10 BEST Hostels in Luang Prabang (Insider Guide!)

Though not a huge city, Luang Prabang does draw in a bit of a backpacker crowd. As such, there are a number of cool budget accommodations across Luang Prabang and its areas and neighbourhoods. Before you book a hostel, think about where to stay in Luang Prabang and what vibe you’re after; in the central areas tends to be more lively while the outskirt villages are good for some peace and quiet.

1. White Elephant Hostel: Best Overall Hostel

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• Price: $$
• Best for: Social backpackers who want a pool, a bit of buzz, and a solid base near everything
• Highlights: Outdoor pool, social vibe with events, modern dorm setup, strong WiFi
• Dorms from: $10 per night
• Private rooms from: $20 per night
• Location: Thong Chareun Village

On paper, White Elephant Hostel ticks all the usual backpacker boxes. Cheap beds, central location, free breakfast, and a pool thrown in for good measure. Standard stuff. But then you show up, and it’s immediately clear this place is running a slightly tighter ship than your average budget crash pad in Luang Prabang. It’s sociable, slightly boozy, and just enough energy to pull you out of your shell without feeling like you’ve been roped into ‘organised fun’.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• It’s not a full-blown party hostel, but it’s definitely social with a drinking edge
• A short walk away from the Night Market and the old town
• The outdoor swimming pool is the heart of the hostel

Cleanliness is taken very seriously for a dorm you’ll be forking out less than 10 bucks a night for. Dorms are modern, beds come with curtains, and plugs are where you need them. Sure, bathrooms can take a hit during peak times, but it comes with the territory of a place this popular. White Elephant isn’t trying to be the wildest hostel in Laos or the most luxurious. It’s just one of those hostels where everything works, the vibe feels right, and extending seems very easy.

2. Funny Riverside Backpackers: Best for Chill Vibes

• Price: $
• Best for: Backpackers chasing a cheap, social stay with a slightly chaotic edge
• Highlights: Riverside location, lively social vibe, free breakfast, regular drinking games, strong backpacker crowd
• Dorms from: $12
• Private rooms from: N/A
• Location: Set along the Nam Khan River

Funny Riverside Backpackers is a classic hostel that you’ll see crop up again and again in Laos. It’s no frills, doesn’t promise the world, but somehow comes across as oh-so charming. The bathrooms aren’t spotless, you might have to play bag tetris in the dorms, but there’s a vibe about the place that makes backpackers stay for waaaay longer than intended. It’s chilled enough that it naturally feels very social. You can spend the day doing your own thing, come back, and still fall into a group without much effort.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Sociable, but chill. AKA, you won’t be lumped into a game of beer pong at 2am
• Great common areas to sit, work, and socialise
• Outdoor swimming pool with a lovely view of the river

The riverside location is one of the main pulls. There’s a terrace, a pool, a scattering of sunbeds, and enough space to sprawl out with a coffee or a beer. By mid-afternoon, it starts filling up with the usual backpacker crowd swapping stories, comparing plans, and making vague promises about heading out later that may or may not materialise. The staff are golden too – helpful without hovering, happy to sort transport, tours, or whatever else you can’t be bothered organising yourself. This is life in Laos at its best: slow-paced, low-key and full of interesting characters.

3. Mad Monkey Luang Prabang: Best Party Hostel

• Price: $$
• Best for: Social travellers who want a structured party vibe
• Highlights: Pool with sunset views, nightly events, strong staff reputation
• Dorms from: $9
• Private rooms from: N/A (dorm-focused setup)
• Location: Naviengkham Village

Mad Monkey in Luang Prabang is one of those places where you already know what you’re getting into. The party capital of South East Asia, Mad Monkey knows how to slowly suck you in to taking just oneeeeee more shot… The vibes start chill in the day, around the infinity pool, soaking up the sun and hostel life by day. But as the sun sets, the energy shifts to the adjacent onsite fire pit for some crazy parties, cool events and signature cocktails.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• There’s a steady rotation of events every single day – quiz nights, games nights, walking tours, group trips to Kuang Si Falls
• The staff are legends. Warm, crazy energy and hell-bent on making sure no one sits on their phone alone.
• Free-flow beer hours to get the party started

