Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai by bus, van, flight, taxi from LAK 903,556

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai Destination Reviews

Elana G

It wasn't the trip itself as much as it was a shock to the system. The trip ran smoothly and there were no issues with connections etc. so I have no complaints. However, if you are not used to being in a confined area for hours, this trip is not for you.

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Bus Sleeping Bus + Taxi + Bus + Van, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Jul 4, 2024

Sarah K

Starting at the Lao bus terminal was a bit tough, you have to exchange the voucher and find the bus - not many speak English, in our case there was luckily only one possible option. The whole route took longer than suggested, but we figured that from all other travel offers. The local sleeping bus takes about 15h to get to a station 15 minutes away from the border. After the bus ride we had a K buddy affiliate waiting to show us the vehicle we would take to ravel to the Lao Border Town Huay Xai (ca. 15 min away) There they awaited us and explained the next steps , bought the bus ticket and handed them to us since you need to take an mandatory bus line across the friendship bridge to Thai border. On the other side, after immigration at the Thai border there was a Thai driver from K buddy waiting to take us to Chang Rai. The whole travel was very seamless and easy. Biggest pain point was the Lao Sleeping Bus as is was quite rudimentary, also some people that got in at later bus stops had to sleep on the floor between the bed stations as all beds were full. We expected that though so all was fine and K Buddy really guided us through - their service was great :)

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Bus Sleeping Bus + Taxi + Bus + Van, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Nov 21, 2023

4.4

12 customer reviews

42%

33%

17%

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	07:40	19:25	€215.05
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	08:30	07:55	€585.86
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	09:40	19:25	€318.75
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	10:00	21:00	€165.86
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	12:30	07:55	€454.12
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	12:55	07:55	€310.73
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	13:15	07:55	€283.64
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	14:35	21:05	€122.07
Van	Luang Prabang Travel	Tuk Tuk + Sleeping bus + Van	15:00	11:00	€34.62
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	15:20	07:55	€361.63
Bus	Naluangs	Van + Sleeper Bus	16:00	12:00	€31.25
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	16:25	07:55	€504.10
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	16:55	07:55	€585.14
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	17:20	13:10	€596.45
Flight	Vietnam Airlines	Economy	19:15	18:20	€678.12
Flight	Vietnam Airlines	Economy	19:50	14:55	€382.80

Transportation from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

Facts about the transport from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

Cheapest Transport	€37
Fastest Transport	6h 30m
Earliest Departure	9:35 AM
Latest Departure	5:00 PM
Departures per day	9
Distance	1096 kilometers
Transport Companies	Bangkok Busline, Firstplan Transport Services, K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Laos Group Tour, Luang Prabang Travel, Naluangs, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Yortdoy Travel

Popular Routes

How to get from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

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

Flight
Bus
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 Flight+bus 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 EUR 154.05. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus+taxi as a bus+taxi ticket costs as low as EUR 36.40.

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

The cost of the trip from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Yortdoy Travel (ยอดดอย ทราเวล): travelling by bus+taxi expect to pay as low as EUR 36.40 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 EUR 154.05.

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

Bus+taxi price: EUR 36.40. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Bus+Van price: EUR 36.50 - EUR 43.68. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:00 DownTown Backpackers Hostel until 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Bus+taxi+Van price: EUR 41.60. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Van price : EUR 41.64;
Bus tickets - EUR 42.12 to EUR 44.77;
flight+Bus price: EUR 60.01. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 09:35 Luang Prabang Airport until 09:35 Luang Prabang Airport
flight price: EUR 139.13 - EUR 154.05. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 14:35 Luang Prabang Airport until 14:35 Luang Prabang Airport

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from EUR 328.97 to EUR 461.50.

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

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

3 by flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 14:35 Luang Prabang Airport until 14:35 Luang Prabang Airport
Buses start plying the route from 16:00 - you can also take a bus as late as 16:30. There are 2 available bus trips every day.
2 by Bus+Van from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:00 DownTown Backpackers Hostel until 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
1 by Bus+taxi from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
1 by Bus+taxi+Van from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai 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 Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai. 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 328.97.

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 Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai. 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 Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai.

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 Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai? 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:

43% chosen Bus+taxi+Van
41% chosen Bus+Van
6% decided to go for a bus.
5% chosen Bus+taxi
3% opted for a van.
1% Other

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

Price

Departure

Arrival