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| DATE | ACTIVITY | NIGHT | |
| Nov. 11 | S | Meet at hotel in Bangkok, walking tour near hotel. Orientation. Group dinner (option). | Bangkok |
| 12 | M | Fly to Vientiane. Visa on arrival. Orientation. To Talaat Sou, the huge market. Evening: Sundowner by the Mekong. |
Vientiane |
| 13 | T | Lao Language, visit Wat Phra Keo, Wat Si Sa Ket, That Luang. Afternoon: National Museum. Evening: Dinner and cultural program with local professors, teachers. (option). |
Vientiane |
| 14 | W | AM: Fly to Luang Prabang, a World Heritage Site, and everyone’s favorite city. PM: Orientation, walking tour of town, crafts, etc. Later: Sundowner and dinner by the Mekong. Main street is closed to traffic in the evening and about a half mile is taken over by craft sellers. |
Luang Prabang |
| 15 | Th | By small private boat up the Mekong to Pak Ou Caves. Stop at whiskey/craft village.
Moonshine, fabrics. Later to museum in Luang Prabang. Evening: Monks chanting at Wat Visoun. |
Luang Prabang |
| 16 | F | To the large wet market on south edge of town, breakfast at market. Then to Kwang Si Falls south of town, craft centers, weaving village. Evening: Nite Club (option) |
Luang Prabang |
| 17 | S | Fly to Phonsavan on the Plain of Jars. Then walk the center of town, the markets, especially the wet market selling unusual and often endangered species. Dinner in hotel. | Phonsavan |
| 18 | S | Early morning to market. Perhaps see opium being sold. All day tour of Plain of Jars. These jars, often weighing thousands of pounds, were carved out of sandstone and transported to these sites from some distance away. Visit the three principal sites as well as Hmong village. Dinner in town (option). | Phonsavan |
| 19 | M | By Van east toward Sam Neua. Beautiful mountains, remote tribal areas (Blue Hmong, Tai Dam, Tai Dang, Khmu Pong). The “Lao Stonehenge”, mysterious rock pillars set along ridgetops for seven miles. This day and the one on the 21st are my all-time favorite drives. I have been to Sam Neua about 15 times and seen about a dozen foreigners. | Sam Neua |
| 20 | T | Southeast through karst landforms to the caves at Vieng Xai. Leaders of the Pathet Lao (Lao communists) sheltered in the caves during the Vietnam (American) War. Hospitals, offices, an amphitheatre holding thousands. It is like Valley Forge, but more; they lived here for years and our bombing didn't kill any of the leaders. Late afternoon: visit the new silk weaving center. Uses natural dyes. |
Sam Neua |
| 21 | W | East to Xieng Kho, perhaps the most interesting road trip of any of the tours. Villages (Green Hmong, Tai Dang, etc), water used to pound rice and crush sugar cane, interesting agriculture. Only Mekong Tours goes here so it is an event for the local people; they will have a welcoming (baci) ceremony, a shaman. Full board. | Xieng Kho |
| 22 | Th | Van back to Sam Neua. Forests, intricate rice terraces. Probably too early for poppy fields. Yao village, Khmu. Eat near hotel. Evening: Nite club (option). |
Sam Neua |
| 23 | F | Fly to Vientiane. To Carol Cassidy Silks, Talaat Sou, sculpture garden. Evening: Dinner, cultural program (option). |
Vientiane |
| 24 | S | To Nong Khai in Thailand. To Village Weaver, a Catholic project to provide work for rural women; they have excellent crafts at reasonable prices. Then to "Indo China Market" along the river. | Nong Khai |
| 25 | S | Sisters of Charity project just south of town. Another project to help rural women. By van on to Khon Kaen. The best Thai silk is from this area. Evening: Group dinner (option). |
Khon Kaen |
| 26 | M | AM: Around Khon Kaen, local goods store, National Museum. Fly to Bangkok. Evening: Happy hour, group dinner (option). |
Bangkok |
| 27 | T | After breakfast: End tour. Fly to U.S. or travel elsewhere. | Depart |
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