Wat Phou and Champasak - The Ancient Khmer Ruins of Laos
Southern Laos holds a beautiful secret. Older than Angkor Wat, the vast ruins of Wat Phou climb up the sides of a sacred mountain. Our guide covers everything you need to know about visiting Wat Phou as well as the gorgeous nearby town of Champasak.
Hidden in the depths of Southern Laos is a secret - Down past the city of Pakse near the sleepy town of Champasak is a vast Khmer temple older than Angkor Wat - Wat Phou. Climbing up the slopes of Mount Phou Kao, Wat Phou has amazing ancient ruins, beautiful views and a rich history, all without the crowds these things usually attract. Wat Phou is an incredible place and deserves to be far better known than it currently is.
The ruins of Wat Phou sit just outside the town of Champasak (sometimes spelled Champassak) and are an easy day trip from the southern city of Pakse. In this travel guide we will show you how to visit and what to expect of Champasak town and the ruins of Wat Phou.
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Where are the ruins of Wat Phou? Where is Champasak?
Wat Phou (can also be spelled Vat Phou or Wat Phu) sits on Mount Phou Kao next to the mighty Mekong river in Southern Laos. You can find the ruins here on Google Maps.
The small regional capital of Champasak is the nearest town to the ruins of Wat Phou sitting only 13 km away. Champasak is a charming riverside town with guesthouses, temples and restaurants. Champasak can be found on a map here.
The closest city and transport hub is Pakse, which acts as a gateway to Southern Laos. Pakse is around 33 km from Champasak and 46 km from the ruins of Wat Phou. Make sure you check out our guide to Pakse city here.
How to get to Champasak and the ruins of Wat Phou
Getting to Champasak from Pakse / Don Det and the 4000 Islands
To reach the ruins of Wat Phou you’ll need to pass through the town of Champasak.
If you have your own transport then Champasak and Wat Phou are both easy drives from the city of Pakse - Champasak lies around 32km or a 35 minute drive to the south of Pakse.
If you need to book transport, you can get minivans or public buses to Champasak from Pakse or from the 4000 Islands at Don Det. You can book them online with 12Go (see later) or in person with your accommodation at Pakse / Don Det.
We travelled up to Champasak from Don Det by minivan and ferry. The journey from Don Det to Champasak town took around 4 hours in total and cost 180,000 kip each. When it came time to leave Champasak we took the public bus early in the morning to Pakse market. The journey from Champasak to Pakse took about an hour and cost us 70,000 kip per person.
The ferry “port” for Champasak wasn’t too busy when we arrived!
Both journeys were booked through our accommodation, but if you want to book your transport in advance you could use 12Go:
*if no results show - change the dates!
The province of Champasak is stunning and definitely worth a visit
Wherever you are in Southern Laos you will be able to organise transport to Champasak. Just find a bus to Pakse and you will be able to change there. Be aware that there are only a couple of buses a day that go down from Pakse to Champasak so you may need to plan a nights stay in the city - don’t worry Pakse is a great city full of things to see, do and eat.
If you haven’t already, check out our full Pakse city guide here.
Getting to the ruins of Wat Phou from Champasak
Once you’re in the town of Champasak it’s only a 13 km drive to get to the ancient ruins. If you already have your own transport just continue down the main road south until the road splits, where you’ll take the road to the west and quickly find yourself at the entrance to Wat Phou.
If you’ve stayed the night in Champasak and are looking to get to the ruins, you have 3 main options:
Hire a scooter and drive yourself there
Most of the guesthouses / hotels will have a few scooters to rent. Reserve one early as they do go quickly! Not all places in town have bikes so check in advance. Scooter rental starts around 200,000 kip per day.
Our trusty, if slightly elderly, bike saw us through our temple trip. It was also the last one left to rent - make sure you arrange a bike as soon as possible!
The route to the ruins isn’t too bad to ride. The road is paved all the way except for a couple of wooden plank bridges. If you do the extra expedition to the neighbouring Prasat Hong Nang Sida (see later on in this guide) you’ll need to do a short drive on a gravel / dirt track.
There is a petrol station in Champasak town and the roads when we visited were very quiet.
Hiring a bicycle
For those who don’t mind a little bit of exercise you could cycle the 26 km round trip from Champasak town to Wat Phou and back. There were plenty of places to hire bikes in town. Just make sure you pack enough water and sunscreen as the Laotian sun is unforgiving. Depending on where you’re staying the bicycles may be free to rent.
