Laos Uncovered

Arrive in Luang Prabang, where a guide and driver will be waiting to transfer you to the hotel. After settling in, head out for an afternoon orientation tour of the town, finishing just before sunset with the climb up Mount Phousi's 328 steps for sweeping panoramic views over the city and surrounding countryside. Descend for a browse through the evening market, filled with handicrafts from Laos's hill tribes. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Begin the day at the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum (closed Tuesdays), before continuing to Wat Mai, renowned for its golden bas-relief, and the eighteenth-century Wat Sensoukharam, with its dazzling gilded facade. Finish the morning at Wat Xieng Thong, the city's most photographed temple, built in 1560 on the tip of the peninsula. In the afternoon, visit Wat Visoun, the city's holiest temple, entirely rebuilt after its destruction in 1887, and the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, dedicated to the country's diverse ethnic groups (closed Mondays). Finish by crossing the Mekong to climb Wat Chompet, on the opposite bank, for a different perspective on the city at sunset. An optional evening performance by the Royal Ballet, featuring scenes from the Lao Ramayana and traditional folk dances, can be arranged. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Head into the countryside for a visit to Kuang Si Waterfalls, a cascading series of turquoise pools set in lush forest. Relax by the pools, swim, or hike the steep track to the top for sweeping views, with a picnic lunch provided by L'Elephant, one of Luang Prabang's finest restaurants. On the way back to town, an optional stop can be made at a sanctuary caring for Asiatic black bears rescued from poachers, followed by a visit to the Lao Buffalo Dairy Farm, a social enterprise producing sustainable cheese. Feed and bathe the buffalo, try your hand at milking, and finish with a homemade ice cream before saying goodbye to the herd. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Transfer to Luang Prabang's riverside jetty and board a traditional wooden riverboat, the Nava Mekong, for a full day cruising the Mekong. Settle into the open-air seating as the boat casts off upstream, passing limestone mountains, fishing boats and riverside villages at a leisurely pace. After around two hours, dock at the Pak Ou Caves, home to more than four thousand Buddha images tucked into the cliffside over the centuries and considered one of the most important spiritual sites in Laos. Climb the stairs to take in the atmosphere, then reboard for the cruise back downstream, with a lunch of freshly prepared Lao specialties served onboard. Arrive back in Luang Prabang in the early afternoon, with the rest of the day free to explore the UNESCO-listed old town. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Enjoy a free morning in Luang Prabang before transferring to the airport or train station for the journey south to the capital, Vientiane. On arrival, a guide and driver will be waiting to transfer you to the hotel, with the rest of the day free at leisure. Overnight in Vientiane.

Spend a full day uncovering the capital's history and spiritual life, beginning at the serene Wat Sisaket, one of Vientiane's original and most beautiful temples, and nearby Wat Phra Keo, now a religious museum of Lao and Khmer art. Pass by the Presidential Palace, a reminder of the city's colonial history, viewable from the outside only. Visit the COPE Centre, an organisation supporting landmine survivors, offering an in-depth look at the lasting impact of unexploded ordnance in Laos and the work underway to clear it. In the afternoon, climb the Patuxay monument, Laos's answer to the Arc de Triomphe, for sweeping views over the city, then continue to the sixteenth-century That Luang, the holiest site in the country. Close the day with a stroll along the Mekong riverside as the sun sets, stopping for a cold drink or a snack from one of the local food stalls. Overnight in Vientiane.

Fly south to Pakse, where a guide and driver meet you for a short tour of the city before heading east to the Bolaven Plateau, a mountainous region home to dozens of hill tribes, waterfalls and coffee and tea plantations. The first stops are Tad Fane, a pair of 120-metre waterfalls formed where the Champy and Pak Koot rivers meet, and the nearby Tad Yuang falls. Continue through Paksong, known as the capital of coffee, to a coffee plantation for a guided tour through the estate, learning about its coffee trees and processing methods, followed by a lunch featuring vegetables from the site's own organic garden and a tasting of the plantation's best coffee. On the drive back to Pakse, stop at Tad Lo, a beautiful set of three separate waterfalls, and the small village of Ban Houay Houn, known for its Katu textiles, where local women weave without a traditional loom, using their legs to stretch the fabric. Overnight in Pakse.

Travel by road to Vat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed pre-Angkorian temple set among the rice fields and waterways of southern Laos. Built across three levels, from a water reservoir and promenade at the base to carved galleries and a hilltop sanctuary, the temple was once the region's most important economic and political centre and remains among its most revered. Pass through Champasak, its streets lined with French colonial buildings, for lunch at a local restaurant, before continuing to Khong Island, the largest island in southern Laos and gateway to Si Phan Don, the 4,000 Islands, where the Mekong stretches more than fourteen kilometres wide. Overnight on Khong Island.

Explore the peaceful islands of Don Det and Don Khong, home to small plantations and villages best discovered by bicycle. These islands played an important role during French colonial rule, once linked by a railway and bridge built to carry traffic over the falls, whose remains today make for a scenic viewpoint. Visit the impressive Liphi Falls, close to the Cambodian border, keeping an eye out for the rare Irrawaddy river dolphins that surface in the pools nearby. Return to Pakse in the afternoon. Overnight in Pakse.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight, bringing this uncovering of Laos's classic south and north to a close.