Z Bangkoku nad Mekong

Bangkok • Vientiane • Vang Vieng • Luang Prabang • Pak Ou Caves • Bangkok

Two magical countries: Thailand and Laos with their capitals and famous monuments. In Thailand - the Land of Smiles, visiting Bangkok, the City of Angels, where you can see the coexistence of tradition and modernity at every step. Visiting Laos begins with a visit to the capital of the country - Vientiane. Also on the tour is Luang Prabang, the former capital, where you can participate in the morning ritual of donation. The program will include visits to palaces and temples on the Mekong River, exploring picturesque markets, as well as attractions such as swimming in a waterfall and visiting the Pak Ou Caves, which house several thousand Buddha statues donated over 300 years. It is worth combining a trip with a holiday in a selected hotel from ITAKA's offer. The route in the visited countries: approx. 1500 km (with internal flights).

1. DAY. Meeting of participants at the airport. Departure to Thailand.
2. DAY. BANGKOK Arrival in BANGKOKU. Greeting at the airport by a local guide. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation, free time. Optional (extra charge on site): dinner at the restaurant on the 78th floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Thailand's tallest building, with panoramic views of the city. Then walk along the famous Khao San Street. Return to the hotel, overnight.
3. DAY. BANGKOK Breakfast. Visiting the biggest attractions of BANGKOKU: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is the country's most important sanctuary, and the Royal Palace, the historic seat of the kings of Thailand. Drive through the royal district of Dusit, where there are, among others the throne room of Ananta Samakhom, the statue of King Rama V on horseback and the Paruslawan Palace, where the famous princess Katia lived at the beginning of the 20th century. A visit to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, which houses one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, measuring up to 46 m. Optional (for an additional fee on site): a traditional boat trip on the Chaophraya River and the canals of Bangkok, which were the main communication route of the old city. Drive through the Chinese quarter. Visiting the Temple of the Golden Buddha. In the evening, optional (with an extra charge on site): transfer to the Asiatique Riverfront night market. Dinner served of traditional Thai dishes and a transvestite show - Calypso. Free time to shop at Bangkok's largest night market, where you'll find plenty of restaurants, street food, and souvenir stalls. Return to the hotel, overnight.
4. DAY. VIENTIAN Breakfast. Checking out. Early in the morning, transfer to the airport, flight to VIENTIAN. Visiting the capital of Laos: the oldest temple in Vientiane - Wat Sisaket, which houses 8,000 Buddha statues, then the Wat Phra Kaew temple, which now houses a museum, the Patuxai war memorial symbolizing the struggle of the Laotians against French rule and often called the Laotian Arc de Triomphe. The tour ends at the golden temple of Pha That Luang, the national symbol of Laos. Evening stroll by the Mekong River and a visit to the local market. Check-in at a hotel in Vientiane, overnight.
5. DAY. VANG VIENG (route: approx. 140 km) Breakfast. Checking out. Transfer to the village of VANG VIENG on the Nam Song River. Stop at the fish market on the way. Upon arrival in Vang Vieng, check in at the hotel. Boat trip on the Nam Song River. During the cruise, you can observe the traditional life of the inhabitants and see unusual limestone rocks rising high above the water level. In the afternoon, a visit to the Tham Pou Kham cave. Ok. 100 meters underground there is a porcelain statue of Buddha, as well as beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. It is worth paying attention to the unusual, blue color of the water at the mouth of the cave. Return to the hotel in Vang Vieng, overnight.
6. DAY. LUANG PRABANG (route: approx. 170 km) Breakfast. Checking out. A visit to the Tham Jang cave. Transfer to LUANG PRABANG, the historic capital of Laos, entered on the UNESCO list. The route leads through one of the most picturesque regions of Laos. Stop at the viewpoint on Phou Pheng Fa Mountain. After arriving in Luang Prabang, check-in at your hotel in Luang Prabang, it's time to rest. In the evening, ascent to the Phousi Hill, from where there is a wonderful view of the city and the Mekong River. Free time for shopping at the local night market. Return to the hotel, overnight.
7. DAY. LUANG PRABANG - PAK OU CAVES (route: approx. 30 km) Breakfast. For those willing to participate in the morning ritual of offering donations to monks: approx. At 6 am, hundreds of monks leave the temples to collect donations from the faithful in the age-old custom. Buddhists offer the monks food, water, or a small amount of money to ensure their prosperity in this life and in future incarnations. Then a walk around the Phousi market, where the inhabitants of the surrounding villages sell their products (e.g. traditional clothes), tea, fruit and food (including lizards, frogs, rats). Visiting LUANG PRABANG: the temples of Wat Visoun, Wat Mai and the symbol of the city - the temple of Wat Xiengthong. Visiting the National Museum (closed on Tuesdays), located in the former Royal Palace. In the afternoon, drive to the Mekong marina and a short cruise to CAVE PAK OU. In the caves, the local people still sacrifice statues of Buddha. Over the course of nearly 300 years, nearly 4,000 statuettes have been donated. Then drive to the Khouangsi Waterfall, time for a bath. A visit to the village of Ban Na Oune, inhabited by the Hmong ethnic group. Return to the hotel, overnight.
8. DAY. BANGKOK Breakfast. Checking out. Transfer to the airport and flight to BANGKOKU. Hotel accommodation. For those willing (for an additional fee on site): tuk-tuk ride combined with tasting of street food. Departure from the hotel around 18.30. The beginning of the tuk-tuk tour around Bangkok in the evening, combined with the taste of authentic street food. We will try dishes from Isaan (Northeast Thailand): Som-tam (papaya salad), grilled chicken with hot sauce. Then we will see the process of preparing rice noodles with the addition of chicken (of course, you can taste the dish). Drive through China Town. Return to the hotel around 21.00. Return to the hotel, overnight.
9. DAY. Breakfast. Check out from the hotel. Free time (depending on the time of departure), transfer to the airport and departure to Poland. For people who extend their stay for a week's rest: breakfast, check-out, transfer to the airport. Transfer to the hotel of your choice.

BENEFITS: 7 nights in hotels *** along the route of the trip; 2-person rooms (1 extra bed available) with bathrooms • meals: 7 breakfasts • flight: Poland-Bangkok-Poland • coach transfer • pilot care • KL and NW insurance

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