Vientiane to Luang Prabang by train, van, bus, flight, taxi from LAK 412,500

Vientiane to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

Andreas S

The pick-up service worked perfectly. The first class seat number 1 C in the train was the worst seat ever. At the end of the carriage without a window and the backrest could not be adjusted

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #C82 Taxi + First class train + Taxi, Laos Railway by RG Adventure (RG Adventure ), Jun 4, 2025

James

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train Second Class, Laos Fast Train, May 27, 2025

Maung M

My seats don’t have no windows. I can’t enjoy any view

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #C92 First Class, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), May 26, 2025

Paul B

Easy 2 hour train ride ….took first class but really not worth the extra money for 2 hours. But nice to have the room 12Go handover of tickets at Vientiane Railway was easy as 1-2 Go

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #C82 First Class, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), May 15, 2025

Philip

Had people waiting for us at the ticket office with our tickets 🎫. Perfect

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #D887 Second Class Reserved Seats, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), Feb 27, 2025

Loris M

Unclear about how to retrieve the ticket, lack of communication

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #D888 Second Class Reserved Seats, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), Feb 25, 2025

Tommy N

The agent should have some sort of uniform or signage so tourists can spot them out in a crowd.

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #C92 Second Class Reserved Seats, Laos Railway by Naluang (Laos Railway by Naluang), Dec 17, 2024

Didier G

Excellent for expérience but not 2 !!!

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Van Minivan, Chit Prasong (ຈິດປະສົງ), Dec 18, 2023

Jordi C

I give the trip a 5, for the following, we left late and arrived late, but in between there was a horrible road, a 10 for the driver, who was 8 hours Hyper focused on the road, the worst I have ever driven on , more than 200 km, potholes, dirt, tarmac, herds of cows, more potholes, more dirt, crazy, not the best way to go to Luang Prabang, but the driver was a professional

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Van Minivan, Chit Prasong (ຈິດປະສົງ), Dec 18, 2023

Joy T

My ticket arrived via email a few days before my travel date. Everything was very smooth and easy.

Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Train #C82 First Class Seat, Laos Railway by RG Adventure (RG Adventure ), Dec 7, 2023

4.4

138 customer reviews

43%

22%

13%

Vientiane to Luang Prabang Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Taxi	RG Adventure	SUV 4pax	Any time	+7h 30m	€227.00
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	06:00	09:16	€20.03	5.0
Train	Laos Railway by Family Service	Second Class Seat	07:00	11:24	€16.82	5.0
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	07:20	09:06	€19.98	4.8
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Hard Seat	07:40	11:24	€18.75
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	08:00	09:45	€22.38	4.8
Flight	Lao Skyway	Economy	08:20	12:30	€149.00
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Hard Seat	08:40	11:22	€14.98	4.0
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	09:00	16:25	€202.75
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	09:45	11:49	€20.88	4.4
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	10:10	16:25	€195.84
Train	Laos Fast Train	Second Class	10:30	12:30	€16.01
Van	Chit Prasong	Minivan	11:00	18:00	€13.29	3.8
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	11:20	12:05	€43.04	3.0
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	11:45	12:30	€51.10	3.0
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	12:05	12:20	€202.50
Train	Laos Railway by RG Adventure	Second Class Seat	12:30	15:40	€21.34
Train	Laos Railway by Naluang	Second Class Reserved Seats	13:30	15:30	€20.88	4.4
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	13:55	14:40	€42.69	3.0
Flight	Lao Airlines	Economy	14:30	20:20	€235.61

Transportation from Vientiane to Luang Prabang

Facts about the transport from Vientiane to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport	€17
Fastest Transport	45m
Earliest Departure	6:00 AM
Latest Departure	6:50 PM
Departures per day	33
Distance	638 kilometers
Transport Companies	China Eastern Airlines, Chit Prasong, Family Service, Lao Airlines, Lao Airlines, Lao Airlines, Laos Railway by Family Service, Laos Railway by RG Adventure, RG Adventure, Thai AirAsia

Popular Routes

How to get from Vientiane to Luang Prabang

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

Flight
Bus
Train
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 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 450.25. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a van as a van ticket costs as low as EUR 16.62.

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

The cost of the trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Chit Prasong (ຈິດປະສົງ): travelling by van expect to pay as low as EUR 16.62 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 450.25.

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

Van price : EUR 16.62 - EUR 21.32;
Bus+Van price: EUR 17.21. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 08:30 Vientiane Northern Bus Station until 08:30 Vientiane Northern Bus Station
Bus+Train price: EUR 21.00 - EUR 35.65. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 06:00 Vientiane Transfer until 14:00 Vientiane Transfer
Train+Van price: EUR 23.98. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 14:00 Vientiane Transfer until 14:00 Vientiane Transfer
taxi+Train price: EUR 26.56 - EUR 44.90. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 07:00 Vientiane Transfer until 12:30 Vientiane Transfer
Plane tickets - EUR 30.53 to EUR 280.59;
Train tickets - EUR 37.95 to EUR 56.28;
taxi+Van price: EUR 42.19. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 07:00 Vientiane Transfer until 07:00 Vientiane Transfer

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from EUR 321.61 to EUR 450.25.

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

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

9 by Bus+Train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 06:00 Vientiane Transfer until 14:00 Vientiane Transfer
7 by taxi+Train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 07:00 Vientiane Transfer until 12:30 Vientiane Transfer
Flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 6 departures a day.
Trains always run on a set schedule - there are 5 trains per day.
Vans from Vientiane to Luang Prabang depart during the day - there are approximately 3 departures a day.
1 by Train+Van from Vientiane to Luang Prabang starting from 14:00 Vientiane Transfer until 14:00 Vientiane Transfer
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Vientiane to Luang Prabang any time of the day.

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Flights

Traveling by plane is the fastest way to get from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. While it’s often the most expensive option, tool, occasionally you can grab promotional tickets for more or less the price of a train or a ferry ticket. Normally, the minimum you need to pay for a Plane ticket is EUR 30.53.

Things to remember before boarding a plane:

It’s recommended to book a ticket in advance and check-in online. This way, you can save over 2 hours at the airport, and if your seat selection is on a first come first served basis you will have more options to choose from.
Getting through security checks may take some time - it’s recommended to get to the airport at least 1.5 hours in advance.

Airlines flying from Vientiane to Luang Prabang

China Eastern Airlines, Lao Airlines, Lao Airlines, Lao Airlines, Thai AirAsia

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Vientiane 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 321.61.

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 Vientiane 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 Vientiane 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 Vientiane to Luang Prabang

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Vientiane 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% users enjoyed a train ride.
29% chosen taxi+Van
28% chosen taxi+Train
9% opted for a van.
1% Other

Vientiane to Luang Prabang

Price

Departure

Arrival