9 Best Sights in Vientiane, Laos

The city's most sacred monument, this massive, 147-foot-high, gold-painted stupa is also the nation's most important cultural symbol, representing the unity of the Lao people. King Setthathirath had it built in 1566 to guard a piece of the Buddha's breastbone and to represent Mt. Meru, the holy mountain of Hindu mythology, the center and axis of the world. Surrounding the lotus-shaped stupa are 30 pinnacles on the third level and a cloistered square on the ground with stone statues of the Buddha. Two brilliantly decorated temple halls—the survivors of four temples originally here—flank That Luang. On the avenue outside the west gate stands a bronze statue of King Setthathirath erected in the 1960s by a pious general. That Luang is the center of a major weeklong festival during November's full moon. The stupa is on the north end of town, a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the city center.

The bizarre creation of an ecumenical monk, Luang Pou Bounleua Soulilat, who dreamed of a world religion embracing all faiths, this park is "peopled" by enormous Buddhist and Hindu sculptures spread across an attractive landscape of trees, shrubs, and flower gardens. Keep an eye out for the remarkable 165-foot-long sleeping Buddha. The park was laid out by the monk's followers in 1958 on a strip of land along the Mekong, opposite the Thai town of Nong Khai. After the revolution, the monk escaped across the river, where he began building anew. Visit Xieng Khuan by taking B14 from the Talat Sao bus station.

There's a good reason why Ho Phra Keo, one of the city's oldest and most impressive temples, has a name so similar to the wat in Bangkok's Grand Palace (there it's Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha). The original Ho Phra Keo here was built by King Setthathirath in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, which he had taken from Chiang Mai in Thailand. The king installed the sacred statue first in Luang Prabang and then in Vientiane at Ho Phra Keo, but the Siamese army recaptured the Buddha in 1778 and it was installed in Bangkok. The present temple, restored in 1936, is a national museum. On display are Buddha sculptures of different styles, some wonderful chiseled images of Khmer deities, and a fine collection of stone inscriptions. The masterpiece of the museum is a 16th-century lacquered door carved with Hindu images.

Recently relocated to the outskirts of the city, this building aims to outline the "official" version of Lao history with some interesting geological and historical displays. Exhibits touch on Laos's ancient past, its colonial years, and its struggle for liberation. Other highlights include details about the country's 50 main ethnic groups, along with Indigenous instruments that illustrate how they make music.

The main square in Vientiane's tourist area reflects more emphatically the city's French influence, reinforced further by a cadre of very Gallic restaurants around the perimeter. The fountain is lit up multicolored at night, and the square and surrounding streets still contain many bars and restaurants.

An ersatz Arc de Triomphe, this monument is a prominent landmark, if minor attraction, between the city center and Pha That Luang. During the war years, America donated concrete for a new airport runway, but it was used to build this monument instead. You can climb the stairs of its seven stories for a decent photo op and stroll the exhibition on this monument and other sites in Vientiane on the second floor.

To immerse yourself in Vientiane, visit this shopping mall, named for the local morning market that once stood here. Shops within the cluttered space sell everything from handwoven fabrics and wooden Buddha figures to electric rice cookers and sneakers. Most vendors cater to locals, but there is plenty to interest travelers: fabric, handicrafts, intricate gold- and silverwork, jewelry, T-shirts, and bags and suitcases, though many products are imported from abroad. Local restaurants and noodle soups are upstairs. It's also worth crossing Nongbone Road to the Khua Din market for a look at Vientiane's largest wet market.

This wat that dates to 1563—its last major renovation was in 1956—guards the original city pillar, a revered foundation stone also from the 16th century. Throughout the day, this temple receives a steady stream of local visitors seeking blessings for themselves—and their new vehicles! In a small park in front of the monastery stands a rare memorial to Laos's royal past: a large bronze statue of King Sisavang Vong, which survived the revolution because it had been cast by a Soviet artist.

A courtyard with 6,840 Buddha statues stops the show at this intriguing temple-monastery complex across from Ho Phra Keo. Built in 1818 by King Anou, the temple survived Vientiane's 1828 destruction by the Siamese army; the monastery, still active, remains intact in its original form. The courtyard contains little niches and large platforms with Buddhas of all sizes. The impressive temple hall underwent some restoration in 1938. The intricately carved wooden ceiling and doors still impress, but time has taken its toll on the paintings that once covered the hall's walls.