Shared or private tour
Everywhere in town will offer a taxi / tour service to take you to and guide you around Wat Phou. You can easily arrange this through your accommodation or just walk down the main road until you spot one of the brightly coloured tuk-tuks or songthaew. Just remember to negotiate prices. The actual price will vary greatly depending on the guide, group size and transport offered.
There are also several organised and private tours you can book in advance - more on this later
You can always catch a colourful Songthaew to Wat Phou.
Visiting Wat Phou
A quick history of Wat Phou
The temple complex at Wat Phou is part of a huge lost Khmer temple city that predates the more famous ruins at Angkor in Cambodia. The beautiful, sprawling Khmer temple complex was added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2001, citing that Wat Phou (also called Vat Phou):
“exhibits a remarkable complex of monuments and other structures over an extensive area between river and mountain, some of outstanding architecture, many containing great works of art, and all expressing intense religious conviction and commitment.” - (UNESCO website)
To say Wat Phou is impressive is a massive understatement!
If you are planning on heading to Cambodia to see more Khmer ruins, we have written plenty of guides including itineraries and how to get the most out of Siem Reap and the Angkor temples. Read more here.
Built above the, now lost, city (very little of the surrounding city is left on the ground but apparently you can still see the outlines from the air), Wat Phou has been a religious site for well over 1500 years!
The mountain of Phou Kao is said to be crowned by the “Linga of Shiva” due to an unusual rock formation; sitting on top of the hill is a massive jutting column of stone - the linga. Below this holy phallus a natural spring bubbles out from under a cliff face. To honour the mountain and its sacred connections, a Shiva sanctuary was built sometime in the 5th century. This sanctuary became the kernel that grew into the huge temple complex of Wat Phou.
You can see the pointed Shiva Linga on the peak of the mountain - Also, Champasak has amazing sunsets!
Wat Phou is unique amongst Khmer ruins as the “sanctuary” features a holy spring. The spring water flows out from a small temple below a cliff, (still on top of the mountain), and was channeled down into the main temple complex. The temple itself stretches all the way up from the base of the mountain to above the holy spring near the summit. It used to feature enormous monumental lakes, terraces, prayer sanctuaries and multiple temples.
For a sense of scale - this is the bed of one of the ornamental lakes at Wat Phou!
Nowadays Wat Phou lies mostly in ruin, but the enormous staircase, terraces and hilltop sanctuary remain standing. At the base of the hill, two huge halls frame the staircase and everywhere you look you are stared back at by carved faces and mysterious ruins.
We had no idea the scale of this place until we had paid for our ticket and taken the short bus ride into the UNESCO site itself.
Laos, for better or worse, is not brilliant at self promotion, if Wat Phou was in England it would be on our bank notes!
Visiting Wat Phou - Essential Information
So we have ranted and raved about these amazing ruins, but how do you actually visit them? This is all the information you will need to make your own adventure at Wat Phou:
Wat Phou opening times
The temple ruins are open every day from 8am to 6pm.
The best times to visit Wat Phou are either:
Early in the morning - this avoids the crowds and organised day trips.
or
Before sunset in the late afternoon - at this time you will get fantastic views from the top and, although the sun will set behind the mountain, the fading light would look magnificent.
If you are visiting over a festival or religious holiday check in advance as the opening times can vary. Around February Wat Phou hosts a huge festival where the temple is lit up with lanterns and locals head to the site to leave offerings. It will be very busy during this time and accommodation in Champasak will sell out fast. The exact dates change from year to year, so check before you go.
Some of the carvings at Wat Phou are simply incredible.
Ticket price / Entrance fee for Wat Phou
Tickets cost 55,000 kip per person.
You purchase your ticket from a booth next to the car park, just by the gift shop. The ticket includes the cost of an electric bus ride to the base of the monument. The car park and museum are a little way away from the actual ruins but this just makes the reveal all the more spectacular!
If you have driven yourself on a bike there is a small parking fee of 10,000 kip to park your scooter. Cars seem to vary in price (it is Laos after all), sometimes costing the same and sometimes a little more.
We interrupted this cheeky lass as she was munching through some flowers left as temple offerings!
Temple wear - how to dress for Wat Phou
Wat Phou is still an active site of worship and a holy place for both Buddhists and Hindus. You should be dressed in "temple wear" - a wardrobe staple of any traveller in South East Asia!
Cover knees, midriff and shoulders and be respectful of people praying. Try to dress as lightly as possible though, you will be climbing a lot of stairs under the blazing Laotian sun!
Wat Phou is still a holy place for both Hindus and Buddhists, The whole site is dotted with cairns, altars and offerings.
