A Trip to Pak Ou Caves

Pak Ou Caves is one of the many attractions on the outskirts of Luang Prabang. Featuring thousands of Buddha statues of various sizes nestled within the imposing limestone caves of a mountain by the Mekong River, visiting Pak Ou Caves could be a fantastic half-day trip from Luang Prabang!

Thinking of visiting Pak Ou Caves but don’t quite get the logistics to do it, or wondering if it’s even worth going? Well, I’ve got that sorted out here just for you!

I visited Pak Ou Caves and Laos in Nov 2023. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

History of Pak Ou Caves

The original name of the caves isn’t Pak Ou, but rather Tham Ting.

Tham Ting is a beautiful cave 30 km from Luang Prabang on the Mekong River bank to the west across Pak Ou Village.

According to the informational board by the ticket booth, not much is known about the meaning of the name ‘Tham Ting’. As gleaned from the board, it was mentioned that the name first appeared from Khoun Lua’s army, and later the army of Chao Fa Ngum in the 15th century, who decided to settle around the area of Pak Ou and Pha Ting. So the name ‘Tham Ting’, where Tham means cave, stuck. There’s also another explanation that refers ‘Ting’ to the hanging stalactites.

From archaeological evidence, the cave systems were once buried under the sea. Movements underground pushed the mountain and the caves underneath above sea level. Aeons later, some ancient tribes settled in the caves. With that, they brought along religious practices and started to worship Phi or the spirits of nature.

Lao history recorded the use of caves for the same worshipping purposes during Chao Fa Ngum’s rule. It was then that the focus shifted to worshipping the river spirit instead.

The turn of the century led to the adoption of Buddhism by King Chao Phonthisarath. The Royal family began the yearly pilgrimage to the caves during the New Year. And with every passing year, the Buddhist statues the family and folks of Luang Prabang contributed accumulated to the scale that we see today.

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Pak Ou Entry Fee and Opening Hours

A ticket booth at the bottom of the stairs towards the cave sells tickets at 20k kip per person.

How about the opening hours? Realistically, it should fall sometime between 8 AM and 6 PM, depending on the availability of the boatman. We were at Pak Ou Village by 10 AM, taking the boat across the river to the caves.

Boat from Luang Prabang departs for Pak Ou Caves at 8.30 AM.

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How to Travel to Pak Ou Caves

There are two ways to visit the temple cave of a thousand Buddhas 30 km north of Luang Prabang.

However, if you’d rather save yourself from the hassle of organising for one, consider booking a tour instead. This tour brings you to the two key attractions on the outskirts of Luang Prabang – the Kuang Si Falls and Pak Ou Caves for a comprehensive day trip.

Boat from Luang Prabang

Grab a boat from the pier of Luang Prabang and head North for two hours. It would probably cost around 100k kip per person for a shared boat in 2023. The pier opens at 8 AM, and the boat leaves at 8.30 AM.

Along the way, the boat is expected to stop by Lao Lao Whiskey Village. If renting a boat for a private ride, expect prices to be around US$ 50.

The cost incurred above is only for the transport; it is another 20k kip for the caves.

Travel to Pak Ou Village

Hire a private driver/tuk-tuk, or grab a motorbike and do it yourself.

Our motorbike cost 150k kip for a day. Petrol was 25k kip/ L then. Road up was straightforward – around 45 minutes on the road! – but we did encounter a bit of a hiccup in the form of a police stop. Make sure you have the right licence and be firm that you’ve rented the motorbike and are heading to Pak Ou. I wonder if they’re genuinely there to stop theft or to ask for bribes…

We paid another 5k kip to enter the village, which I deduced might have been the ‘parking fees’. Then another 13k kip per person for the boat to the cave, and another 20k kip to enter the cave.

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Within Pak Ou Caves

There are two caves – make sure you visit both.

As you walk up the stairs or pathway, you’d notice locals selling trinkets and live fish. Some can be pushy/ intimidating; remain firm if you do not wish to purchase any items.

I’ve also read cases of other travellers being asked to pay to use the toilets. Some claimed that the toilets are free, but the children would still ask for money. I didn’t visit the toilet so couldn’t make an informed opinion. 

Lower Cave

Visible from the Mekong River, the lower cave has thousands of Buddha statues. There are small stairs that bring you closer to the statues at the upper tier.

Another focal point is the altar closest to the entrance blessed with flowers and incense. We also saw a ‘hermit’ seated near the altar looking down at passing visitors, and a hanuman behind the altar, by the stairs that lead to the upper cave.

Upper Cave

The Upper Cave is comparatively creepier/ cooler, depending on how you see it.

We might have climbed over a hundred steps to reach the greyish stone gates of the upper cave. A strange fat golden Buddha sat on the right while women sold flowers and incense on the left.

The upper cave cavity extends another 50 m. It can get pretty dark at the end where a maroon stupa stands. More Buddha statues of various sizes filled any available spaces on the stupa.

We saw cave paintings of – most likely – more Buddhas on the walls. 

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Where else to visit in Luang Prabang

Pak Ou is just one of the many attractions in and around Luang Prabang’s vicinity.

You could spend a day visiting the temples, and museums, sip some coffee or listen to storytelling in Luang Prabang. And maybe another day to visit Kuang Si Falls, observe the elephants, or farm some rice! 

Check out this comprehensive guide I’ve written about Luang Prabang for more inspiration! ✨

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Conclusion & Rambles

Is visiting Pak Ou Caves worth it?

I see this question appearing several times on the blogs and reviews of others. Several listed it as overrated, not worthy of their time and effort.

Well, that really depends on what you’re looking for and looking at.

As I have taken the unconventional route of the motorbike to Pak Ou, I thought the process of getting to the caves exciting. We passed through the countryside, observed daily life in smaller villages, saw children in elementary schools playing during their break, and whizzed past a couple of wandering cows.

Not forgetting the police stop, which was amusing in hindsight.

The brief boat ride from the village to the caves was fun. Perhaps the boat ride from Luang Prabang, which is two hours longer, is fascinating as well.

As for the caves, it was interesting enough to wander in, and is definitely worth a visit when one is already in Luang Prabang with time to spare. The thousands of cobwebbed bronze Buddhist statues were unusual, and the deep chamber in the upper caves sent a chilly sensation.

Overall, visiting Pak Ou Caves is a visit to remember for me.