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Nong Khiaw is a beautiful hidden gem in northern Laos, nestled at the feet of some staggering karst limestone mountains and resting on the Nam Ou River just 3 hours north of Luang Prabang.
This small, sleepy little town is a trekker’s dream, with so much to offer curious adventure seekers. There are six epic hikes starting from the centre of town and an abundance of multi-day trekking options. It’s the type of idyllic destination where you’ll book for 2 nights and end up staying a week… like I did!
On a different note, during the Vietnam War Nong Khiaw was bombed so heavily that it was equal to one bomb getting dropped every 8 minutes for 9 years straight! As a result, many unexploded bombs (UXOs) are still being found today, meaning it’s an extremely dangerous decision to go wandering off any of the hiking trails here.
I spent 6 days exploring Nong Khiaw in September 2022 and have used my experiences to make this budget travel guide and itinerary. There are lots of expensive trekking tours offered around town and this itinerary includes one which, in my opinion, is the best and most budget friendly.
- Country: Laos
- Language: Lao/Laotian although people in northern Laos also speak Thai
- Population: Only about 3,500!
- Currency: Laotian Kip (£1/$1 = 18,000/16,500 kip)
- Visa info: For most nations a 30 day visa to Laos costs $40 which you’ll pay at your point of arrival, whether it be at an airport or land border. For land crossings you are required to provide a small self-portrait.
- SIM cards: There are a few different providers for SIM cards in Laos, such as Unitel, LaeTel and TPlus. All have good internet coverage across the country and can be bought from international airports, most shops and some hostels. I used Unitel and paid a relatively large sum of 180,000 Kip (£10) because I bought it at a hostel in a remote town. That gave me 35gb for 30 days, but the price at street vendors will be atleast half that
Where is it
Check it out on the interactive map below.
How to get here
Most people will come to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang by minivan, which is a 135km drive.
Minivans leave Luang Prabang from the “long haul bus station” which is 11km from the centre of town and should be booked in advance rather than just turning up.
The journey takes roughly 4 hours because of the terrible state of the roads in Laos, and costs roughly 150,000 Kip if booked through your accommodation. Usually, that includes a ride to the bus station in a tuktuk too.
When to visit
Laos has two main seasons.
- Wet season: April – October
- Dry season: November – March
When to visit depends on your preference, but you’ll have to make some sacrifices either way. For example you’ll have to choose between having it cool, dry and busier or hot, possibly wet but quieter.
I visited in the rainy season and it didn’t rain once!
How to get around
From the bus station there will be a tuktuk there to get you to your accommodation for 10,000 Kip.
As Nong Khiaw is such a small place you can easily get around town on foot. Most of the best hikes start very close to town, but if you fancy exploring further afield it’s possible to rent a motorcycle for around 110,000 Kip a day.
Where to stay in Nong Khiaw
Nong Khiaw is a super small town and most accommodations are very near to each other. They are mostly located on the east side of town, across the river, and many have fantastic mountain and river views from the balcony.
There is yet to be an established hostel in town, so guesthouses are really your only option. I stayed at Lamorn Guesthouse for $9 a night which was extremely basic and about a 5 minute walk from the centre of town. Overall it was fine, but I’ll talk more about it in the “my experience” section later.
From speaking to other people, Delilah’s sounds like a good budget option which is located in the middle of town for around $5 per night. Another great budget option is Nam Ou River Lodge.
Use Booking.com to find the best deals on accommodation in Nong Khiaw in advance, or alternatively just find something when you arrive which is very easily done as many places aren’t on any websites.
How long to stay
Although a beautifully scenic place, you can see and do everything in Nong Khiaw in 2-3 days. By allowing a bit of extra time you can see more in the local area, but I would suggest 5-6 days max.
Expected costs
As a rural southeast Asian town, Nong Khiaw is very affordable. That said, it was still more expensive than I had anticipated compared to the likes of Luang Prabang, but not by much.
Some price examples:
- Budget accommodation: 60,000 – 120,000 Kip ($5-$9)
- Dinner and a beer: 50,000-70,000 Kip ($3-$4)
- 2 litre water: 8,000 Kip ($0.70)
- Entrances to hikes in town: 15,000-20,000 Kip ($2)
- 2 day trekking tours: $45 – $60.