What not to miss - highlights of Wat Phou
We won't spoil everything, discovery is half the fun of these places after all, but these are some of the unmissable highlights you should seek out at Wat Phou:
The Grand Staircase
We know we said what not to miss, but this is literally unmissable - you cannot actually get to the temple without seeing this! You will be dropped by your electric shuttle bus in front of two amazingly well preserved temple buildings that flank the mighty avenue and staircase that lead up the mountain. The staircase is incredibly impressive, its cracked and crumbling steps steeply leading up to the ruined terraces of the ancient temple complex. Trees have taken root in the stones of the staircase and jasmine trees now frame the views up and down the mountain.
The view from the top of Wat Phou
The views of and from the temple are simply amazing. The steepness of the staircase rewards you with breath-taking vistas down the mountain and across the landscape below. You really get a sense of the scale of Wat Phou from the top: you can see the huge staircase, the vast ornamental lake (only one of the original two remain) and massive temple buildings. From up high you can see that this temple was a major focal point of worship, it is not hard to imagine the city that would have once surrounded such a grand structure.
The Elephant rock
Once you are at the top make sure you head to the right (if you are facing the mountain), there are plenty of interesting collapsed ruins but, near the cliff's edge, you can find a huge boulder carved with the image of an elephant. We saw plenty of people not come this way, make sure you don't miss it!
All over Wat Phou you will find small shrines, the new wax and incense show how this is still an active site of worship.
Meditation retreats
Further along from the elephant carved rock (again to the right if you are facing the mountain), you will find several large flat topped rocks. These rocks have commanding views over the plains and buildings below but, if you look closely they have the worn out groves and pillar holes made by old wooden buildings. These rocks are the meditation retreats of the ancient monks, places they could come and contemplate in solitude.
The Snake and the Alligator
Behind the meditation retreats and the elephant rock, towards the mountain, you can find some amazing carved rocks. A staircase lies on its side, flanked on each side by serpents. A massive slab of rock has the silhouette of a crocodile carved into it. It is strange, all the rest of the carvings are of the animal coming out of the stone, the croc is the opposite - a hollow in the rock.
The whole area at the top of Wat Phou’s Sanctuary is jumble of ruins, plants and rocks.
Lintels and carvings
Everywhere in Champasak - look up! The door frames of the temples are intricately carved and decorated with interwoven serpents and scenes from Hindu and Buddhist scripture. Also, look down! We found so many hidden little details running around the base of the monuments.
The carvings are incredibly intricate and many appear to tell stories from the Hindu and Buddhist epics.
Buddha's footprint and rock carvings
Behind the Sanctuary temple at the top of the mountain you can find an overgrown path climbing to the right (facing the mountain). Follow the small path for a short scramble upwards and you can find two of the lesser visited sights in Wat Phou. Carved into the stone of the mountainside is a large relief of the footprint of the Buddha, this is surrounded by other carvings - seated Buddhas, elephants and more. The rocks above are covered in vines and moss and we couldn't help but wonder what was hidden beneath.
The sacred spring
At the top of the mountain, behind and to the left of the Sanctuary temple, is the sacred spring that makes Wat Phou unique amongst Khmer ruins. Under an overhang of rock the water gently flows out along a (presumably more modern) ornate wooden channel to a stone container. Scattered in shards around, are pieces of the original stone channel system that would have carried the water down to the Sanctuary. Don't miss the fantastic views from this side of the temple!
Wat Phou Museum
Ok full disclosure - We know this is a "must see list" but we actually managed to miss the museum on our visit! It is near the ticket counter but on the other side of where you get your electric bus from. We just jumped on the bus on the way up and didn't even see it on the way back down. The museum is included in the ticket price and (apparently 😳) houses some amazing artifacts, stonework and carvings from the ruins. Let us know what we missed in the comments!
Prasat Hong Nang Sida
(location)
Located a short drive down a bumpy dirt road right next to the entrance to Wat Phou is another ancient temple. Prasat Hong Nang Sida is much more ruined than Wat Phou and far less visited but it is well worth the short drive. There is a large restoration project happening now and the area around the temple looks like the most impossible jigsaw puzzle ever devised.
When we visited there was no entrance fee to Prasat Hong Nang Sida.
We would also note that the road is quite rough if you are driving yourself on a scooter!
Visiting Wat Phou with a Guide - Tours
You can easily arrange a tour of Wat Phou, either as a day trip from Pakse or from Champasak / Wat Phou itself. At Wat Phou itself there are plenty of guides looking for a group, just make sure you negotiate and don’t take the first price offered!
