Laos in November

Our take: ideal

The rains are over, skies are clear and mornings are cool in the north. The river is falling but still high: the slow boat moves fast. It's also the month of Boun That Luang, in Vientiane.

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

Farmers walking through terraced rice fields at harvest time — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Laos weather in November, city by city

Luang Prabang in November

By day: 28°
At night: 19°
Rain: 23 mm
Rainy days: 5
The Mekong: Low

Climate and Mekong water level in Luang Prabang, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N (current month)	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	313	High
Sep	195	High
Oct	71	Falling
Nov (current month)	23	Low
Dec	20	Low

Vientiane in November

By day: 29°
At night: 20°
Rain: 22 mm
Rainy days: 3
The Mekong: Falling

Climate and Mekong water level in Vientiane, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N (current month)	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	409	High
Sep	310	High
Oct	102	High
Nov (current month)	22	Falling
Dec	8	Low

Pakse in November

By day: 30°
At night: 21°
Rain: 36 mm
Rainy days: 5
The Mekong: Falling

Climate and Mekong water level in Pakse, month by month
Month	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N (current month)	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	451	High
Sep	343	High
Oct	138	High
Nov (current month)	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 November

After the August and September flood, the river drops without being low. The current still carries the boats: the slow boat arrives before dark and the banks are green. Sandbanks reappear in December.

The Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat →

The Mekong at Luang Prabang, boats on choppy water below wooded hills and clouds — Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Laos's November festival: Boun That Luang

Main day in 2026 November 24 Pha That Luang, Vientiane Full moon of the 12th lunar month. Festival from November 21 to 24, 2026, according to the tourism office; the government's detailed program had not been published as of October 12, 2026.

The country's biggest Buddhist festival, around Vientiane's golden stupa. At dawn, thousands of monks receive alms. On the night of the full moon, the crowd walks three times around the stupa, candles in hand.

Vientiane hotels fill up: book early for that week.
Wear covering clothes to approach the stupa.

Our guide to Vientiane →

Things to do in Laos in November

The golden stupa of Pha That Luang in Vientiane, under a blue sky — Photo by Life on the road on Unsplash

The That Luang festival

November 21 to 24, 2026: processions and a fair around the golden stupa.

Vientiane

Longtail boats and a slow boat on the Mekong at Pakbeng, among the rocks, late in the day — Photo by Shutterstock

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang by river

A still-high river and dry days: good conditions for the two days on the boat.

Huay Xai – Luang Prabang

Vat Nabo, a temple in Thakhek, Khammouane province — Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Khammouane loop after the rains

Clear skies and dry roads; after the summer 2026 floods in the province, check the state of the bridges.

Thakhek

Two monks in saffron robes climb a white staircase among the trees — Photo by Deepavali Gaind on Unsplash

The alms round in the cool of the morning

Around 19 °C at dawn; keep your distance, no flash.

Luang Prabang

Planning for Laos in November

Crowds: The start of high season: visitors return from November to January, according to the tourism ministry. Book Luang Prabang early, and Vientiane for That Luang week.
Packing: A jacket for northern mornings; light clothes in the south, where afternoons reach nearly 30 °C.
Boats: The river is still high: no tricky passages for the slow boat. Book the day before in high season.

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