Pakse City - The Gateway to Southern Laos
The city of Pakse is often seen as a ‘one-night stand’ of a place. Used only to leap frog travellers onto the Bolaven Loop or as a stopover on a long Laotian travel day. Give it a chance however and Pakse really rewards you. It’s a fantastic city full of great food, things to do, unique coffee and stunning Mekong sunsets. Read our complete travel guide for everything you need to know to make the most of any stay in Pakse.
Straddling the banks of the Mekong River, the city of Pakse marks the gateway to Southern Laos. Famous for the Four Sisters Waterfalls and the nearby ancient ruins of Wat Phou as well as being the starting line of the Bolaven Loop, the city of Pakse has so much to offer backpackers and travellers.
Pakse doesn’t get much love amongst other travellers, but we have visited the city four times now and have been seduced by its laid back charm. With great coffee, amazing Laotian food and plenty to see and do, read on to find out what not to miss in Laos’ Southern city.
In this Pakse travel guide:
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What to do in Pakse
The Bolaven Loop
Pakse marks the beginning and end of the famous Bolaven Loop and is perhaps the most popular reason that backpackers and travellers visit the city. The Bolaven Loop (also known as the Pakse Loop) is an epic multi-day motorcycle / scooter adventure across Laos’ stunning Bolaven Plateau and is a true highlight of Southern Laos. Featuring breathtaking waterfalls, mountain roads and magnificent views, the Bolaven Loop should not be missed!
We absolutely loved riding the Loop and have written a complete guide on what to expect and how to plan your own Loop adventure.
Read more about our epic adventure here:
The Four Sisters Waterfalls
If you don’t fancy driving yourself around the Bolaven Loop you can still enjoy some of its highlights as a day trip from Pakse. The Four Sisters Waterfalls are some of the most famous in Laos (coming only after Luang Prabang’s epic Kuang Si Falls) and are 100% worth a day trip to see.
Tad Fane (location) is the most popular of the falls and is definitely the most photographed! Tad Fane Waterfall is made up of two incredible twin falls that crash down into an enormous jungle crater whilst zip-lines whizz overhead. Access to the two falls are via the Tad Fane Resort where you can even stay the night for prime waterfall viewing.
Tad Yuang (location) is a beautiful set of falls with dramatic viewpoints, both overlooking, and at the base of these towering waterfalls. Get there early as it can get crowded!
Tad Champee (location) is a picture perfect swimming hole and jungle waterfall. Calm, serene and completely different to the other sisters, Tad Champee is perfect for a Laotian picnic and an afternoon dip.
Tad E-Tu Falls (location) is only for the adventurous! Set down a treacherous rubble path and inside an abandoned resort, this fantastic waterfall really rewards the extra exploration. Hidden below the ruins of the resort, the Tad E-Tu waterfall crashes down from the jungle above. The road to the resort is very gravelly, so don’t drive - park at the main road and walk!
To learn more about the Four Sister Waterfalls including entrance fees, opening times and more, make sure to read our Bolaven Loop guide where we cover them all in more detail! You can easily arrange a tour or taxi to see some, or all of the Four Sisters Waterfalls or, if you can drive yourself, they are only an hour's drive east from the city.
If you’re short on time and want to combine the best of the falls with a visit to the ancient ruins of Wat Phou (more on this later) check out this tour from Get Your Guide here.
Wat Phou and the riverside town of Champasak
(location)
One of Laos’ best kept secrets are the phenomenal ancient ruins of Wat Phou. Located an hour south of the city of Pakse, this incredible ruined temple complex clings to the side of Mount Phou Khao and overlooks the Mekong River and surrounding countryside. Wat Phou is amazing, full of intricate carvings, magnificent halls and sweeping views. The Wat Phou complex is so much bigger than we expected and was a complete surprise. Honestly, Laos does not promote this enough. It’s an incredible place and we spent the best part of a day exploring the ruins and all their hidden treasures. If you have even more time still, there are hikes and further expeditions in the surrounding area.
We’ve written a full guide to Wat Phou and the nearby charming town of Champasak. Read more here.
You can easily arrange a driver / tour from Pakse itself, just ask at your accommodation or a tour agency. Or you could combine it with a visit to the Four Sisters Falls with Get Your Guide here.
Wat Phousalao
(location)
Wherever you are in Pakse you’ll be being watched over by the enormous golden seated Buddha from the top of the mountain at Wat Phousalao.
It’s free to visit and you have two choices of how to get there:
The lazy way - arranging a taxi or driving yourself straight to the top to enjoy the panoramic views.
The hardcore sweat-tastic way - for those who don’t mind a little bit of a climb, you can park at the bottom of the mountain and climb the 299 steps to the top. We chose to be active and sweated up the steep stairs to summit. It was a short but sharp climb under the scorching Laotian sun but made us feel we had really earned the fantastic views from the top.
Whichever way you choose to reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a sweeping vista over the city. The panoramic view is incredible. You really get an idea of the scale and power of the Mekong as it curves around the city below. From this vantage point you can see the whole of Pakse with the countryside and mountains fading off into the distance.
Once you're at the top, the view from the giant Buddha is only half the story. Behind the golden statue are rows upon rows of golden Buddha statues all lined up in various positions. They peek out at you over a hedge, like nosey (but enlightened) neighbours!
There are shops selling refreshments and toilets on-site.
If you’re driving yourself to Wat Phousalao it’s an easy drive across the Laos-Nippon Bridge. The car park at the top is located here but if you want to climb the steps you can park at the bottom here.
There is also another circular walk you can do around the top of the mountain. We didn’t have time on our visit (we were far too hot) but let us know in the comments what we missed!
Wat Phousalao would also make an amazing spot to watch the sunset from.
Wat Luang
(location)
Wat Luang sits in the heart of Pakse’s tourist district and is the spiritual centre of the city. A beautiful Buddhist temple full of golden statues, ornate paintings and colourful prayer halls. Outside on an island in the middle of the road, next to Pakse’s City Pillar is a Buddhist rock garden. When we visited we saw a group of monks selecting and placing the stones in auspicious locations.
The temple grounds run right up against the riverfront and you can walk from them all along the riverfront promenade. This brings us nicely on to…
Mekong River Walk
Along the whole eastern and southern edge of Pakse town is a walking path hugging the Xe Don River until it merges with the mighty Mekong. Popular as a hangout and exercise spot the area really comes alive at sunset. You get fantastic views of the sun burning down the sky, its orange light reflecting across the Mekong before disappearing behind the buildings on the opposite bank.
There is even a sunset beach to relax on but we would recommend just chilling out on the walkway. With its elevated view, you get a fantastic sunset experience. The riverside walkway starts up at the east - Souphanuvong Bridge, passes the beautiful Wat Luang (see above) and continues all the way down to just past the Night Market.
Pakse Night Market
(location)
This small night market is stuffed full of Laotian food stalls as well as souvenirs, trinkets and clothing. The Pakse Night Market is popular with the locals and tourists all of whom come down to enjoy hot pots, spicy som tam salads and barbecued meats. It’s a great spot to sit down with a bowl of steaming noodles and watch the setting sun.
As the sun goes down the night market becomes the hub of the city with everyone enjoying Beer Laos, the cool riverside air and music.
The market even sets up a mini race track with electric bikes, scooters and cars for children - it’s super cute!
If you’re after something to do in the evening, Pakse Night Market is a great spot to chill out in.
Explore the local Pakse Markets
As one of Laos biggest cities, Pakse has a plethora of markets to nose around. A market is always a good bet for finding some local food, stocking up on essentials and seeing what fruit and vegetables are in season. We have explored both of Pake’s main markets, one in the centre of town near most of the accommodation and restaurants and one near the southern bridge leading out of town.
