Vientiane Travel Guide – Visit Vientiane – Budget Travel In Laos

Vientiane, Laos is not a popular tourist city like Bangkok, Hanoi or Kuala Lumpur. Many travellers only pass through Laos’ capital city on their way to Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang.

Whilst it might not have the same appeal to tourists as the forementioned cities, there is certainly enough In Vientiane to keep you busy for a short stay.

Things To Do In Vientiane

Vientiane is beside the Mekong River and it is next to the river that you will find many bars and restaurants. The French influence is apparent too, with lots of coffee shops and quirky buildings that look more like something you would see in Europe, rather than South East Asia.

Ban Anou Night Market

Ban Anou Night Market (map) wis a small market that caters mainly for locals. There is the usual grilled meat but most of the food is bagged up for you to take home. There were some REAL local delicacies on offer!

Ban Anou Market opening Times: 5 pm – 11 pm, every day.

Chao Anouvong Park

Chao Anouvong Park (map) really comes alive at night as it is the location of the Vientiane night market. It is also a popular spot during the day for picnics and it offers great views over the Mekong River. There is a statue of King Anouvong in the park looking over the river towards Thailand.

Cope Visitor Centre

One of the more unusual things to do in Vientiane, Cope “help people with mobility-related disabilities move on by supporting access to physical rehabilitation services in the Lao PDR.” The ‘Cope Visitor Centre’ (maps) focuses on those killed or disabled by UXO. Laos is the most bombed country in the world. Over 280 million ‘bombies’ were dropped on Laos during the second Indo-China war (commonly known as the Vietnam war). Approximately, a third of these bombs did not detonate and remained in Laos. At least one person dies every day from UXO. It is incredible that the Vietnam war is still claiming victims.

The centre, whilst small, is educational and has many artefacts, displays and movies. It is a 15 minute walk from the bus station and is definitely worth a visit.

Cope Visitor Centre Opening Times: 9 am – 6 pm, every day.
Cope Visitor Centre Entrance Fee: Free (donations welcomed).

Food And Drink In Vientiane

Bor Pen Nyang Bar and Restaurant (map) is a great place to have a meal and drinks whilst watching the Vientiane sunset over the Mekong River. After walking past some very tasty-looking street food, we found the bar two floors above street level. We got a table with a great view over the river and watched the markets setting up below. We had an hour before sunset so we enjoyed a couple of beers and some delicious food.

Dada Coffee (map) looks so impressive from the outside that you are bound to want to visit. We came here to discuss our plans for the day and enjoy coffee and cake. The cakes were good but the coffee was not the best we’d had in Vientiane. It is a very nice place though so it is worth going to make up your own mind. We did enjoy watching a guy starting fires on the road just opposite the cafe!

Earth Bar Vientiane (map) is a lively bar in the heart of Vientiane. When we came across it, we thought it looked a bit ‘Saturday night’ but we couldn’t have been more wrong. Once inside, we discovered a live reggae act getting the punters dancing and singing along. It had an eco-conscious ethos to the bar (hence the name) and it was filled with happy, drunk tourists. As far as Vientaine nightlife goes, this is probably the best bar in the area.

Jamil Zahid Indian and Pakistani Food (map) had some great reviews online and we fancied an Indian curry. It was tucked away on a backstreet but was fairly busy when we arrived which was promising. The restaurant was basic and the food was relatively cheap. Joanna ordered samosas which were light and crispy, and very tasty. My tomato soup, however, had so much cumin in it, it was almost inedible. My beef curry was better, if a little bland and Joanna said much the same about her aubergine curry. Unfortunately, Joanna later showed all the signs of having food poisoning. Some of the reviews on Google Maps showed that others had the same experience after eating here. However, overall the reviews are very positive.

Le Trio Coffee (map) are very serious about their coffee and they roast their beans on the premises. They have all kinds of crazy looking contractions to make coffee with; it’s almost like a coffee museum. It is a small shop but they have seating outside. The coffee was very good here. It comes with a good reputation and it certainly set us up for the day ahead. Probably the best coffee in Vientiane.

Once Upon A Time Khamkong (map) had grabbed our attention because of its shop front. We wanted to see if it was as impressive on the inside. We expected it to be expensive because of the fancy decor but it was actually cheaper than other coffee shops in Vientiane. It was as pretty inside as it was from the outside and the coffee was good and strong.

You must try the Vientiane Baguette! The best place to buy them is in the markets surrounding the bus station. These are way cheaper than those in the centre of the city. There are no choices of filling. They are all pre-made and consist of salad, various processed meats, pork floss, mayo and chilli sauce. Joanna asked for one with no meat so the seller had to make one up from fresh. The first thing she did was spread meat paste onto it.