- Single day tours: $25
Thinking of visiting Southeast Asia soon? Don’t miss these essential guides to help planning your trip:
3 Day Nong Khiaw Itinerary
Prepare yourself for a lot of trekking and make sure your camera is fully charged for all of these epic activities!
This itinerary aims to spread out the activities so you don’t burn out and includes a bit of everything there is to do in town as well. Most people I spoke to in town were staying for 3-4 days and, although I stayed longer, I think that’s the perfect length of time. I’ve also included helpful links to my other travel guides throughout this post for more detail specific to that location.
Day 1
Pha Daeng Viewpoint
Pha Daeng is the most popular hike in Nong Khiaw and provides epic panoramic views of the entire region – the perfect way to start of your adventures here!
Here’s some shots from the summit.
The climb is steep and sweat-enducing, but extremely rewarding.
Most people take on the tough 1 hour ascent to witness the hazy mist roll out of Nong Khiaw at sunrise, starting the hike at around 4:30am. However this is the type of viewpoint that’s impressive at any time of day, so even going at midday (which is when I went) is pretty spectacular. Plus, I had the entire mountain to myself!
Make sure to not wander off the path through because the area is still littered with UXO’s from the Vietnam War!
Hiking Pha Daeng costs 20,000 kip.
Nang Nong/Sleeping Lady Viewpoint
Nang Nong Viewpoint, also called Sleeping Lady, consists of two separate viewpoints at different heights.
The first viewpoint is the second lowest in the area and can be hiked in around 20 minutes. The second, much higher viewpoint takes roughly an hour to the top as it rises up about 730 metres.
Fitted with rubber handrails for the extra steep parts, the path to the first viewpoint is short but is very steep and certainky no walk in the park. The viewpoint provides another perfect place to watch sunset over Nong Khiaw.
Just like all the other hikes in town, this is a steep vertical climb that requires good footwear and plenty of water.
Price: 15,000 kip.
Chill out at Q-bar
Take a load off after your hikes at Q-bar, the most popular backpacker hub in town.
The local owner Sammy is a legend, so that’s one reason to go, but they also serve good food, cocktails and vibes. They have happy hour every night and a pretty diverse food menu to go with it. I definitely didn’t expect to find somewhere like this in a town like Nong Khiaw!
Q-bar is right at the end of the south-side of the bridge, so it’s on the way home from Pha Noi right around happy hour time – how convenient! It’s a great place to meet fellow travellers and it’s here that I suggest you book your day tour for day 3. Speak to Sammy about your options over a nice cold drink. They offer a bunch of different single day or multi day trips, but the 100 Waterfalls Trail is one of Nong Khiaw’s most famous and must-see destinations that won’t break the bank and is extremely rewarding. More on that later!
Day 2
Take a day off from hiking today so you don’t ware yourself out.
Rent a motorcycle and explore
One day I rented a motorcycle and drove to a small village called Na Luang.
Journey through rural life on off-the-beaten path roads (although they are pretty bloody beaten!) and see what you discover. It’s always fun to get out of town and have an aimless drive, although I wouldn’t specifically recommend heading to Na Luang just because there’s nothing there really. Ask your guesthouse or a local in Nong Khiaw where they recommend you head to.
Take it easy and soak up the scenery. Above all else, it’s just nice to have freedom and a breeze!
Be warned that the back roads across Laos are in terrible condition, so this does require previous experience of riding a bike. This is not the place you want to be learning for the first time!
With the bike it will also make the rest of the day more time efficient rather than walking!
Bikes are around 110,000 Kip in the centre of town.
Check out the caves
Nong Khiaw has two caves fairly close-by that are definitely worth checking out!
Pha Kuang and Pha Tok caves are popular destinations for people who visit Nong Khiaw that fancy an easier day out and about and both are within walking distance from town (2-3km one way). Visiting on the same day as renting a motorbike, however, will save you time and sweat!
Pha Tok is about 2km south of the bridge, but Pha Kuang is the one I went to which is 2.5km from the centre of town. Located along the main road on the north side of the bridge, it boasts a large cave which you can see below. As well as this big entrance, there is a tunnel leading on to more in one of the corners, but since I was alone and had no torch, I bottled that idea.
Entrance to Pha Kuang is 10,000kip
Sunset and spa
When you find yourself somewhere as beautiful, rustic and, in the grand scheme of things, untouched as Nong Khiaw, it’s good to slow down and appreciate it.
