Wat Xieng Thong
Place · Wat Xieng Thong & Nam Khan
Go at opening: the best-known temple in the town, quiet before the groups arrive; 40 minutes, small fee at the gate.
- Founded 1559–60
- Tree of life mosaic
- Best at opening
- Go at opening
- Bring cash
- Shoes off inside
- Queue: switch at 10 min
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Laos ↗Get the visa only from the official government e-visa portal or at the airport or border desk; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Laos ↗Carry Lao kip in small notes; small shops, tuk-tuks and markets are cash-only, and Thai baht or US dollars are only accepted at some tourist businesses.
- Laos ↗At dawn alms-giving, watch from across the street, keep quiet, never use flash and never touch a monk.
- Northern Laos ↗Roughly Feb–Apr the north is hazy from crop burning: check the air quality before you book a viewpoint or a long day trip.
- Luang Prabang ↗The old town goes quiet from about 23:00 and many guesthouses lock their door for the night: tell your hotel your arrival time and ask how to ring for the night staff.
- Luang Prabang ↗Dawn alms-giving is a religious act, not a show: stay on the far side of the street, keep quiet, no flash and no touching.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Quietest around 08:00 or 17:00 · go at opening
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: ₭20,000–30,000 (2026 estimate)
- Time to spend
- 40–60 min · up to 90 min if you linger
Best time to go
Tour groups from mid-morning; shade in the courtyard.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 10 min; come back when under 3.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Thu, busiest Sat.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening hours are not printed until verified; the temple is normally open daily, with a small entry fee at the gate.
- Hours note
- Daily, from early morning; confirm times at the gate.
Which month is quietest
- Janheavy
- Febbusy
- Marlight
- Aprbusy
- Maylight
- Junquiet
- Julquiet
- Augquiet
- Sepquiet
- Octbusy
- Novheavy
- Decpacked
Quietest Jun–Sep · busiest Dec.
Estimate: desk reasoning from typical visitor patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Tuk-tuk to the temple gate on the Mekong-side road
- Ticket
- on site · official site · bring cash
- Stairs
- Not recorded
- Shoes
- Shoes off before entering the halls.
Accessibility
- PartialStep-free entrance
- Check firstLifts
- Check firstAccessible toilet
- PartialWheelchair
- NoStroller · poor
Sensory load
- Sensory load2/5 Low
- Peak crowd4/5 High
Exposure: medium
What to bring and the rules
- Cash · The ticket desk is likely to take cash only.
- Clothing that meets the dress rule · Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off inside the halls.
- Footwear that suits the rule · Off before the halls.
- Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off inside the halls.
- Shoes: Off before the halls.
- Allowed in the grounds; ask before photographing monks or inside halls.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- heat: Nam Khan-side café
- rain: Covered temple halls
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Wat Xieng Thong courtyard (shade)
Problem
Red lines
- Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off in the halls.
- Do not climb on or touch the mosaics and carvings.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Know before you go
- The temple was founded in 1559–60 under King Setthathirath and is the best-known temple in the town.
- The sim's roof sweeps almost to the ground in several tiers, a hallmark of the Luang Prabang style.
- The rear wall carries a glass mosaic tree of life; a small red chapel and a hall with the royal funeral carriage are in the grounds.
- It remains a working temple: dress modestly and keep quiet near monks.
Best time of day
Go at opening. Plan 40–60 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate, ordinary weekday
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Bring cash; cards may not be taken (check).
- Queues
- Arrive at opening, ideally by 08:00 before tour groups; take a tuk-tuk from the centre or walk along the Mekong-side road.Arrive at opening, ideally by 8:00 AM before tour groups; take a tuk-tuk from the centre or walk along the Mekong-side road.
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off inside the halls.
- Shoes: Off before the halls.
- Photos
- Allowed in the grounds; ask before photographing monks or inside halls.
- What's closed
- WeeklyOpen daily; confirm the hours.
- CeremoniescheckSome halls close during ceremonies.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | ₭20,000–30,000 (2026 estimate) | Cash at the gate. |
How to do it well
- 1Arrive at opening, ideally by 08:00 before tour groups; take a tuk-tuk from the centre or walk along the Mekong-side road.
- 2Buy the ticket at the gate; remove shoes before entering any hall.
- 3Walk to the main hall (sim) to see the sweeping roof and the interior, then to the red chapel and the funeral carriage house.
- 4Finish at the mosaic 'tree of life' on the rear wall of the sim and leave by the river side.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
20min
Worthwhile
40min
Typical
60min
p95
90min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (60 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partly
- Lifts: check · check
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partly
- Stroller: no · nopoor
Steps at the hall entrances; packed earth paths.
Skip it if
- Tour buses are already at the gate and you cannot wait.
- You dislike temples with entry fees.
Rules on site
- food
- Not in the grounds.
With kids
- with kids
- Short and colourful; keep hands off the carvings.
- child price
- check
Combine with
Combine with
- 5 minNam Khan riverside walk
- 7 minWat Sen
- 8 minLao restaurant by the Nam Khan · eat
Walk the Wat Xieng Thong & Nam Khan area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
How long?
40 minutes.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
When is the best time?
Right at opening, before the groups arrive.
Is it worth the fee?
Yes: it is the town's best-known temple and the most complete example of the local style.
Can I go inside the main hall?
Usually yes; shoes off and modest dress.
Photos
Photos
Wat Xieng Thong Photo: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialUNESCO — Town of Luang Prabang
- secondaryWikivoyage — Luang Prabang
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.