Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai by van, bus, ferry, flight, taxi from LAK 962,915

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai Destination Reviews

Julianne D

Don’t book this, just go at the pier, if you’re doing the journey from Luang Prabang to Thailand there will be space in the boat and it’ll be so much cheaper to do it by yourself. I booked this so it would be safe and efficient but I was left waiting at the pier as my driver 20km away was waiting for me to call him when I was at the pier to come get me (also I reached out to him with the number left on the invoice, I don’t know what would have happened if u didn’t have data). At the Thai border I called him twice to know who would pick me up and he told me to wait 45 minutes alone there at night without data. I felt completely unsafe so I decide to take transportation with the other people I met on the boat. When I reached out to them to explain the lack of communication was a big problem they just said I should have booked a private tour by them, as if this transport was identified as a big group kind of thing (btw I was the only one there who had booked online, so I thing they are bullshitting).

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Van Van + Ferry, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), May 6, 2026

Julie S

Chaos but we made it : Slow boat from luang prabang to chiang rai. Should arrive at 6:30pm but arrived at 10pm. From the border to chiang rai we took one taxi, then one minibus to cross the friendship bridge, then a tuktuk to chiang khong and finally a mini van to chiang rai. The last driver was crazy and drove at 120 instead of 60, it's was scary but we arrived fast. We paid the double of the price with 12GO than it will cost if you take everything directly without intermediar. We didn't know anything about the differents transportation, you have to contact them on whatsapp to know what is going on, who come to pick you and any informations. But at least we arrived at chiang rai, and that is not sure if you do it by yourself because we arrived late at the border and there is not all time minivan to go to chiang rai so you will have to sleep at chiang khong and take the bus the next morning.

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Van Van + Ferry, LaoLuang Travel (ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວຫຼວງ), Feb 7, 2026

Dimitri R

There were not much information from 12GO, luckily I traveled with 2 other person who booked through the bus station and received phone numbers and more details through WhatsApp. The bus left 2h later than schedule and the trip took longer as well. The van waiting for us at the border left as we were Kate and we had to wait an additional 1h30, the trip took about 24h in total, instead of 17h. The bus isn't confortable and the bed have to be shared. There were not enough bed available because some luggage had to be stored on beds since the boot was full of eggs and chickens... Worth ride I had in a bus.

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Bus Sleeping Bus + Van + Bus + Van, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Dec 27, 2025

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 + Van + 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 + Van + Bus + Van, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Nov 21, 2023

4.4

21 customer reviews

28%

24%

19%

29%

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	07:40	15:55	$144.77
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	09:35	17:45	$150.92
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	10:00	21:00	$138.07
Flight	Bangkok Airways	Economy	12:15	08:10	$168.41
Flight	Bangkok Airways	Economy	12:45	09:40	$382.97
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	14:35	21:05	$196.07
Van	Luang Prabang Travel	Tuk Tuk + Sleeping bus + Van	15:00	11:00	$40.00
Bus	Yortdoy Travel	Bus + Van + Bus + Van	15:30	10:30	$37.95
Bus	Naluangs	Van + Sleeper Bus	16:00	12:00	$35.52
Van	LaoLuang Travel	Shuttle + Sleeping Bus + Bus	16:30	10:00	$40.99
Bus	K Buddy	Sleeping Bus + Van + Bus + Van	17:00	10:30	$44.02	4.5
Flight	Thai AirAsia	Economy	19:45	09:50	$155.26

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
Ferry
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 flight ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 163.46. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus+van as a bus+van ticket costs as low as USD 43.74.

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 Naluangs: travelling by bus+van expect to pay as low as USD 43.74 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 163.46.

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

Bus+Van price: USD 43.74. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Bus+taxi price: USD 48.68. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Bus+taxi+Van price: USD 49.85. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Bus tickets - USD 51.13 to USD 53.84;
Ferry+Van price: USD 54.21. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 07:40 Ban Don Mai Slow Boat Terminal until 07:40 Ban Don Mai Slow Boat Terminal
Van price : USD 56.08;
flight+Bus price: USD 67.68. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 09:35 Luang Prabang Airport until 09:35 Luang Prabang Airport
flight price: USD 159.92 - USD 163.46. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 19:45 Luang Prabang Airport until 19:45 Luang Prabang Airport

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 370.97 to USD 520.43.

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.

6 by flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 19:45 Luang Prabang Airport until 19:45 Luang Prabang Airport
Buses start plying the route from 15:30 - you can also take a bus as late as 16:30. There are 2 available bus trips every day.
2 by Bus+taxi from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 15:30 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
Vans from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai depart during the day - there are approximately 2 departures a day.
1 by Bus+taxi+Van from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 17:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
1 by Bus+Van from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal until 16:00 Sokprasert Bus Terminal
1 by Ferry+Van from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai starting from 07:40 Ban Don Mai Slow Boat Terminal until 07:40 Ban Don Mai Slow Boat 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 USD 370.97.

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
30% chosen Bus+Van
7% decided to go for a bus.
7% chosen Ferry+Van
7% opted for a van.
4% chosen Bus+taxi
1% Other

Transportation from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

Facts about the transport from Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai

Cheapest Transport	$44
Fastest Transport	11h 30m
Earliest Departure	7:40 AM
Latest Departure	7:45 PM
Departures per day	15
Distance	575 kilometers
Transport Companies	Bangkok Busline, Firstplan Transport Services, K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Luang Prabang Holiday Travel, Naluangs, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Yortdoy Travel

Popular Routes

Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai