Laos Tours & Holidays

Join us on an escorted tour to Laos, a beguiling land traversed by the mighty Mekong River and carpeted in emerald green mountains. Discover ancient Buddhist monasteries, French colonial cities and much, much more.

Sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam, Laos – the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia – sits at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, and shares borders with China and Myanmar in the north and Cambodia in the south. Roughly the same size as England, Scotland and Wales combined, Laos is home to just 7 million people, giving the country a distinctly spacious and easy-going atmosphere, even in the ‘big’ cities – a real rarity for this part of the world.

With its stunning setting and easy-going cities, Laos has much to tempt the visitor with. UNESCO-protected Luang Prabang, the country’s former capital, is undoubtedly Laos’s most picturesque city, its streets lined with palaces, temples and bustling night markets. A short drive from the city is the Kuang Si Waterfall, a picture-perfect three-tiered torrent of bluish-green water that tumbles down from the verdant jungle. Vientiane and Vang Vieng, both in the south, and Pakse, in the east, are also popular destinations in Laos.

Discover the country's hidden gems, as well as those of equally beguiling destinations in Southeast Asia on our Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia tour.

While Lao cuisine may not be as well known as that of its Southeast Asian neighbours, those who visit the country will find plenty of mouthwatering flavours and combinations await them. The food here varies from region to region, but what cuts through it all is fresh ingredients and ample flavour.

Steamed sticky rice is a staple of the Laotian diet, indeed, it is believed that the Lao eat more sticky rice than any other people in the world! A traditional family meal will usually include sticky rice, meat, vegetables, some form of relish, and soup. Traditionally, there has been a desire to ensure that nothing goes to waste, and this has resulted in the use of some more unusual ingredients such as ant eggs, flowers and a variety of offal. The culinary legacy of the French is still evident in the larger cities, where fresh baguettes are baked every day and sold by street food vendors. Coffee is also ubiquitous in Laos, as is the state-owned beer, Beerlao.

Laos tours offer the chance to sample dishes to suit all tastes. Those who are fond of spicy food may like to try larb – a spicy dish of marinated meat or fish, cooked with herbs and spices, or tam mak hoong – a spicy green papaya salad. Milder options include lam - a meat stew served with rice, and khao jee pa-tay - a baguette filled with ham, cheese, salad and various optional toppings and sauces. Among the country's most popular desserts are khao lam - sticky rice with coconut milk, red beans and sugar, and khao lod xong - green, worm-like strips of rice jelly made with coconut milk and sugar.