Day 1: Vientiane – Paksan

Pick up at your hotel or Arrival at Wattay international airport in Vientiane capital, after immigration formalities meet Lao guide or pick up at your hotel and we drive to the town visit  That Luang stupa,  the oldest and largest stupa in Laos and the other sites by preference before driving to our destination of Paksan where we stay overnight ,

Vientiane has been the capital of Laos since 1560, when the country was divided into three kingdoms, then lost its independence after the Siamese (Thai) invasion in late 18th century. Vientiane remained empty until the end of the 19th century. It began to be resettled again little by little.

The provincial capital of Bolikhamsai is Paksan, locates in the middle part of the country a blip of a town that sits at the confluence of the Nam San and Mekong rivers almost opposite the small Thai town of Bueng Kan, visible across the river. The provincial capital is a sleepy transportation hub, mostly just used as a place to stay before heading along the back road to Phonsavan or across the border into Thailand.

Distance: 160 km (approximately 3 hours driving)

Meal: D

Accommodation:  Sounantha hotel

Day 2: Paksan – Thasi

After breakfast we start riding from our hotel, we turn left from main road No. 13 south head east in the direction to Vietnam along the main road in remote area, on the way we’ll pass a small town of Muang Bolikhan and villages almost they are Lao low landers. Picnic lunch will be brought from restaurant in Paksan and we will find the good place when we are hungry.,We stay overnight at Thasi village, dinner at local restaurant

Attitude:  m above sea level

Distance: 80 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Guesthouse

Day 3: Thasi – Muangkhoun

Our guide will prepare breakfast for the group, after breakfast, we continue our journey to our destination of Muangkhoun, the road at the first section is gentle and surrounded by beautiful scenery, we pass the paddy fields and dry rice field (slash and burn cultivation) and villages at remote area some are Kmu (up lander people). We find lunch stop by the road when we are hungry. The last section of 30 km is hilly, we start climbing up to 1200 m on top of the highest point for today, optional drive to the top or transfer to last section to our destination depending on the time.  Overnight at the guesthouse in Muang Khoun, Muang Khoun the old capital of Xiengkhouang which was heavily damaged during the Indochina war all houses and temples were bombed and burned in 1963 - 1973.

Attitude: 300 m – 1200 m above sea level

Distance: 110 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Guesthouse

Day 4: Muangkhoun – Phonsavan

Today is short day, after breakfast we continue riding to the capital district of Xiangkhuang province (Phonsavan). On the way we turn from the main road to visit the plain of jars form site 2 and site 1. We stop for lunch at the local restaurant before cycle to the town and after check in hotel free to explore the small town on your own, we recommend visit the UXO center (unexploded ordnance), we stay overnight at the hotel in town. ,The history of the stone jars (ancient stone jars) remain a mystery today, there are more than 60 sites, scattered in different group all across the plateau. Only three groups have been surveyed and assigned registration. The other groups have not yet been surveyed because the locations are covered with thick bushes and contaminated by many remaining UXOs (Unexploded ordinances) leftover from the Indo-China war. The highest jar is more than 3 meters. There are several difference theories as to the purpose of the jars, which are estimated to be 2500 – 3000 years old. According to local legend, King Khoun Chuang had them constructed in order to store wine for the big celebration of his victory in the 6th century. ,Phonsavanh used to be the battled field between Lao communist government and royal government in 1964 – 1973.

Attitude: 1060 m – 1100 m above sea level

Distance: 40 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Favanmai hotel

Day 5: Phonsavan – Muangkham

Today is short day so we don’t have to start early; we turn right on direction to Vietnam border, on the way we stop at Hmong villages (high lander) and stop for photo of rice fields, riding today is not very hard, the road is up and down hills, we reach our destination a small town of Muangkham in the afternoon, optional cycle to visit the cave, local people hid during Indochina war, it was shot by the rocket from the royal Lao air force, more than 300 villagers were killed in the cave because of Napalm bomb. Overnight at the guesthouse and dinner at the local restaurant.

Attitude: 1100 m – 650 m above sea level

Distance: 51 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Guesthouse

Day 6: Muangkham – Namneuan

After breakfast at the local restaurant, we head north at the junction to Vietnam border, the road today is quiet, after 5 km undulating road from our guesthouse we start the big climb of 15 km at 1500 m above sea level on the top, after water stop we cycle downhill and the next climb is shorter. Picnic lunch will be brought by our guide and we stop for lunch on the way when we fell hungry. The last section of 20 km we cycle downhill from the attitude of 1400 m – 500 m above sea level to Namneuan village where we stay overnight.

Attitude: 600 m – 1500 m above sea level

Distance: 86 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Guesthouse

Day 7: Namneuan – Viengthong

Breakfast today is prepared by our guide at the local restaurant, today is short day but big climb, after breakfast we leave Namnuean and start the first big climb of 7 km from 600 – 1000 m to the junction to Vietnam border and we turn left to Viengthong, we cycle through the hill tribe villages on the quiet road, we stop at the villages to see the local life style and see they work in the rice fields, it is very strange for local to see Fa Lang (foreigner) ride the bicycle on the long distance. After the top we cycle long downhill to the bottom, from the bottom we continue riding up and down hill before the top and the last 18 km from the top we cycle downhill to the to the Viengthong where we stay overnight.

After arrival in Viengthong, freshen up before walking to nearby hot springs to douse worn legs before exploring the small town set on the Nam Khan River and largely inhabited by a collection of hill tribes particularly Hmong and "lowland" Lao. Dinner at the local restaurant and overnight at guesthouse.

