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

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

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 Standard, 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 Standard, 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

Ben D

On time, straightforward, gets you there in 12 hours which goes really quick. Would definitely opt for this option if you don’t want to do the slow boat.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Standard, Mekong Transfer, Mar 15, 2025

Ben S

Bus dropped us in complete wrong location (10km) away from drop off point on 12Go asi

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Sleeper Bus, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Mar 4, 2025

Michael H

The transfers from our hotel in Chiang Rai to the border were good and the people kept us informed. However, the immigration process at the border is a nightmare; takes forever and every step seems to cost more and more money. We have mixed reviews on the slow boat itself. You are crammed on with about 200 other people, with very little leg room. It’s a cool experience, and great views going down the river, but the novelty of the boat itself wears off by the end of the first day, and the second day is just a struggle.

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang, Ferry Truck + Ferry, Mekong Transfer, Feb 26, 2025

Maria L

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

Ross H

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

Maria A

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

4.4

69 customer reviews

56%

16%

19%

Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat	05:00	16:00	$39.53	4.5
Van	Mekong Transfer	Van + Bus	05:30	23:30	$47.83
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Slow Boat	08:00	17:00	$35.49	4.3
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	08:25	20:20	$397.80
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	08:50	15:35	$145.37	5.0
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	09:10	15:35	$233.88	5.0
Flight	Thai Airways	Economy	10:15	12:20	$231.68
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	10:50	16:00	$420.20
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	11:15	12:20	$224.37
Bus	Naluangs	Bus + Taxi + Sleeping Bus	12:00	07:30	$46.29
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus	13:00	07:00	$43.20	4.5
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Bus + Song Taew + Sleeping Bus	13:30	08:00	$43.20
Flight	Thai Airways	Economy	14:25	12:20	$168.13
Bus	Naluangs	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	15:00	07:30	$35.24	3.4
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	15:20	12:20	$318.22
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	15:45	12:20	$326.48
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	16:20	14:15	$489.32
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	18:45	09:30	$203.95	5.0
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	20:00	12:20	$213.84
Flight	Thai Vietjet	Economy	20:20	11:50	$432.34

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 202.84. 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 45.98.

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 45.98 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 202.84.

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

Bus tickets - USD 40.12 to USD 40.12;
Bus+taxi+Ferry price: USD 45.98 - USD 52.15. 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 45.98. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
Bus+taxi price: USD 47.83. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 13:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
Bus+Van price: USD 47.83. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Transfer until 13:30 Chiang Rai Transfer
Ferry+Van price: USD 50.92. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Transfer
Van price : USD 52.46 - USD 66.35;
Bus+Ferry+Van price: USD 72.21. From Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
Bus+taxi+Van price: USD 76.96 - USD 79.28. 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 93.23. 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 176.76 - USD 202.84. 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 390.37 to USD 559.02.

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 Transfer until 13:30 Chiang Rai Transfer
2 by Bus+taxi from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Hotel Transfer until 13:00 Chiang Rai Town 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 Town Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai Town Transfer
1 by Ferry+Van from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang starting from 05:00 Chiang Rai Transfer until 05:00 Chiang Rai 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 390.37.

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

Price

Departure

Arrival