They are very tasty and very filling. If it wasn’t for me being greedy, it could have lasted me all day!

When arriving in Vientiane by bus, I saw a street vendor selling what looked like the best grilled pork I had ever seen! I definitely had to return and see if it tasted as good as it looked.

I estimated it would cost around 20,000 kip so I was more than pleased to discover it was only 10,000!  It came on wooden prongs, but they chopped up the meat and gave it me wrapped in a banana leaf in a bag.

Seriously, you must try this pork! Crispy, fatty, tender and smoky: it was cooked to perfection both times I had it.

Khua Din Markets

Khua Din Market (map), according to Google Maps, is located on the same side of the main road as the bus station, but we found markets all over this area. We spent a good couple of hours weaving in and out of the markets and trying some of the snacks. You can pick up some real bargains here. It is filled with mostly locals so you should be able to haggle for local prices. Just be careful on those pavements!

Patuxay Monument

Patuxay Monument

The ‘Patuxay Monument’ (map) is a war memorial, built in the 1960s, that combines the influence of French architecture with Laotian carvings. For a small admission fee, you can enter the monument and climb up to the top. You can enjoy the views over Vientiane in all directions. As you climb the monument, there are shops selling souvenirs and traditional Laos clothes. If you want to take the best picture of the monument itself, it is best to do so from the south side, as there are fewer tourists.

Patuxay Monument Opening Times: 8 am – 4 pm, every day.
Patuxay Monument Entrance Fee: 4000 KIP

Pha That Luang Vientiane

Pha That Luang’ (map) is one of the most revered temples in the whole of Laos and should not be missed when visiting Vientiane.

We decided to walk to the temple. The walk was longer than we had anticipated. In hindsight, we should have probably taken a bus as we only had a short time in which to visit the temple. The temple is very impressive as are the temple grounds.

The temple does close around 4 pm so plan your visit around this. The blue-line bus departs just outside the temple grounds and will take you back to the bus station.

Pha That Luang Entrance Fee: 10,000 KIP

Vientiane Buddha Park

Vientiane Buddha Park (map) is located outside the city centre. To get to the park, you need to get the number 14 bus from the bus station. The bus costs 8,000 kip and takes about 40 minutes. Don’t worry about timetables; the buses are frequent.

At the park itself, you pay 20,000 kip admission. The park is well maintained and is very impressive; much in the same way to the very similar park across the river in Nong Khai. If you have already been to that park, then maybe it is not necessary to visit this one also. I still enjoyed this park, despite having visited the one in Nong Khai only days earlier. The statues are just as impressive (make sure you climb into the monkey’s head!) and there are also many pretty plants and butterflies to see.

There is a bus station opposite the park where you can get the return bus. This takes a little longer to get to Vientiane as it waits in the border control for passengers. I got the impression it leaves only when it is full.

Vientiane Buddha Park Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm, every day.
Vientiane Buddha Park Entrance Fee: 20,000 KIP

Vientiane Night Market

Vientiane Night Market (map) is a daily market selling mainly clothes and jewellery. There are some great bargains to be found. It is very cheap and the quality of the merchandise is good. I was regretting bringing so many t-shirts with me as I could have easily stocked up here very cheaply.

Vientiane Night Market Opening Times: 6 pm – 10 pm, every day.

Vientiane Night Street

When you first arrive at Vientiane Night Street Market (map), it might seem a little underwhelming. It appears to be nothing more than a small street of clothes stalls offering nothing more than you can find every night at the night market in Chao Anouvong park.

However, keep walking and you will discover an area with countless bars, restaurants and live music.

Choosing which bar to drink in is easy enough, as they all offer the same thing. Look around for ones that have offers.

Vientiane Night Street Market Opening Times: Mon, closed. Tues – Thurs, 4 pm – 12 am. Fri, 4 pm – 1 am. Sat, 4 pm – 1.30 am. Sun, 4 pm – 12 am.

Is Vientiane Worth Visiting?

Many travellers don’t speak too highly of Vientiane and use it only as a hub to more exciting locations. It is certainly not the most interesting city in Southeast Asia. However, we enjoyed our short stay in the capital city. The city is worth a short visit but, in hindsight, it was the least favourite place we visited in Laos.

Now all we had to do was get the bus to Vang Vieng, our next destination. We had booked a VIP bus so nothing could go wrong. Right?

Vientiane Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vientiane safe?

Vientiane is a safe city. We had no issues walking around the city after dark, even in the more local, non-tourist areas. The usual common sense applies. Most crime is theft so keep your belongings and valuables secure, especially when sat outside cafes and restaurants.

How Long Should I Spend in Vientiane?

This depends on how long you are travelling for. As we had a month in Laos, we spent a few nights but if you have less, I would move on to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, both of which I found more enjoyable.