Bear Care Tour Laos

Get special behind-the-scenes access to a rescued bear sanctuary with our Bear Care Tour. Hear the moving stories of the rescued bears, meet the bears and help the Bear Care Team prepare food and enrichment treats. You'll be delighted watching the bears search and gobble down the treats you've prepared. An exciting and unique once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Please book either a 2 hour Bear Care Tour of our gorgeous Bear Rescue Centre at Tat Kuang Si National Park (& visit the waterfalls at the same time) OR alternatively a 3 hour tour of our new multi-species Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary (& meet a range of endangered species rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in addition to the bears).

Funds raised from your Bear Care Tour contribute directly to the care of the rescued bears you'll meet.

Please book at least 24 hours in advance as we have limited resources and need to prepare for tour.

To make a reservation please email educationlaos@freethebears.org or call/Whatsapp +856 (0) 209 750 7866

Note: If you contact us in the evenings or weekends, it may take longer to respond

OPTION 1: TAT KUANG SI BEAR RESCUE CENTRE: 2 hour tour 10am-12pm OR 1pm-3pm

Our Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre is located 30km south of Luang Prabang at the foot of the Kuang Si falls, a beautiful 50m high waterfall with turquoise pools, set in tropical rainforest. Since 2003, we've worked with the Luang Prabang Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office to rescue bears from bile farms and the illegal wildlife trade and create a safe haven for these gorgeous rescued moon bears who can now relax in hammocks, play with new friends and live a safe, healthy life. You'll prepare an enrichment feed for the bears and afterwards you can also visit the waterfalls, go for a swim (free fish spa) and have a bite to eat at the many restaurants.

Bear Care Tour TAT KUANG SI BEAR RESCUE CENTRE (10am-12pm OR 1pm-3pm). Minimum donation for the tour is USD50 per person (kids 0-3 - FREE, kids 4-15 - 50% of adult). Transport to the sanctuary is NOT included. We may be able to provide transport for the tour @ $50USD for up to 4 people, dependent on availability of our vehicle.

OPTION 2: LUANG PRABANG WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: 3 hour tour 9am-12pm OR 1pm-4pm

Our new Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary is located 14km from Luang Prabang in a stunning mountain valley beside the rural village of Ban Nong Tok. This is a multi-species sanctuary, you’ll see rescued sun bears, moon bears and other endangered & vulnerable species. You’ll likely meet Mary Christmas, star of the BBC docuseries ‘Bears about the House’ as well as prepare an enrichment feed for the bears! The sanctuary is not open to the public.

Bear Care Tour LUANG PRABANG WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (9am-12pm OR 1pm-4pm). Minimum donation for the tour is USD60 per person (kids 0-3 - FREE, kids 4-15 - 50% of adult). Transport to the sanctuary is NOT included. We may be able to provide transport for the tour @ $50USD for up to 4 people, dependent on availability of our vehicle.

Having trouble deciding which tour to take? At our Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre (Option 1) you’ll meet rescued moon bears (Asiatic black bears) only, but you can also visit the waterfalls. At our Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary you’ll meet sun bears, moon bears and other species. Both sanctuaries are in stunning locations - whichever you choose you’re sure to have a wonderful and unique experience.

We are an award-winning tour on Tripadvisor, holding a Traveler's Choice Award & Certificate of Excellence. Here's what some of our visitors have had to say:

"What an amazing organisation! There are so many people involved in making such a worthwhile and successful program that they ought to be seriously congratulated. The bears (and other wildlife) look super happy and healthy in their new life at the Free The Bears sanctuaries, particularly given where they have come from. To get the most out of your visit, we would recommend arranging a tour through the organisation as there is so much to hear about the bears' stories as well as how Free the Bears started and how incredibly it has grown across the South East Asian region. Matt, Helen, Bryan and the whole team do such an amazing job and the animals are lucky to have such dedicated, determined and caring people looking out for them. Please support this organisation in any way you can.", Claire

" We’ve visited Luang Prabang Wildlife sanctuary and got an amazing experience. We’ve learned a lot about sun and moon bears, the association actions and the good care they daily provide to bears saved from poaching! It’s ao important to understand that bears are endangered by extinction due to bile’s poaching while synthetical meds solutions exist nowadays! Visiting this site provides money to the association in order to pursue their action and provide to bears all cares needed! The tour worth it! Support cute bears and their babies 🐻", Anon

"This is such an amazing place that just incredible work. We visited both of their sites near Luang Prabang and were given guided tours (pre-booked) at both. The wildlife sanctuary is particularly impressive and the animals have a great life after what they have gone through.", Janet

"Just wonderful. These bears are so special and so well cared for - going behind the scenes is well worth it. We learnt so much about the awful bile trade and the amazing work of those at Free The Bears. It’s so sad hearing about the abuse they have faced, from the bear who got her paw caught in a snare to those with short legs and arms due to the cramped cages and poor nutrition and abuse they experienced. It’s also great to hear about the wildlife sanctuary (that is closed to the public unless booking a private tour) which shows how truly focused of rescue and rehabilitation is to keep the masses away and focus on getting many species back to the wild.", Kamala

Important information:

Free the Bears does not supply transport from Luang Prabang to the centers. You can easily book tuk tuks or mini vans through hostels or hotels, especially for Tat Kuang Si which is a popular destination
Please make sure you allow plenty of time to arrive to the Bear Rescue Centre before your tour. Feeding times are set and a late arrival may mean you miss out. The journey from Luang Prabang to either sanctuary takes around 1 hour
Please make sure you negotiate your leaving time with the driver prior to booking the transport
You will be required by the government to pay an entrance fee to the Tat Kuang Si National Park for Option 1. We do not benefit from the entrance fee, nor do we have the authority to waive the fee for Free the Bears visitors or volunteers. Entrance fee used to be 20,000 kip for many years but will soon change to 60,000 kip due to devaluation of the kip (about USD$2.50) entrance fee (per person)
Direct contact with the bears is not possible under any circumstances - these are rescued wild animals & we want them to enjoy as natural a life as possible
We advise to bring closed footwear for walking, sunscreen, hats & mosquito repellent. Bring your swimwear if visiting Tat Kuang Si

Get in touch now to book a trip - email to educationlaos@freethebears.org or call/Whatsapp: +856 (0) 209 750 7866