Bai Don Pakse Market
(location)
Set over two buildings, the Bai Don Pakse Market sits within walking distance of both the riverfront and the bus station.
Inside the first building, stalls spread out in a square selling everything from underwear to mobile phone accessories, toiletries to knock-off sportswear. This side of the market looks as though it was a lot bigger in the past - there are at least two floors of the market that no longer seem to be used. Whilst we were visiting over Lunar New Year, this side of the market was full of offerings to buy, decorations and red envelopes. We even encountered two huge Chinese dragons weaving their way up and down the stalls - we say it often on this blog, but you’ll never know what you’ll come across in Asia!
Just over the road is the produce side of the market with huge tarpaulins of fruits for sale, huge plastic vats of rice and enough washing detergent on sale to clean half of Laos! Along one edge of this part of the market, is the bustling food court. Inside, you’ll find the barbecue section, with grilled meats, skewers and sticky rice and outside runs a line of stir fry places. We recommend heading to the furthest stall (on the right as you face the stir fry stalls) and ordering their pork fried rice - it is fantastic and massive. It comes with a runny fried egg and a bowl of soup and was our regular when going on or coming back from a journey in Pakse. Also they have great chilli oil!
Dao Hueng Market - Pakse Main Market
(location)
We were quite literally thrown into the melee of the busy Dao Heung Market after catching the early morning songthaew from Champasak. Instead of the bus station, the songthaew dropped us off in the heart of the lively morning market. As we hauled our backpacks on, we had to dodge buckets of fresh fish, mounds of pork trotters and watermelons piled into precarious pyramids.
The Dao Hueng Market is a very local market in every sense with smell, colours and noise assaulting all your senses at once. If you’ve never been to an Asian wet market, you’re in for a treat with this one. Everything on sale is super cheap and super fresh, in fact so fresh some of the livestock is still flapping!
We headed to the market several times during our stay in Pakse and every time the market was different. The car park, once full of butchers in the early morning, would become fresh vegetables during the mid-morning and then fresh fish in the evening. As with all Asian markets, Dao Hueng is a great place to head to if you want to see where the locals shop.
Under the main covered market is a huge food court selling everything from rice soup to fried rice, BBQ meat to salads. If you’re hungry it’s a great place to dine with the locals.
The Dao Heung Market is also a stones throwaway from the neon lights of Pakse’s 7-Eleven store - good if you need to stock up on supplies before the Bolaven Loop!
Sample coffee grown on the nearby Bolaven Plateau
The nearby Bolaven Plateau is known as Laos’ ‘Coffee Country’ and produces over 25,000 tons of Arabica and Robusta beans each year. If you’re in Pakse, trying the local coffee is a must.
Luckily the city has no shortage of coffee shops, and during our several visits, we’ve done all the hard work for you (it’s a tough job) and sampled as many coffee shops as we could. The ones listed below are some of our favourites.
CC 1971@Pakse Cafe
(location)
Sister to the famous cafe of the same name located in nearby Paksong (read more about visiting that cafe here), CC 1971@ Pakse Cafe is one of the most unique cafes we’ve ever visited.
Sitting on the banks of the Xe Don River, and set in the ruins of what looks like an old mansion, CC 1971 is as much about the coffee as it is the building.
Outside a huge black and white skull has been painted onto the exterior wall and next to it, an enormous bomb sits hanging from the rafters - like its sister cafe, this coffee shop is intent on preserving and showcasing Laos’ war-torn past.
Inside, it’s like time has stood still with original vintage tiles on the floor and paint stripped walls. There have been some modern touches, with the addition of wooden chairs and tables and black metal light fittings, but these all seem to fit in with the antique, old school, mansion vibe. Across some of the walls are old photos of Pakse and plenty of colourful murals. It’s an eclectic mix, which somehow just works.
