Laos
Practical guide
Laos is in Southeast Asia. It has 7,873,046 inhabitants across 236,800 km². It borders 5 countries. It is landlocked. Its capital is Vientiane. People speak Lao and the currency is the Laotian Kip (LAK). Ezplora has pages for 15 of its cities, with month-by-month climate and the distances between them.
- Capital
- Vientiane
- Population
- 7,873,046
- Area
- 236,800 km²
- Currency
- Laotian Kip · LAK
- Languages
- Lao
- Time zone
- Asia/Vientiane
- Dialling code
- +856
- Domain
- .la
When to go to Laos
The best months to visit Vientiane are January, November and December. In Vientiane, daytime highs go from 28° in December to 35° in April. The wettest month is August (335 mm) and the driest is January (5 mm). The rainy season runs from May to September. From March to June, highs go above 33°.
Weather in Vientiane month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| high | 29° | 31° | 34° | 35° | 33° | 33° | 32° | 32° | 32° | 31° | 30° | 28° |
| low | 16° | 17° | 20° | 23° | 24° | 25° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 22° | 19° | 15° |
| rain | 5 mm | 14 mm | 35 mm | 84 mm | 237 mm | 292 mm | 305 mm | 335 mm | 275 mm | 91 mm | 14 mm | 5 mm |
1970–2000 normals (WorldClim 2.1). Monthly rainfall total.
Cities in Laos
- Vientianecapital · 178 m
- Savannakhet152 m
- Thakhek175 m
- Pakse106 m
- Ban Khoan374 m
- Xam Nua959 m
- Luang Prabang292 m
- Muang Phônsavan1,105 m
- Ban Xénô196 m
- Muang Xay652 m
- Vang Vieng241 m
- Muang Sing644 m
- Pakxan154 m
- Ban Laongam545 m
- Sekong147 m
Distances in Laos
- Vientiane → Savannakhet361 km 1 h 5 min · 4 h 49 min
- Vientiane → Thakhek338 km 1 h 3 min · 4 h 8 min
- Vientiane → Pakse601 km 1 h 19 min · 7 h 38 min
- Vientiane → Ban Khoan667 km 1 h 12 min · 10 h 8 min
- Vientiane → Xam Nua595 km 1 h 8 min · 7 h 19 min
- Vientiane → Luang Prabang309 km 1 h 1 min · 3 h 57 min
1 h 5 min · 
4 h 49 minNeighboring countries
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Laos?
The capital of Laos is Vientiane.
What currency is used in Laos?
Laos uses the Laotian Kip (LAK).
What language is spoken in Laos?
In Laos, people speak Lao.
When is the best time to visit Laos?
The best months to visit Vientiane are January, November and December. In Vientiane, daytime highs go from 28° in December to 35° in April. The wettest month is August (335 mm) and the driest is January (5 mm). The rainy season runs from May to September. From March to June, highs go above 33°.
Data from Banco Mundial, GeoNames and WorldClim. Photo from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).