Long Tieng’s CIA airbase. !e Nam Nern Night Safari. !e Plain of Jars. Sam Neua’s underground capital. Two Brother Tours itineraries through the parts of Laos almost no operator reaches.
Northeastern Laos is the part of the country that has never been packaged for tourism. !e roads are long, the access is
complicated, and the famous names — Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane — sit elsewhere. But for travellers who have already seen
Southeast Asia’s tourist circuit and want to walk through the real geography of modern Laos — the secret bases of the Indochina wars, the
kingdoms that came before, the wildlife corridors, the textile villages — this is the region that pays them back tenfold.
Brother Tours has built two distinct 10–14 day journeys through this region. Both end in Luang Prabang. One starts in Vientiane and
moves through Xaysomboun and Long Tieng — a route almost no operator runs. The other flies into Sam Neua and works back
overland through the Plain of Jars. Both meet at the same wildlife heart of the country — the Nam Nern Night Safari, a 24-hour boatbased wildlife experience inside Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, one of the most awarded eco-tourism programmes in Southeast Asia.
Below are both routes, day by day, with the practical notes a private quote starts from.
THE HIDDEN ROUTE · 12 – 14 DAYS
Vientiane → Xaysomboun → Long Tieng → Xieng Khouang → Nam Nern → Nong Khiaw → Luang Prabang
12–14 Days Nov–Mar Moderate · Overland Private, Permit-Arranged
This route is the centrepiece of what Brother Tours offers in northern Laos — and the reason we built the company. It moves
overland from Vientiane through Xaysomboun province, including the former CIA airbase at Long Tieng (Long Cheng), into Xieng
Khouang and the Plain of Jars, then north through Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park for the Nam Nern Night Safari, ending via
Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang. River, forest, mountain, war history, prehistory, wildlife, hill-tribe villages, all in one journey.
It is also the route we are most often the only operator running. Xaysomboun was a special administrative zone before becoming
Laos’s 18th province in 2013. Parts of it — particularly around Long Tieng — still require local permits, and access is sometimes
refused without them. We handle the permit work, the local relationships, and the route planning that makes this journey
possible.
IMPORTANT — PERMIT AND ACCESS NOTE
Xaysomboun access is regulated. Several countries’ travel advisories still mention permit requirements and possible refusal
of entry to areas around Long Tieng. We arrange all permits, work with vetted local drivers and Journey Hosts, and confirm access before any booking. This is one of the reasons travellers come to us for this route — not all operators are willing or able to run it.
DAY 01
Arrive Vientiane
Welcome to Laos. Airport meet, transfer to your hotel, eveningorientation walk and a briefing with your Journey Host on the days ahead. Welcome dinner at one of Vientiane’s quieter Mekong restaurants
DAY 02
Vientiane → Bolikhamxay → Xaysomboun
Overland departure into the interior. The road climbs east through Bolikhamxay, then north into Xaysomboun province. First night in
Anouvong, the provincial capital — a quiet, cool, Hmong-majority town at altitude.
DAY 03
Xaysomboun · Phou Bia & Hmong Villages
Full day exploring the province. Phou Bia — the highest mountain in Laos — rises here. Hmong village visits, hot springs at Nam Pa, and the cool, pine-forested landscape that few outside travellers ever see. Second night in Anouvong.
DAY 04
Long Tieng — the Secret CIA Airbase
The day this route is built around. Drive into the valley of Long Tieng — once one of the busiest airports in the world during the Secret War, run by the CIA as the operational base of General Vang Pao and the Hmong resistance. Today it is a quiet town in a hidden valley. We walk the runway, visit the old hangars and surviving structures, and your Journey Host explains what happened here between 1962 and 1975. Overnight in Long Tieng.
DAY 05
Long Tieng → Xieng Khouang (Phonsavan)
Cross the provincial border north into Xieng Khouang. Long mountain drive through pine forest and Hmong upland villages. Arrive Phonsavan in the late afternoon. Evening at the local market.
DAY 06
The Plain of Jars & MAG Visitor Centre
Plain of Jars Sites 1, 2 and 3 — more than 500 prehistoric stone jars across the highland plateau, UNESCO listed in 2019. Stop at Ban Naphia, the village where Tai Phuan families forge spoons from war scrap. Afternoon at the MAG centre to understand the bombing that
shaped this province. Overnight Phonsavan.
DAY 07
Muang Khoun & the Old Phuan Kingdom
Day trip to Muang Khoun, the 14th-century capital of the Phuan Kingdom, almost entirely destroyed by US bombing. Wat Phia Wat, That Foun, That Chomphet — the surviving fragments of a religious
civilisation that rivalled Luang Prabang. Return to Phonsavan for the night.
DAY 08
Phonsavan → Vieng !ong (gateway to Nam Et-Phou Louey)
Drive north to Vieng Thong, the gateway town for the Nam Et-Phou
Louey National Park. Long mountain road through highland villages and forest. Arrive in Vieng Thong by late afternoon. Evening briefing from the park ecotourism team.
DAY 09
Nam Nern Night Safari · Day 1
Transfer to Ban Son Kua, the riverside village where the safari begins. Long-tail boat up the Nam Nern River into the protected zone — birdlife, riverside forest, ranger station briefing on tiger conservation. Lunch prepared by the village. Afternoon further upstream, dinner under the stars, and the highlight: drifting silently down the river by spotlight in search of sambar deer, civets, otters, slow lorises, pythons. Overnight in community-built jungle bungalows inside the park.
DAY 10
Nam Nern → Nong Khiaw
Morning boat back downstream — second chance for wildlife in the early light. Return to Vieng Thong, then continue west through the
mountains to Nong Khiaw, the limestone-karst river town on the Nam Ou. Sunset from one of the cliff-top viewpoints.
DAY 10
Nam Nern → Nong Khiaw
Morning boat back downstream — second chance for wildlife in the early light. Return to Vieng Thong, then continue west through the
mountains to Nong Khiaw, the limestone-karst river town on the Nam Ou. Sunset from one of the cliff-top viewpoints.
DAY 11
Nong Khiaw · Caves & River Villages
A slower day. Pha Tok caves, Khmu village walks along the Nam Ou, a long lunch by the river. The pace softens before Luang Prabang.
DAY 12
Nong Khiaw → Luang Prabang
Boat or road down to Luang Prabang. Afternoon arrival, sunset over the Mekong, dinner in town.
DAY 13–14
Luang Prabang & Departure
Two days in the old royal capital — alms-giving at dawn, the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, Kuang Si waterfall, and the night
market. Depart on Day 14, or extend onward to Vientiane, Vang Vieng, or further afield.
12-day version condenses days 5–7 (Xieng Khouang) into two days and skips Day 11 in Nong Khiaw. The 14-day version adds buffer time and a Hmong village trek option between days 6–7.
THE NORTHEAST LOOP · 10 – 14 DAYS
Vientiane → Sam Neua → Viengxay → Sam Tai → Nam Nern → Xieng Khouang → Luang Prabang
10–14 Days,Nov–Apr–Flight In–Overland Out
This route flies into Sam Neua, the capital of Houaphanh — officially recognised as the birthplace of the Lao PDR — then works
overland back through the country’s three most significant northeastern provinces. The trip is shaped around four pillars: the
Viengxay cave city where the Pathet Lao headquartered through the Secret War; the Tai Daeng silk weavers of Sam Tai district,
whose work is sourced globally; the Nam Nern Night Safari in Nam Et-Phou Louey; and the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang before
finishing in Luang Prabang.
This is the right itinerary for travellers who care about textiles, history, and quiet places. It is also the safer choice in years when
Xaysomboun access is restricted or weather has damaged the central interior roads.
FLIGHT NOTE
Lao Skyway operates Vientiane–Sam Neua several times per week, about an hour’s flight, but the route uses small aircraft and
is weather-sensitive. We build a buffer day on both ends and confirm the live schedule when you enquire. From November to
April, conditions are generally reliable.
DAY 01
Arrive Vientiane
Airport meet, transfer, briefing with your Journey Host. Evening walk along the Mekong and welcome dinner.
DAY 02
Vientiane → Sam Neua (by Air)
Morning flight to Sam Neua Nathong Airport — about one hour. Afternoon walk through Sam Neua town and the streets around thecentral market. Cool mountain air, ethnic diversity, almost no other
foreign travellers.
DAY 03
The Viengxay Cave City
A full day at Viengxay, 30 km east of Sam Neua. More than 480 caves where 23,000 people lived between 1964 and 1973. Kaysone
Phomvihane’s residence, Prince Souphanouvong’s cave and his postwar garden house, the political meeting cave, the underground theatre. The official survivor-narrated audio tour, walked alongside our Journey Host.