Once you’ve ordered your coffee, we’d recommend exploring the mansion. It’s a huge maze of small rooms, outdoor balconies and staircases leading to different levels - there’s even a hidden helipad at the top of the cafe with views over the Xe Don river and Pakse. We spent a good while exploring and taking photos - the cafe is super Instagram friendly and very popular with the Laotian youth.
We ordered two orange americano’s which were excellent. Fresh and not too sweet, the zingy orange juice paired perfectly with the fruity beans from the americano. If you’re not a coffee lover, CC 1971 cafe also serves a selection of smoothies, iced teas and sodas as well as quite an extensive drinks with strawberry section!
You can reach CC 1971 by taking a short walk over Souphanuvong Bridge or by driving your scooter there.
If you’re short on time in Pakse and can only fit one coffee shop in, we’d definitely recommend seeking out CC 1971 Cafe.
Despite being such a modern and popular cafe, the prices for coffee were really reasonable, and very similar to other coffee shops we visited in Pakse.
Rin Coffee
(location)
Located opposite Chitpasong Bus Station, Rin Coffee was awesome and definitely the most ‘craft coffee’ of coffee shops on this list.
Set in an old shophouse, Rin Coffee is super stylish. The coffee shop is open to the street with original red and yellow stone tile flooring, a huge sweeping bar, exposed brick, brushed concrete, wooden bench seating and modern lighting - it’s ultra-modern and wouldn’t look out of place in London or New York.
We visited several times during our stay in Pakse and can highly recommend their iced lattes and americanos.
Both coffees were a work of art, with the baristas handcrafting and finishing each to perfection.
Despite being so upmarket and much more ‘craft coffee’ than other coffee shops in Pakse, it wasn’t expensive. There are two establishments of Rin Coffee in Pakse. This one near the bus station and a second across the river, nearby to CC 1971.
Minimal Cafe’
(location)
The Minimal Cafe’ is exactly as it is described in its name - very minimal! Operating out of a cute, garden shed, what this coffee shop lacks in terms of size, delivers full force in its coffee. We ordered an iced latte and a black orange and both were great. The latte was particularly good - a perfect mix of nutty, yet refreshing.
There’s plenty of shaded seating on camp chairs behind the barista shed. It’s also right next door to Wat Luang, so once you’ve done your sightseeing, we’d heartily recommend following our example by treating yourself to an ice-cold beverage from here!
MUỐI CAFE
(location)
This became our ‘go-to’ cafe for a caffeinated beverage. Super friendly baristas, plenty of seating and fantastic iced lattes - the coffee was the perfect balance, not too sweet and not too in your face.
The cafe can get extremely busy with locals, so if it is busy, your coffee can take a little longer to make, but that’s all part of the charm of Muoi Cafe.
It’s also super cheap at 35,000 kip per coffee - a great cafe for those on a budget!
100% Arabica Bakery
(location)
If you’re not after noodle soup for breakfast and after a taste of France, then we’d definitely recommend seeking out breakfast from the 100% Arabica Bakery. This small cafe offers a small selection of homemade bread and pastries, alongside coffee, juices and sandwiches.
We picked up two hot cappuccino’s and a pain au chocolat and both were excellent. The pain au chocolat’s were crispy and stuffed with chocolate and the cappuccino a perfect pairing against the sweet pastry. If you’re visiting, don’t be put off by the pale rolls proving outside, the fully cooked pastries inside are amazing!
100% Arabica Bakery is also right next door to our favourite guesthouse in the city, the Nangnoi Guesthouse.
The Lucky Coffee
(location)
If you’re looking to find other backpackers to complete the Bolaven Loop with, you’re bound to run into some in ‘The Lucky Coffee’ cafe. This small, modern cafe was always super busy with other travellers and whenever we visited, served good coffee.
They also have a small menu offering breakfast plates, Laos favourites and backpacker staples. Although our eyes were drawn to the delicious looking chocolate brownies!
Where to eat and drink in Pakse
Pakse is full of food. Almost every other building in the city is some form of restaurant, food stall or cafe! In fact there was so much choice on offer we didn’t try half of the places we wanted.
If you’re unsure as to what to eat and want to try some Laotian favourites, then definitely head to the local day markets we’ve mentioned above, or to the Night Market in the evening. For coffee, just check out all the lovely craft coffee shops we mentioned in the last section.
For those who want a sit down meal, or just some budget backpacker friendly options, here are some of our favourite places we’ve eaten in Pakse!
Phonesay Noodle Soup
(location)
On our first trip to Pakse (we have been 3 more times since), we arrived at a nearly deserted city. The streets were a complete ghost town with no-one in sight and almost every shop, cafe and restaurant shut up. We had arrived mid-afternoon just before the start of the New Year’s Eve celebrations and it seemed like the whole of Pakse was at a New Years party we hadn’t been invited to!
After a long overnight bus journey from Bangkok to Pakse, we were in desperate need of food and didn’t fancy seeing in the new year in a state of starvation.
We wandered around the empty streets not finding anything but small supermarkets, before John spotted a never-ending wisp of steam coming from a burner set on the side of the street. We dove in and pointed to the noodle pot.
Out came two bowls of delicious steaming bowls of porky noodles topped with deep fried garlic and slices of tender pork. This little Khao Piak stall had saved us from starvation!
If you’re into blood cake with your noodles, make sure you ask for it. The lady who owned the stall, decided we were fussy farangs and didn’t give it to us. Not having it didn’t make the bowl any less tasty, we just love blood cake and it adds another aspect to any bowl!
Pork and Rice
(location)
This super popular breakfast and lunch spot was busy from opening until closing with locals. Specialising in meat and rice, the restaurant serves all kinds of pork - crispy, red and stewed as well as braised chicken and stewed duck all over rice.
We ordered two plates of red pork and rice and out came huge plates of pork covered in a thick, bright red sauce. Served alongside was a bowl of soup and half an egg. Unlike the sweet, savoury sesame gravy we’ve been used to with Kao Moo Dang in Thailand, this sauce was studded with a rich tomato flavour - almost like Laotian bolognese!
Our first bite took us completely by surprise and although a little unsure, it grew on us with every mouthful. Do not forget to grab loads of the extra ginger chilli sauce from the counter, it really takes the plate to a whole new level and is the perfect zingy accompaniment to the sweet, tomato sauce.
If you’re staying at the nearby Anou Hostel, it’s a great spot to head for lunch!
Barbecue Street
(location)
This is our favourite street for evening food in Pakse!
As the sun goes down, the street fills with the smoke and sizzle of Laotian barbecues. Everything is takeaway only so just cruise from shop to shop grabbing pork belly skewers, roasted chicken, chilli pastes and, most importantly in Laos, sticky rice - you really haven't sampled the best of Laotian food until you've had a cutlery free sticky rice feast!
We’ve sampled meat from almost every BBQ stall on this street, but the one we’ve linked above was our favourite. Each time we would head over and just point to the different cuts of grilled meat we wanted and order enough sticky rice for two.
This street is extremely backpacker budget friendly: a huge mound of sticky rice for two, grilled pork belly, a huge leg of roasted chicken and a side of sweet Chinese sausage cost us just 65,000 kip!
People often are very cautious about eating this kind of street food and worry about whether the meat is cooked or not. We cannot guarantee anything, but we have eaten it many many times and never had any bad experiences. The meals we picked up from this street were some of our favourite meals we’ve eaten in the whole of Laos. If you’re travelling beware of psychosomatic tummy troubles - if you are nervous about travel and fixate on worrying about food you are much more likely to feel ill!
Lao - Viet Noodles
(location)
We cannot recommend this noodle soup shop enough! We stumbled into it with our backpacks on, after a very early morning bus ride from Champasak. We had been sitting in the back of a songthaew for nearly an hour picking up passengers before the sun had risen properly, and possibly for the first time in the whole of this trip to Laos we were quite chilly and hungry for breakfast.
