Vang Vieng in Laos: Should You Go to Blue Lagoon 1, 2, 3 or 4?

Vang Vieng is famous for its idyllic aquamarine-coloured blue lagoons. Read on for how to get to the blue lagoons, the differences between them and which one is my personal favorite!

Though there are a number of incredible things to do in Vang Vieng, frolicking in the blue lagoons of Vang Vieng is still one of the most popular things to do in Laos. People travel from all around the world just to see the turquoise-coloured pools and to go for a swim in the cooling waters.

Most travelers in Vang Vieng flock to Blue Lagoon 1, but what many people don’t know is that there is more than one blue lagoon in Laos, including the “secret” Blue Lagoon 2, Blue Lagoon 3 and Blue Lagoon 4 – in fact, there are about 8 or 9 of them!

Wondering which Vang Vieng blue lagoon is the best one and worth visiting? I did the legwork for you – here’s what you need to know about the blue lagoons in Vang Vieng, how to get there and which one is the best one to visit! But first, a few basics if you’re headed to Laos.

✈️ You can get to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang or Vientiane. It is possible to apply for a visa on arrival in Laos at both airports for most nationalities – bring 1 passport photo and US dollars for the application fee. The Laos visa-on-arrival fee is 40 USD, and in general the Laos tourist visa is good for 30 days. You can also apply for your Laos e-Visa ahead of time here, however the fee varies according to nationality and takes several days to process.

📱 You can get a local Laos SIM card at the airport for very cheap, and internet connectivity is surprisingly strong.

🗺️ Before you travel to Vang Vieng, make sure you download these maps to your phone from Hobo Maps: Vang Vieng town map, Vang Vieng area map & Vang Vieng north map. Most places in town will sell hard copies of the map but you can access them for free online.

💱 The currency is the Lao Kip, and the exchange rate varies from approximately 18,000-20,000 LAK: 1 USD these days (when we visited a few years ago it was 8,000 LAK: 1 USD). There are plenty of places to exchange money in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng itself, and there are also ATMs where you can withdraw money.

🌤️ The best time to visit Vang Vieng to swim in the blue lagoons is from around October to March. During this time, the blue lagoons are nice and actually blue (rather than brown and murky). The summer months can be miserable with torrential downpour, but the rain means that the rice paddies are lush and the waterfall is stunning from June to August. There are other places to visit in Vang Vieng that aren’t the blue lagoons, head on over here to read more!

Where to stay in Vang Vieng

Riverside Boutique Resort is the crème de la crème when it comes to boutique hotels in Vang Vieng. This stunning property features traditional Lao-inspired artwork and furnishing, in an incredibly classy and laid-back setting. The pool with mountain views is to die for, and the on-site restaurant serves up some of the best food I had in Laos. Click here to check availability and rates at Riverside Boutique Resort.

Inthira Vang Vieng is a riverside boutique hotel in town that offers beautiful rooms with a view overlooking the Nam Song. The rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated, the bathrooms are fantastic with wonderful water pressure and the staff always go out of their way to help and make your stay more enjoyable. Click here to see current rates at Inthira Vang Vieng.

The Silver Naga Hotel is just up the street from Inthira and also sits right on the Nam Song River. Like Inthira, is has an infinity pool and is home to Yoga in Vang Vieng, a yoga studio running 2-3 classes each day. I would recommend the pool view rooms with a balcony so you can watch the sun go down behind the mountains. Click here to book your stay at the Silver Naga Hotel!

How to get to Vang Vieng

🚅 As of 2023, the quickest and most comfortable way to get to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang or Vientiane is to take the new Laos-China high speed rail. There are several daily fast trains which will take you to Vang Vieng from Vientiane or Luang Prabang in approximately 1 hour. The trains and stations are brand new and very punctual, however you won’t be able to bring any aerosols, e-cigarettes and other prohibited items on board.

Tickets can be purchased 3 days in advance from the LCR Ticket app, the official app of the railway company (more details here) but you need a Laos SIM card. I had a great experience with Discover Laos Today which has an office in town – you can Whatsapp them at +856 20 93 445 358 and ask them for updated train schedules (the timings can change) and purchase your ticket on your behalf. They will need a copy of your passport, and then they will send you a QR code to board the train – easy peasy. You can also arrange for them to send an e-shuttle to take you to/from the train station for 50,000 Kip.

Alternatively, you can also purchase your Laos train tickets online via 12go.asia, however you will need to pick up your tickets from a restaurant near the train station. Read more about taking the high speed train in Laos here.

