Laos in February

Our take: ideal

Still the dry season, with warmer afternoons: 30 °C in Luang Prabang, 32 °C in Pakse. The river keeps falling. In the south, the full moon of the third lunar month draws pilgrims to Vat Phou, at Champasak.

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

Vang Vieng in the early morning, bungalows below limestone peaks in the mist — Photo by Nicholas moreau on Pexels

Laos weather in February, city by city

Luang Prabang in February

By day: 30°
At night: 17°
Rain: 10 mm
Rainy days: 2
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Luang Prabang, month by month
Month	J	F (current month)	M	A	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 (current month)	10	Low
Mar	35	Low
Apr	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 February

By day: 30°
At night: 19°
Rain: 14 mm
Rainy days: 2
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Vientiane, month by month
Month	J	F (current month)	M	A	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 (current month)	14	Low
Mar	38	Low
Apr	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 February

By day: 32°
At night: 20°
Rain: 4 mm
Rainy days: 1
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Pakse, month by month
Month	J	F (current month)	M	A	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 (current month)	4	Low
Mar	25	Low
Apr	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 February

The river keeps falling toward its lowest levels in March and April, according to the Mekong River Commission. Banks are exposed and rocks come closer to the surface: the UK government advises choosing boats with life jackets and avoiding overloaded ones.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang in two days by boat →

A wide sandy bank exposed along the Mekong in Vientiane, under a hazy sky, beside the embankment — Photo by calflier001 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Laos's February festival: Boun Vat Phou

Expected main day in 2027 February 21 Vat Phou, Champasak Full moon of the 3rd lunar month; the festival lasts about three days. In 2026, January 31 to February 2. In 2027, it is expected around February 21, Makha Bucha day in Thailand; the Lao date had not been published as of October 2026.

The festival of Champasak's Khmer temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site: alms to the monks at dawn, a candlelit procession in the evening and a fair around the site. On the same day, the whole country marks Makha Bucha, Boun Khao Chi, offering grilled sticky rice to the monks.

Wait for the official dates: they follow the lunar calendar.
Wear covering clothes to climb to the sanctuary.

Our guide to Champasak →

Things to do in Laos in February

The ruins of Vat Phou, the Khmer temple at Champasak, a UNESCO World Heritage site — Photo by Suraphat Nuea-on on Pexels

Vat Phou in the morning

The Khmer temple at the foot of the mountain, best before the afternoon heat.

Champasak

The bamboo bridge on stilts across the Nam Khan, below a wooded bank — Photo by Shutterstock

Crossing the Nam Khan on the bamboo bridge

Rebuilt every dry season, washed away by the flood: in February, it's up.

Luang Prabang

A sunlit gallery of yellow pillars in a Vientiane temple — Photo by Rob te Braake on Unsplash

Grilled rice for Boun Khao Chi in Vientiane

On Makha Bucha day, grilled sticky rice is offered to the monks; 19 °C at dawn, 30 °C in the afternoon.

Vientiane

Kuang Si Falls, the water dropping in tiers into turquoise pools — Photo by Hongbin on Unsplash

The blue pools of Kuang Si

Bluish water in the dry season and most pools open for swimming, says the tourism office.

Kuang Si

Planning for Laos in February

Crowds: Still high season: 92,577 long-haul arrivals in February 2024, against 103,993 in December.
Air quality: Burning season in the north: France reports fine-particle (PM2.5) peaks of around 200 µg/m³ and advises an N95 mask on smoky days.
Packing: Light clothes by day, a layer for northern mornings, and covering clothes for temples.

Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); river levels, Mekong River Commission; festivals, Tourism Laos calendar; 2027 dates, Bank of Thailand; visitor numbers, 2024 statistics of the Lao tourism ministry; air quality, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; sights, Tourism Laos; safety and roads, FCDO. Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.