We ordered and out came two huge bowls of steaming noodle soup. Crispy belly pork sat floating in a deeply flavoured broth, along with chewy noodles, blood cake, beansprouts, pork patties, coriander, half an egg and a hearty scattering of crispy garlic. It was delicious and everything we had hoped it would be. Full of sweet pork, in a punchy, garlic-heavy broth. It was hearty, warming and perfect after our early start.
Our big bowls cost 45,000 kip each - an absolute steal for the size of the bowl!
This bowl is making us hungry just looking at it!
Pho Lankham Noodles
(location)
This huge, warehouse style restaurant is super popular come lunchtime where the whole of Pakse’s office workers descend on it to slurp up bowls of steaming noodles. We popped in during their busy lunchtime rush and ordered up two big bowls of beef pho.
The pho, although definitely Vietnamese in origin, had a Laotian twist with lots of deep fried garlic giving it a crunchy, caramelised hit to the rich beef broth.
Both bowls came with plates piled high with crunchy green vegetables and the savoury, peanut dip served with all Laos noodle soups.
Champa Hom Restaurant
(location)
If you are looking for more of a sit-down-restaurant meal Champa Hom is a great choice. Located just a short walk away from the riverfront and night market, Champa Hom is a quirky, cool little restaurant serving all the SE Asian favourites. Decked out in wood and full of old photos and memorabilia, it feels a bit like you’ve stumbled into Laos’ take of a Western Country bar. We can especially recommend their creamy green curry soup and their spicy som tam salads. Also their fried fish studded with garlic is a must!
As we were filling up before we embarked on riding the Bolaven Loop we ordered a massive feast. As it’s a restaurant expect prices to be a little more than on the street, but for what you get, it’s really not bad.
Banh Mi
(location - everywhere!)
All over town you will find small carts serving up Vietnamese style banh mi - including the ubiquitous Laughing Cow cheese and all! These stuffed baguettes make a great light lunch and are extremely cheap at 15,000 kip each. We grabbed some to go one afternoon so we could eat on our bikes without having to find a restaurant. All the stalls serve similar style banh mi with crispy baguettes, meaty rich pate, tangy pickles along with sliced meats, chilli sauce and more. Another great budget backpacker friendly staple!
Where to stay in Pakse?
Hostels in Pakse
Anou Hostel
Anou Hostel was one of the most comfiest stays we had in the whole of our Laos trip - in fact we actually stayed with them twice during our visits to Pakse. We stayed in one of their private rooms and it was everything we needed. A huge, comfy double bed, good shower and plenty of room to unpack.
Anou Hostel offers plenty of dorm rooms, free breakfast in the morning, motorbike rental and a small restaurant on-site.
Book your stay with Anou Hostel here.
Kai Lions International Capsule Hostel Pakse
As the name says on the tin, Kai Lion’s Hostel is a capsule hostel full of small comfy pods, with personal fan and light. Downstairs is a small common room and the very clean shared bathrooms.
We stayed at Kai Lion’s before riding the Bolaven Loop and had a fantastic stay. Kai himself is a wealth of knowledge about the city of Pakse, the Bolaven Loop and where to eat and is always happy to help with any questions. Like Anou Hostel, Kai also rents scooters for the Loop.
Book your stay with Kai Lion’s Hostel here.
For all the other hostels available in Pakse, click here.
Guesthouses in Pakse
Nangnoi Guesthouse & Others
Very close to both Anou Hostel and Kai Lion’s is the excellent Nangnoi Guesthouse. We actually came here by accident, after a different hostel (none of the above) double booked our room during the busy Lunar New Year period and we had to find a new bed. Luckily Nangnoi had room.
Spread over two buildings (a newer and an older building), Nangnoi offers private and twin rooms with en-suite bathrooms. We’ve stayed in both the newer and older building during our stays in Pakse and have had very comfy nights in both.