🚌 You can also take a large bus (AKA “VIP bus”) or minivan from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, or you can take a bus or minivan from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. Buses run from Vientiane (drive takes ~2 hours on the slow road) and Luang Prabang (drive takes ~5-7 hours) every day. Get your hotel to book your bus ticket for you, or simply walk into any travel agent in Luang Prabang or Vientiane to purchase your ticket – prices are fairly standard across the board. Here is the Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng bus schedule and Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang and Vientiane bus schedule (times and prices may vary slightly, make sure you double check once you are in town).

🚗 You can also hire a private van for approximately US$75 from Vientiane or US$150-200+ from Luang Prabang. Enquire directly with your hotel or Discover Laos Today.

How to get to the Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng

Where are the Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng? They are mostly all located across the river from Vang Vieng Town. To get to any of the blue lagoons in Vang Vieng you will need to either take a tuk tuk or rent a scooter/ATV. I don’t recommend hiring a bicycle to get to the blue lagoons as it is at least 7 KM from Vang Vieng town to the Blue Lagoon 1, the closest and most accessible lagoon.

You can expect to pay approximately 180-200,000 Kip (~US/Euro 9-10) to rent an e-scooter for the day, a little less if you are hiring a petrol scooter. I recommend popping into Discover Laos Today to enquire about renting an e-scooter, or this shop to rent a regular scooter/motorbike.

If you are not a confident scooter driver, the easiest and safest way to get to the blue lagoons in Vang Vieng is to simply hire a tuk tuk – just make sure you agree on a price before you hop in.

I recently paid approximately 800,000 Kip (40 USD at the time) to rent a tuk tuk for 4 hours (including waiting time). Tuk tuk drivers know the directions to the different lagoons. You will also need to pay a small fee (approx 10,000 Kip) to cross the wooden bridge that spans the Nam Song River.

Keep reading for what you should know about the various blue lagoons in Vang Vieng!

The Blue Lagoon 1 in Vang Vieng

The most well known hot spot in Vang Vieng is the Blue Lagoon 1. For this reason, it is also the most crowded with busloads of tourists who head here for a day trip. In addition to the lagoon, there is also a long ziplining course and the Phu Kham Cave for avid spelunkers. Just so you know, the lagoon does have a few fish in it so don’t be surprised if you get nibbled a few times!

You can also expect a lot of people sitting by the bank of the lagoon just watching the shenanigans – personally this made me feel a little uncomfortable and I didn’t feel like I could just let loose.

Because it is the most crowded, Blue Lagoon 1 is my least favorite one, but it is the most convenient one to get to from Vang Vieng town. The entrance fee is currently 20,000 Kip per person.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng stay? The Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick for a luxury hotel in Vang Vieng. The stunning and perfectly clean rooms offer a balcony or terrace, and the restaurant serves up amazing food. Click here to check rates and availability at Riverside Boutique Resort.

I have also stayed at and recommend Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms (choose one that has a balcony) and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. Click here to see current rates at Inthira Vang Vieng.

Alternatively, you might also look into availability down the road at The Silver Naga Hotel. It is one of the original hotels in Vang Vieng and also boasts a riverside location. While the rooms are a little more dated, it also has a small infinity pool and outdoor terrace with a view, as well as daily Yoga classes. Click here to book your stay at The Silver Naga.

The Blue Lagoon 2 in Vang Vieng

The Blue Lagoon 2 is located about 7 KM southwest of Blue Lagoon 1, and has a number of different pools that you can swim in. There are small ziplines, swings and platforms and a number of deck chairs for you to sunbathe. Of all of the blue lagoons, I found that this one was the sunniest as there were no large mountains blocking the sun.

There is also a “VIP pool” at the Blue Lagoon 2, but when we visited it had tons of brown chunks floating around in it, which was very unappealing and we did not hop in.

Blue Lagoon 2 had the least number of people – if you’re after a laid-back, relaxing lagoon experience, you might want to consider heading to the Blue Lagoon 2. The entrance fee is 20,000 Kip per person.

The Blue Lagoon 3 in Vang Vieng

The Blue Lagoon 3 was one of my favorite blue lagoons and one of the furthest from Vang Vieng Town (approximately 17 KM). To get there, you have to endure broken roads and an extremely bumpy ride – by the time we arrived, I was fairly sure that my tailbone was bruised after the hour-long tuk tuk journey.

However, the long travel time is worth it because Blue Lagoon 3 is the most fun with a number of swings, ziplines, balancing beams and even a bamboo raft. Though this is not as crowded as Blue Lagoon 1, there are still a fair number of people here so don’t expect to have it all to yourself. Feeling adventurous? Try to do a back flip into the lagoon off the massive swing!

There is also a small shop here selling hot food, snacks and beer as well as toilets so you can easily spend an entire afternoon here. However, the Blue Lagoon 3 is fairly shaded as the sun is blocked in the afternoon by a large karst mountain, so the water can be chilly. The entrance fee is 20,000 Kip per person.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng trip? The Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick for a luxury hotel in Vang Vieng. I loved everything from the comfortable rooms and stunning pool, to the fantastic on-site restaurant. Click here to check rates and availability at Riverside Boutique Resort.

