The Best Things to do in Vang Vieng

Often known as the adventure capital of Laos, Vang Vieng has so much to offer. I spent 4 days there but could have easily stayed longer. Here is my guide of the best things to do in Vang Vieng.

Want more on Laos? See my 10 day guide here.

Nam Xay Viewpoint

The Nam Xay Viewpoint is the iconic hike with the motorbike at the top of the mountain. Take a tuk tuk there - the more people yoru have, the cheaper it will be! Make sure you agree on a price beforehand (we paid 40,000 kip per person (approx. £1.35)) and don’t pay until you are back. The driver will wait for you to finish the hike if you ask them to. It takes about 30 minutes to drive out to the trailhead from the centre of town, and then 15-30 minutes to walk up, depending on how fast you are. It is a very slippery and uneven path, so make sure you are wearing good shoes. 

If you head up there for sunset, or are starting before sunrise beware that it gets very dark on the trail because of the thick tree cover. Be prepared with a torch (preferably a head torch if you have one so that you can use both hands to climb if needed). You have to pay 20,000 Kip (approx. 68p) to climb to the viewpoint. 

Top tip! At sunset, the viewpoint is very busy and there is a queue to get a photo on the main motorbike (there are 2, but one is more popular for obvious reasons). If you want a photo before golden hour leaves the bike (after this it’s too dark), you need to get to the top with plenty of time to queue (at least 30 minutes). People take their sweet time having full photoshoots on that bike, so be prepared to wait! But also please don’t hog the bike - everyone wants a turn!

Hot Air Balloons in Vang Vieng

Pha Honekham Viewpoint

The Pha Honekham Viewpoint is right next to Nam Xay, and this is the one with the plane on top. It is considerably less crowded than Nam Xay (there were less than 20 people up there when I went for sunset), and you can see Nam Xay from it, which makes for a beautiful view. 

To get there, again, you will need to take a tuk tuk from town. Agree on a price beforehand, and make sure your driver waits to take you back after the hike. It is about a 30 minute drive and then 15-30 minutes to go up to the top, depending on your speed. Unlike Nam Xay, this path is not slippery, but the rocks are very sharp and jagged so make sure you have adequate shoes. Again, bring a torch if you’re going before sunrise or after sunset. This viewpoint also costs 20,000 Kip (approx. 68p) to climb.

View from Pha Honekham

Blue Lagoons

Vang Vieng has 9 blue lagoons, essentially semi-natural swimming areas that are a beautiful blue colour. A lot of them have ziplines, diving boards, swings, and more, so it is a lot of fun to hang out there. You can arrange a tuk tuk to take you to any of the lagoons. They are waiting on the streets of Vang Vieng, and you can negotiate a price for a return trip. The more people you have, the cheaper it will be. Make sure you ask them to wait for you while you spend time at the lagoon - they normally say 3-4 hours before they will take you back - and don’t pay until they take you home. Each lagoon costs between 10,000 and 20,000 Kip (approx. 34p - 68p) to enter. There are restaurants, toilets, and shops at all of the lagoons.

Blue Lagoon 2

The most popular lagoons are 1, 2, 3, and 4. Lagoon 3 is a lot of fun - it has loads of swings, platforms, and zip lines. However, it’s not the best place for spending the whole day because it is surrounded by concrete and benches. It also loses the sun in the afternoon so it can get cold. I recommend going there in the morning. Lagoon 2 actually has 2 lagoons with a grassy area in between them. It has little huts to relax in and volleyball nets, as well as a zipline, big diving platform, a slide, and other obstacle courses. The sun is also on the grass there pretty much all day. It was my favourite.

Kayaking

Kayaking down the river in Vang Vieng is very popular. A lot of the tours combine kayaking with caving, but I decided to skip the caving. A 2 hour kayak trip cost 100,000 Kip (approx. £3.40), and included a pickup at my hostel. It was a great way to see the river and surrounding mountains, and you end by going through town.

Paramotoring

You may have heard of the hot air balloons in Vang Vieng, but paramotoring was an incredible experience. It is a motorised paraglider so there is a takeoff and landing, and you fly above the mountains of Vang Vieng. It was so beautiful and not scary at all - I felt so safe the entire time. If you want to go for sunrise, make sure you choose the earliest pickup they have, as you will be joining a queue of people and might miss it if you go later. We got picked up at 6:30, but because we were waiting for people who started before then, the sun was up by the time I got in the air a couple of hours later. 

Paramotoring

Given the safety record of hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng, I am so glad I did the paramotoring. Not only was it cheaper, but because of the motorised nature of the paramotors, it meant that you get to see more of the mountains rather than just float in a smaller area. Depending on how many people you book with and how good at negotiating you are, the price will vary between 1,700,000 Kip and 2,000,000 Kip (approx. £56 to £70) per person for a 15-20 minute flight.

If you want to go hot air ballooning, please do your research and book well in advance. Above Laos is the only reputable company in Vang Vieng.

Views from Paramotoring

I hope this gives you a good overview of the best things to do in Vang Vieng, and that you love it as much as I did. Please always take care of the places you visit, remembering to only leave your footprints behind :)