Laos in July

Our take: difficult

The height of the monsoon: 288 mm of rain on average in Luang Prabang, 446 mm in Pakse, and rain on 26 days out of 31 in the north. The Mekong rises fast. On July 18, 2027, Boun Khao Phansa opens the three months of Buddhist Lent.

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

A river between the trees, below mountains in the clouds — Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Pexels

Laos weather in July, city by city

Luang Prabang in July

By day: 30°
At night: 24°
Rain: 288 mm
Rainy days: 26
The Mekong: Rising

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

Vientiane in July

By day: 30°
At night: 24°
Rain: 372 mm
Rainy days: 27
The Mekong: Rising

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

Pakse in July

By day: 29°
At night: 24°
Rain: 446 mm
Rainy days: 29
The Mekong: Rising

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

The river rises sharply from July, the Mekong River Commission notes. Its level can jump dramatically within hours, the UK government warns: in 2025, the Mekong reached alarm level in Vientiane on July 29.

The capital on the river →

The high, brown Mekong between forested banks near Pak Beng, under a cloudy sky — Photo by Gzzz on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Laos's July festival: Boun Khao Phansa

Expected date in 2027 July 18 Temples across the country Full moon of the 8th lunar month, the same day as Asanha Bucha. In 2026: July 29. In 2027, Asanha Bucha falls on July 18 in Thailand; the Lao date had not been published as of October 2026.

The start of Buddhist Lent: for three months, monks stay in their monasteries. In the morning, worshippers bring offerings to the temple; in the evening, they walk around it, candles in hand.

Covering clothes and shoes that slip off easily to enter temples.

Things to do in Laos in July

Golden stupas in front of a temple in Luang Prabang — Photo by Bo Pan on Unsplash

Khao Phansa candles in Luang Prabang

The start of Buddhist Lent: offerings in the morning, a candlelit walk around the temple at night.

Luang Prabang

A Vientiane street lined with buildings, a woman walking past parked cars — Photo by Adrian Fleur on Unsplash

Vientiane as a fallback base

The easiest town when rain disrupts the roads: temples, museums and cafés.

Vientiane

Tad Yuang waterfall in full flow, in the forest of the Bolaven Plateau — Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tad Fane and Tad Yuang in full flow

The plateau's falls swollen by the monsoon; grippy shoes for the muddy trails.

Bolaven Plateau

Tiered waterfalls in the forest near Luang Prabang — Photo by note thanun on Unsplash

Kuang Si in green water

Deep green water in the rainy season, says the tourism office, and far more water than in winter.

Kuang Si

Planning for Laos in July

Floods: In late July 2024, floods and landslides hit the north, including Luang Prabang province; in 2026, two waves of flooding in Khammouane, from July 3 to 17 and again from August 5, affected some 151,000 residents and damaged roads and bridges.
Boats: Strong currents, changing levels and hidden obstacles: life jackets and no overloaded boats, the UK government reminds travelers.
Crowds: Low season: 20,705 long-haul arrivals in July 2024.

Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); river levels, Mekong River Commission and Vientiane Times (July 2025); festivals, Tourism Laos calendar; 2027 dates, Bank of Thailand; visitor numbers, 2024 statistics of the Lao tourism ministry; floods, ReliefWeb, Laotian Times and KPL (September 2026); sights, Tourism Laos; safety and roads, FCDO. Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.