For those looking to go a little beyond the temple’s trails, there are dedicated hiking routes that take you deeper into the mountain and surrounding forests. The hikes take you to remote ruins and old markings that used to line the route between Wat Phou and the Khmer Capital in Cambodia. You have to have a local guide to hike these routes, the picture below shows the routes and contact information.
As the sign says; the routes vary in difficulty and are only possible in certain seasons. for more information email information@vatphoi-champassak.com
Vat Phou Tours from Pakse
If you arrange a tour from Pakse you will be able to get around the issue of transport to and from the ruins, as well as condense the whole experience into a day. There are loads of operators in Pakse town just shop around or ask at your accommodation. Tours can start for as little as $12.00 but you will need to pay the entrance fee on top of this.
If you are looking to combine a couple of Pakse’s highlights with a visit to Wat Phou, check out the tour Get Your Guide offers: Tour - Mystic Falls and Timeless Temples. This tour would also take you to the Bolaven Plateau and some of the incredible Four Sisters Waterfalls.
For more information about these falls, check out our article on the Bolaven Loop here.
Visiting Wat Phou from Vientiane
If you’re really short on time you can combine a trip to the Bolaven Plateau and Wat Phou from the capital of Laos, Vientiane. This 2 day trip includes flights, accommodation, meals and guides to visit Wat Phou, Tad Fane Waterfalls and the Bolaven Plateau.
It is a good option if you’re short on time and want to cram a lot into your Laos experience!
Book the tour here.
Wat Phou - is it worth the trip?
Wat Phou came as a complete surprise to us. Laos should definitely be promoting the ruins at Champasak more; they are spectacular, stunning and far better than we thought they would be. The ruins are far far bigger than images can convey. Honestly it is like one of the larger Angkorian temples, just less busy and on a Laotian mountainside! If you are in Pakse it is an easy day trip to visit and completely worth the time and effort! Especially if you tie it into a visit or stay in Champasak town itself.
Speaking of which...
Champasak Town - What to do, where to stay and where to eat
Champasak Town - Why Stay? What is there to do?
Set along a gorgeous stretch of the Mekong river, Champasak town was once a prestigious seat of power. Ancient Thai records speak of the "Kings of Champasak" and the region was a Kingdom unto itself until the French forced it into their Laotian colonial possession. Despite its small size, Champasak is still the provincial capital - the tiny town being favoured over that of the (much) larger city of Pakse to the north. This former glory, coupled with old colonial architecture and a prominent tourist focus to the local industry means that Champasak today is a great place to stay. The town has lots of guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and pretty cafés set all up to cater for those looking at visiting Wat Phou.
Most visitors to Champasak are there for the ruins of Wat Phou, but this isn't the only thing to do in the town. Champasak is in a beautiful area of Laos and has lots to offer those willing to look for it.
The Paddy Fields - Walks and Sunset
The area around Champasak is full of natural beauty. Bordered by the mountains and the Mekong, the flat valley is nearly entirely given over to paddy fields. When planted these fields are a shimmering emerald and gold spectacle. You can take a curated path through them by following the Rice Field Trail and stretch your legs whilst admiring the amazing surroundings. Alternatively you could just sit back and enjoy an incredible Laotian sunset whilst sipping on a drink and having a nice snack! This lazier, but tastier, option is best indulged in from the Thongna Sky Café- a very good coffee shop and restaurant built out on decking above the paddy fields.
The rice paddies are beautiful
Especially at sunset!
Walk around the old town
Champasak town was the seat of the old colonial French administration for the region. The French built offices and residences to rule from, many of which are still in use today. The main riverside stretch of Champasak town is studded with these beautiful old buildings, some lovingly restored and maintained, some fading into decay and ruin. You can stay at, shop in, eat or have a coffee in several of these old buildings so make sure you keep an eye out when strolling about the town!
Don Daeng
This large island set in the middle of the Mekong is home to a very nice hotel as well as some nature trails and temples. You can really escape into the Laotian countryside here; there are farmers fields, forests and small villages to explore. You can book a tour from the town or hire a boat to take you across.
Temple hopping
Wat Phou may be the oldest temple, but it certainly isn't the only one! There are quite a few gorgeous, albeit more modern, temples to explore in and around Champasak. There is Wat Sisumang with its seated Buddha entwined with trees - also some stones from Khmer ruins scattered around for those with eagle eyes. Wat Phone Pang is a pretty temple with fantastic faded warriors framing the old doors. There is also Wat Nakorn a traditional style Laotian temple close in to the town. As always dress and act respectfully if you go exploring the temples.
