Our quoted prices are based on a group of four travellers staying in standard hotels, and they do not include international flights. Because the trips are private, the final price depends on when you travel, the category of hotels you choose and above all the number of people in your group: the same itinerary costs less per person for a group of six than for a couple. Send us your dates and group size and we will put together a detailed quote.
Yes. Travellers from Europe, North America and Australia need a visa for Laos. You can get one on arrival at most international airports and major land borders, or apply in advance for an e-visa at the official site laoevisa.gov.la. The e-visa is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued and allows a stay of up to 30 days, and it is accepted at most airports and at selected land crossings, so check that your entry point is covered. A visa obtained on arrival also allows 30 days and can be extended twice at a provincial immigration office, up to a total stay of 90 days. Fees depend on your nationality, so check the official site before you travel. Last checked: September 2026.
Luang Prabang is the anchor of most trips: a UNESCO World Heritage town of temples and colonial streets between two rivers. Vang Vieng sits among limestone karsts on the Nam Song river and is where the outdoor activities are. Vientiane, the capital, is quieter than most Southeast Asian capitals and mixes temples with French colonial architecture. In the south, Pakse is the gateway to the Bolaven Plateau with its coffee farms and waterfalls, and further down the Mekong the 4000 Islands are where people slow down for a few days.
It means the itinerary is written for your group rather than chosen from a fixed catalogue. You tell us your dates, how long you have, what you want to see and what you want to spend, and a travel consultant based in the region builds the route, picks the hotels and adjusts the pace with you until it fits. Nothing is shared with other travellers.
There is no fixed deadline, but four to six months ahead gives the best choice of hotels, guides and internal flights. Booking later is possible and we do arrange trips at shorter notice, though the options narrow, particularly over the dry season and around the end of the year.
Yes. There are no fixed departure dates. You tell us the weeks that suit you, or the dates that give you the best flight prices, and the itinerary is built around them.
Five days covers Siem Reap and Phnom Penh at a reasonable pace. Seven to ten days lets you add the Tonle Sap lake, Battambang or a few nights on the coast. Two weeks is what you need to reach the eastern provinces such as Kratie, Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri, which are a long way from the main circuit and are where most of the country's forest and wildlife are.
One full day covers the main sites: Angkor Wat, the Bayon inside Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm. Two or three days is better if you want to reach the outlying temples such as Banteay Srei or Beng Mealea, and it also lets you avoid the busiest hours by visiting in the early morning and late afternoon. Entry passes to the Angkor Archaeological Park are sold for one, three or seven days, so the length of pass is decided once your itinerary is set.
Yes, mainly in the Chiang Mai region, where forest trails and hill scenery make for good walking. The walks we include are easy to moderate and last between three and five hours. The exact length and difficulty depend on your fitness and on what you tell us before the trip is planned, and because the programme is private the route can be shortened on the spot if a walk turns out to be too much on the day.
Free days on the islands are left open so you can rest, but we can arrange excursions to nearby islands if you want them. These are usually group excursions with English-speaking guides or instructors. Your hotel can also arrange them locally once you are there.
Yes. In Bangkok children usually enjoy a cycling tour through the older neighbourhoods, a Muay Thai class or watching a match. In Chiang Mai a Thai cooking class works well for most ages. In the southern islands, boat trips with snorkelling are normally the highlight of the trip for younger travellers. Because the itinerary is private, activities are chosen around the ages of the children actually travelling.
Yes. Every trip we run is private, so the pace, the length of the drives, the amount of walking and the accommodation are set around the people actually travelling rather than around a fixed departure. That is usually what makes the difference for groups that include young children or grandparents.
By private car with a driver, in vehicles of six to fourteen seats depending on the size of the group. Distances in the north are longer than most visitors expect, so the driving is planned into the itinerary rather than squeezed around it. For Sapa, the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai can be arranged instead if you would rather travel while you sleep.
It depends on the route, and the route is chosen once we know who is travelling. Before building an itinerary our travel consultants ask about fitness, ages, any health conditions and what you want from the walking. A family travelling with children of ten to twelve, for example, would normally be given routes of around 10 to 15 km rather than the longer mountain sections. If a walk turns out to be too much on the day, the itinerary is adjusted.
Ten to twelve days is the length that works best. In five days you can cover Hanoi plus one nearby area such as Ninh Binh, Mai Chau or Pu Luong. Seven days lets you add Ha Long Bay or reach Sapa. From ten days you can combine the capital, the bay and a proper stay in the mountains without spending most of the trip on the road. Ha Giang on its own needs about four days because of the distances involved.
