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Luang Namtha, for unforgettable trekking in old-growth jungle amongst the hill tribes
Luang Namtha is the best place in Laos for trekking among the hill tribes – a rare place where you can still trek for long periods in old-growth jungle, with very little time in rubber plantations or clear-cut wasteland. There is virtually nothing else to do here. If you are coming to Luang Namtha, you are coming to trek.
Consult this section of the website for what to pack for trekking.
Getting here
Express shuttle buses now travel in just 4 hours from Huay Xay way down on the Mekong at the Thai border (where the 2-day Slow Boat from Luang Prabang comes in) all the way to Na Toey (sometimes spelled “Nateuy”) on the Lao-China high speed rail line. Those buses stop en route at Luang Namtha airport, from where you can easily get a tuk-tuk into town. The price between here at Huay Xay (including a tuk-tuk between the Huay Xay bus station and the town centre) is 250,000 as of January 2025. For info see here.
Getting here from Luang Prabang or Vientiane: Take the high-speed train to Na Toey and then it’s a short bus ride (less than one hour, usually). Buses are always waiting in Na Toey when the train arrives. Going from Luang Namtha to Luang Prabang is more complicated: First, you should buy your train ticket 3 days in advance because the train often sells out; but there is no train station in Luang Namtha. For info on booking the train see here.
There is also a daily direct bus between Luang Namtha and Nong Khiaw, departing in both directions around 8 AM, cost 220,000 kip as of December 2024. This bus stops in Oudomxay, where you can get connecting buses to Muang Khua, Phongsali and other northern destinations.
What to see and do
There’s almost nothing to see in Luang Namtha town. A silk workshop that once operated in a nearby village has still not re-opened since Covid as far as I know. You can see an ancient stupa that was destroyed in American bombing, and the new stupa that was built next to it. The night market is tiny and uninteresting. You’re here to arrange your multi-day trek in Nam Ha National Protected Area.
Several good guesthouses, restaurants and travel agencies are located very close to each other in the city centre near the Night Market. We organised a great tour with Ethnic Travel Laos. And Hiker tour agency is also popular. I recommend talking to all the agencies to see what they have available.
If you are a solo traveller, find yourself a group to trek with – this makes it much cheaper per person, and more fun. Often the tour agencies will have signs up saying “we have a few people booked for a hike tomorrow, we’re looking for more.” Definitely speak to that tour operator and see if that is something you want to join.
A backpacker with two locals, in the only bath and shower facilities you should expect to find when trekking in Laos
The morning mist burning away in a Khamu tribal village in Nam Ha NPA. Luang Namtha is the best base in Laos for trekking.
I think a 3-day, 2-night trek is about right. With only 2 days and one night, you spend half your time driving to and from the trailheads. With more than two nights, the absence of comfort in the jungle starts to get a little old.
The most popular option is a 3-day trek spending one night in a tribal village and one night camping. The camping is REALLY rough – you sleep on the ground with only banana leaves for a roof, so don’t do it if there is any chance of rain (days here are hot, but nights get COLD). And while camping, the only food you’ll eat is whatever frogs, fish etc. your guide can catch. I personally think two nights in villages is a better option, but if what I just described sounds good to you, then absolutely go for it! The villages are ethnically diverse and at different levels of development, so two nights in two villages will usually be two very different experiences.
Villagers invited us into their home for Lao Lao rice wine whisky
With our guide in Nam Ha NPA (National Protected Area). Nam Ha is a very rare NPA that seems to actually be protected. There is no better place to trek in Laos.
In some villages you’ll get a performance of traditional dance,
and often you’ll be invited to join in