Nearby Attractions

Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe-style war memorial, built with French-donated cement originally meant for the airport runway. Climb the tower for a panoramic city view.

Grounds are free; fee is for climbing to the observation deck

The gold-covered stupa that is Laos's most important national monument and a symbol of Buddhism and Lao sovereignty, originally built in the 16th century.

Vientiane's oldest surviving temple (built 1818–1824), famous for its cloister walls lined with thousands of small Buddha images.

30,000 LAK for foreigners; discounted rate for Lao nationals

Vientiane's most-visited local temple, built on the city pillar (lak muang), where residents come daily for blessings and fortune-telling.

Free entry; donations welcome

A surreal riverside park of over 200 concrete Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, including a 40m reclining Buddha, built in 1958 by self-taught artist Bunleua Sulilat.

Plus a separate ~5,000 LAK camera fee; about 25km southeast of the city center via Tha Deua Road

A large covered market and adjoining modern mall selling textiles, silver, electronics, and street food — rebuilt in 2021 into a four-storey complex.

A moving, highly-rated museum on the legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the Vietnam War-era bombing of Laos, and the prosthetics/rehab work of the COPE organization.

Free entry; donations support UXO victims directly

A former royal temple, now a museum of Buddhist and Khmer art, which once housed the Emerald Buddha now in Bangkok. Sits directly across from Wat Sisaket.