Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang by bus, ferry, van, flight, taxi from THB 1,490

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Eynav

Driver was nice anf helful. He contact us day before. Answered all our questions. Came on time, was reachable. Helped us with the viza papers and the visa photos. He drove safely. Thank you

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Ferry Truck + Ferry, Mekong Transfer, Jul 25, 2025

Lavinia G

The first part of the trip to the border was great and seamless - the sleeper bus however was very primitive with two people to a very hard bunk and the roads are very poor so you get shaken around a lot. Would not recommend if you’re a solo traveller. We did get there in good ish time though however I doubt I’ll do it again.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Jul 24, 2025

Lieselot B

The second day was great, the first day not so.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Shuttle Bus + Slow Boat, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Jul 9, 2025

Federico R

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

Robert R

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

Joseph P

They changed our train to the earlier one when we arrived at the station ahead of schedule

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Shuttle Bus + Express Train 2nd Class Seat, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Jun 21, 2025

Donatella T

Everything was great, Thailand side good communication. The minivan in Laos has been horrible… the driver was running in dangerous street, with 3 people vomiting. Also they sold more tickets and we were so many people on it. Train fast and comfortable.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Van + Train, Mekong Transfer, Jun 12, 2025

Adam G

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

Shannon O

When I booked a 12 hour van ride, I thought it was just that. I knew there’d be stops on the way, what I didn’t realise was how many times you’d change vehicles! Picked up in a minivan, taken to the Thai border. Shuttle bus from the Thai border to the Laos border. Be warned: even if you have an evisa, you have to fill out a form with the same info as when you applied for the visa, AND pay a 50 baht ‘service charge’ AND a 20 baht tourist fee - cash only. Then you get on a minibus for 4.5-5 hours including breaks. Then for some reason you change minibuses 5 minutes from the train station and arrive at Natuey station. Then it’s a 1.5-2 hour wait for the train (why was no train mentioned before booking?!) - be warned, it’s airport hand luggage type security searches. They’ll take away pressurised cans like deodorant and insect repellent. There’s no air con, it’s cash only and no ATM. Horrific experience. Then it’s 2.5 hours on the train. It then proved incredibly difficult to get a LOCA taxi from the Luang Prabang station but we eventually did in the end, 100,000 kip cheaper than the minibuses the train station offered. Overall, would not do this again. Door to door it was nearly 14 hours. Too many changes, not communicated BEFORE booking. Fellow travellers felt the same.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Van + Train, Mekong Transfer, Apr 25, 2025

Hayley B

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

4.4

76 customer reviews

55%

17%

20%

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Taxi	Easyride Services	SUV 4pax	Any time	+8h 30m	$583.71
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat	05:00	16:00	$39.56	4.5
Van	Mekong Transfer	Van + Bus	05:30	23:30	$47.87
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat	08:00	17:00	$35.52	4.3
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	08:25	20:20	$397.80
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	08:50	15:35	$150.42	5.0
Flight	Thai Airways	Economy	10:10	12:05	$225.16
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Van + Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	11:00	06:00	$41.69	2.0
Bus	Naluangs	Bus + Taxi + Sleeping Bus	12:00	07:30	$46.33
Flight	Nok Air	Economy	12:30	15:35	$128.74
Flight	Nok Air	Economy	12:55	14:05	$116.24
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus	13:30	08:00	$43.24
Flight	Thai Airways	Economy	14:25	12:20	$163.96
Flight	Thai Lion Air	Economy	14:50	09:30	$132.78
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	15:25	14:15	$484.77
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	16:05	15:35	$202.64
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	16:25	12:20	$214.76
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	17:55	14:05	$114.31
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	18:15	15:35	$136.83
Flight	Nok Air	Economy	18:45	14:05	$116.24

Transportation from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	$41
Fastest Transport	5h 5m
Earliest Departure	12:00 AM
Latest Departure	6:30 PM
Departures per day	14
Distance	1800 kilometers
Transport Companies	Firstplan Transport Services, K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Mekong Transfer, Naluang, Naluangs, Smart En Plus, Sombat Tour, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Yortdoy Travel

Popular Routes

How to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

When you want to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:

Flight
Bus
Ferry
Van
Taxi

If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Flight. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Bus+ferry+van ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A flight ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 203.01. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus+taxi+ferry as a bus+taxi+ferry ticket costs as low as USD 46.02.

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

The cost of the trip from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is K Buddy (เค บัดดี้): travelling by bus+taxi+ferry expect to pay as low as USD 46.02 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a flight - a one-way flight ticket can cost as much as USD 203.01.

Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang:

Bus tickets - USD 40.15 to USD 40.15;
Bus+taxi+Ferry price: USD 46.02 - USD 52.19. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
taxi+Ferry price: USD 46.02. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
Bus+taxi price: USD 47.87. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 13:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
Bus+Van price: USD 47.87. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 13:30 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
Ferry+Van price: USD 50.96. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
Van price : USD 52.50 - USD 66.40;
Bus+Ferry+Van price: USD 72.27. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
Bus+taxi+Van price: USD 77.03 - USD 79.34. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 00:00 Chiang Khong Town Transfer until 00:00 Chiang Khong Town Transfer
flight+Bus price: USD 93.30. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 18:30 Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2 until 18:30 Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2
flight price: USD 176.90 - USD 203.00. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Rai Airport until 09:00 Chiang Rai Airport

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 390.69 to USD 559.47.

How many trips per day are there between Chiang Rai and Luang Prabang?

Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.

3 by flight from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Rai Airport until 09:00 Chiang Rai Airport
3 by Bus+Van from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 13:30 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
2 by Bus+taxi from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 13:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
2 by Bus+taxi+Ferry from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
Vans from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 2 departures a day.
1 by Bus+Ferry+Van from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer
1 by Ferry+Van from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang is cheaper than flying. Quite often, a long-distance bus is the cheapest transportation option. Buses normally make bathroom and/or lunch stops along the way.

Things to remember before opting for a bus ride:

If possible, make sure to choose higher-class buses for a more comfortable travel experience. Such buses often have an air conditioning system, soft reclining seats, Wi-Fi, bathrooms, etc.
As with plane tickets, buses are better booked in advance so that you can secure a good seat.
While booking a bus, keep in mind that delays are possible. Yet it still pays to get to the bus station at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.

Depending on the route, it might cost as much as USD 390.69.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang. As far as travel time is concerned, it’s basically equal to a taxi ride, while price-wise it’s way more affordable. The majority of tourists book a van online in advance.

Sometimes, when trains or buses aren’t available, a van is your only way to get from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang.

Things to remember: while traveling by van, you might not have as much space for luggage as you would on a train or a plane. It’s a good idea to pack only the most useful things for a van trip and put them in a backpack that will be easy to carry around..

The most popular transport from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:

20% chosen Bus+taxi+Ferry
20% chosen Bus+Van
19% chosen Bus+taxi
19% chosen taxi+Ferry
7% decided to go for a bus.
5% chosen Ferry+Van
5% opted for a van.
1% Other

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang