Hiking Mt Phousi

The scenery in Laos is lush and green, and it’s one of the more remote places I’ve been out of the 35 or so countries I’ve had the privilege of visiting. For this reason, many of the attractions are still in pristine condition, and the views you can find are breathtaking. 

When in Luang Prabang, the most accessible and time conscious view point is definitely Mt Phousi, as it will only take you around 40 mins to complete, depending on how long you want to absorb the amazinf view for. Located in the heart of the city centre, it’s only a couple hundred steps right to the 100m top, where you can find 360 degree views of the beautiful and humble city of Luang Prabang. 

Getting to Mt Phousi 

Getting there is simple, and you’ll most likely be staying a short walk from the entrance. You can access it from Kingkitsarath Road or Sisavangvong Road, and you can walk down the opposite way you came up to get more out of the experience. The entrance will set you back 20 000 kip (around 2USD), which you pay halfway up.

On the way up you'll walk past where many monks live, alongside all their random Bhuddist statues and little temples. At the top there is a small temple where they go to worship.

The best time to go is definitely sunrise or sunset, but these times do get more crowded than during the day. We went around 5pm when the sun was just starting to settle down and the view of the Mekong, the greenery and the whole town was just stunning.