Name: Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham
Address: Laos
Rating: 4.0

#12 of 90 things to do in Luang Prabang

Religious Sites

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This early 19th-century temple was deemed to beautiful to destroy by the Chinese Haw.

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6-Day Private Laos Tour to Vientiane, Pak Ou Cave, Luang Prabang
2
Bus Tours
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$1,649.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
4-Day Classic Laos Tour from Vientiane to Luang Prabang
Historical Tours
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$508.72
per adult
Guided Exploring Luang Prabang Full-Day Tour
Adventure Tours
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$69.00
per adult
Luang Prabang Day Tour, Laos
Historical Tours
from
$159.00
per adult (price varies by group size)
Private Half Day Pedalling Leisurely through Luang Prabang
Bus Tours
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$84.33
per adult (price varies by group size)
The Essence of Luang Prabang
Bus Tours
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$73.08
per adult (price varies by group size)
An Unforgettable Journey through Luang Prabang
Full-day Tours
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$102.02
per adult (price varies by group size)
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Luang Prabang World Heritage Half Day City Tour
11
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90% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
Historical Tours
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$61.54
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The area

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Restaurants

192 within 3 miles

Main Street Bar and Grill

322

0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Bar • Asian • Grill

Bouang

833

0.2 mi$ • Asian • Fusion • Healthy

Khaiphaen

1,030

0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Healthy • Vegetarian friendly

Yuni Yupoun Restaurant

212

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • International • Asian • Fusion

Tangor

1,445

0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French • Asian • Contemporary

Cafe Toui

683

0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Vegetarian friendly • Vegan options

Joma Bakery Cafe

1,735

0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Bakeries • Cafe • Vegetarian friendly

Indigo Cafe

606

0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Healthy • Vegetarian friendly

Bamboo Garden Restaurant

329

0.4 mi$ • Asian • Healthy • Vegetarian friendly

Saffron Coffee

706

0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • Cafe • International

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Attractions

62 within 6 miles

Luang Prabang Night Market

3,495

107 ftFlea & Street Markets

Luang Prabang Library

508 ftFlea & Street Markets • Farmers Markets

Royal Palace Museum

2,405

0.1 miSpeciality Museums

388 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks

MandaLao Elephant Conservation

596

0.2 miNature & Wildlife Areas

Wat Chom Si

6

0.1 miReligious Sites

Wat Phonxay Sanasongkham

15

0.1 miReligious Sites

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See what travelers are saying

LolaGo1
Washington DC, District of Columbia6,632 contributions
First attraction I visited in Luang Prabang
Located accross from my Guest House in the Old Quarter, it was the first attraction I visited after checking in. The side entrance is only few feets away from my Guest House. In addition to the beautiful temple, there are several more buildings inside. Took several pictures here and bid good bye tomthe young monks I saw around here.
Visited April 2024
Traveled solo
Written April 16, 2024
dianedinky
Dunfermline, United Kingdom1,346 contributions
Stunning
My first morning in Laos and what a first impression! Luang Prabang was not what I had imagined and is just so scenic and full of interesting places to see, including the Wat Mai complex. My tour group was able to get inside all the buildings. Photography was restricted in one but no problems in going in and walking round. Naturally, being such a stunning area, it does get very crowded but you just have to be either patient or do the buildings in a different order depending on how busy they are. Absolutely a must do when in Luang Prabang.
Visited February 2024
Traveled solo
Written May 3, 2024
annminky
United States3,937 contributions
Stunning Temple
My 3rd day in LP, and this temple is stunning. They expect you to dress moderately. My dress was probably 1 inch above my knee, but I was aloud to tour this place. You do have to take your footwear off when entering the temple. Nice place to visit while in LP.
Visited May 2024
Traveled solo
Written May 11, 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

4.0

330 reviews

Excellent

114

Very good

171

Average

43

Poor

2

Terrible

0

Cartertravels15

Alton, UK195 contributions

A beautiful temple near the Royal Palace museum

Dec 2019

Glad we saw this temple as many other people were just going into the Royal palace.Maybe they didn't have time .The golden bass relief is so intricate.This temple is the largest one in Luang Prabang.It has a five tiered roof and a roofed veranda which is unusual.Beautifully decorated which meant it was spared being destroyed by the Haw gangs who thought it too wonderful to destroy.Wellworth seeing

Written January 26, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dianedinky

Dunfermline, UK1,346 contributions

Stunning

Feb 2024 • Solo

My first morning in Laos and what a first impression!
Luang Prabang was not what I had imagined and is just so scenic and full of interesting places to see, including the Wat Mai complex.
My tour group was able to get inside all the buildings. Photography was restricted in one but no problems in going in and walking round.
Naturally, being such a stunning area, it does get very crowded but you just have to be either patient or do the buildings in a different order depending on how busy they are.
Absolutely a must do when in Luang Prabang.

