What to do in Vang Vieng – insider tips

Vang Vieng is a small town in the center of Laos. Set along the river, surrounded by many limestone karst rocks and green rice fields it invites tourists to go kayaking, explore caves, hike to viewpoints, and swim in lagoons. If you simply want to relax a few days, you can do that as well and enjoy stunning sunsets from one of the riverside terraces. Read on to receive more details about what to do in Vang Vieng.

What to do in Vang Vieng

Explore the viewpoints

Rent a scooter, grab a free map of the area or use maps.me and pick one of the many viewpoints to go to. I really liked Phangern Silver Cliff View Point. Just beware that the viewpoint climbs are pretty much straight up. Don’t underestimate the heat! If it says 30 minutes to the top at the starting point it will rather be 40 to 45 minutes. However, if your body can take the heat, the effort will be worth it. In case you want to watch the sunset from a viewpoint be sure to bring a head torch!

Explore the caves

To reach the caves, you can also self-drive there with a scooter (70k kip and you’ll have to leave your passport). Or, you can book an organized tour which includes several activities like zip lining or cave tubing etc. You can easily book the tours once you arrive in Vang Vieng.

Swim in a lagoon

There are several lagoons close to Vang Vieng, across the river. If you simply want to take a trip to Blue Lagoon 1, you could rent a bicycle 10k – 20k kip and ride the 7 km there. Crossing the bridge in town costs 3k kip each way if you come on a bicycle. It’s 2k kip if you go as a pedestrian. It’s a very picturesque ride along rice fields, between the high rocks.
The entrance fee to Blue Lagoon is 10k kip.
It’s not a place to relax as it’s very busy but the water is nicely refreshing.

Other activities at Blue Lagoon 1

You could go zip lining. Also, along the way to Blue Lagoon you’ll pass another place for zip lining.
You can hike to another viewpoint or have some food at the restaurant.
Right before Blue Lagoon you could also do a horse riding tour.

Go buggy riding

This seems to be the new thing to do since the alcohol tubing has been prohibited by the Australian government because over 20 people died during the water tubing per year. You can still go tubing for 60k kip. However, it will just be a relaxing (boring) 4 hour ride down the river.
What many people do now though is buggy riding for about 200k kip per person. However, this is just as dangerous and I know from an internship at a hospital that a high persentage of Swiss tourists end up with hip surgery after a buggy car accident. So, perhapst think twice.

Have hot pot at the walking street

In the evening, there are two walking streets in Vang Vieng. At both of them, you can eat hot pot (shabu shabu) for 25k kip per person.

I have been very pleasantly surprised by this town and extended my stay to have a few relaxing days.

Read more about Laos in my I love Laos travel guide which you can buy on Amazon in English and in German.