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Laos
Vientiane in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonHot, humid and very wet.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 6.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.8
- !Hot (34°C highs / 25°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 22.9°C)
- !Wet: ~226 mm rain, ~7 heavy-rain days
- Air quality6.5
- !Elevated (PM2.5 ~29 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~7 heavy-rain days in an average May
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Dec | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.8 Good | 9.1 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 34° / 25° | 29° / 19° |
| Rain | 226 mm | 5 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 16° |
| PM2.5 | 29 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Vientiane weather-station normals. Rainfall: Vientiane weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- International Labor Day 1–3 May · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore VientianeEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyThe relaxed capital of Laos on the Mekong River, known for Buddhist temples, the golden That Luang stupa and French colonial traces.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Boun Ok Phansa and Boat RacingDate variesBuddhist calendar — end of Buddhist Lent, usually October
End of Buddhist Lent, with boat races on the Mekong and lantern floating.
Why go: The riverside gets busy for the races.
Where: Mekong riverfront
That Luang FestivalDate variesBuddhist calendar — full moon of the 12th lunar month, usually November
The country's biggest religious festival, with processions and a fair.
Why go: Very crowded; accommodation fills.
Where: Pha That Luang
Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year)Date variesUsually 13–16 April
The water festival marking the Lao New Year.
Why go: Expect to get soaked; many businesses close.
Where: Across the city
Pha That Luang
A golden stupa that is Laos's national symbol.
Patuxai
A war monument resembling an Arc de Triomphe with views from the top.
Wat Si Saket
One of the city's oldest temples, with thousands of small Buddha images.
Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan)
A park of concrete Buddhist and Hindu sculptures near the Friendship Bridge.
COPE Visitor Centre
A centre explaining unexploded ordnance in Laos and supporting prosthetics.
Mekong riverside
A riverfront promenade with a night market and sunset views.
Larb
Minced meat salad with herbs and roasted rice powder, the national dish.
💡 Local restaurants
Khao jee pâté
Baguette sandwiches with pâté and vegetables, a French-Lao legacy.
💡 Street stalls
Tam mak hoong
Spicy green papaya salad.
💡 Street stalls
Beerlao
Laos's national beer, brewed near Vientiane.
💡 Everywhere
Lao silk
Handwoven silk scarves and sinh skirts.
💡 Talat Sao (Morning Market) and textile shops
Lao coffee
Coffee from the Bolaven Plateau.
💡 Supermarkets and cafés
COPE bomb-casing crafts
Items supporting UXO survivors.
💡 COPE Visitor Centre shop