Huay Xai to Luang Prabang by van, bus, ferry, train, taxi from LAK 660,363

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Krisztian K

not enough info on the schedules / long waiting / late pick up (no warning)

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Train, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Feb 12, 2026

Garth A

FIrst day, Huay Xay to Pak Beng was fine. Second day, Pak Beng to Luang Prabang, the boat was overloaded with passengers, and risked being unsafe. In December, a boat hit rocks and sank, river currents are dangerously strong.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Ferry Economy, Laos Group Tour, Jan 25, 2026

Adriana M

The trip was the 8 hours they said including a 1 hour wait at the Na Neuy Railway station in the middle of nowhere, but the road was completely destroyed, the van was full of bags next to me and it was very uncomfortable. That plus the fact that you can clearly see how over charged we tourists are being, it's a shame. After, I realized and saw real prices and here are 2 or 3 times more expensive. They even offer a Sim card with a plan and charge doble what costs in town cause there isn't any place at the border to buy one. It's also very difficult to find information about anything, precisely because they want to overcharge.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Train, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Oct 27, 2025

Claudio

Amazing boat trip, slow but Amazing. There is not world to explaine this trip. Just do it. Real Laos Experience

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Ferry, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Oct 23, 2025

Greta M

Perfectly on time, well organized. roads are horrible in Laos so it was very hard to enjoy the time and sleep! We got hurt multiple times.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Sleeping Bus, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Oct 12, 2025

Andy R

Excellent service. By mistake I booked for the next month. As I arrived at the bus terminal they changed my ticket within a few minutes to the actual month without any extra charge. Thank you so much.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Sleeper Bus, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Jul 17, 2025

Andrew W

Just book via your guesthouse instead. We paid a lot extra to go via 12go/Yortday travel, but the service was very poor. The ticket said 8:30 departure and be ready 30 mins before. At 8:40 no-one had turned up so I messaged and was told 9:00-9:20. After messaging at 9:20 I was told it would be 10 mins. It seems to be the vehicle coming from Chiang Rai does the pickup, so you are also delayed by any border delays, sort of defeating the point of staying in Huay Xai, aside from the extra cost!

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Ferry Taxi (Song Taew) + Slow Boat, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Jan 24, 2024

4.4

18 customer reviews

32%

17%

28%

17%

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	04:30	18:30	€15.23
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Van + Slow Boat	07:00	18:00	€54.39
Van	Mekong Transfer	Van + Train	07:00	17:00	€40.79
Van	Yortdoy Travel	Van + Express Train 2nd Class Seat	07:30	15:30	€25.84
Van	Naluang	Regional 14pax	08:00	19:30	€21.76	3.5
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Van	08:00	18:00	€21.49
Ferry	Laos Group Tour	Economy	09:00	15:30	€21.39	3.5
Ferry	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi (Song Taew) + Slow Boat	09:00	17:00	€27.20	2.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	€27.20	5.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	€30.60
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	€23.12
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	€29.92	2.0

How to get from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

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

Bus
Ferry
Train
Van
Taxi

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

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A Ferry+Van ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about EUR 565.36. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a van as a van ticket costs as low as EUR 26.39.

How much does it cost to get from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang?

The cost of the trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Naluang: travelling by van expect to pay as low as EUR 26.39 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a Ferry+Van - a one-way Ferry+Van ticket can cost as much as EUR 565.36.

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

Van price : EUR 26.39 - EUR 43.57;
Ferry tickets - EUR 26.77 to EUR 26.77.
Bus+taxi price: EUR 29.96 - EUR 34.36. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Bus+Van price: EUR 31.34 - EUR 34.36. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 16:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Ferry+Van price: EUR 32.57 - EUR 565.36. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer
taxi+Ferry price: EUR 32.64. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer
Train+Van price: EUR 32.64. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from EUR 467.31 to EUR 467.31.

How many trips per day are there between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang?

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

4 by Ferry+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer
Vans from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 4 departures a day.
2 by Bus+taxi from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
2 by Bus+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 16:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
1 by taxi+Ferry from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer
1 by Train+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang any time of the day.

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Huay Xai 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 EUR 467.31.

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

Ferries

Travelling by ferry is one of the most scenic ways to get from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang as it combines transportation and sightseeing to some extent.

However, with these upsides in mind, you should still understand ferry travel is not for everyone. If you’re prone to seasickness it may be an unpleasant experience. As a rule, a ferry journey isn’t the cheapest way to travel During the high season ferry tickets might be hard to get, so you should always book in advance when possible.

Things to remember: ferry rides are dependent on weather conditions.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Huay Xai 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 Huay Xai 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 Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Huay Xai 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:

19% chosen Bus+Van
18% opted for a van.
15% chosen Bus+taxi
14% chosen taxi+Ferry
14% chosen Train+Van
13% users voted for a ferry ticket.
6% chosen Ferry+Van
1% Other

Transportation from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	€27
Fastest Transport	7h 30m
Earliest Departure	7:15 AM
Latest Departure	5:30 PM
Departures per day	15
Distance	375 kilometers
Transport Companies	K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Mekong Transfer, Naluang, Yortdoy Travel, Zhanzhao Tour

Popular Routes

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang