Vientiane is the capital of Laos, home to around 840,940 people.
Best time
November–March for cooler, drier conditions
Weather
Varies from tropical to temperate depending on the season
Kaysone Phomvihane Museum
Lao National Museum
President Souphanouvong Memorial
Presidential Palace
Lao Textile Museum
Nam Ngum Lake
President Souphanouvong Memorial
Nam Ngum Lake
Mostly free or pay-what-you-like — always double-check opening times and any seasonal fees before you go.
Day 1
Day 2
Local favourites
Along the river
Dozens of unpretentious restaurants and beer gardens (those upstream from the main beach promenade are generally cheaper). All are pleasant
Ban Anou Night Market
Has some of the best cheap meals in the city despite being only about a block long. Starts setting up at sundown. There's a wide range of st
Delicious Noodle - Quan Banh Canh Ngon
For an authentic Lao dining experience there is this noodle soup shop. This restaurant offers the best Lao white thick slimy rice noodles wi
Name Unknown
A small group of stalls offering local food patronized by office workers. The ambiance is similar to the morning and night street food marke
Nazim Indian Restaurant
Decent Indian food. Their toilet is not the cleanest in the country, perhaps because the patrons of some of the restaurants on the river ban
Noodle Shops
They typically serve rice noodle soups ("feu", a close cousin to Vietnamese phở and Chinese 粉 fan2), often also fried rice and other rice or
Tourist favourites & top-rated
Seng Lao Hotel
Clean rooms with air-con and TV. Very helpful staff can let you know where to find more local stuff in addition to normal tourist things.
Benacam Guest House
Clean, nice rooms, great value. Nice baths with great water pressure, a real shower, clean linens. Rooms can be small, but have a fridge and
Mimi Guest House
Mixay Guesthouse
A simple room with fan and shared bath. Friendly staff. Clean, but has ventilation issues in some rooms (especially on the top floor where t
Mixay Paradise
Partner to Mixay Guesthouse and just one block away. Nice guesthouse with many generally small rooms, all with a padlockable draw and good W