After watching sun fall behind the mountains from the bridge with the local kids, take the evening to relax and/or watch the world go by.
Alternatively, zen-out at Sabai Sabai Spa and swimming pool. That’s right, Nong Khiaw actually has a spa! So if a $5 Lao massage or herbal steam bath sounds up your street, this is the place for you!
Day 3
Prepare to get wet and sweaty on this epic waterfall trek!
100 Waterfalls Trek
There are lots of places to book around town and many locals will attempt to pitch their tours to you. However, they are all exactly the same with the only difference sometimes being the price, which depends on how many people have already booked.
With a local guide, adventure seekers are taken on a magical 6.5km mission through the jungle, wading through rivers and waterfalls and passing all aspects of rural life in the remote villages of Laos before reaching the top waterfall where you’ll have an inclusive lunch of fried rice and fresh fruit.
Remember to keep an eye out for the thirsty leeches!
Tours last from 9am until 4pm and usually cost around $25. On mine there were only 3 of us, so it was effectively a private tour and was a really special experience.
Pha Noi Viewpoint
It might be the lowest viewpoint in Nong Khiaw, but Pha Noi is definitely not one to be skipped!
With the route starting from close to the centre of town, it’s easily accessible and you can get to the summit of Pha Noi in around 30 minutes.
It might not take long, but damn, it’s a sweaty one and the last section is quite steep, with bamboo steps and handrails to aid you up.
Go home after trekking, take in lots of fluids and chill out for a while before starting this hike for sunset. Alternatively, you could just go straight there from the boat, which stops nearby. 4:30pm would be the ideal time to start the hike to catch sunset and try to make it back down with at-least some light! There’s a great view over Nong Khiaw and the surrounding mountains.
Pha Noi costs 20,000 Kip to a man you will appear from a nearby house. At the beginning of the trail you need to cross a river where there is normally a bamboo walking bridge. When I visited the bridge was badly damaged so the kind ticket man nipped me across in his boat.
My experience in Nong Khiaw
I travelled to Nong Khiaw for 6 nights in September 2022 and absolutely loved it.
When I first arrived and as soon as I put my bag down in the room, the owner appeared and invited me to his friend’s birthday party down the road. Of course, I said yes. They treated me to Lao beer and local delicacies like duck’s neck and spicy goat (interesting stuff) while they jammed on a guitar and sang songs. Isn’t that just the best way to start a trip? Good times. I had absolutely no idea what anyone was saying and I was obviously the elephant in the room, but that was fun.
My days were spent exploring the area apart from a couple of them where I did nothing – oops. The weather was fantastic and it didn’t rain at all during my trip. I managed to do 3 of the 6 hikes on my first 2 days and then spent a while relaxing around town before my 100 Waterfalls adventure.
Accommodation review
During my visit I stayed at a small guesthouse called Lamorn which is a mid-range option that had it’s ups and downs. It boasts great mountain views for £8 a night and a VERY friendly owner called Mo, but that’s all the good stuff.
There is no reception area or seemingly any staff or information at all, so when I arrived I just sat and waited for half an hour until someone appeared. I met a backpacker staying at a place called Delilah’s which was half the price and sounded like a much nicer option overall. It’s not on Booking.com, though.
How much did I spend?
Over my 6 days in Nong Khiaw, I spent a total of 1,674,000 Kip (£93) plus £48 for accommodation.
Nong Khiaw packing essentials
- Water bottle
- Good footwear
- Bug spray
- Sun cream, hat, sunglasses
- Long sleeve top (it gets cold at night!)
The hikes in Nong Khiaw are a proper sweat-fest, so you’ll need to stay as hydrated as possible.
Decent footwear, bug spray and sun cream are all essential too so that you stay protected from sharp rocks, mosquitos and the beating sun. A long sleeve top is optional, but when you’ve been sweating a lot you can get very cold at the top of the mountains. For the 100 Waterfalls Trek, you’ll want a GoPro or waterproof phone case to capture all the amazing moments!
Best tours in northern Laos
Thank you for reading this travel guide – I hope you found it helpful! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible 
Happy travelling!
HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Accommodation: Booking.com, Hostelworld
Tours: GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, TripAdvisor
Transport: 12Go, Omio, Trip.com, Rome2Rio
WHO IN THE WORLD IS JAMES?
Click below to learn more about my story, including 5 random facts about me, some travel FAQ’s and my entire travel history.
