Laos
Phone Code
+856
Capital
Vientiane
Population
7.5 Million
Native Name
ສປປລາວ
Region
Asia
South-Eastern Asia
Timezone
Indochina Time
UTC+07:00
On This Page
Laos is a landlocked Southeast Asian country known for its mountainous terrain, French colonial heritage, Buddhist temples, laid-back atmosphere, and traditional culture. Often called the 'Land of a Million Elephants,' Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Vientiane, the capital on the Mekong River, is one of Southeast Asia's quietest and most relaxed capitals. Laos is a one-party communist state that has opened to tourism while maintaining traditional culture. Visitors are drawn to Luang Prabang's UNESCO old town and Buddhist monasteries, Vang Vieng's karst limestone scenery and river tubing (now more family-oriented), Plain of Jars mysterious megalithic site, Vientiane's Pha That Luang golden stupa and Patuxai arch, Kuang Si Falls turquoise pools, 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don) river backpacking, Mekong River slow boat journeys, monk almsgiving ceremonies, and authentic Southeast Asian culture. Laos offers slow travel, natural beauty, and Buddhist heritage at backpacker-friendly prices.
Visa Requirements for Laos
Laos offers convenient visa on arrival for most international visitors from over 160 countries at major entry points including Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Luang Prabang Airport, and most international land border crossings. Visa on arrival costs $30-42 USD depending on nationality (US citizens pay $35, Europeans $30, Canadians $42) and allows 30 days. E-visas are also available online through the Lao government portal (laoevisa.gov.la) for slightly higher fees but faster processing. ASEAN citizens (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc.) can enter visa-free for 30 days. Citizens of most countries need passport valid 6 months, one passport photo, and visa fee in cash (USD). The visa process is straightforward. Extensions available in Vientiane. Laos has positioned itself as accessible for backpackers and tourists with simple visa procedures.
Common Visa Types
Visa on Arrival (Tourist)
For tourism for citizens of 160+ countries, obtained directly at airports and major land borders upon arrival.
E-Visa (Tourist)
For tourism, applied for online before travel as alternative to visa on arrival.
ASEAN Visa-Free Entry
For citizens of ASEAN member states (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei) for tourism or business.
Visa Extension
For tourists wishing to extend stay beyond initial 30 days.
Important Travel Information
Travel Guide
Laos is Southeast Asia's only landlocked country — a quiet, forested, Buddhist nation on the Mekong River that has largely escaped the mass-tourism industrialisation of its neighbours. Luang Prabang is one of the best-preserved UNESCO colonial towns in Asia: French mansions, golden wats, saffron-robed monks collecting alms at dawn, all within walking distance in a town on a peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. The Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang Province is one of Southeast Asia's great archaeological mysteries: thousands of ancient stone urns, some up to 3 metres tall, scattered across a plateau with origins still debated by scholars. Kuang Si Falls produces three-tiered turquoise pools in limestone terraces. The 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don) in the far south, where the Mekong braids into a vast delta before entering Cambodia, is one of the most relaxed river landscapes in the region, with the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin still present in a protected pool. Vang Vieng's karst mountains and the Nong Khiaw river valley offer trekking and kayaking. Laos can be entered on a visa on arrival at all major airports and most land borders (30 days, $30–42 USD depending on nationality).
Ways to Experience This Destination
Luang Prabang is a peninsula town at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, with an exceptionally intact colonial French and Lao Buddhist townscape: painted mansions, gilded wats, lychee trees, and the daily tak bat almsgiving procession at dawn when monks from 30 monasteries collect offerings in near-silence. UNESCO World Heritage since 1995. Kuang Si Falls with turquoise limestone pools is 29 km south.
Thousands of ancient stone urns (jars), ranging from 50 cm to 3 m tall, scattered across a highland plateau in Xieng Khouang Province. Archaeological origin still debated (Iron Age funerary urns or rice wine storage are leading theories). Many sites remain clearance-pending due to unexploded ordnance from the Secret War (1964–1973); UNESCO-listed since 2019. A singular and slightly eerie landscape.
