How to Visit the Pak Ou Caves in Laos

Your essential guide to visiting Luang Prabang’s iconic Pak Ou Caves

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In the hushed stillness of northern Laos, the Pak Ou Caves rise from limestone cliffs along the banks of the mighty Mekong river. Just 25km upstream from Luang Prabang, these enigmatic caves are one of Laos’s most sacred natural landmarks. Pak Ou, meaning “Mouth of the Ou,” refers to the confluence of the Nam Ou River and the Mekong. Here, carved over millennia, two caves – tham ting (lower cave) and tham theung (upper cave) – are filled with thousands of Buddha statues. The journey to get here is just as magic. Our guide to visiting the Pak Ou caves will tell you everything you need to know about exploring this quiet corner of Laos.

How to get to the Pak Ou Caves

Visiting Pak Ou Caves is as much about the journey as the destination. While you can arrive by road, the quintessential experience – and one we highly recommend – is arriving by traditional Lao riverboat. Leaving from Luang Prabang, you’ll board a slender longtail boat and glide upstream as red-tiled roofs and golden temples slip past you. It’s a two hour journey to the caves, during which you’ll pass fishermen casting their nets, farmers tending riverside gardens and children splashing in the shallows. The journey to the caves lets you into the gentle rhythm of life that permeates the Laos countryside. As you get closer to the caves, limestone cliffs start to appear, wrapped in jungle greenery.

Visiting Pak Ou Caves: What to Expect?

Your boat docks at a wooden jetty near the cave entrance, and from there, stone steps lead upwards to the first cave you’ll explore – Tham Ting. Here, thousands of Buddha statues – small, large, golden, weathered – sit quietly side by side on every available surface. The figures glimmer softly in the candlelight and the air is fragrant with incense – each statue has been lovingly placed here by devotees over centuries. Tham Ting is easily accessible, illuminated naturally by daylight and acting as a spiritual altar. The Mekong river is framed by the cave’s mouth, and is a sight to behold before you make your way to the upper cave of Tham Taeng.

A series of stone steps lead up higher into the limestone cliff. This second cave is darker, larger and more mysterious than Tham Ting. Bring a flashlight, or rent one at the entrance to explore deeper. In the velvety darkness, Buddha images loom, watching silently from niches in the rock walls.

If you hadn’t already guessed from the atmosphere of the caves, Pak Ou has been a sacred Buddhist site for hundreds of years, playing a central role in local spiritual practice, especially during Lao New Year in April. During that time, locals cleanse and bless the Buddha statues with water as a symbolic gesture of purification and renewal.

Historians trace Pak Ou’s importance to the 16th century, during the golden era of Laos’ Lane Xang Kingdom. Originally, animist rituals centered around river spirits took place here. But with the advent of Buddhism, Pak Ou evolved into a sacred repository for Buddha statues from temples across Laos. This blending of ancient animist beliefs with Buddhist devotion creates a unique and unmissable sight along the banks of Southeast Asia’s mighty Mekong river.

Editor’s Side Note

To experience Pak Ou at its best, we’d suggest going in the early morning. It’s a quieter, more intimate experience before larger tour groups descend. Plus, the soft morning light illuminating the caves is especially magical.

This is a deeply sacred site, so make sure you dress modestly by covering your knees and shoulders before entering. The upper cave is dimly lit, so bring a flashlight if you have one. Extend your visit with lunch at one of the charming riverside restaurants on the opposite shore, enjoying traditional Lao dishes as you watch boats drift leisurely by the rainforest-covered cliffs, before making your way back to Luang Prabang.

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