Buses from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Buses from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Chiang Rai
Luang Prabang
Wed, Jul 16
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Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

FR
Overall a good experience, but it’s not for everyone. For slow boat boarding, you need to be fit and have good balance — you'll walk across a wooden plank, and if it’s raining, it gets slippery. There were better and worse moments during the trip. From Chiang Rai to the border, everything was smooth and easy, though communication was lacking. After I contacted them, they told us pickup would be between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m., but the van arrived at 5:45. Border crossing was easy but very slow. The staff always made sure you were guaranteed your next ticket and connection. Visa management felt a bit sketchy. In total, you’ll need to pay a Laos entry fee of 20 Baht and a visa on arrival, which costs either $40 USD, 1,800 Baht, or 1.2 million Kip. My advice, based on current exchange rates, is that USD is much cheaper — try to exchange in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai the day before departing. After the border, the next bus takes you to the pier for the slow boat. At the pier, they give you a sandwich and offer a Laos SIM card for a good deal. The boat is crowded and the chairs are horrible — but you’ll survive. After 7 hours, you land in Pak Beng. Be smart and book a room in advance; it’s a very small but nice village. The boat on the next day is a million times better — comfy chairs, even tables, kind of like a floating train. Over two days on the river, you’ll see beautiful landscapes, though visibility can be poor when it rains. The river looks like chocolate and is full of floating plastic. Once you arrive in Luang Prabang, you’ll cross another plank to disembark. The pier is far from the city, close to the airport, and crowded with thirsty tuktuk drivers looking for prey — they charge 50,000 Kip per person. My advice is to set up a Loca app account (Laos’ version of Uber) in advance and skip the tuktuk. A Loca ride from the pier to the city costs around 140,000 Kip. Honestly, I think it’s way more fun than taking the train and cheaper than flying — but it’s slow and will test your patience and resilience. If you’re lucky, you’ll make friends during the trip, which is a great way to pass the time and socialize. Luang Prabang is truly beautiful.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Jun 30, 2025
RR
The transfer was from Thailand to laos, the part in chiang rai was very good, everything was on time, except the fact that we couldn't contact the provider to ensure that everything was ok, the problems started on the laos side, they charge 40 use, if you have older notes than they don't accept them and after you can change them in a very low rate, if you pay in baht or lak kip than they charge more money, there's a two day ride in a slow boat, each for about 7-8 hours, it's owful , it's not comfortable and there's not much space, stay one night in a small village and the next day continue to luang prabang for another 8 hours, than you take a took took to the city That journey is for the strong spirit and mind
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Jun 25, 2025
AG
First day on slowboat was great. The second day was a different boat with less seats which led to many people sitting on the floor. This made it hard to access the bathrooms and shop
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), May 4, 2025
HB
Everything smooth and on time. Guys helped at border crossing and we got free sandwiches before the boat.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Apr 21, 2025
ML
On the Thai side pretty smooth. After crossing into Laos and clearjng immigration, a lot less smooth.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Dec 12, 2024
RH
The 2 day slow boat was a real highlight of our trip. The boat was full but what we expected. The stay in Pak Bang was great, a small little town on the river that comes to life with the boat arrival. Note the you need USD 40 per person to cross the boarder. We had an issue being about to withdraw lao kip. USD wasn't available at all but they only accepted USD. The tour company helped but did charge a large commission.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Dec 9, 2024
MA
Very good experience, everything came on time and felt very organized. Only thing, remember to keep your boat ticket for both days or you will have to pay again on the second boat.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, JTTT Travel (JTTT Travel), Nov 13, 2024
SW
Smooth journey with K Buddy, minibus was comfortable and better quality than many in Thailand, process was easy with their help
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Oct 20, 2024
MH
K Buddy was excellent. Good communication, and an excellent driver in a clean vehicle. He had everything in place for a smooth trip and border crossing.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Oct 11, 2024
M
Great experience travelling on the 2 day slowboat from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang. All connections went smoothly and there was great communication from our driver all the way through until we arrived in Luang Prabang. The company doesnt advertise that you get a free sandwich when you arrive at the slowboat on day one. A nice touch. By far the cheapest option for this trip we could find and it was as smooth and simple as possible. 100% recommend.
Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), May 14, 2024
4.4
58 customer reviews
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Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Bus Schedule