Unfortunately there’s no way to book Nangnoi Guesthouse online, but to check out what other guesthouses are on offer in Pakse, click here.
Nangnoi also offers motorbike rental as well as transport and tour bookings.
The streets of Pakse are filled with old-style shophouses and buildings!
Hotels in Pakse
There are a couple of hotels dotted along the riverfront and in the city of Pakse. As we were on a backpacking budget we didn’t get to sample a slice of luxury, but other Bolaven Loopers we spoke to, had a fantastic stay at the Intouch Riverside Hotel. Offering private rooms with views over the Mekong and a rooftop swimming pool, it looked like a great place to treat yourself in Pakse - we were certainly jealous of the sunset views when we saw the hotel from the Night Market.
Book your stay at the Intouch Riverside Hotel here.
To check out all hotels available in Pakse click here.
All accommodation available in Pakse
To check out all the accommodation available in Pakse and to book for your dates, search using the handy map below:
The Best Time to Visit Pakse
The best time to visit Pakse and the peak time for tourism is between October and April. During these months you’ll have drier days with super sunny skies and hot temperatures, but attractions will be busier and accommodation more expensive and transport and bike rentals will sell out extremely quickly.
The low season runs during Laos’ rainy season which hits from May to September. During this time you’ll see far fewer tourists and find cheaper accommodation but you will be at mercy of the weather. The monsoon season in Laos is very wet and humid and as a consequence, travel / transport in Pakse may be disrupted.
If you are hoping to do the Bolaven scooter loop we would highly recommend the dry season - Laotian roads would be pretty treacherous in the rain and mud of the wet season!
It gets very hot in Laos - even the locals need to find shade!
How to Get to Pakse?
Getting to Pakse from within Laos
Pakse is extremely well connected with direct bus links to Savannakhet, Thakhek, Vientiane and Vang Vieng in the north and to Champasak, Don Det and the 4000 Islands in the south.
To book your tickets to Pakse, check out all your options with 12GO below.
Most buses arriving from Laos will arrive at Pakse’s Chitpasong Bus Station located here. From this bus station you can easily walk to most of the hostels and guesthouses in the city, but if you need a tuk tuk, there will be plenty waiting for you when you arrive.
To fly to the city, Pakse International Airport is located 10 KM (20 minute drive) away from downtown Pakse - located here. The airport is very small and has approximately 4 flights arriving from / departing to Vientiane a day. If you’re short on time, catching a flight from Vientiane to Pakse will save you from having to sit through a very bumpy, 11 hour bus ride to reach the city - Laos’ roads are not for the weak!
From the Golden Buddha you can see the planes coming into land at Pakse airport.
From Thailand - Crossing the Thai-Laos Border between Ubon Ratchathani and Pakse
The Thai-Laos border between Ubon Ratchathani and Pakse is a popular crossing point for backpackers and travellers, heading between Thailand and Laos. In fact, on our first visit to Pakse, we left Bangkok and took an overnight bus to Ubon Ratchathani where we transferred to another bus and headed over the border to Pakse.
There are direct buses that run daily linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with Pakse, but due to the New Year, tickets for these had sold out, so if you’re planning to travel from Bangkok to Pakse, we’d highly recommend booking your tickets well in advance - book your tickets here.
The Thai-Laos border is very straight forward, and you can pay for your Laos visa in both US dollars and Thai baht.
After you’ve gone through the border it's only a very quick 50 minute journey to the city of Pakse. The border bus should drop you off in Pakse around here at the Kiengkai Bus Station. The bus station is on the other side of town to most of the accommodation but you can easily get a tuk tuk or taxi - just remember to negotiate. If you are looking to leave Laos and head to Thailand then the Kiengkai Bus station is the one you would catch the bus to the border from.
