Laos in October
Our take: goodThe rains stop: 71 mm in Luang Prabang, a quarter of September's total. The river falls but stays high. In late October, the end of Buddhist Lent is celebrated on the water, with boats of light and longboat races.
Laos weather in October, city by city
Luang Prabang in October
- By day
- 29°
- At night
- 21°
- Rain
- 71 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- The Mekong
- Falling
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O (current month) | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| 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 |
| Month | Low – high | 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 (current month) | 71 | Falling | |
| Nov | 23 | Low | |
| Dec | 20 | Low |
Vientiane in October
- By day
- 29°
- At night
- 23°
- Rain
- 102 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- The Mekong
- High
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O (current month) | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| 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 |
| Month | Low – high | 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 (current month) | 102 | High | |
| Nov | 22 | Falling | |
| Dec | 8 | Low |
Pakse in October
- By day
- 29°
- At night
- 22°
- Rain
- 138 mm
- Rainy days
- 17
- The Mekong
- High
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O (current month) | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| 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 |
| Month | Low – high | 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 (current month) | 138 | High | |
| Nov | 36 | Falling | |
| Dec | 6 | Low |
The Mekong in Laos in October
The river falls after the September peak. In 2018, the monsoon ended on October 8 in Luang Prabang and October 10 in Vientiane, according to the Mekong River Commission, whose dry season starts on November 1.
The slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang →
Photo by Robin Selima on Wikimedia Commons
Laos's October festival: Boun Ok Phansa
Main day in 2026 October 26 Nationwide; Luang Prabang and Vientiane Full moon of the 11th lunar month. Boats of light in Luang Prabang on October 27; longboat races in Vientiane the day after Ok Phansa, expected on October 27 (in 2025, the Vientiane festival ran October 4 to 8, with Ok Phansa on the 7th).
The end of Buddhist Lent. In the morning, offerings at the temples; in the evening, candlelit processions and small decorated floats set adrift on the river. The next day, Luang Prabang parades its boats of light before launching them, and Vientiane races its longboats on the Mekong. Near Vientiane, people watch for the naga fireballs over the river.
- Book Luang Prabang or Vientiane for those two nights.
Things to do in Laos in October
Photo by Supanut Arunoprayote on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Photo by Teodor Kuduschiev on Unsplash
The boats of light procession
On October 27, 2026, Lai Heua Fai, then the boats launched after dark.
Luang Prabang
Photo by Grossbildjaeger on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
A night's stopover in Pakbeng
Halfway between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, the village where the slow boat stops for the night, before the November crowds return.
PakbengPlanning for Laos in October
- Rain and roads
- The south stays wet for longer: 138 mm and 17 rainy days on average in Pakse.
- Crowds
- Visitors return with the dry season: high season starts in November, according to the tourism ministry.
- Boats
- The river stays high and fast: life jackets and no overloaded boats.
Sources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); river levels, Mekong River Commission; festivals, Tourism Laos calendar and Asia Safari Laos and KPL (October 2025) for the Vientiane races; visitor numbers, 2024 statistics of the Lao tourism ministry; safety and roads, FCDO. Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.