Place · Phou Si, Royal Palace & Wat Mai
Wat Maiວັດໃໝ່
A 15-minute stop beside the palace museum: the five-tiered roof and gilded doors of Wat Mai; go early, before the tour groups.
Key facts
- Time on site
- 15–25 min
- p95 40 min
- Price
- ₭10,000–20,000
- bring cash
- Hours
- unknown
- see note below
- Best time
- 08:00 or 17:00
- desk crowd estimate
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Phou Si, Royal Palace & Wat Mai: painful
- Getting there
- Sisavangvong Road, next to the Royal Palace Museum
- Five-tiered roof
- Gilded reliefs
- Next to the palace
- Bring cash
- Works with kids
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Laos ↗Get the visa only from the official government e-visa portal or at the airport or border desk; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Laos ↗Carry Lao kip in small notes; small shops, tuk-tuks and markets are cash-only, and Thai baht or US dollars are only accepted at some tourist businesses.
- Laos ↗At dawn alms-giving, watch from across the street, keep quiet, never use flash and never touch a monk.
- Northern Laos ↗Roughly Feb–Apr the north is hazy from crop burning: check the air quality before you book a viewpoint or a long day trip.
- Luang Prabang ↗The old town goes quiet from about 23:00 and many guesthouses lock their door for the night: tell your hotel your arrival time and ask how to ring for the night staff.
- Luang Prabang ↗Dawn alms-giving is a religious act, not a show: stay on the far side of the street, keep quiet, no flash and no touching.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Quietest around 08:00 or 17:00
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: ₭10,000–20,000 (2026 estimate)
- Time to spend
- 15–25 min · up to 40 min if you linger
Know before you go
- Wat Mai dates from the end of the 18th century and is one of the best-known temples in the old town.
- During the Lao New Year in mid-April, the Phra Bang Buddha image is brought here for a ritual bathing.
- The temple has a five-tiered roof, a feature that marks its importance.
- It is a working temple with resident monks.
Best time of day
Plan 15–25 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate, ordinary weekday
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
10min
Worthwhile
15min
Typical
25min
p95
40min
Opening hours are not printed until verified; the temple is usually open daily with a small fee (check).
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Bring cash; cards may not be taken (check).
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off inside the halls.
- Shoes: Off before the hall.
- Photos
- Allowed outside; ask inside.
- What's closed
- WeeklycheckOpen daily in general; confirm.
- Lao New Year (mid-April)checkCrowded and partly closed for ceremonies.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | ₭10,000–20,000 (2026 estimate) | — |
How to do it well
- 1Walk south-west from the palace museum for about 4 minutes.
- 2Pay the small fee at the gate and remove shoes before the hall.
- 3Look at the five-tiered roof and the gilded relief panels on the doors and walls.
- 4Leave for Phou Si or a café before the coaches arrive.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Sisavangvong Road, next to the Royal Palace Museum
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- on site · official site · bring cash
- Stairs
- unknown
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Tour groups mid-morning; quiet at opening and late afternoon.
- Sensory load
- 2/5
- Exposure
- medium
Bailouts
heat
Café on Sisavangvong Road (AC)
rain
Covered veranda of the temple
Nearest rescue anchor: B — Wat Mai courtyard
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partly
- Lifts: check · check
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partly
- Stroller: yes · yesok
Steps at the main hall; open forecourt.
Combine with
- 4 minRoyal Palace Museum
- 5 minPhou Si
Walk the Phou Si, Royal Palace & Wat Mai area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Red lines
- Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off inside.
- Do not point your feet at Buddha images or touch monks.
More on the groundSkip it if · With kids
With kids
- with kids
- A short, easy stop; keep hands off the gilded panels.
- child price
- check
Skip it if
- You are short of time and prefer Wat Xieng Thong.
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
Good for rain?
Yes, the veranda gives cover.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it a working temple?
Yes; monks live and study here, so be quiet.
When is it busiest?
Mid-morning tour groups and Lao New Year.
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterPhou Si, Royal Palace & Wat Mainearest point: Wat Mai courtyard10 m · 1 min walk
- Sleep areaSisavangvong Road (old-town core)70 m · 1 min walk
- ClusterSisavangvong South & Wat Hosian180 m · 3 min walk
- PlaceRoyal Palace Museum (National Museum)190 m · 3 min walk
- PlacePhou Si (hill and viewpoint)280 m · 5 min walk
- PlaceWat Hosian380 m · 6 min walk
Sources
- officialUNESCO — Town of Luang Prabang
- secondaryWikivoyage — Luang Prabang