Where the Mekong reaches its widest point before entering Cambodia, it braids into hundreds of islands and channels. Don Det and Don Khon are the main backpacker islands: hammocks, no cars, sunset over the water, bicycle rides along riverbanks. The Irrawaddy dolphin (critically endangered) can be spotted in a protected deep-water pool near Don Khon. Khon Phapheng Falls — the widest falls in Southeast Asia by volume — are nearby.
Vang Vieng sits in a dramatically scenic valley of karst limestone peaks and the Nam Song River. The tubing scene that defined it in the 2000s has been replaced by a more diverse offer: kayaking, hot-air ballooning, trekking, caving, and ziplines. The Blue Lagoon and Tham Chang cave are accessible day trips. Now a popular base for active outdoor tourism.
The two-day slow boat on the upper Mekong from Huay Xai (Thailand border) to Luang Prabang is one of Southeast Asia's classic travel experiences: forested hills, river villages, limestone cliffs, and other passengers from a dozen countries in a wooden river boat with minimal facilities and maximal scenery. Around 8 hours each day; overnight stop in Pak Beng.
Money & Currency
Lao Kip (LAK)
Currency code: LAK
Practical Money Tips
Laos uses three currencies daily — Lao Kip (LAK), USD, and Thai Baht (THB) all circulate; change to LAK for small purchases
Laos operates a unique tri-currency economy. The official currency is the Lao Kip (LAK, symbol ₭), trading at around 20,000–22,000 LAK per USD. However, USD and Thai Baht are accepted almost universally — hotels and guesthouses quote in USD, tuk-tuks and tours often accept both. In practice: pay in LAK for street food, local markets, and small transport; USD for accommodation deposits and large travel purchases; THB for anything near Thai border crossings (Vang Vieng, Nong Khai crossing, the southern Four Thousand Islands). Change is commonly given in a mix of currencies. Exchange offices and banks in Vientiane and Luang Prabang offer good LAK/USD rates; airport exchange desks are adequate on arrival. EUR changes at decent rates; Australian dollars and British pounds are exchangeable in Vientiane.
ATMs in Vientiane and Luang Prabang — none on the 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don) or in remote trekking areas; withdraw before heading south
BCEL (Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao) and Lao Development Bank ATMs are the most widely available and dispense LAK reliably with international Visa and Mastercard. Typical fees: LAK 20,000–30,000 per transaction (roughly USD 1.00–1.50) plus your own bank's charges. Vientiane and Luang Prabang have multiple ATMs per neighbourhood; Vang Vieng has a few. In the south, Pakse has ATMs but the 4,000 Islands (Don Khon, Don Det) are entirely cash-only — bring USD or LAK before crossing the border from Cambodia or heading south from Pakse. ATMs typically dispense LAK; a few in Vientiane dispense USD.
Cards accepted in mid-range and upscale hotels in Vientiane and Luang Prabang — Apple Pay and Google Pay not available; cash essential everywhere else
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at larger hotels, some upscale restaurants in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and a few tour operators. Apple Pay and Google Pay are not available in Laos — no contactless NFC infrastructure exists for foreign mobile wallets. The overwhelming majority of transactions are cash-only: tuk-tuks, boat rides, guesthouses, street food, night markets, temples, and all transport outside the capitals. Carry LAK for everyday purchases and USD for accommodation.
Budget guide: bowl of feu (noodle soup) LAK 15,000–25,000; guesthouse LAK 80,000–200,000/night; boat tour USD 10–30; 4,000 Islands stay USD 5–15/night
Laos is one of Southeast Asia's most affordable countries. Street food in Vientiane or Luang Prabang night market: LAK 15,000–30,000 per dish. Cold BeerLao: LAK 10,000–15,000. Guesthouse: from USD 5–8 (budget) to USD 25–50 (mid-range). Slow boat on the Mekong (Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, 2 days): USD 35–50 including boat ticket and basic accommodation. Kayaking or waterfall day tour in Vang Vieng: USD 15–30. 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don) budget guesthouse: USD 5–15/night. Tuk-tuk in Vientiane: LAK 20,000–50,000 per trip.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
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