Written May 3, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LolaGo1

Washington DC, DC6,632 contributions

First attraction I visited in Luang Prabang

Apr 2024 • Solo

Located accross from my Guest House in the Old Quarter, it was the first attraction I visited after checking in. The side entrance is only few feets away from my Guest House. In addition to the beautiful temple, there are several more buildings inside.

Took several pictures here and bid good bye tomthe young monks I saw around here.

Written April 16, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annminky

United States3,937 contributions

Stunning Temple

May 2024 • Solo

My 3rd day in LP, and this temple is stunning. They expect you to dress moderately. My dress was probably 1 inch above my knee, but I was aloud to tour this place. You do have to take your footwear off when entering the temple. Nice place to visit while in LP.

Written May 11, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelusMaximus

Calgary, Canada691 contributions

Mesmerizing, magical, mysterious evening chanting

Jan 2015 • Solo

Just as the night market is winding up on Luang Prabang's Main Street, you may suddenly notice a haunting sound drifting thru the starlit air. The rhythmic sound draws you into the grounds of Wat Mai. Then, through a doorway into the main temple, you see 16 monks seated in a geometric pattern, facing the many golden Buddhas, reciting their evening chants. As long as you abide by the many rules laid out in perfect English on a prominent sign (no flash, no talking, just sit quietly at the very back & do not disturb the monks), you are most welcome to observe and take NON-flash photos. Mesmerizing, magical, mysterious.

Written January 25, 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Orator11

Singapore, Singapore7,442 contributions

Lovely temple

Jul 2019 • Couples

Nice temple, and within easy walk of most hotels. The morning market starts behind, while the night tourist market runs across the front, 10000 kip for an entry ticket, but lots of things to see and take photos of within a small compound. After the visit, you can head to the Royal Museum next door, of Mount Phousi across the road.

Do also check out the small library across.

Written July 17, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelerTrecker

Houston830 contributions

It is one of the most important wats in Luang prabang!

Nov 2017 • Family

It is one of the few temples to have survived in its original form. The roofs are quite nice and low. The exterior is opulent; it is covered with red, black, and gold stencil. The columns are nice. Other temples are more impressive (i.e. Wat Xieng Thong).

They now charge foreigners to visit it at day time. At night, they do not charge and you can see a nice ceremony at 600 pm. It is at a side of the night market road.

When we visited during day time, we were not charged. I am not sure if it was because we entered from the back of the temple.
A Laotian friend is upset because of these charges. He said that shrines, churches and mosques should not charge visitors unless they become a museum. I think he is right by principle.

The visit is short.

Written January 14, 2018

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raelene H

Melbourne, Australia1,499 contributions

Wonderful complex

Feb 2017 • Couples

Centrally located near the Royal Palace museum and the night market, this is very easy to find and a great place to visit. We visited towards the end of the day - a little cooler and the light is better for photos. Apart from the impressive wat and great interior we were invited to stay and sit just outside the doors to the main temple when evening prayers commenced and the ladies taking the entrance fee were packing up to go home. Made the experience even more memorable.

Written February 28, 2017

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

breweruk

Brookmans Park, UK3,075 contributions

Enchanting wat in the middle of the city

Apr 2013 • Couples

This is a great place if you want to see everyday life of the monks going on as you wander around. Everything is laid back and welcoming. And nothing seems out of bounds. Try to fit this in with Wat Tham Phu Si and Wat Xieng Thong in one day before heading to the main street for a drink.

Written April 26, 2013

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ann T

Pascoe Vale, Australia1,397 contributions

Brilliant decoration

Apr 2013 • Family

This is one of the most attractive temples in Lunag Prabang. The exterior is covered with brilliant black, red and gold stencil work which they were redoing when we were there to make sure the temple looked at its best for the New Year celebrations.

Written April 24, 2013

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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