Vientiane walking tour & city guide

Temples, monuments and the river

Pha That Luang is the great golden stupa of Laos, surrounded by cloisters and temples, and the focus of a big festival each November. From it, a wide avenue leads towards Patuxai, a monumental arch often compared to the Arc de Triomphe, with a viewing terrace at the top over the city.

In the old centre, Wat Si Saket has cloisters lined with thousands of small Buddha images, and Haw Phra Kaew, opposite, is a former royal temple now used as a museum. A few streets away, the Mekong riverside has a long promenade and park, and after dark a night market of clothes, crafts and food stalls is set up along the river.

A classic walk: Patuxai to the Mekong

Start in the morning at Patuxai and climb to the top for the view. Walk down Lane Xang Avenue past the morning market, Talat Sao, to Wat Si Saket and Haw Phra Kaew.

Continue through the old centre's streets of shophouses and small temples to the river. Walk along the promenade at sunset, then browse the night market and eat from the food stalls nearby. Pha That Luang is a short tuk-tuk ride away and best seen in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon.

Good to know

November to February is the best season, dry and comfortably warm; March to May is very hot, and the rainy season runs from about June to October. The centre is easy to walk, and tuk-tuks and ride-hailing apps cover longer distances. Cover shoulders and knees and take off shoes in temple halls. Buddha Park, a garden of large concrete sculptures, lies about 25 kilometres out of town, and trains run north to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.