DAY 04 Sam Neua Market & Hmong Indigo Village
Early morning at the central market — Tai Daeng, Hmong, Yao, Khmu, and lowland Lao traders side by side. After breakfast, drive to a highland Hmong indigo village. See the hemp processed, the batik wax applied, the indigo dye prepared from plants grown beside the house. Lunch with the family. Return to Sam Neua.
DAY 05 Sam Tai · The Tai Daeng Silk Weavers
Drive south to Sam Tai (Xam Tai) district, the silk-weaving heartland of the Tai Daeng people. A full day with a master weaver family. See the silk prepared, the natural dyes mixed, the loom in motion. Understand the symbolism of the motifs — Naga, birds, ancestor figures. Overnight in a village homestay.
DAY 06 Sam Tai → Vieng Thong (gateway to Nam Et-Phou Louey)
Overland drive west to Vieng Thong, the gateway town for the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park. Long mountain road. Arrive late afternoon. Evening briefing from the park team.
DAY 07 Nam Nern Night Safari · Day 1
Transfer to Ban Son Kua. Boat upstream into the protected zone, lunch with the village, tiger conservation briefing, afternoon further upstream. Dinner under the stars and the night safari — sambar deer, civets, otters, slow lorises, pythons. Overnight in community jungle bungalows inside the park.
DAY 08 Nam Nern → Xieng Khouang
Morning boat back downstream — second wildlife window in the early light. Return to Vieng Thong, then south through the mountains to Phonsavan. Arrive late afternoon.
DAY 09 The Plain of Jars & Ban Naphia
Plain of Jars Sites 1, 2 and 3, plus Ban Naphia — the spoon village where war scrap is forged into cutlery. Lunch with a Tai Phuan family. Overnight Phonsavan.
DAY 10 Muang Khoun & the Old Capital
Day trip to Muang Khoun, the ruined Phuan capital — Wat Phia Wat, That Foun, That Chomphet. Return to Phonsavan in the late afternoon.
DAY 11 Phonsavan → Luang Prabang
Long mountain drive west to Luang Prabang via Phoukhoun. The road is paved but constant bends. Arrive in the late afternoon. Sunset over the Mekong.
DAY 12–14 Luang Prabang & Departure
Two to three days in Luang Prabang — alms-giving, Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, Kuang Si waterfall, the night market, and the slower pace of the old royal capital. Depart on Day 14, or extend.
Note:
10-day version trims the Sam Tai overnight to a day visit and reduces Luang Prabang to one full day. The 14-day version adds a textile collector extension in Sam Tai and a second Nong Khiaw night between Days 11–12.
Both routes run privately for 2 to 10 travellers. The Nam Nern Night Safari section caps at 8 travellers for the safari itself due to the boat and bungalow capacity inside the park.
Booking timeline
These itineraries need lead time. Xaysomboun permits take weeks. Nam Nern bookings should be made well in advance — the park ecotourism team has limited capacity. Sam Skyway flights into Sam Neua sell out in high season. We recommend enquiring at least 8 weeks before your travel dates, ideally 12.
Fitness
No serious trekking is required on either core itinerary, but you will spend long days in vehicles and on boats. The Nam Nern Night Safari involves boat travel and walking on uneven ground. Both routes can be extended with optional Hmong village treks for travellers who want walking days built in.
Accommodation
A mix throughout — boutique hotels in the major towns, simple guesthouses in Long Tieng, Vieng Thong, and Sam Tai, and community jungle bungalows in Nam Et-Phou Louey. Where the standard drops, the experience climbs. We brief you on every overnight before you book.
Why So Few Operators Run These Routes
The honest answer: permits, logistics, and relationships. Xaysomboun access is regulated. The Nam Nern Night Safari needs to be booked directly with the park, with deposits paid weeks in advance. Sam Tai weaving villages need pre-arranged hospitality. The roads need experienced drivers who know what to do when a stretch is closed by landslide. Putting all of this together for a private 14-day itinerary is logistical work — and the volume of travellers asking for it is small. Brother Tours has built these routes because they are the ones our founder, Ken FJ Her, has personally walked and arranged since the company began.
These are the journeys we built Brother Tours to run. Long days, real distances, places that ask something of the traveller and pay it back in full.
Ready to travel the part of Laos most operators skip?
Tell us which route draws you and the dates you are looking at. We respond within one working day with a private quote and a frank conversation about feasibility, weather, and pace.