08:00 — Croissants and lao coffee. Vientiane's French inheritance survives deliciously in its bakeries. Fuel up in the old quarter near Nam Phou fountain.
09:00 — Pha That Luang. Start at the nation's most sacred monument: a great gilded stupa, symbol of Laos itself, believed to enshrine a relic of the Buddha and rebuilt over centuries. The gold blazes best in morning light; cover shoulders and knees.
11:00 — Patuxai. The "Victory Gate" looks like the Arc de Triomphe reimagined with Lao naga finials. Climb the internal stairs for a view down the capital's grandest boulevard, and enjoy the plaque inside that cheerfully calls the unfinished structure a "monster of concrete."
13:00 — Lunch, Lao style. Order tam mak hoong (fiery green papaya salad), grilled Mekong fish, laap, and sticky rice — the national quartet.
15:00 — Wat Si Saket and Haw Phra Kaew. Facing each other across a quiet street: Wat Si Saket, whose cloister walls hold thousands of small Buddha figures in niches and which survived the city's 19th-century destruction, and Haw Phra Kaew, the former royal temple that once housed the Emerald Buddha and is now a museum.
17:30 — Mekong sunset. Join seemingly the whole city on the riverfront promenade: outdoor aerobics, grilled snacks, and the sun dropping behind the Thai bank. Stay for the night market's red-roofed stalls.
