Luang Prabang’s monasteries, between Chiang Mai and Hanoi

The temples inside Chiang Mai’s moat and Doi Suthep late in the afternoon; Luang Prabang, the old royal capital of Laos, on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and the Mekong, with the Tak Bat, the monks’ dawn alms round, and the pools of Kuang Si; and Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Chiang Mai → Luang Prabang → Hanoi · 6–9 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

ThailandChiang Mai
Days
2–3
When
Jan · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Average 2,000–3,500 THBMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
LaosLuang Prabang
Days
2–3
When
Jan–Feb · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Average 385,000 LAKMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
VietnamHanoi
Days
2–3
When
Oct–Nov
Per person/day
Average 25–45 USDMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For travellers who already know Bangkok and want the north of Indochina at a slower pace: temple towns to walk, street food and Laos, which most itineraries leave out.

Not for anyone who wants beaches: all three stops are inland or, in Hanoi’s case, about 90 km from the sea, and this is a trip of temples, markets and rivers.

The strategy

Chiang Mai opens the trip with two days: the temples of the old city, founded in 1296, and the mountain of Doi Suthep; a third day goes to the craft workshops and a cooking class if time allows. Luang Prabang airport has flights from Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Hanoi, but routes change often: check the month’s schedule before fixing the order. Luang Prabang gets two or three days: the peninsula, from the Tak Bat to Phou Si; Kuang Si in the morning, when the pools are quieter; and the boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves. The airport offers visa on arrival and e-Visa, but the rules depend on your passport. Hanoi closes the trip with two days for the lake, the Old Quarter, the citadel and the Temple of Literature, and the flight home leaves from Nội Bài, 27 km from the centre. November suits all three: dry and cool in Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang, and still inside Hanoi’s best window, although the city’s air starts to worsen that month. Avoid March, when smoke from farm burning covers northern Thailand and Laos.

What you will see

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai. A reliquary temple founded in 1383 under King Kue Na, at about 1,070 m on the mountain to the west, 15 km from the city and 30 to 40 minutes by car.
Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang. Founded by King Setthathirath around 1560, at the tip of the peninsula near the mouth of the Nam Khan, it is the monastery most associated with the Luang Prabang style: the roof of the sim (the ordination hall) descends in three curved tiers, and the outer walls have colored glass mosaics with scenes of everyday life in Luang Prabang.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple, Hanoi. A 12-hectare lake in the center, with the Turtle Tower on a small island and the 19th-century Ngọc Sơn Temple, reached by the red Thê Húc bridge.

Day by day