Huay Xai to Luang Prabang by van, bus, ferry, train, taxi from LAK 837,691

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Samuel

Driver was texting and listening to/sending voice messages for most of the trip. Picked up locals randomly and gave them breaks but not the rest of us. Tried to stop us having a toilet break, only managed to have a piss because two of our group just walked off to find a toilet before he could stop us. Driver spoke basically no english at all, drive was uncomfortable, road is horrendous and his driving didn't improve it. We booked this to save money and time compared to the slow boat, and thought this may be more comfortable than the budget slow boat. we wished we just went with the boat

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Express Train 2nd Class Seat, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Jun 25, 2026

Pieter B

Ok sleeper bus, aircon too cold, but thin blanket provided, drivers non-communicative, only English word they seemed to know is "no". Horrendous road conditions, good driver though 400km average speed 30km/h

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Sleeping Bus, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Jun 20, 2026

Annie G

Not enough communication. Arrived 3 hours late Got given a number for our bed and then there were people in it already

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Bus Taxi + Sleeping Bus, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Apr 28, 2026

Ary V

Pick up from hotel was great, but in the border people where very chaotic, and didn’t explain anything, just las moving cattle, the road to the station was bad, but the driver even worst, is dangerous to have does drivers in the road.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Express Train 2nd Class Seat, Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล), Mar 5, 2026

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

4.4

23 customer reviews

26%

17%

31%

26%

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	$16.62
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Van + Slow Boat	07:00	18:00	$59.35
Van	Mekong Transfer	Van + Train	07:00	17:00	$44.51
Van	Yortdoy Travel	Van + Express Train 2nd Class Seat	07:30	15:30	$28.19
Van	Naluang	Regional 14pax	08:00	19:30	$23.74	3.5
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Van	08:00	18:00	$23.44
Ferry	Laos Group Tour	Economy	09:00	15:30	$25.00	3.5
Ferry	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi (Song Taew) + Slow Boat	09:00	17:00	$29.67	2.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	$29.67	5.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	$33.38
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	$25.22
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	$32.64	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 Train+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 USD 658.02. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus+taxi as a bus+taxi ticket costs as low as USD 37.06.

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 K Buddy (เค บัดดี้): travelling by bus+taxi expect to pay as low as USD 37.06 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 USD 658.02.

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

Bus+taxi price: USD 37.06 - USD 44.35. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
taxi+Ferry price: USD 42.33. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer
Van price : USD 43.05 - USD 53.36;
Bus+Van price: USD 43.06 - USD 52.87. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 16:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 17:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Ferry+Van price: USD 48.03 - USD 658.02. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer
Ferry tickets - USD 49.86 to USD 49.86.
Train+Van price: USD 52.41 - USD 52.85. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:00 Huay Xai until 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 569.20 to USD 569.20.

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.

3 by Ferry+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer
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 Train+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:00 Huay Xai until 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Vans from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 2 departures a day.
1 by taxi+Ferry from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer
Ferries leave from Huay Xai for Luang Prabang 1 times a day.
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 USD 569.20.

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:

24% chosen Bus+Van
20% chosen Bus+taxi
18% chosen taxi+Ferry
18% chosen Train+Van
15% opted for a van.
2% decided to catch a taxi.
2% chosen Ferry+Van
1% Other

Transportation from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	$38
Fastest Transport	8h
Earliest Departure	7:00 AM
Latest Departure	5:30 PM
Departures per day	12
Distance	400 kilometers
Transport Companies	K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Mekong Transfer, Naluang, Slow Boat Laos, Yortdoy Travel, Zhanzhao Tour

Popular Routes

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang