel in Laos in the rainy season?
Yes. The rain mostly falls in showers, and the country is beautiful. Some mountain roads are harder going.
What is the hottest month?
April, in the middle of the hot season, just before the rains.
When is Kuang Si's water most turquoise?
In the dry season. In the rainy season, the water is cloudier but the falls are more impressive.
A question about the season?
Write to us: we answer you ourselves, from Luang Prabang. Please book at least one week in advance.
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