Sapa to Luang Prabang

Sapa to Luang Prabang

Sapa
Luang Prabang
Tue, Jul 1
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Sapa to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

BR
The bus picked us up very late, around 8 PM. The women at the ticket office were quite rude. They didn’t speak at all and ignored our questions. We paid for two sleeper cabins and boarded the bus. The lady told us we had to crawl into one cabin together. Many cabins were free and weren’t even full at the end of our journey. It seemed like they were just trying to annoy tourists. In Dien Bien Phu, we changed to a local yellow bus that crossed the border. Make sure you get your passport stamped in Hanoi at the Laos embassy. Only a few countries are allowed to enter Laos Visa-Free. They won’t accept evisas at this land border. Two British tourists were denied entry because they had an evisa. The Vietnamese officers wouldn’t let them out. Border crossing was easy. Make sure you exchange money right with the Vietnamese immigration officers, as the Laos officers will require 10K Kip for entry. It’s an official fee, and you’ll get a receipt. In Laos, we drove a lot and made many stops to deliver parcels. Six hours into Laos, at about 3 PM, the driver stopped in Muang Xai. He gave some money to a tuc tuc driver and drove us to the railway station. The driver bought us train tickets and we got to Luang Prabang by train. The driver told us he was too tired to drive further, understandably for the long distance and the bad roads. But he was really nice that he bought the train tickets for us.
Sapa to Luang Prabang, Bus Local Bus + Sleeping Bus, Sapa Ethnic Travel (Công Ty TNHH Một Thành Viên Du Lịch Thiểu Số), May 30, 2025
O오
The bus picked us up 3 hours late. The ticket office didn't tell us the time so we had to keep waiting. Finally we arrived in Luang Prabang at 9pm. There was no proper guidance when changing buses, crossing the border, and stopping at rest areas. Maybe it would be wise to take the train from Muang Xai. Thanks to the two drivers who drove safely.
Sapa to Luang Prabang, Bus Local Bus + Sleeping Bus, Sapa Ethnic Travel (Công Ty TNHH Một Thành Viên Du Lịch Thiểu Số), Oct 25, 2024
EL
Got there
Sapa to Luang Prabang, Bus Van + Sleeper Bus, Grouptour (Công ty du lịch quốc tế Grouptour), Apr 8, 2024
KJ
Our route was supposed to be sapa 18:30 - Luang Prabang 18:30 the next day. Which didn’t differ too much from actualities. We were told the bus would be at 19:00 earlier in the day (we can only assume the 18:30&19:00 departure buses are the same) We left Sapa at 19:30 on a sleeper coach (no toilets). We then stopped in Lai Chau at 22:30 for 40 mins. Got to Dien Bien Phu bus station at 04:30. Got into a local yellow Luang Prabang bus (no toilets either) that didn’t leave until 07:15. We arrived at the Vietnam border at 08:40 and were through in 20 minutes. If you had any Vietnamese Dong left over they could change it to Lao Kip for you. Arrived at Lao immigration 10 minutes after this and we were through in 30 mins. We had our passports stamped in Hanoi already. (US$1 each as we didn’t have any Kip for stamp duty otherwise it was 10,000 Kip each) We had a lunch stop at Pak Nam Nov at 12:00. Arrived in Luang Prabang at 19:30 with no more official stops, just stops for delivering parcels.
Sapa to Luang Prabang, Bus Local Bus + Sleeping Bus, Sapa Ethnic Travel (Công Ty TNHH Một Thành Viên Du Lịch Thiểu Số), Apr 2, 2024
4.4
9 customer reviews
5
33%
4
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3
45%
2
22%
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Sapa to Luang Prabang Schedule

TypeOperatorClassDeparture TimeArrival TimePriceRating
Bus
Sapa Ethnic Travel
Local Bus + Sleeping Bus
18:30
18:30
$38.31
  4.2
Bus
Sapa Ethnic Travel
Local Bus + Sleeping Bus
19:00
19:00
$38.31
  4.2
Van
Grouptour
Van + Sleeper Bus
19:00
20:00
$39.46
  3.0
Bus
Techbus VN JSC
Local Bus + Sleeping Bus
19:00
07:00
$28.54
Bus
Grouptour
Van + Sleeper Bus
19:00
20:00
$39.46
  2.7
Bus
Asian Bus Travel
Sleeper bus + Van + Train
19:15
14:15
$42.14
  2.0
Bus
Sapa Discovery Travel
Budget sleeper + Van + Train
19:30
14:30
$47.89
Van
Laos Luxury Travel
Standard
19:30
12:30
$38.00
Van
Laos Luxury Travel
Minivan + 41 Sleeper
19:30
12:30
$38.00
Bus
Sapa Discovery Travel
Budget sleeper + Van + Train
19:45
13:35
$38.31
Bus
Sapa Discovery Travel
VIP 20 + Van + Train
21:00
14:50
$44.06
Bus
Sapa Discovery Travel
VIP 20 + Van + Train
21:30
15:20
$51.72

Transportation from Sapa to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Sapa to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport$48
Fastest Transport17h 50m
Earliest Departure6:30 PM
Latest Departure9:00 PM
Departures per day9
Distance892 kilometers
Transport CompaniesAsian Bus Travel, Grouptour, HT Travel, Sapa Discovery Travel, Sapa Ethnic Travel

How to get from Sapa to Luang Prabang

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

  • Bus
  • Train
  • Van

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

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A Bus+Train+Van ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 57.28. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus as a bus ticket costs as low as USD 47.89.

How far is Sapa from Luang Prabang?

If you’re traveling by land, it’s important to know the distance from Sapa to Luang Prabang. Your trip will be a total of 555 miles (892 km). The flying distance is 555 miles (892 km).

How long does it take to get from Sapa to Luang Prabang?

The travel time from Sapa to Luang Prabang can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 18 to 25 hours.

How much does it cost to get from Sapa to Luang Prabang?

The cost of the trip from Sapa to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Sapa Ethnic Travel (Công Ty TNHH Một Thành Viên Du Lịch Thiểu Số): travelling by bus expect to pay as low as USD 47.89 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a Bus+Train+Van - a one-way Bus+Train+Van ticket can cost as much as USD 57.28.

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

  • Bus tickets - USD 47.89 to USD 52.68;
  • Bus+Van price: USD 49.33. From Sapa to Luang Prabang starting from 19:00 Sapa SSB until 19:00 Sapa SSB
  • Bus+Train+Van price: USD 49.81 - USD 57.28. From Sapa to Luang Prabang starting from 19:45 411 Dien Bien Phu until 21:00 411 Dien Bien Phu
  • Van price : USD 53.74;

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

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

  • Buses start plying the route from 18:30 - you can also take a bus as late as 19:15. There are 5 available bus trips every day.
  • 4 by Bus+Train+Van from Sapa to Luang Prabang starting from 19:45 411 Dien Bien Phu until 21:00 411 Dien Bien Phu

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Sapa to Luang Prabang 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.

Vans

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

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Sapa 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:

  • 68% decided to go for a bus.
  • 20% chosen Bus+Train+Van
  • 12% chosen Bus+Van