Tham Sakkalin

Luang Prabang


Ask at the Wat Longkhun ticket desk for the key required to visit Tham Sakkalin, a humid, slippery 100m-long limestone cave. It's a three-minute walk further east from the wat then up a few stairs. A few Buddha fragments are kept here. Bring your own torch (flashlight). Inside the cave is Wat Tham Xieng Maen, founded in 1889 and since abandoned.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Luang Prabang attractions

1. Wat Longkhun

0.04 MILES

When the coronation of a Luang Prabang king was pending, he spent three days in retreat at Wat Longkhun before ascending the throne. The central sǐm …

2. Wat Chomphet

0.17 MILES

Ban Xieng Maen's long, narrow, brick-edged 'street' slowly degrades into a rough track, eventually becoming little more than a rocky footpath. At about…

3. Wat Xieng Thong

0.41 MILES

Luang Prabang's best-known monastery is centred on a 1560 sǐm (ordination hall). Its roofs sweep low to the ground and there's a stunning 'tree of life'…

4. Unesco Offices

0.43 MILES

This vital office advises on how new developments must adhere to strict architectural guidelines in order to maintain the historical authenticity of the…

5. Wat Pakkhan

0.47 MILES

Dated 1737 but rebuilt a century ago, Wat Pakkhan has a simple, appealingly archaic look with angled support struts holding up the lower of its two…

6. Wat Xieng Maen

0.49 MILES

First founded in 1592, Wat Xieng Maen gained a hallowed air in 1867 by housing the Pha Bang, the sacred gold Buddha statue that gives the city its name,…

7. Wat Souvannakhili

0.5 MILES

The most prominent building of Wat Souvannakhili looks more like a colonial-era mansion than a monastery, but the small sǐm (ordination hall) is a classic…

8. Wat Sensoukaram

0.52 MILES

Rich ruby-red walls with intricate gold overlay give Wat Sensoukaram one of the most dazzling facades of all of Luang Prabang's temples. The name, temple…