Huay Xai to Luang Prabang by van, bus, ferry, train, taxi from LAK 623,156

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Maartje S

The bus ride took 22 hours instead of 12 hours and the communication of the drives was non existent. Toilet or food breaks were not communicated so we had to check ourselves why we were stopping, sometimes look angry or arguing if we were a little bit late with coming out or back. The breaks were way to often stopping almost every 30mins - 1 hour. The drivers ordered insane amount of foods of which almost everything was wasted, letting all the customers wait for them to finish. It was very hot in the back of the vehicle with the personal ac not working correctly.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Sleeper Bus, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Oct 16, 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

7 customer reviews

28%

29%

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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	€14.77
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Van + Slow Boat	07:00	18:00	€52.76
Van	Mekong Transfer	Van + Train	07:00	17:00	€39.57
Van	Yortdoy Travel	Van + Express Train 2nd Class Seat	07:30	15:30	€25.06
Van	Naluang	Regional 14pax	08:00	19:30	€21.10	3.5
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Van	08:00	18:00	€20.84
Ferry	Laos Group Tour	Economy	09:00	15:30	€21.48	3.5
Ferry	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi (Song Taew) + Slow Boat	09:00	17:00	€26.38	2.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	€26.38	5.0
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus	16:30	06:30	€29.68
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	€22.42
Bus	K Buddy	Taxi + Sleeping Bus	18:00	09:00	€29.02	2.0

Transportation from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	€25
Fastest Transport	8h
Earliest Departure	7:30 AM
Latest Departure	6:00 PM
Departures per day	9
Distance	400 kilometers
Transport Companies	K Buddy, Laos Group Tour, Mekong Transfer, Naluang, Yortdoy Travel

Popular Routes

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 Taxi+ferry ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A taxi ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about EUR 449.18. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a van as a van ticket costs as low as EUR 24.68.

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 Laos Group Tour: travelling by van expect to pay as low as EUR 24.68 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a taxi - a one-way taxi ticket can cost as much as EUR 449.18.

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

Van price : EUR 24.68 - EUR 25.37;
Ferry tickets - EUR 26.83 to EUR 26.83.
Bus+taxi price: EUR 28.07 - EUR 33.03. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 18:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 18:00 Huay Xai Transfer
Ferry+Van price: EUR 31.31. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer
taxi+Ferry price: EUR 31.38. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 09:00 Huay Xai Transfer
Train+Van price: EUR 31.38. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer until 07:30 Huay Xai Transfer
Bus+Van price: EUR 32.79. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 18:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 18:00 Huay Xai Transfer

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from EUR 449.18 to EUR 449.18.

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.

2 by Bus+taxi from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 18:00 Huay Xai Transfer until 18:00 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.
1 by Ferry+Van from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:45 Huay Xai Transfer until 08:45 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 449.18.

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:

29% opted for a van.
16% chosen Bus+taxi
14% chosen Bus+Van
14% chosen taxi+Ferry
14% chosen Train+Van
9% users voted for a ferry ticket.
2% decided to catch a taxi.
2% chosen Ferry+Van

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang