Getting to and around Central Laos
Coming from far away:
Fly to Bangkok, then get a flight to either Vientiane or Luang Prabang. Visa on Arrival and eVisa are both available in both airports. Warning: Bangkok has two airports, BKK (the main intercontinental airport) and DMK (short haul only). On your way into Laos, don’t accidentally schedule a transfer between Bangkok’s airports unless you’re staying in Bangkok overnight.
Coming from Bangkok:
If time is short, fly direct to Vientiane or Luang Prabang. Use Bangkok’s smaller airport (DMK), which is faster and more efficient than BKK. Or if you have more time, you could take the train from Bangkok to Nong Khai and then cross the Mekong bridge to Vientiane. Visa on Arrival is available here. Or take a train from Bangkok to Chaing Mai and follow the directions from northern Thailand below.
This website has excellent detailed information on coming to Vientiane or Luang Prabang from Thailand or Vietnam by train and bus.
Coming from southern Laos:
Inexpensive night buses depart Pakse in the evening, make a quick stop in Thakhek around 02:00 AM, and arrive in Vientiane around 08:00 or 09:00 AM. Some continue on to Vang Vieng. The sleeper seats are very narrow, so if you’re a solo traveller I recommend buying two seats to give yourself some room. Many other, even less comfortable buses depart throughout the day and night, so when you buy a bus ticket make sure you know which bus you’re getting. You can also fly from Pakse to Vientiane.
Coming from northern Thailand or Northern Laos:
From Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, take a bus to Chiang Khong and then cross the Mekong into Laos at Huay Xai (Visa on Arrival is available at Huay Xai). Then you can either take the bus, or the 2-day Mekong Slow Boat to Luang Prabang. The boat is relaxing as it passes many villages, sunbathing water buffalo and some very impressive rock formations. But the near-total destruction of the riverside jungle is depressing. The bus from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang is the better option if you have time to stop in Luang Namtha (for the best trekking in Laos) and/or Nong Khiaw (for stunning karst scenery).
Direct flights are available to Vientiane from several cities in northern Laos. But the planes are small and subject to cancellation in bad weather, such as the fog that envelops much northern Laos in the mornings during the Cool Season.
You can find daily buses to Luang Prabang from almost any city in northern Laos.
Laos’ new high-speed train travels starts in Kunming (southern China), enters Laos at Boten, and then goes via Na Toey (sometimes spelled “Nateuy”, near Luang Namtha) and Oudomxay (also called Muang Xay) to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. Train tickets can only be purchased within 2 days of travel.
From Muang Khua or Muang Ngoi, take a boat on the Ou River to Nong Khiaw and then continue by bus to Luang Prabang.
Coming from Vietnam:
There are several border crossings. Most land borders DO NOT offer visa on arrival so if coming by bus, you must get your Lao visa in person at the Lao consulate in Hanoi (but if you fly in from Vietnam, you can get a Lao Visa on Arrival at the airport).
The most common bus route is from Hanoi or Sa Pa via Dien Bien Phu, crossing the Tay Trang / Pang Hok border checkpoint to arrive in Muang Khua. From Muang Khua you can get either a bus or (more preferably) a riverboat to continue towards Luang Prabang.
There is also a 27-hour bus between Hanoi and Luang Prabang via the Nam Khan / Nam Can border crossing. If you do this, spend a day at the Plain of Jars (more info here), since you’ll go right past it
This website has excellent detailed information on coming to Vientiane or Luang Prabang from Thailand or Vietnam by train and bus.
Travel within the region:
Between Vientiane and Vang Vieng, you can go either by train or by bus. If you go by bus then make sure you get a 2-hour express bus – the slow buses stop everywhere and take way too long.
Between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, the best option is train, which takes one hour (you’ll be in tunnels for 80-90% of the ride). Buses take 6 hours on a very bad, mountainous road, but the views can be spectacular.
Between Vientiane and Luang Prabang: Bus is too slow and uncomfortable. Flying is an option, but expensive. Train is best.
A helpful traveller shared this list of departure times and fares from Luang Prabang, accurate as of November 2023. “K” means thousands of kip:
