Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang by train, van, bus, taxi from LAK 338,821

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Tamas O

Overall, I had a good trip. However, I would like to mention an issue regarding the enforcement of your luggage policy. I had to remove my bug spray from my suitcase because it was confiscated, as I was told that aerosols are not allowed at the stations between Vientiane and Luang Prabang (my route included a stop in Vang Vieng). However, my bug spray was not confiscated at Vientiane station when I began my journey. If aerosols are prohibited at all stations, why was I allowed to carry it through the departure station but required to dispose of it later? This inconsistency was confusing. In addition, my friend was carrying flammable items such as spray cans and perfume, and he was allowed through without any issue. I would appreciate it if the rules could be applied consistently to all passengers rather than being enforced selectively. Thank you.

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #D84 Second Class Seat, Laos Railway by RG Adventure (RG Adventure ), Jun 26, 2026

Stuart R

Very well organised, clean, modern, comfortable

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #D84 Second Class Seat, China Railway (中国铁路), Jun 15, 2026

Carole W

Nice way to travel between cities. Speed train affortable.

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #C92 Second Class Seat, China Railway (中国铁路), May 8, 2026

Anthony H

Didn't send me my ticket. When you did I didn't get qr code from railway company. Probably not enough time.

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train Second Class Seat, Laos Railway by Family Service, Apr 28, 2026

Michael C

A very clean and efficient train station and train service.

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train Second Class Seat, Laos Railway by Family Service, Apr 28, 2026

David M

It's the holiday season so I should have guessed it - crowded and sat at opposite end of train from my partne. First class next time at this time of year

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #K12 Hard Seat, China Railway (中国铁路), Apr 16, 2026

Gila M

Comfortable even though we were in second class

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #C82 Second Class Seat, China Railway (中国铁路), Apr 3, 2026

Roger E

Lost another knife, due to security scanning, like going on a plane. Nice ride, smooth, full up. Noisy tourists. On time exactly.

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train Second Class Seat, Laos Railway by Family Service, Mar 25, 2026

Aurore B

I received the tickets at the last moment so I booked another mode of transport and it cost me twice the price… not serious

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #K12 Hard Seat, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), Mar 21, 2026

Helena V

Train was fine but Ticket pickup was at a remote restaurant in the middle of nowhere

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, Train #C92 Second Class Reserved Seats, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), Mar 13, 2026

4.4

348 customer reviews

57%

20%

13%

10%

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Taxi	RG Adventure	SUV 4pax	Any time	+4h	$142.43
Van	Exploring Laos	Private Minivan 13pax	06:00	11:30	$173.00
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	08:00	09:45	$15.89	4.4
Train	Laos Group Tour	Second Class	08:16	09:06	$14.50	2.0
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	08:55	09:46	$16.41	4.6
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	First Class Seat	09:30	12:19	$17.80
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Hard Seat	09:49	11:04	$11.35	4.7
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Hard Seat	10:06	11:22	$11.35	5.0
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	10:45	11:49	$14.15	4.6
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	12:20	13:11	$15.28	4.5
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	13:00	15:30	$13.35	4.8
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	13:30	16:00	$13.35	4.8
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	14:06	15:14	$14.15	4.6
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	14:27	15:38	$12.36	4.6
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	15:00	17:26	$13.35	4.4
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	16:00	18:06	$13.35	4.8
Train	Laos Fast Train	Second Class	16:25	17:25	$15.30	5.0
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	17:12	18:20	$14.15	4.6
Van	Exploring Laos	Private Minivan 13pax	19:00	00:30	$173.00

How to get from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang

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

Bus
Train
Van
Taxi

If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Train. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Taxi+van 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 USD 645.87. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus as a bus ticket costs as low as USD 14.99.

How much does it cost to get from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang?

The cost of the trip from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Laos Easy Go Travel: travelling by bus expect to pay as low as USD 14.99 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 USD 645.87.

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

Bus tickets - USD 14.99 to USD 17.99;
Train tickets - USD 15.04 to USD 31.43;
taxi+Train price: USD 19.00 - USD 37.03. From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 07:40 Vang Vieng Hotel Transfer until 15:40 Vang Vieng Hotel Transfer
Bus+Van price: USD 19.49. From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 09:30 Vang Vieng Trendy Hotel until 09:30 Vang Vieng Trendy Hotel
Train+Van price: USD 20.24 - USD 38.75. From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 08:20 Vang Vieng Transfer until 15:30 Vang Vieng Transfer
Van price : USD 31.57 - USD 216.08;
taxi+Van price: USD 32.23. From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Vang Vieng Transfer until 09:00 Vang Vieng Transfer
Bus+taxi price: USD 190.01 - USD 200.28. From Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 00:00 Vang Vieng Transfer until 00:00 Vang Vieng Transfer

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 22.05 to USD 645.87.

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

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

Trains always run on a set schedule - there are 20 trains per day.
18 by taxi+Train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 07:40 Vang Vieng Hotel Transfer until 15:40 Vang Vieng Hotel Transfer
8 by Train+Van from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang starting from 08:20 Vang Vieng Transfer until 15:30 Vang Vieng Transfer
Vans from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 4 departures a day.
Buses start plying the route from 09:50 - you can also take a bus as late as 16:30. There are 3 available bus trips every day.
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang any time of the day.

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Vang Vieng 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.

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Vang Vieng 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 22.05.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Trains

Things to remember while choosing a train ticket:
Consider everything carefully while choosing the class of your train travel. In most cases, the second class is comfortable enough – it features 2 or 4 berths in each compartment and is often air-conditioned.

If you’re in for a premium experience, consider getting a first class ticket. The price of first class tickets may include Wifi, and a choice of snacks and drinks.

Vans

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

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Vang Vieng 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:

30% users enjoyed a train ride.
29% chosen taxi+Train
13% chosen Train+Van
10% decided to catch a taxi.
10% chosen taxi+Van
5% chosen Bus+taxi
1% Other

Transportation from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	$15
Fastest Transport	50m
Earliest Departure	12:00 AM
Latest Departure	7:00 PM
Departures per day	61
Distance	42 kilometers
Transport Companies	Book Best Travel and Services, Exploring Laos, Laos Easy Go Travel, Laos Railway by Family Service, Laos Railway by Naluang, Laos Railway by RG Adventure, RG Adventure

Popular Routes

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang