Vientiane deserves its reputation as one of the most mellow capital cities on earth, but it’s also more modern than many people expect based on older travel guides. There are now some chain restaurants and newer shopping centers, plus a large waterslide park opened in 2008.
| Population | 210,000 |
| Area | 1,000,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+7 |
| Currency | Lao Kip |
| Airports | Wattay International Airport (VTE) |
Hotels in Vientiane have their high season running from December through February, with peak season being the weeks around Christmas and New Years. Some places also raise prices in October and November, as the good weather does bring people in, but still good deals should be easy to find outside of the main high season months.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 7.00 - 22.00 |
| 11.00 - 36.00 |
| 21.00 - 51.00 |
| 52.00 - 104.00 |
| 70.00 - 200.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 4.00 - 6.00 |
| Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lao National Museum | The country's largest and most comprehensive museum is a top draw here. Most exhibits are in English. | adults | 0.46 |
| Patuxai (Victory Gate) | Climb the various staircases through many gift shops to reach the best views in Vientiane. | adults | 0.14 |
| Wat Si Saket/Sisaket Museum | The oldest temple in Vientiane is known for the hundreds of small Buddha statues in the outer buildings. | adults | 0.46 |
Eating on a tight budget in Vientiane is quite easy, as you’d have to go out of your way to find a restaurant that even approaches North American or European prices. Local dishes based on rice and noodles are cheapest, but sandwiches, pasta dishes, and even pizza can be found at good prices. The local lager called Beerlao is served everywhere at very low prices, while the Lao-lao rice whisky is even cheaper.
| Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | If your hotel doesn't include breakfast you'll have many cafes and restaurants serving cheap meals nearby. | 1.46 - 2.05 |
| Budget lunch | In addition to local rice and noodle dishes you'll find great baguette sandwiches at many places. | 1.82 - 3.19 |
| Budget dinner | Outdoor meals by the Mekong are in the budget range, but so are most other restaurants in the tourist zone. | 2.96 - 4.55 |
| Beer (.640l bottle) | Most restaurants and shops charge a similar price for the giant bottle of Beerlao lager. Other brands cost more. | 1.00 - 1.59 |
| Lao-lao rice whisky (.7l bottle) | This clear spirit is surprisingly good considering it's the world's cheapest booze. | 0.59 - 0.82 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 2.62 |
| Tuk-tuk from airport to city center | 1.32 |
| 3km tuk-tuk ride in Vientiane | 0.68 - 1.37 |
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 83 | 62 | 0.3 |
| February | 87 | 65 | 0.5 |
| March | 91 | 71 | 1.3 |
| April | 94 | 75 | 3.3 |
| May | 91 | 76 | 9.7 |
| June | 89 | 77 | 11.0 |
| July | 88 | 76 | 11.0 |
| August | 87 | 76 | 13.0 |
| September | 88 | 75 | 12.0 |
| October | 87 | 73 | 3.1 |
| November | 86 | 67 | 0.4 |
| December | 83 | 62 | 0.1 |
Vientiane has a lovely climate from October through February, with cool evenings and less humidity than most cities in the region. April is scorching hot and might best be avoided, and the rainy season runs from May through September, with short cloud bursts on many days, while persistent rainfall is rare.
| 21 Mar | 6:13am | 6:20pm |
| 21 Jun | 5:34am | 6:47pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:58am | 6:06pm |
| 21 Dec | 6:35am | 5:38pm |