Things to do in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cool dry season and the best window. Late November to early December is greenest, December and January nights fall toward freezing.
Burning season smoke builds, worst in March and April, flattening views and harming air quality. Avoid with respiratory conditions.
Pi Mai, Lao New Year, in mid April, festive in town but inside smoke and rising heat.
Rainy season. Plateau is greenest, waterfalls run from about August, roads slow and muddy with the heaviest rain June to September.
What's on
- Hmong New Year November to December, dates vary by year
Ball tossing, traditional dress, music and festivities in and around Phonsavan. Rooms and guides tighten on main days.
- Pi Mai, Lao New Year mid April
New Year festivities in Phonsavan, falling inside burning season smoke and rising heat.
- Tham Piu Remembrance 24 November
Annual remembrance at Tham Piu Cave for the 374 villagers killed on 24 November 1968. Visit quietly if you attend.
Best things to do in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Plain of Jars Site 1
The largest and closest jar field, with over 300 jars, a visitor centre and clearly marked cleared paths.
Plain of Jars Site 2
A quieter jar field spread over two hills about 25 km out, reached only with a driver or guide.
Plain of Jars Site 3
About 150 jars in a scenic valley near a village, the most atmospheric of the three main sites.
MAG UXO Visitor Information Centre
Start here. Films and exhibits explain the UXO crisis and the clearance work that makes visiting possible.
Quality of Life Association UXO Survivor Information Centre
A survivor led centre and village shop where UXO survivors tell the human cost in their own words.
Xieng Khouang Provincial Museum
The provincial museum ties the jars, the province cultures and the war years together in one visit.
Phonsavan Market
Phonsavan wakes up here, with Hmong and Phuan traders, local produce and the town best cheap breakfast grazing.
Mulberries Organic Silk Farm
A social enterprise silk farm where you follow mulberry to loom and support rural women weavers.
Where to stay in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Central Phonsavan, Road 7
first trip, walking to food and centres
The market, MAG and QLA centres and the main restaurants are in walking reach, with Anoulack, Pukyo, Kong Keo and Nice here.
Hillside above town
views, quiet and cold nights
Vansana and the Auberge trade a walkable base for panorama, gardens and fireplaces, with a ride needed after dark.
Think twice about
- Off path countryside anywhere in rural Xieng Khouang
Unexploded ordnance contaminates farmland, forest and roadsides across the province. Only cleared paths and marked routes at visitor sites are safe ground.
- Rural roads and Route 7 after dark
Unlit mountain roads with livestock, slow trucks and no quick medical help. Finish excursion days before dark and sleep in Phonsavan.
Best restaurants in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Cranky-T Cafe and Bar
The town traveller hub cafe bar, with the widest menu in Phonsavan, good coffee and a small deli shop.
Bombie's Restaurant
A small home style restaurant below the Vansana hill, unhurried cooking that rewards ordering ahead.
Craters Bar & Restaurant
A long running traveller bar restaurant with war memorabilia on the walls and a broad Lao and western menu.
Simmaly Restaurant
The local favourite for big, cheap plates of Lao food, fer noodle soup and pork with ginger.
Nisha Restaurant
Cheap, dependable Indian food with wide vegetarian choice, a Phonsavan staple for travellers craving curry.
Phonekeo Restaurant
A simple Vietnamese place for pho and fresh spring rolls when you want a break from Lao staples.
Outdoor things to do in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Wat Phiawat
The ruined old capital temple in Muang Khoun, its big Buddha still standing amid war damaged brickwork.
That Foun
A large old stupa above Muang Khoun, partly looted and war scarred, with views over the old capital plain.
Tham Piu Cave
A memorial cave near Muang Kham where 374 villagers sheltering inside were killed by a rocket in 1968.
Muang Kham Hot Springs
Natural hot spring pools near Muang Kham, the warm counterpoint to a cold plateau day of war history.
Tad Ka Waterfall
A tall waterfall in forest east of Phonsavan, worth it in the wet season on a guided day only.
Ban Napia
The spoon village, where makers cast spoons and jewellery from recycled aluminium in small workshops.
Plain of Jars Site 2 to Site 3 Path
The cleared path linking Sites 2 and 3, walked only with a local guide who knows the marked route.
Best hotels in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Vansana Plain of Jars Hotel
The top of the Phonsavan market, a hilltop hotel with big views and the town most complete facilities.
Auberge de la Plaine des Jarres
A quirky hillside lodge of stone bungalows with fireplaces, gardens and wide views over Phonsavan.
Anoulack Khen Lao Hotel
A solid in town hotel on the main road, convenient for restaurants, the market and early tour pickups.
Pukyo Bed and Breakfast
A small, warmly run bed and breakfast praised for honest local advice and help arranging jar tours.
Kong Keo Guesthouse & Tours
A backpacker guesthouse whose owner runs respected jar tours, with bungalows around a garden fire pit.
Nice Guesthouse
A clean, central budget guesthouse a short walk from the MAG centre, market and main road restaurants.
Is Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | LAK 450,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | LAK 950,000 a person |
| Splurge | LAK 1,900,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Plain of Jars Site 2: a few days ahead
- Plain of Jars Site 3: a few days ahead
- Mulberries Organic Silk Farm: a few days ahead
- Wat Phiawat: a few days ahead
- That Foun: a few days ahead
- Tham Piu Cave: a few days ahead
- Muang Kham Hot Springs: a few days ahead
- Tad Ka Waterfall: a few days ahead
- Book the Vientiane flight and first choice room ahead from November to February and around Hmong New Year.
- Book a guide day a day or two ahead through your hotel or guesthouse and confirm the price in writing.
- Confirm the Muang Kham hot spring pool and the Mulberries visit on the day in low season.
Is Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars safe?
- Stay on cleared paths and marked routes at jar sites. Cleared areas are specific and bounded. Never step off path for a photo.
- Never touch, kick or pick up any metal object, however rusty. Keep children on the path and within reach at every rural stop.
- Hire reputable local guides and drivers who know the cleared ground and follow their instructions on where to walk.
- Serious medical care requires evacuation to Vientiane or Thailand. Insurance covering medical evacuation is essential here.
- Pack for near freezing nights in December and January. Most rooms and vehicles have no heating.
Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Each main jar site charges separately in current listings. A cheap unlicensed driver who cannot explain cleared routes is a false saving.
- COPE main visitor centre is in Vientiane, not Phonsavan. In Phonsavan the centres are MAG, QLA and UXO Lao.
- Mu Cang Chai is in Vietnam. It has nothing to do with Xieng Khouang or the Plain of Jars.
Getting around Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars: public transport and more
- Fly Vientiane to Xieng Khouang Airport XKH in about 40 minutes. Luang Prabang by road is 7 to 8 hours and Vientiane by road 9 to 11 hours.
- Walk central Phonsavan. Use agreed fare tuk tuks in town and a licensed guide with car for all jar sites and excursions.
- Do not rent a motorbike to tour the jar sites. The guided car is the safety choice, not just the comfortable one.
Who Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | OK |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars your trip
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