Being one of the few world capitals that lack the look and feel of what most Westerners would consider a ‘city’, Laos capital city Vientiane is somewhere between a big town and a diminutive city.

Laos Capital City, Vientiane

Vientiane, pronounced as "Viang-chan" in Lao, has been the Laotian capital city for 453 years.

If you drive into town, you might not even realize when you're actually in the city proper, as Vientiane blends seamlessly with the countryside. You’ll find yourself slowly won over by the easy charms of this evolving backwater town. The city may reveal its beauty less promptly than Luang Prabang, but when you a few days visiting its unusual sights and enjoying its excellent food by the river at sunset, you’ll right away feel very much at home here.

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Where is Vientiane, capital city of Laos?

Vientiane is situated on a plain just northeast of the Mekong River.

From the river bank, the pricipa roads running parallel to the river are Thanon Fa Ngum, Thanon Setthathirat and Thanon Samsenthai.
The central district, Chanthabuli, contains most of Vientiane's government offices, hotels and restaurants. Vientiane's widest boulevard, Thanon Lane Xang, runs from the Presidential Palace (now used for government offices and for state receptions) to the northeast around Patuxai, the Victory Gate, towards Pha That Luang, the That Luang Stupa, the most important religious monument in Laos.

Weather of Laos capital city Vientiane

The city has a tropical monsoon climate, every month having an average daytime temperature above 80 °F (27 °C) and more than 80 percent of Vientiane’s annual precipitation on the average falling in the five months May–September.