Laos in August

Our take: difficult

The wettest month: 313 mm in Luang Prabang, more than 400 mm in Vientiane and Pakse, and rain on 28 days out of 31. The Mekong nears its peak. The tourism ministry calls it the “green season”: fewer visitors, the greenest landscapes.

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

Bungalows on a riverbank below limestone peaks, in the evening light — Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash+

Laos weather in August, city by city

Luang Prabang in August

By day: 30°
At night: 23°
Rain: 313 mm
Rainy days: 28
The Mekong: High

Climate and Mekong water level in Luang Prabang, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A (current month)	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	82	Low
May	142	Low
Jun	179	Rising
Jul	288	Rising
Aug (current month)	313	High
Sep	195	High
Oct	71	Falling
Nov	23	Low
Dec	20	Low

Vientiane in August

By day: 30°
At night: 24°
Rain: 409 mm
Rainy days: 28
The Mekong: High

Climate and Mekong water level in Vientiane, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A (current month)	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	76	Low
May	254	Low
Jun	312	Rising
Jul	372	Rising
Aug (current month)	409	High
Sep	310	High
Oct	102	High
Nov	22	Falling
Dec	8	Low

Pakse in August

By day: 29°
At night: 24°
Rain: 451 mm
Rainy days: 29
The Mekong: High

Climate and Mekong water level in Pakse, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A (current month)	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	54	Low
May	191	Low
Jun	315	Rising
Jul	446	Rising
Aug (current month)	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 August

August and September are the high-water months. Vientiane's record dates from August 14, 2008 (13.66 m); in 2019, a dry year, the peak came as early as August 5 in Luang Prabang, according to the Mekong River Commission. Follow local alerts: the river can overflow.

Vientiane, on the banks of the Mekong →

The swollen, brown Mekong at its confluence with the Nam Khan in Luang Prabang, below green hills — Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Laos's August festival: Boun Khao Padap Din

Expected date in 2027 August 31 Nationwide; boat races on the Nam Khan in Luang Prabang End of the 9th lunar month, a two-day festival. In 2026: September 11. In 2027, the end of the 9th lunar month falls on August 31; the Lao date had not been published as of October 2026.

The ancestors' festival, in the middle of the rainy season: offerings for the dead at the temples. In Luang Prabang, on the same day, villages race their longboats on the Nam Khan, with a fair on the riverbank.

Get to the Nam Khan banks early to watch the races.

Our guide to Luang Prabang →

Things to do in Laos in August

The Mekong seen from the golden Buddha of Phou Salao, the plain and mountains in the distance — Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Mekong in flood from Phou Salao

From the golden Buddha on the west bank: the swollen river and the town opposite.

Pakse

A long boat glides along the river, framed by branches with red blossoms — Photo by Hakan Nural on Unsplash

Longboat races on the Nam Khan

On Khao Padap Din day, villages race their longboats off the peninsula.

Luang Prabang

The Mekong split into many channels between forested islands, seen from the air, in southern Laos — Photo by Shutterstock

Khone Phapheng in full flood

The river near its peak swells the falls and the channels between the islands; over 400 mm of rain in the month at Pakse.

Si Phan Don

A woman fishing with a net in the Mekong, by a sandbank near Vientiane — Photo by Life on the road on Unsplash

The river at its highest, from the riverside

The Mekong in flood from the promenade; temples and museums between showers.

Vientiane

Planning for Laos in August

Floods: From August 28 to 30, 2026, more than 100 villages flooded in three northern provinces, including a flash flood in Nambak district (Luang Prabang province).
Hiking: In August 2026, Phou Bia was closed to visitors because of heavy rain: check that trails are open before you set out.
Rain and roads: Road transport is often disrupted during the monsoon: leave slack in your travel plans.

Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); river levels, Mekong River Commission; festivals, Tourism Laos calendar; 2027 dates, Kapook calendar; visitor numbers, 2024 statistics of the Lao tourism ministry; floods, Laotian Times; sights, Tourism Laos and Lonely Planet; safety and roads, FCDO. Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.