A Little Beauty… Visiting the Stunning Turquoise Waters at Laos’ Kuang Si Falls

Last updated on August 2, 2025 by Shannon

After traveling from Thailand into Laos, and then taking part in a few adventures around Vang Vieng, I settled in the ever-so-charming Luang Prabang, with an eye toward unlocking good food, good hikes, and the best daytrips nearby.

Between my first trip and several subsequent ones in the following years, I’ve spent a lot of time discovering the best there is in Luang Prabang and the surrounding countryside.

Luang Prabang wows with it’s quiet pace of life, delicious and affordable eats, and countless new activities teaching about Laos’ history, culture, and people. The second I arrived, I was quite taken with the Laotian culture and the sheer beauty of each new spot I’ve visited. I was ready to explore more deeply the countryside.

Local Laotians insisted that I should make the Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls nearby my first day trip, and they were right. The park’s clear waterfalls and ice-blue lagoons make for a lovely afternoon—and a bear rescue and butterfly park nearby make this a perfect day outside the city..

Getting to Kuang Si Waterfalls

The backpacking trail through Southeast Asia is strong, and I ran into friends from Vang Vieng my first day in town. This is a great way to make a budget trip out to the falls. The group of us shared a tuk tuk in search of the turquoise pools and an afternoon in nature.

Getting to the Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls is half of the fun. Our tuk tuk spent 40 minutes weaving through the Laotian countryside, over bridges, through rice paddies, and past work elephants. Vendors line the waterfall entrance and the first pools of beautiful turquoise water are just a five minute walk into the National Park.

The water color is unreal. These photos are straight from my camera, and even in retrospect I wonder if they’re doctored someone. We all had to reach out and touch the pools of water to even believe they were real, let alone a naturally-formed gift from nature.

What is Tat Kuang Si Like?

Luang Prabang sits directly along the shores of the mighty Mekong River. But even the importance of the Mekong cannot overcome the fact that the river’s placid waters glisten an unattractive shade of muddy brown under the high sun. But just an hour from those dull waters, the icy-blue pools seem like a color best fit for a child’s box of crayons.

Our group left for the waterfalls early in the day, so we had hours to spend at the park. The first lagoon we found was gorgeous and a designated swimming spot. We all were sure we had just found paradise and we stopped for a while to wade into the frigid waters. Little did we realize that the path continued for another kilometer path even more grottos, pools, and gorgeous tiny falls.

We had spent about 40 minutes in the tuk tuk—it took about an hour when I returned the following year and rented a motorbike. All told though, it isn’t too far. When we visited in February though, it was freezing cold. Not just a tad chilly, but the lagoons are covered with forest and only dappling light filters through to warm the water.

Our group wasn’t daunted, however, and we all stripped down to our bathing suits and splashed around a bit. Then we dared each other to brave the cold water for long enough to hit the pocket of sunlight in the middle of the pool—Laura and I were game. And we even tried to make it look like our lips weren’t turning blue.

There’s no reason to rush, there’s not too much land to cover, so we meandered past the pools of water. We also hunted for the perfect spot to do an impromptu photoshoot. The spot had to have the perfect combination of waterfalls, lush tropical vegetation, and captivatingly blue water. My friend Shimi noted that the place oozed so much beauty that she thought it would be the perfect spot for a couple to propose marriage—I have to agree, it’s stunning.

Once we found a gorgeous spot, we decided to reenact the Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot that was here months earlier. Well, we kind of reenacted it. No one wanted to brave the chilly waters again so we all took turns rolling up our pant legs and voguing for the camera.

The results were both hilarious and completely unattractive, and also exactly what we had hoped to create. :)

🚫 Note: As of 2025, the secret pools near the top of Kuang Si Falls are officially closed to visitors. Signs mark the area as off-limits to protect both the environment and visitor safety.

Are the Kuang Si Waterfalls Worth It?

Yes, you need to visit. The waterfalls made a perfect day trip from Luang Prabang, and they were even more fun because we had friends in tow with whom we could chat and play with in the forest.

It’s one of the better day trips from the city, particularly if you make an entire day trip—visit the Butterfly Park before you visit Tat Kuang Si. Take the three-hour hike to the viewpoints—it’s a 8.9-km point-to-point trail. Enjoy the day in nature.

Luang Prabang has many other day trips—the Pak Ou Caves are located upriver from Luang Prabang—that provide a very different experience than visiting the waterfalls. The caves are memorable for their cultural importance, even if parts of the tour are lackluster, whereas Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls are a day spent immersed in nature.

Laos has quickly become one of my favorite countries on the planet. There is no single part of traveling here that I can point to as “the reason” I love it, but it’s rather the collective whole of the people, cultures, and stories I’ve found while here. This is one of those spots I know I will return to again.

How to Visit the Kuang Si Waterfalls in Laos

How much does entry cost?

The entrance fee is 65,000 kip (about $3) (that official site went offline but was last checked in spring 2025). The price includes visiting the bear sanctuary and a (mandatory) shuttle tuktuk. Only swim in the marked pools as others are either unsafe or considered sacred by the locals.

Dry Season: December to April is ideal, offering clear turquoise waters and safer hiking conditions.

Wet Season: May to October brings heavy rains, making trails slippery and swimming hazardous.

How to Get to the Kuang Si Waterfalls

Shared or Private Tuk Tuk

From Luang Prabang, hire a tuk-tuk. You can find these all over town, and many wait for tourists on the night market street. They leave when they have either a full group, or when the occupants agree to pay about 180,000 – 200,000 kip round trip.

If you’re solo, start the day early as you can wait for the tuk-tuk to fill and score a shared ride for around 40,000 kip per person. The driver will wait for you at the falls and drive you back to town—pay the driver once you are back in Luang Prabang.

The ride takes 40 minutes each way.

Motorbike

I’ve done the falls twice, and I rented a motorbike the second time, which is a good way to give flexibility and freedom to your schedule. Day tours and minibuses run out to the falls, but it’s probably easiest to just do it as an independent journey—the whole process is pretty straight forward. It costs about $25 to rent the motorbike for the day, and a nominal parking fee there (roughly 2,000 kip).

It will take you about an hour on a motorbike.

Other

You can take shared minivans or even a boat, but neither of those work out best in terms of transit time or price. If you’re on a budget, wait for the shared taxi. If you’re just one or two people, share a motorbike rental out to the falls. If you’re a large group, hire an entire tuk-tuk or ask your accommodation to arrange a minivan and driver for the day.

How Long to Spend at the Kuang Si Waterfalls

It takes roughly 40 minutes to make the 23 kilometer journey out to the falls. Once there, you’ll want four-to-five hours at the falls so you have time to see the bears, swim in the lagoons, and even grab a snack. Add an hour if you want to also visit the Butterfly Park, which is generally open six days a week from 11am-4pm and is an oasis of beauty and calm.

Things to Brings

The temperature fluctuates a lot, so even a warm day might be cool in the shady forest. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a light jacket, that should cover you for anything you need. The pathways are cleared, tightly packed earth and there are no big hikes. You can definitely navigate in sandals.

Guidebook

I used the Lonely Planet guides during my time in Southeast Asia and they are my go-to. While the guesthouses they recommend are usually overrun, the Laos guide offers a good bit of history, as well as the nitty-gritties on transport around the region.