Located: Northwestern Laos
Total area: 9,391 square kilometers
Population: 195,753 (2024)
5 Districts: Namtha, Muang Sing, Muang Long, Viengphoukha & Nalae
Capital of the province: Namtha
Stopover to/from: China
Highlights: Trekking & Kayaking to Nam Ha NPA
- Getting to Luang Namtha is accessible by air, land, and railway. The most popular overland routes to and from the province start and end at Bokeo Province’s Ban Houey Xay and Luang Prabang. There is an international border crossing at Boten (China-Laos); visa arrival can get at the Boten border.
- There are regular air services from Vientiane by Lao Airlines and Laos Skyway, please book tickets at the ticket agency.
- There are regular buses from Luang Namtha town to other districts and provinces in the north part, please check timetable for prices and destinations. Bus Schedule in Louang Namtha Province
To enjoy life and nature. There are so many outdoor activities, you won’t be short of choice. Come and stay for at least 3 days to make the most of the natural beauty, diverse cultures, and the unique Nam Ha – National Biodiversity Conservation Area. Stay longer and explore remote districts; you can cycle, trek, kayak or take a leisurely road trip. We welcome you to our province!
Must Check in Attractions
Nam Ha NPA
The Nam Ha National Protected Area is well known for jungle trekking, kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, and meeting remote ethnic communities. Day and overnight trips are available. At 244,000 ha the park covers about 24% of Luang Namtha Province. In 2003 it was designated as an ASEAN Heritage Site. In 2001 the United National Development Award for “ Nam Ha Eco-tourism Project ”, in 2002 the British Airways “Tourism for Tomorrow”, in 2007 the Equator Prize for “ Nam Ha Eco-guide Service ”, and in 2019 the ASEAN Community-based Tourism Award in 2019-2021, visit Website: www.namha-npa.org
Luang Namtha Musuem
The Luang Namtha museum opens at 8:30 am – 4 Pm from Monday to Friday, visitors have opportunities to see variety of artifacts made by multi-ethnic communities. Of particular interest is the extensive collection of indigenous clothing, as well as agricultural tools and household equipment. There is an excellent collection of Buddha images, bronze drums, ceramics and textiles. Also, of interest are the traditional handmade weapons that were once used for hunting and national defense. Buy ticket before entering, there are staff there who will explain information for visitors.
Luang Namtha Night Market
Enjoy local food and drinks You cannot leave Luang Namtha without spending at least one evening at Luang Namtha Night Market. If you want to experience an authentic local night out, this is the place to be. The market opens every single day. Tightly thronged with tribeswomen and locals hawking freshly made broths, noodles, and chicken on spits, with everything veiled in a stratosphere of smoke. Great for cheap quick eats. If you’re feeling brave try the rhinoceros beetles, duck chicks in embryos, grilled intestines, and bile soup! open every evening from 4 pm – 10:00 pm.
Nam Dee Waterfall
Namdee Village where are the waterfall, bamboo paper making and well-known of indigo dying. Certainly, this is a natural color producing by Lanten ethnic, it’s very colorful crafting and strong cotton. The travelers can see Lanten women wear a distinctive dark blue/black indigo-dyed tunic with matching knees length tightly fitting trousers. You can see the process of dying and drying outside houses and along the river.
Phieng Ngam Handicrats Center
This is a great place do sightseeing by yourself. The Phieng Ngam Handicraft Centre is only 6 km out of town. Nearly all women in the village weave. Visit the weaving centre to learn about their weaving process, have a go yourself at weaving or buy some of the distinctive, high quality items on sale. Snacks and coffee are also available. By permission, you can also walk around the village and see women weaving on the ground-floor of their houses.
Luang Namtha Stupa
To discover the place of Buddhist’s worship is Luang Luang Namtha Stua, it is a landmark of the city. The stupa is hidden up to the mountain, built in December 2004, it’s easy to access from the north end of town along the valley route by bicycle or motorbike. In December on 15th of lunar moths is yearly celebration. Behind the stupa has the big buddha and in front of the stupa is a gazebo for relax and take photo of the town.
PoumPouk Stupa
Poum Pouk is a Buddhist stupa that is highly revered by local Buddhists and is one of the oldest in the province. The original stupa was constructed in 1628 to demarcate neutral territory between the Kingdoms of Lane Xang (centered in Luang Prabang) and Lane Na (centered in Chang Mai). On 28 October 1966, the old stupa was damaged during intense American bombing of the Valley during the Secret War. The new monument was constructed in 2003, as a show of local people’s religious faith. An annual festival is held at the stupa (3rd Lao month, 15th day of lunar calendar, typically February).