The whole place has a very modern and clean vibe, making you feel super comfy right upon arrival. The dorms are air-conditioned, equipped with good beds and clean bathrooms. The trade-off with any Mad Monkey is that you’ll never be smack bang in the centre of town. It’s not a dealbreaker, but you’ll notice it when popping out for food or wandering to the night market turns into a bigger side quest than you had anticipated.

4. Sa Sa Lao: Best for Chill, Riverside Vibes

• Price: $
• Best for: Travellers who want a quiet, nature-heavy stay and don’t mind being outside the centre
• Highlights: Riverside bamboo bungalows, swimming access to the Nam Khan River, strong ‘do nothing’ energy
• Dorms from: $5
• Private rooms from: $20
• Location: Along the Nam Khan River

Sa Sa Lao is still in Luang Prabang, but it feels like you’ve stepped slightly outside it. The whole place sits right on the Nam Khan river, built out of bamboo, surrounded by greenery, with terraces hanging over the water forcing you to slow TF down. Your whole day is built around the river. There are platforms for swimming, shaded areas to sit and do absolutely nothing, and enough spots to park yourself with a book.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• SUPER super chill riverside vibes
• Hammocks right next to the river
• Cool vibey backpacker crowd that runs a little older

The atmosphere at Sa Sa Lao is much like the river, slow, unhurried and super chill. There are no organised events, no drinking games, no pressure to join anything. People still talk to each other, but it happens naturally, usually over dinner or while sitting around the communal areas. When you’re ready to enter back into civilisation, it’s just 10 minutes by motorbike or a fun trip on the hostel’s FREE, 100% solar-powered shuttle boat. Talk about rocking up in style.

5. La Casa Nostra: Best for Homestay Vibes

• Price: $$
• Best for: Travellers who want a social, home-style stay with shared meals
• Highlights: Free breakfast, communal dinners, strong social atmosphere, garden setting, highly rated staff
• Dorms from: $8
• Private rooms from: $20
• Location: Ban Mano Road, around 15–20 minutes’ walk to the Night Market and old town

La Casa Nostra is one of those places that looks like a normal hostel online… and then you get there and realise it’s basically someone’s house that accidentally turned into a really good place to stay. You’ll quickly feel at home pitching in at family dinners or lounging in the garden for a chat. The rooms themselves keep things simple. Clean, comfortable, and functional without all the bells and whistles.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Community vibes where people stick around for a while
• Free family dinners a few times a week
• Staff are involved, present, and genuinely helpful

Although in a quieter location, it’s an easy walk to the centre of town and historic attractions. It’s also possible to reach the river front by foot. La Casa Nostra doesn’t try to compete with the louder, bigger hostels in town. It doesn’t need to. It offers something different, something slower, something a bit more human.

Get Insured for Your Trip to Luang Prabang

Unfortunately, things can go wrong when you least expect it. This is why good travel insurance is essential before you head on your trip to Luang Prabang.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

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As you can tell, hostels in Luang Prabang are pretty same same in slightly different fonts. Some run a little more social than others, but for the most part they’re pretty in line with how chill the city is as a whole.

If Luang Prabang is your first stop in Laos and you’re looking for a gang to travel the rest of the country with, check out White Elephant Hostel. It’s social without teetering into crazy party territory.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to do what you’re meant to do in Laos, which is laze about by the river, Sa Sa Lao will be right up your street. You’ve got hammocks, a complete lack of traffic and good ‘ol Laotian hospitality to get you by.

No matter where you check into, make sure you check out the waterfalls, fall into the sleepy pace of life and play a game or two at the cities only form of nightlife: the bowling alley (because it’s weird, and well, why not?).