Vientiane is a small, low-rise capital on the Mekong that you can cover in a day or two, and a gentle first stop before Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang. This guide covers the paperwork, the sights, and the practical moves that make the first day smooth.
Visa rules
Many visitors do not need one. South Korean passport holders can stay 30 days visa-free (since September 2018), Japanese passport holders 30 days (since June 2025), and citizens of Thailand and the other ASEAN countries, Russia, and Mongolia also get 30 days. Swiss and Luxembourg passports get 15 days. Most other nationalities, including Chinese ordinary-passport holders, Europeans, Americans, Canadians, and Australians, need either a visa on arrival or an e-Visa. Visa on arrival is issued at Wattay airport and the main land borders: bring one passport photo and the fee in clean US dollar cash (roughly 30 to 42 dollars depending on nationality), and allow 10 to 15 minutes. The official e-Visa at laoevisa.gov.la costs about 50 dollars, is valid for entry within 60 days of issue, and grants a 30-day stay. Stays can be extended at an immigration office in 30-day steps. Check your own government's advice before you fly, since exemptions change.
The LDIF form (everyone, both directions)
Since 1 September 2025, all foreign travelers must complete the Lao Digital Immigration Form online before entering and again before leaving. It is free, takes a few minutes, and is done at immigration.gov.la within about three days of each border crossing. You receive a QR code to show at the counter. It replaces the paper arrival card and is separate from any visa, so visa-free travelers must do it too. Fill it in before you board.
Arriving
Wattay International Airport is only a few kilometres from the centre. You can book a LOCA car on arrival, use the official taxi counter, or pre-arrange a hotel pickup. Buy a SIM at the arrivals counters if you did not install an eSIM. Coming from Thailand by land, the Friendship Bridge from Nong Khai is the main crossing.
Must-see spots
Pha That Luang: the gold-covered stupa that symbolizes Laos, a national emblem of Lao Buddhism; the Boun That Luang festival fills its grounds around the November full moon. Patuxai: often called Laos's Arc de Triomphe, a 1960s independence monument; climb the stairs inside for a view over the city. Wat Sisaket: the oldest surviving temple in the city, the only one spared in the 1828 Siamese invasion, its cloister walls lined with thousands of small Buddha images. Ho Phra Keo: built to house the Emerald Buddha before it was taken to Bangkok, now a museum of Lao religious art. Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan): about 25 km south of the city along the Mekong, an open-air park of some 200 concrete Hindu and Buddhist sculptures; the three-tiered pumpkin you can climb inside is the signature photo. Also worth an hour: Wat Si Muang, the city's guardian temple and the busiest with local worshippers; the black stupa That Dam; the COPE Visitor Centre, a free and sobering exhibition on unexploded ordnance; and the Mekong riverside promenade, where the night market and food stalls open at sunset.
Getting around
Most sights are 10 to 20 minutes by tuk-tuk from the centre around Traveler Street and Nam Phou fountain. Ride-hailing apps work here: LOCA and KOKKOK Move show or fix the fare in the app and take cash or card, so you skip the tuk-tuk negotiation (Grab and Uber do not operate in Laos). Buddha Park is further out, so book a LOCA car both ways or a half-day tour. See the Getting Around Vientiane guide for details, including LAO QR payment.
When to come and what to expect
November to February is dry and relatively cool, and the busiest season. March and April are hot and hazy; the rains run roughly May to October, usually in short afternoon bursts. Vientiane is quiet by regional standards: shops close early, traffic is light, and the pace is slow. Dress modestly for temples, carry small kip notes, and keep an eye on sidewalks — they are uneven and often blocked.
A simple two-day plan
Day one: Pha That Luang and Patuxai in the morning, Wat Sisaket and Ho Phra Keo after lunch, sunset on the Mekong and the night market. Day two: Buddha Park in the morning, COPE and Wat Si Muang in the afternoon, then an early train to Vang Vieng the next day.