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Little Laos Family Adventure – Classic

Home > Laos

Little Laos Family Adventure - Classic

Price from

1400 USD

Duration

5 Days | 4 Nights

Level

1

Tour Code

GHLF16

BOOK THIS TOUR

A Family-Friendly Bike Tour of Laos

This easy cycling tour is a great introduction for the whole family to Northern Laos, traveling by bicycle and boat. Explore beautiful heritage listed Luang Prabang and peaceful Nong Khiaw with plenty of fun activities along the journey to keep everyone engaged and provide lasting family memories.

Quality Bikes
GT, Merida or Trek mountain bikes

Your Guide
Friendly local guide

Group Size
3 to 14

Accommodation
Family-friendly hotels

Activities
Ride/walk/cook

Minimum Age
3

Overview

Luang Prabang is a true gem of Southeast Asia, a joy to explore by bike and a great place for kids to get a taste of the far east. On this tour, we’ll get up close to elephants, see how silk is made, learn to cook a delicious Lao meal and cruise the Mekong River in addition to visiting the wonderful UNESCO old town of Luang Prabang itself. Leaving town, we head north through some of the most stunning scenery in all of Southeast Asia, for a visit to sleepy Nong Khiaw set on the banks of the Ou River. We’ll visit the idyllic Kuang Sii falls and take a walk through the dense forest, then stop to check out an elephant lodge.

With a good mixture of biking and various other activities, this tour is designed to form a fun and active component of your journey in the region that will intrigue the whole family.

133 Km riding. The roads on this ride are all paved, although in places this can be damaged and may have reverted to hard packed dirt, but there is no "off-road" riding. We aim for secondary roads wherever possible, but given that Laos doesn't have many primary ones to start with, we are somewhat limited in that regard. We place a strong emphasis on safety and the low number of vehicles on the road, which is consistent with the country's low population, makes cycling in Laos a relaxing experience.

Please Note - This tour is intended for families only. It is possible for us to schedule a private session of the same tour for adults, on request, at a nominal surcharge.

Highlights

Pedal the back alleyways of UNESCO World Heritage Luang Prabang then enjoy an evening cooking class.

Ride through small villages to the turquoise waters of the iconic Kuang Sii falls, then visit a moon bear sanctuary before a forest walk.

Pedal to an elephant camp to learn about the rescue of these amazing animals before taking a ride on one.

Kids will enjoy exploring the Pak Ou Caves after a boat ride.

Day to Day


Riding:
20km
Meal:
LD

This tour begins as we mount our bikes for an introduction to the layout, history and architecture of the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage old town of Luang Prabang. We'll walk through some of the smaller alleys that have been transformed into a small market in the morning, and your guide will explain all the weird and wonderful items on sale. Our meanderings then take us to Luang Prabang’s oldest coffee shop for a drink. Back on the bikes, we ride past two important local temples following an off-road track that runs alongside the Mekong River, encountering small workshops along the way that produce decorative paper and pictures. The morning ends with a boat trip downstream to Ock Pop Tok, where we’ll learn about the cycle of silk production from worm to scarf, and everything in between. A tasty lunch tops off a great morning's adventure. Arriving back at your hotel, you will have time to freshen up before we join in a cooking class in the jungle garden of Tamarind Restaurant. Here we learn about the ingredients we will be using before preparing a traditional Lao dinner with the chef’s guidance. Tonight's delicious meal will be composed of the fruits of our labors! Kids will love this tasty activity.

(Due to availability the cooking class is swapped around with the activities on day two if it falls on a Sunday)

Riding:
28km
Meal:
BLD

Following breakfast, we head out on a pleasant ride to the Kuang Si Waterfall, a relatively easy cycle with just two sustained hills on a paved surface. We pass through some lovely villages and up through teak plantations with the Mekong on our right. Along the route, we'll park our bikes at Ou village to see traditional rice wine production before continuing on to our favorite waterfall. Reaching the falls late morning, after visiting the inquisitive Asiatic black bears at the ‘Free the Bears’ enclosure, there will be some time for a swim in the refreshing water before lunch. After some time to digest our meal, we'll head off for a relatively easy 2-hour walk, climbing up through the lush forest surrounding the waterfall then along a forested ridge to a Hmong Village where our support vehicle awaits. On the drive back to Luang Prabang, we stop to visit a rarely seen waterfall that is treasured by locals. This day will surely excite the whole family! Returning back to the hotel in Luang Prabang, the afternoon is then yours to relax and enjoy this lovely town.

Riding:
20km
Meal:
BLD

This morning we have the option of a very early rise to watch the iconic Lao spectacle of hundreds of orange-clad monks proceeding through the town's streets to collect alms from local people. When the monks have passed, we return to the hotel for a leisurely breakfast and maybe a morning swim before we check out and begin our ride to the Elephant Camp. Here, elephants that used to work in the logging industry have been rescued and rehabilitated and now enjoy a well-deserved retirement in this beautiful dense jungle setting. This evening we enjoy a delicious dinner at the Elephant Lodge and spend the night in a charming bungalow, accompanied by the sounds of the jungle outside.

Riding:
35km
Meal:
BLD

Today we transfer by vehicle to Pakmong where we jump on the bikes again to explore the countryside along quiet meandering roads dotted with villages. Our route comes down into a valley where it follows, then intersects the course of the Nam Ou River. This is where we roll into today’s destination, the scenic village of Nong Khiaw, a picturesque location set on the river banks and surrounded by towering limestone karst scenery. Here we check into our lovely bungalows and enjoy a tasty dinner.

Riding:
35km
Meal:
BLD

We begin today with a late morning rendezvous with our boat that will guide us pleasantly downstream on the Nam Ou river towards the recently constructed Ou River Dam. We’ll transfer from here for a visit to the Pak Ou Caves. The caves are a mystical pilgrimage site perched above the Mekong River, packed with more than 3,000 Buddha images, some inlaid with semiprecious stones. That these remain undisturbed in this remote site in one of the world's poorest countries is a testament to the devotion of the locals. Kids will enjoy an exploration here.
Leaving the cave, we’ll enjoy our final ride together, cycling through the countryside on dirt roads back towards Luang Prabang. This is a quiet road with small villages set quite close. After 30km or so, we board the support vehicle and transfer along the busier highway back to Luang Prabang where we’ll say our fond farewells. Our team can assist with checking you into your next hotel from here, or help arrange your onward departure.

WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT

GRASSHOPPER STYLE


We had a lot of fun crafting this tour itinerary for families to explore Laos. The cycling route is easy-going and achievable for kids, and you’ll enjoy many fun stops along the way to interact with local wildlife, visit natural hidden gems, and even learn to cook Lao food! We’ve taken care of the small details of this journey and your guide will handle the rest, allowing you to enjoy the ride and make some lasting family memories in Laos!

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