Attitude: 600 m – 1550 m above sea level

Distance: 66 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation:  Guesthouse

Day 8: Viengthong – Nongkiaw

Today is long day over the "Laotian Alps," rising early from the noise at sunrise from the hill tribe market directly in front of our hotel. After browsing the market, we'll begin biking after breakfast. Today we ride National route No 1c between Viengthong and Viengkham passing through the beautiful jungle and forest scenery of two National Parks with lush green mountains over three passes. After departing Viengthong, cycling on flats until reaching our first challenge, a 500 m climb, before descending to a winding river valley road for about 10 km to the bottom, from the bottom the road is gentle, we stop for lunch under the tree by the road, the last climb is about 15 km to the top before descending to Viengthong where we stop riding and transfer the rest to our destination of Nongkiaw. Muang Ngoi (Nongkiaw) was controlled by the communist before 1975 and the province was under control of Pathet Lao. During Vietnam War, people in this area hid in the caves in the day times and worked at night because of continuous bombing (land mines remain in the area).

Attitude: 700 m – 1300 m above sea level

Distance: 168 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation: Phaxang bungalows

Day 9: Nongkiaw – Udomxai

Today is the hard day we ride from our hotel head north to Pakmong village that marks the junction at where the road turns towards Luangprabang, continuing along Route 13 north towards Udomxai we go straight on the direction to China, after 40 km from Nongkiaw, the road starts to wind upwards and we start the first of a series of long climbs through high mountains but scenery is perfect. We are in the land of the Hmong (high Lander) who are known as originally live in high elevation in northern Laos, in former time they lived by growing opium. After long climb, we rest on the first peak for water, snacks and seasonal fruits then we continue downhill before the second and the third peak, lunch will be prepared by our guide and we stop on the way when we are hungry and the last section of 20 km is easy downhill to our destination of Udomxai province know as China town. (a lot of Chinese start their business here)

Distance: 110 km

Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Singha hotel

Day 10: Udomxai – Pakbeng

After having breakfast we cycle to Oudomxai.we leave the guesthouse at 8:00 am, riding today takes us up and downhill but short climb through numerous villages and lovely children wave their hands with smiling and say hello in Lao language SABAIDEE, it means HI or HELLO in English   it is very nice riding in the morning, lunch at local restaurant, after lunch we keep riding some section before transfer the rest to our destination of Pakbeng. After check in hotel spend your time to discover the snall town locates at the bank of Mekong River, the tourists are traveling by boat from Thai border to LuangPrabang or from Luangprabang to Thai border stay overnight here so there are many hotels,  guesthouses and restaurants in this small town.

Distance: 140  km (Ride 80 km, transfer 60 km)

Meal: B / L / D

Accommodation: Phetsokxai hotel

Day 11: Pakbeng – Hongsa

Today we cross the Mekong River from left side (Lao side) to the right side (Thai side) but we are riding in a remote area of Lao territory.  After 12 km cycle on new road along the Mekong River we cross The Mekong River by ferry to the other side and keep riding along the new road, this road was built in 2011 to connect the northeast provinces of Thailand to the south of China, we stop for lunch at a small district of Muang Gneun the border to Nan Province of Thailand.  After lunch we continue riding the rest 37 km to our destination of Hongsa district where we stay overnight.

The Mekong River is a long boundary river between Laos and Thailand; it is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a nation or an international boundary.   It is the world's 12th longest river and the 7th longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km. From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1995, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam established the Mekong River Commission to assist in the management and coordinated use of the Mekong's resources. In 1996 China and Burma (Myanmar) became "dialogue partners" of the MRC and the six countries now work together within a cooperative framework. The river is a major trading route linking China’s southwestern province of Yunnan to Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand to the south, an important trade route between western China and Southeast Asia.

Distance: 86 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 12: Hongsa – Sayaboury

After breakfast we start riding to the capital district of Sayaboury province, it is a non-touristic area, and strange for local people to see tourists are riding on bicycles for long distance but they are very friendly and we can stop for photo at the villages and talk to them. We stop for lunch by the road and keep riding the rest to Sayaboury province where we stay overnight.

Sayaboury was a province of Siam (Thailand) colony from 1779, in 1904, the area of the province was ceded from Siam (Thailand) to the French Indochina colony. It is the only Laotian province that is completely to the west of the Mekong River, the province is quite mountainous. It has the largest concentration of elephants in Laos; it is home to Laos’ majority of domesticated Asian elephants. Approximately 75% of the nation's 560 domesticated elephants work in Sayaboury.  Their main work duties are within the logging industry, which causes a loss in both wild and domestic elephant habitat. The area is little patrolled, which makes the enforcement of conservation measures difficult.  It is also home to the annual Elephant Festival. The province is rich in timbers and is considered the rice basket of northern Laos.

Distance: 87 km

Meal: B, L, D

Accommodation: Outhumphone hotel

Day 13: Sayaboury – LuangPrabang

After breakfast we head east along the road to LuangPrabang and cross by bridge back to the left side of the Mekong River, no big climb today, lunch pack will be brought by our guide and we stop for lunch by the road when we are hungry, we reach LuangPrabang in Late afternoon.

Luangprabang is the oldest city in Laos, and before the 16th century it was the capital city of the land of million elephants (Laos). The town is a beautifully preserved and in 1995 it was added to UNESCO`s World heritage list.

Distance: 115 km

Meal: B, L

Accommodation: Villa Chitlatda or similar

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