From Cambodia - Crossing the Nong Nok Khiene Border
The border with Cambodia at Nong Nok Khiene is only a 2.5 to 3 hour drive away. You can easily head to Pakse by catching a bus from Siem Reap, Kratie or Stung Treng. Have a look at 12Go and check out the routes.
Where to go After Pakse
From Pakse you have two real choices: unless you’ve come to the end of your Laos visa and you’re planning on crossing an international border to Thailand or Cambodia - You can head north or south.
Places to visit north of Pakse
The riverside city of Savannakhet is around a 4 hour drive (240 KM) north of Pakse. Full of funky street art, an awesome night market set in the ruins of an old cinema complex and plenty of coffee shops, it was one of our highlights of Southern Laos. You can find out all about the city, in our full travel guide to Savannakhet here. From Savannakhet, you can book international buses to Hanoi, Hue and Danang in Vietnam.
Book Pakse to Savannakhet bus tickets here.
North of Savannakhet lies the city of Thakhek and another jaw-dropping motorbike adventure around the beautiful Thakhek Loop (read more about riding the Thakhek Loop here). After our own Pakse Loop we had been fully infected with the motorbike bug and knew we had to take on the Thakhek Loop ourselves. Check out our full guide to the city of Thakhek here.
Book Pakse to Thakhek bus tickets here.
If you fancy a long bus ride, or a short flight, the Laotian capital of Vientiane is full of beautiful temples, Mekong views and a bizarre park full of huge Buddhist and Hindu statues - read more about what there is to do in Vientiane here.
Book Pakse to Vientiane transfers here.
For those heading to the adventure and backpacking capital of Laos, Vang Vieng is a 13 hour bus ride north. We’ve spent over a fortnight in Vang Vieng climbing its stunning viewpoints, riding in a hot air balloon and swimming in its famous Blue Lagoons - check out our complete Vang Vieng guide here.
Book your Pakse to Vang Vieng bus tickets here.
Places to visit south of Pakse
From Pakse it’s only a short half hour drive to the ancient Khmer ruins of Wat Phou and the riverside town of Champasak. We spent a few days here enjoying its laid-back charm and exploring the incredible ruins - Laos really needs to showcase Wat Phou more. You can read our full guide to Champasak here.
Book Pakse to Champasak bus tickets here.
Further south around a 2 and a half hour drive is Don Det, Don Khon and the 4000 Islands. We spent 6 weeks on Don Det and it’s quickly become one of our all-time favourite spots in Asia.
Book Pakse to Don Det tickets here.
If you’re heading to Cambodia, there are direct buses leaving Pakse daily that take travellers to: Stung Treng on the border, Kratie as well as Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat - book your bus tickets here.
For those heading back into Thailand, you can either book transport straight back to Bangkok here or like us, you can start a big Isan exploration, starting in Ubon Ratchathani.
You can also travel to Central and South Vietnam from the bus station, check out 12Go here.
Don’t miss the ornate Pakse City Pillar just outside Wat Luang!
Final thoughts - is Pakse worth a trip?
Absolutely, no doubt 100%! Pakse really deserves so much more than just a quick overnight stop before or after riding the Bolaven Loop. With its lively riverfront, amazing hilltop Buddha, serene temples and cute coffee shops there is more than enough to fill a few days of relaxed travel.
How long you spend in Pakse will, of course, depend on your travel itinerary. If you only have a day you could see most of the sights but the town rewards a slower pace of travel. Pakse feels like a real living Laotian city. We have visited the city four times now and have really fallen in love with its food, charm, buzzing markets and Mekong views.
The temple dogs at Wat Luang were so cute!
Pakse is a great spot to set up a base and explore some of Southern Laos’ best attractions. With a central location and many transport options Pakse will almost certainly be at least a stopover on any Laotian itinerary. The city is close to both the Thai and Cambodian border so would also make for a great start / end of your Laotian adventure.
Many people just pass through Pakse, or see it as a ‘one night stand’ of a town, give it a chance and its charms will grow on you!
We love Pakse and hope you do.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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