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Laos travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Kuang Si Falls
Kuang Si Falls. Photo: NruasPaoYPP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11h 45mflight from London
Kipcurrency
On arrivalfor UK passports
Type A, B, C, E, Fplugs

Slow boats on the Mekong and saffron-robed monks at dawn

Don't miss

  1. Luang Prabang
  2. Kuang Si Falls
  3. Vang Vieng
Good forCultureAdventure

Best time to visit Laos from the UK

Best value: Apr, Oct. Nov–Mar. Busiest and priciest: Nov–Mar.

21.3 C21°J24.6 C25°F28.1 C28°M30.5 C30°A29.3 C29°M28 C28°J27.2 C27°J26.7 C27°A26.6 C27°S25.3 C25°O23.2 C23°N20.7 C21°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Vientiane, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Vientiane for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (25–30°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Nov–MarUsually 21–28°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: May–SepAround 27–29°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: April (30°C) · coolest: December (21°C)A 9°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
21.324.628.130.529.32827.226.726.625.323.220.7

Festivals and events

  • Pi Mai Lao (New Year) Apr · Luang Prabang
  • Boun Ok Phansa Oct · Nationwide
  • That Luang Festival Nov · Vientiane

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 11h 45m
Distance
9,321 km
Main airport
VTE

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Laos to your bucket list Search flights to VTE

Practical info and travel guidance

KipCapital: Vientiane
Type A, B, C, E, F · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
1191
EmergencyAmbulance 1195
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against all but essential travel to parts of LaosCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaVisa on arrivalOn arrival or eVisa
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersFCDO warns of sexual assault or harassmentTake extra care at night and with drinks.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Laos, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 13 August 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Laos before you book and again before you go.

Open Laos on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.