Ask at the Wat Longkhun ticket desk for the key required to visit Tham Sakkalin, a humid, slippery 100m-long limestone cave. It's a three-minute walk further east from the wat then up a few stairs. A few Buddha fragments are kept here. Bring your own torch (flashlight). Inside the cave is Wat Tham Xieng Maen, founded in 1889 and since abandoned.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.41 MILES
Luang Prabang's best-known monastery is centred on a 1560 sǐm (ordination hall). Its roofs sweep low to the ground and there's a stunning 'tree of life'…
0.88 MILES
Dominating the old city centre and a favourite with sunset junkies, the 100m-tall Phu Si (prepare your legs for a steep 329-step ascent) is crowned by a…
14.29 MILES
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1.48 MILES
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12.37 MILES
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6.63 MILES
The wide, multilevel cascade pools of this menthol-hued waterfall 15km southeast of Luang Prabang are a memorable sight from August to November. Unlike…
7.77 MILES
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Nearby Luang Prabang attractions
0.04 MILES
When the coronation of a Luang Prabang king was pending, he spent three days in retreat at Wat Longkhun before ascending the throne. The central sǐm …
0.17 MILES
Ban Xieng Maen's long, narrow, brick-edged 'street' slowly degrades into a rough track, eventually becoming little more than a rocky footpath. At about…
0.41 MILES
Luang Prabang's best-known monastery is centred on a 1560 sǐm (ordination hall). Its roofs sweep low to the ground and there's a stunning 'tree of life'…
0.43 MILES
This vital office advises on how new developments must adhere to strict architectural guidelines in order to maintain the historical authenticity of the…
0.47 MILES
Dated 1737 but rebuilt a century ago, Wat Pakkhan has a simple, appealingly archaic look with angled support struts holding up the lower of its two…
0.49 MILES
First founded in 1592, Wat Xieng Maen gained a hallowed air in 1867 by housing the Pha Bang, the sacred gold Buddha statue that gives the city its name,…
0.5 MILES
The most prominent building of Wat Souvannakhili looks more like a colonial-era mansion than a monastery, but the small sǐm (ordination hall) is a classic…
0.52 MILES
Rich ruby-red walls with intricate gold overlay give Wat Sensoukaram one of the most dazzling facades of all of Luang Prabang's temples. The name, temple…