OperatorClassDeparture TimeArrival TimePriceRating
K Buddy
Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat
05:00
16:00
$39.48
  4.5
JTTT Travel
Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat
05:00
16:00
$41.61
  4.5
Yortdoy Travel
Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat
08:00
17:00
$35.44
  4.3
Naluangs
Bus + Taxi + Sleeping Bus
12:00
07:30
$46.23
K Buddy
Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus
13:00
07:00
$43.15
  4.5
Yortdoy Travel
Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus
13:30
08:00
$43.15
Naluangs
Taxi + Sleeping Bus
15:00
07:30
$35.20
  3.4

Transportation from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Facts about the bus from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Bus$41
Fastest Bus13h
Earliest Bus12:00 AM
Latest Bus6:30 PM
Daily Bus Routes8
Distance1800 kilometers
Bus CompaniesK Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Naluang, Naluangs, Smart En Plus, Sombat Tour, Thai AirAsia, Yortdoy Travel

How to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang by Bus

Taking a bus to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang is a safe, comfortable and less expensive alternative for traveling this route. To popular destinations, bus companies operate multiple trips per day, often round the clock at 30-60 minute intervals. To less traveled destinations, there may be only 1 scheduled trip a day. The most common bus types are non-air-conditioned, air-conditioned, and premium buses.

It is best to reserve your tickets at least a few days ahead of your travel date. Check our list of bus companies available for online booking offering Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang tickets. When traveling on weekends and holidays it is recommended to reserve tickets much earlier due to higher numbers of travelers, both vacation-makers and urban workers returning home to their provincial home.

How far is it from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang?

Traveling by bus, the distance from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang depends on the route taken. Most bus companies travel via expressways or tollways. This may not necessarily be the shortest route but it is the fastest one as normally there is less traffic and no traffic lights.

To get to certain island destinations which are not connected to the mainland by a bridge, buses board large car ferries. Passengers are usually asked to get off the bus, but there is no need to take your luggage from the bus. The travel distance from port to port is added to the total distance.

How long does it take to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang by Bus?

The estimate travel time from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang is about 16h 30m. Note that traveling by bus is slower compared to driving your own car or getting a taxi. Depending on the departure time congestion between Chiang Rai and Luang Prabang may differ greatly There is usually more traffic between morning until afternoon during weekdays than during weekends.

Another important factor that may affect travel time is the type of bus. Premium or VIP buses are usually faster as they use motorways and call to fewer bus stations (if any) en route. Buses normally make short 10-30-minute breaks after a few hours of continuous travel to allow passengers use bathrooms, stock up on munchies and let bus attendants and the driver have rest.

Some premium buses have onboard toilets and the second driver. Nevertheless, usually they still make en route stops for a quick lunch or fuel refill.

How much does it cost to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang by Bus?

The ticket price from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang can vary depending on the type of buses you choose. For a less expensive ticket consider non-air-conditioned or ordinary buses. Premium or luxury buses are more expensive but you can expect more comfort and some additional services like phone charging ports, personal entertainment system screens and toilets.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang timetable

To help you plan your trip, here is the Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang timetable of bus departure and arrival times.

Best Rated Companies for this Route

Bus companies differ a lot in quality and service they provide. When choosing a bus company for you travels, do some basic research before you buy your tickets.

Safety is one of the most important aspects to consider. We also recommend you checking reviews on overall service quality of the bus companies serving this route.

Our service only partners with reliable and trustworthy bus companies. We do our best to provide your a choice of the best operators available on each route.