Laos in April

Our take: fair

The hottest month: 33 to 34 °C in the afternoon in Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Pakse, with the first showers. The river is at its lowest. From April 14 to 16, Lao New Year, Pi Mai, is a nationwide public holiday.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated October 13, 2026 · sources

A village street in Laos, houses and stalls along the road — Photo by Mykhailo Petrushchak on Pexels

Laos weather in April, city by city

Luang Prabang in April

By day: 33°
At night: 23°
Rain: 82 mm
Rainy days: 12
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Luang Prabang, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A (current month)	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Airhigh / low
Rainmm	20	10	35	82	142	179	288	313	195	71	23	20
Daysof rain	3	2	6	12	20	23	26	28	23	12	5	3
Mekonglevel	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low	Rising	Rising	High	High	Falling	Low	Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Luang Prabang, month by month
Month	mm	River
Jan	20	Low
Feb	10	Low
Mar	35	Low
Apr (current month)	82	Low
May	142	Low
Jun	179	Rising
Jul	288	Rising
Aug	313	High
Sep	195	High
Oct	71	Falling
Nov	23	Low
Dec	20	Low

Vientiane in April

By day: 34°
At night: 24°
Rain: 76 mm
Rainy days: 12
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Vientiane, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A (current month)	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Airhigh / low
Rainmm	11	14	38	76	254	312	372	409	310	102	22	8
Daysof rain	2	2	6	12	23	25	27	28	25	12	3	1
Mekonglevel	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low	Rising	Rising	High	High	High	Falling	Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Vientiane, month by month
Month	mm	River
Jan	11	Low
Feb	14	Low
Mar	38	Low
Apr (current month)	76	Low
May	254	Low
Jun	312	Rising
Jul	372	Rising
Aug	409	High
Sep	310	High
Oct	102	High
Nov	22	Falling
Dec	8	Low

Pakse in April

By day: 34°
At night: 25°
Rain: 54 mm
Rainy days: 11
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Pakse, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A (current month)	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Airhigh / low
Rainmm	2	4	25	54	191	315	446	451	343	138	36	6
Daysof rain	1	1	5	11	23	27	29	29	27	17	5	1
Mekonglevel	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low	Rising	Rising	High	High	High	Falling	Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Pakse, month by month
Month	mm	River
Jan	2	Low
Feb	4	Low
Mar	25	Low
Apr (current month)	54	Low
May	191	Low
Jun	315	Rising
Jul	446	Rising
Aug	451	High
Sep	343	High
Oct	138	High
Nov	36	Falling
Dec	6	Low

Air and rain: Open-Meteo, archive ERA5, 1991-2020 averages (retrieved October 11, 2026). Mekong level: Mekong River Commission, Pakse station, median of 2020-2025, 6.7 m between the lowest and highest months. The current month is outlined.

The Mekong in Laos in April

April ends the low-water period. The monsoon sets in during May: in 2018, the Mekong River Commission dated its start to May 5 in Luang Prabang and May 27 in Vientiane. The river only rises sharply from July.

The slow boat, stop by stop →

A fisherman in a long boat on the Mekong, in front of exposed rocks below wooded hills — Photo by shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Laos's April festival: Pi Mai, Lao New Year

Expected public holidays in 2027 April 14 to 16 Nationwide, with Luang Prabang and Vientiane in the lead Public holidays April 14 to 16 in 2026. The official 2027 calendar is expected in late December: the 2026 one came out on December 29, 2025.

Three public holidays for the Lao new year, which the tourism office highlights in Luang Prabang and Vientiane. In the temples, Buddha statues are sprinkled with scented water; in the streets, the celebration turns into a water fight.

Keep your phone and papers in a dry bag: nobody stays dry in the street.
Book hotels and transport before you go: it's also a regional holiday period.

Luang Prabang during Pi Mai →

Things to do in Laos in April

The Mekong split into many channels between forested islands, seen from the air, in the 4,000 Islands — Photo by Shutterstock

Hammocks and bikes in the 4000 Islands

Cycling at sunrise, a hammock in the midday heat.

Si Phan Don

The tiered roofs of Vat Xieng Thong and a stupa, under a blue sky — Photo by Hongbin on Unsplash

Lao New Year in the old royal capital

April 14 to 16: Buddha statues sprinkled in the temples, water fights in the streets.

Luang Prabang

Sunset over the Mekong at Vientiane, people walking on the sandbank — Photo by Kylli Kittus on Unsplash

The Mekong riverside at day's end

Vientiane's promenade once the 34 °C afternoon heat eases.

Vientiane

Visitors on a wooden footbridge over a turquoise pool, a waterfall behind — Photo by Swapnil kulkarni on Unsplash

Cooling off in the Kuang Si pools

33 °C in the afternoon in Luang Prabang: some 30 km away, pools open for swimming.

Kuang Si

Planning for Laos in April

Heat: On average 33 to 34 °C in the afternoon (Open-Meteo); some years much more: 38 to 41 °C was forecast in Vientiane in early April 2026.
Air quality: On April 4, 2026, Luang Prabang recorded 170 µg/m³ of PM2.5, more than ten times the WHO 24-hour guideline. Wear an N95 mask on smoky days.
Crowds: Pi Mai and regional holidays make March to June busy with travelers from the region, according to the tourism ministry.

Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); river levels, Mekong River Commission; festivals, Tourism Laos calendar; public holidays, Vientiane Times (December 2025); visitor numbers, 2024 statistics of the Lao tourism ministry; air quality, Laotian Times and WHO; sights, Tourism Laos. Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.