Vientiane deserves its reputation as one of the most mellow capital cities on earth, but it’s also more modern than many people expect based on older travel guides. There are now some chain restaurants and newer shopping centers, plus a large waterslide park opened in 2008.
The city is yet another great bargain for travelers to Southeast Asia, with nearly everything cheaper than Bangkok, and more along the lines of Hanoi. Being a smaller city, there aren’t loads of hotels in Vientiane, but fortunately most of them are quite cheap and friendly.
The main attractions in the city cost little or nothing, so it should be quite easy to keep your budget intact once you’ve found a place to sleep.
| Population | 210,000 |
| Area | 1,000,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+7 |
| Currency | Lao Kip |
| Airports | Wattay International Airport (VTE) |
Eating on a tight budget in Vientiane is quite easy, as you’d have to go out of your way to find a restaurant that even approaches North American or European prices. Local dishes based on rice and noodles are cheapest, but sandwiches, pasta dishes, and even pizza can be found at good prices. The local lager called Beerlao is served everywhere at very low prices, while the Lao-lao rice whisky is even cheaper.
| Budget breakfast | If your hotel doesn't include breakfast you'll have many cafes and restaurants serving cheap meals nearby. | $1.41 - $2.37 |
| Budget lunch | In addition to local rice and noodle dishes you'll find great baguette sandwiches at many places. | $1.70 - $3.11 |
| Budget dinner | Outdoor meals by the Mekong are in the budget range, but so are most other restaurants in the tourist zone. | $2.83 - $4.80 |
| Beer (.640l bottle) | Most restaurants and shops charge a similar price for the giant bottle of Beerlao lager. Other brands cost more. | $1.02 - $1.58 |
| Lao-lao rice whisky (.7l bottle) | This clear spirit is surprisingly good considering it's the world's cheapest booze. | $0.57 - $0.85 |
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 83 | 62 | 0.3 |
| February | 87 | 65 | 0.5 |
| March | 91 | 71 | 1.3 |
| April | 94 | 75 | 3.3 |
| May | 91 | 76 | 9.7 |
| June | 89 | 77 | 11.0 |
| July | 88 | 76 | 11.0 |
| August | 87 | 76 | 13.0 |
| September | 88 | 75 | 12.0 |
| October | 87 | 73 | 3.1 |
| November | 86 | 67 | 0.4 |
| December | 83 | 62 | 0.1 |
Vientiane has a lovely climate from October through February, with cool evenings and less humidity than most cities in the region. April is scorching hot and might best be avoided, and the rainy season runs from May through September, with short cloud bursts on many days, while persistent rainfall is rare.
| 21 Mar | 6:13am | 6:20pm |
| 21 Jun | 5:34am | 6:47pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:58am | 6:06pm |
| 21 Dec | 6:35am | 5:38pm |
Hotels in Vientiane have their high season running from December through February, with peak season being the weeks around Christmas and New Years. Some places also raise prices in October and November, as the good weather does bring people in, but still good deals should be easy to find outside of the main high season months.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 7.00 - 22.00 |
| 11.00 - 36.00 |
| 21.00 - 51.00 |
| 52.00 - 104.00 |
| 70.00 - 200.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 4.58 - 6.43 |