Phouphetphoukham Fall
Phouphetphoukham Fall is in your interest to stop here for lunch. The food is fresh and delicious, with such treats as Luang Prabang salad and golden fried fish with vegetables. Located in Ban Prang village, Vieng Phoukha District, it is 30 kilometers from Luang Namtha town. The area allows you to stay overnight at the resort or camping area. There is a waterway for paddle boats as well as organically fed fish, which you can feed yourself. There is a mini zoo inside also. Hide a motorbike to go there by yourself and buy train tickets there to enter the field, See more www.phouphetphoukhamadventures.com
Muang Sing Morning Market
Muang Sing Market is still the heart of the town and attracts people from the entire region to buy fresh foods and products from local people. The best time to visit is between 6 to 8 o’clock in the morning: retailers from all ethnic groups arrive to sell vegetables, fruits, meat, and Tai Nuea women present their famous noodles, so called in Lao Language “Kao Soi”. It’s also a great place to look for local handicrafts prduced by Tai Dam, Tai Lue, and other ethnic groups. Try local food such as soybean paste, waffles, and local sweets (‘Kainom’) often made from sticky rice and coconut.
Outdoor Activities
Trekking
Trekkers began turning up in Luang Namtha in the 1990s. They used untrained local guides to take them to remote ethnic villages and this often led to adverse impacts on the traditional ways of life. There are multiple days to explore the Nam Ha Biodiversity Conservation Area, one of the most popular trekking locations in Laos. Day and overnight treks are available. Book through local tour companies on the main street in Luang Namtha Town. Stay in jungle camps, eco-lodge, or village homestays. Meet with remote ethnic minorities in the protected area. Trek programs are available in Nam Ha National protected Area.
Hiking on Nalan Trail
One of the popular trails is the Nalan Trail, taking you to a remote Khmu village on the banks of the Nam Ha River where you can stay overnight. This trail also can be coordinated with a day of kayaking down the Nam Ha River. At first, through a cooler forest, your guide will show you the diversity and uses of many plants you pass by. Lunchtime is always interesting on a trek in Laos. Guides seem to be able to pull together the most amazingly presented meal with just a knife! After lunch, you descend to follow the stream. Here you are way below the canopy of grand old trees – it is a beautiful area. Your final stop is at Nalan Village where locals have built small houses for you to stay and they benefit from your visit.
Kayaking
Book your kayak trip through one of the qualified tour companies in Luang Namtha. Day and overnight experiences are possible on the Nam Ha and Nam Tha rivers. This is a great way to enjoy the Nam Ha National Protected Area, ethnic villages, wildlife, and forested landscape. Low water levels from December to June can make access to some parts of the rivers difficult. The trip to the Nam Ha River is only available in Luang Namtha district.
Visiting Ethnic Village
There are more than 20 different ethnic groups living inside and around the Nam Ha NPA. You can meet some of these people by chance on your own or better still, hire a local guide. You’ll discover so much more! There are authentic cultures which involve you being a part of their lives, you can learn the local language, culture, tradition, and culture show in the village you visit, for some special show such as local dance or local singing, please ask for your local guide for booking these activities, if there is event or festival in the village, it is free for you to see their performance.
Mountain Bike
Enjoy a ride through the Nam Ha National Protected Area with beautiful views of evergreen forest and hill country. There are many different villages and ethnic communities along the way. Please ask for information and take the map from Tourism Information Center. The motorbike journeys are Muang Sing, Muang Long, Nalae Town, and Viengphoukha District. Rent your motorbike from the center of town for your own trip, we recommend you have a local guide with you, it would be better for your trip.
See Caves and Falls
The most accessible are the caves near the road (R3A) “Kao Rao Cave”. To buy a ticket before the entrance. One of the well-known waterfalls is “Nam Dee Waterfall”, Hire a bike or tuk-tuk and head 5.5 km out of town to the Lanten ethnic village of Ban Nam Dee (meaning: good water) – Buy an entrance ticket. Another waterfall is “Pha Yueang Waterfall” located in the Nam Ha National Protected Area, this can be found 38 km from Luang Namtha Town. For this, you can go by yourself, rent a motorbike, and follow the map you take from the Luang Namtha Tourism Information Center.
An Independent Scenic Touring Route
Follow the Luang Namtha Valley Route to eight main ethnic villages and five cultural and religious sites, where you will discover aspects of daily life and culture and take in the scenic beauty of the Valley. The route is an excellent half day self-guided trip. The entire route takes 2-4 hours (approximately 35km), depending on how long you spend in each village and the trails you take.
If you just have an hour or two, you can do the northern part of the Luang Namtha Valley route, visiting the museum, Luang Namtha Stupa, Poumpouk Stupa, Phieng Ngam Handicrafts Center, Nammat Mai Village (Akha Tribe), and back on 17A road to the town centre (about 18km total) before moving to Nam Dee community and waterfall.
Nam Dee Village highlighted in the video below, is one of the stops on this route. Before you do anything else in Luang Namtha, download this map and get on a bike! The rental shop is located in front of the night market and at the Zuela guesthouse (there are bicycles, motorbikes, and mountain bikes for rent).
To visit Luang Namtha by train
- Book tickets at the train station or book on LCR App
- It takes around 3-5 hours from Vientiane to Natuey Statoin
- Then continues taking a minivan/taxi to Luang Namtha Town about 37 km (40 minutes)
- The prices can be checked on the LCR App
- How to book by yourself
1. Please use Lao SIM Card and install LCR App.
2. Register your personal information.
3. Select your destination, time, and payment method.
4. Confirm payment. Please show the QR code at the checkpoint.
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