Also consider staying at Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms (select one that has a balcony) and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. Click here to see current rates at Inthira Vang Vieng.

You might also look into availability down the road at The Silver Naga Hotel. It is one of the original hotels in Vang Vieng and also boasts a riverside location. Click here to book your stay at The Silver Naga.

Looking for even more exciting things to do in Vang Vieng? Read on for 14 adventurous things to do in Vang Vieng, or head on over here for 5 places you have to visit in Vang Vieng that aren’t the Blue Lagoon!

The Blue Lagoon 4 in Vang Vieng

During my latest trip back to Vang Vieng I finally managed to also visit Blue Lagoon 4, located about half an hour’s drive north from Vang Vieng Town (near the Tham Nam Water Cave).

I didn’t have high expectations as I really enjoyed my previous trip to Blue Lagoon 3, but this one was a hidden gem that I could have stayed at all morning. While it is smaller than some of the other Vang Vieng blue lagoons, there is a small zipline and swing, a raft and plenty of tubes that you can chill in.

The entry cost is only 10,000 Kip as of January 2024, and I recommend getting there early as tuk tuks started arriving with other people at around 10:30 AM.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng blue lagoon adventure? The Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick for a luxury hotel in Vang Vieng. Also consider staying at Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. For a more basic option (but still conveniently located) check out The Silver Naga Hotel.

The Blue Lagoon 5 in Vang Vieng

Blue Lagoon 5 is located further past Blue Lagoon 3, northeast of Vang Vieng Town. As of January 2024 the long, nearly 40-minute drive is not worth it as the lagoon – while still blue-coloured – is not open.

There are minimal facilities here, and some local villagers allowed me to enter to take a quick look but told my driver that it hasn’t been open to visitors since the pandemic.

The Blue Lagoon 6 in Vang Vieng

Similarly, Blue Lagoon 6 (located about mid-way between lagoons 2 and 3) was looking fairly dilapidated with plenty of garbage around, and the water was no longer turquoise coloured – it was a murky brown. As of January 2024 it does not appear that Blue Lagoon 6 is open to visitors.

Bonus: the no-name secret blue lagoon in Vang Vieng

There is a small blue lagoon at the base of Tham Jang/Chang Cave that most people don’t know about. You can get to this lagoon on foot or by bicycle. To get there, head south from Vang Vieng town until you get to a fork in the road where you will see a sign for Jamee Guesthouse. Turn right down the dirt road and keep going until you reach the gate for Vang Vieng Resort. You’ll have to pay a small entry fee here to get in.

Keep going until you see an orange bridge – you’ll have to continue on foot across the bridge, turn left and follow the path until you get to the steps leading up to Tham Jang Cave. Take a left and you’ll see the natural blue pools! There’s no fee to swim in this lagoon and is sometimes even frequented by apprentice monks who go there to cool off in the summer months. Unlike the other lagoons, this one tends to stay blue even during the rainy season from July to September.

For the tl;dr crowd: head to Blue Lagoon 1 if you don’t want to travel far and want to try your hand at ziplining/caving, go to Blue Lagoon 2 for a relaxing, uncrowded day trip or the Blue Lagoon 3 or Blue Lagoon 4 if you want a mix of fun & relaxation. The entry fee for each of the lagoons is usually about 10-20,000 Kip per person, or approximately US$1.

What to bring to the Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng in Laos

• A bottle of water
• Swimsuit and change of clothes
• Towel
• Sunscreen
• Cash for the bridge toll, blue lagoon entry fees, food and drinks
• A GoPro or waterproof camera
• Kleenex as the toilets often run out of tissue

Ready to have a fun-filled day at a blue lagoon in Laos? I hope this guide helps you choose which blue lagoon in Vang Vieng to visit! If you’re staying in town for a few days, why not make it a point to visit all of the Vang Vieng blue lagoons? I recommend checking out Riverside Boutique Resort, Inthira Vang Vieng or the Silver Naga Hotel, all of which offer stunning views over the Nam Song River.

Headed to Laos? You might also find these guides helpful:

• This guide to the top places to visit in Vang Vieng is a must-read
• Read on for what to do in Vang Vieng and what you might want to skip
• Visiting Luang Prabang before or after Vang Vieng? Head on over here for the best things to do in Luang Prabang
• If you are planning to spend a few days in Vientiane check out my guide on what to see and do in Vientiane here
• Looking for more Southeast Asia travel tips? Click here for 10 things you should know before you visit Southeast Asia

Which lagoon in Vang Vieng would you hit up first? Tell me all about it in the comments section!

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