laotravelguide（https://laotravelguide.com/）
10 days · 4 stops
Ten days in northern Laos
One region done properly instead of the whole country done badly — temples, river villages and the war history most itineraries skip.
Best in November, December, January, February
Last reviewed 14 August 2026
The route
1 Northern Laos · UNESCO Luang Prabang The old royal capital between two rivers — and the place most visitors under-book by two nights. 3–5 days（https://laotravelguide.com/destinations/luang-prabang/）
2 Northern Laos Nong Khiaw Limestone cliffs straight out of the Nam Ou, and the easiest place in Laos to stop moving for a few days. 2–4 days（https://laotravelguide.com/destinations/nong-khiaw/）
3 Northern Laos · UNESCO Plain of Jars Thousands of stone jars nobody can fully explain, on a plateau still being cleared of American bombs. 2 days（https://laotravelguide.com/destinations/plain-of-jars/）
4 Central Laos Vientiane The quietest capital in Southeast Asia, and the one most travellers write off after half a day of looking for the wrong things. 2–3 days（https://laotravelguide.com/destinations/vientiane/）
Minimum stay across these stops adds up to 9 days, leaving1 for travel between them and for slack.
Why north only
Ten days is enough to cross Laos end to end, and doing so means four of them on buses. Staying north gives you the same ten days with two travel days instead of four, and the north is where the country is at its most concentrated.