Café hopping
If Wat Phou has you templed out, or you just need a good cup of coffee, Champasak has you covered. Champasak borders the Bolaven Plateau - Laos most famous coffee growing region, so there is no shortage of great coffee on offer. There is the Thongna Sky Café we mentioned above as well as the ever popular Champasak with Love or, our favourite: Boupha Garden Café. The garden café is set in an incredible colonial era mansion with a beautiful garden and is a fantastic place to relax and while away an afternoon. They also do great sweet treats as well as full meals.
There isn’t much better than iced lattes and cake on a hot day
Shadow Puppet theatre
On the banks of the Mekong you can find the Champasak Shadow Puppet Theatre. Every night live musicians and puppeteers perform traditional Laotian stories, myths and legends on the riverside. Tickets cost 100,000 kip per person. The show times vary depending on the audience size, so check times on the day.
Take a cruise on the Mekong
The mighty Mekong river flows slowly through Champasak and is well worth a boat ride if you haven't done this elsewhere already. You can take tours that include a boat trip, charter your own or head out for a sunset cruise along the river. You can arrange this easily through your accommodation walking to the town pier or by contacting Irrawaddy Sunset Cruise. Just remember to negotiate prices!
Accommodation - where to stay in Champasak
Champasak has lots of accommodation, with everything from high end resort hotels to budget friendly guesthouses.
Budget choice - cheaper accommodation
We are two long term budget backpackers so this was our choice for our brief stay in Champasak. The owner was lovely, the room was clean and the shower hot - what more could we ask for! Khamphouy was just what we needed and nothing we didn't!
Khamphouy also offers scooter and bike rental - it is one of the few in town that do!
Higher end choices -
Residence Bassac is set within a gorgeously restored colonial building and boasts what is probably Champasak's fanciest restaurant. It was way above our budget but we did look longingly at the delicious menu and pretty rooms. Have an ogle yourself here.
La Folie is set on the neighbouring island of Don Daeng and boasts a swimming pool as well as a very nice sounding restaurant. Again we cannot comment on staying there as we were in our cheap and cheerful guesthouse, but it is one of the best reviewed hotels in the whole region. Check it out here.
Eating and drinking in Champasak
Champasak is full of places to have a nibble or a glass of something to drink. From the high end offerings of Residence Bassac (see above) to cheap and delicious Laotian street food.
We can highly recommend sitting with the locals for a bowl of Khao Piak (noodle soup) inside what looked like the local convenience store. The place has no formal google listing, just look for the tables full of condiments and herbs around here.
The crispy bits of the roasted rice salad were the best!
Another great meal can be had at Homemade Riverside Restaurant, which serves fantastic refined Laotian food in a pretty garden setting. We especially recommend the crispy rice salad! If you fancy trying your hand at Laotian cooking, the restaurant also offers cooking lessons!
A great choice if you, like us, want good food on a budget is Check-In Restaurant. The epitome of ‘cheap and cheerful’, Check-In serves all the South East Asian favourites for ridiculously low prices. A meal of stir fry and rice can cost only 35,000 kip here!
There are dozens of restaurants all along the Mekong riverside. Some places are associated with guesthouses or hotels but all are open to everyone. The most popular place to mingle and have a sunset beer was the colourful and quirky Champasak With Love. All you really need to do is find a nice table with a riverside view and enjoy - you cannot go too wrong!
Should you stay in Champasak town?
The honest answer to this will ultimately be about how much time you have to spare and where you are travelling from.
We came up from Don Det and Champasak was a great way to break up the journey to Pakse. We very much enjoyed our short stay in Champasak town. The laid back vibes, echoes of faded glory, amazing sunsets, great coffee and good food were more than enough of a reason for us to relax and enjoy our time there. If you are looking for a party, Champasak may not be the one for you though!
Champasak town isn’t exactly busy after dark. This was the main roundabout in town!
If you are in Pakse itself and do not have much wiggle room in your Laotian itinerary then it would make sense to "do" Wat Phou as a day trip and skip a stay in Champasak town. If you have your own transport it would be very easy to drive all the way to the ruins in the early morning, leisurely explore them at your own pace, and be back in Pakse by the afternoon.
Champasak is relaxing and has a charm all its own but is not an "essential" stop. If you have the time, however, it is well worth it. Wat Phou is 100% worth a detour or long day out for, it may be the most impressive ruins we have seen outside of Angkor!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you are looking for more Khmer ruins make sure you check out our complete guide to the temples of Angkor.
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