How to get from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

Why visit Luang Prabang?

Luang Prabang is the former royal capital of Laos. A beautiful fusion of traditional Lao architecture and colonial design, this ancient city sits at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Luang Prabang lifts up your spirits with its 33 Buddhist temples and awakens your senses with its picturesque landscape.

Backdropped by mountains, adventurers will find plenty of things to do in Luang Prabang. You’ll find turquoise waterfalls, trekking trips and biking trails on the outskirts of town. Our favourite part? The friendly atmosphere and slow life that it was somehow able to maintain despite the growing number of tourists.

There are 4 ways to travel the 715 kilometers (444 miles) from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. You can choose between the bus, shared minivan, flight and ferry. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 days and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at $61 (1,327,000 LAK).

Travelling by bus from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang takes almost a day of travel. But, it is also cheaper than booking a flight and faster than when travelling by ferry.

Yortdoy Travel and Banana Leaf Tour are the two most popular bus companies that offer trips from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. They both have one trip departing daily. We’ve provided the schedules in the table below.

A minivan ride from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang costs around $61 (1,317,000 LAK). The minivan journey takes almost a day—about 22 hours.

Shared Minivan options from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

This is for sure the most adventurous option when travelling from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. You cannot travel through the entire route by ferry as this requires an overland transfer, but we can assure you that you will be rewarded with magnificent views and a very unique experience.

You can book with a van ride or bus from Chiang Mai to the border in Chiang Khong. If you prefer to book a van, you can arrange this with your hotel or any travel agency in the city.

If you book through BookAway, it costs about $41 (894,000 LAK) per person and the trip takes about 6h 30m.

You can also book a bus ride with Green Bus. They have trips leaving at 08:00, 09:30 and 13:15. The cost starts at 300 THB ($9), depending on whether you book the regular or VIP bus. By bus, it takes at least 6 hours. You can book your bus ride through 12go.asia.

Go through Thai immigration and get your passport stamped. Then take the shuttle bus that takes you across to Laos for 25 THB ($0.80). Go through immigration again on the Laotian side.

Once outside, take a tuk-tuk to Huay Xai for 70 THB ($2.10) per person. Sometimes, drivers may charge higher. Huay Xai is where the ferry departs from. You may also have to stay for 1 night as ferries leave in the morning and by the time you reach Huay Xai, it would be at least early in the afternoon.

You can book a ticket online but it’s best to buy the slow boat ticket at the dock since it’s cheaper. It costs about 800 THB ($24) for the ferry ride to Luang Prabang. The ferry leaves the port in Huay Xai at 10:00.

First, the ferry will cruise through the river for 8 hours. Then you arrive at the town of Pakbeng. You have to stay in Pakbeng for one night. There will be many locals offering rooms to stay in. The key is to negotiate a good deal. Don’t expect much from the rooms but know that most are decent enough.

The next day, you board the ferry again bound for Luang Prabang. The second leg of the ferry trip takes about 8 hours. From the port, you have to take a tuk-tuk to the city centre. The cost is around 70 THB ($2.10) per person.

Before you make the trip, you can also try to book the entire trip from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang through a travel agency. It will be more expensive but you forego the hassle of having to coordinate transfers on your own.

Booking with BookAway

If you want to arrange your ferry tickets in advance, we suggest booking through BookAway. Fares start at $33.50 (733,000 LAK).

Flying from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang is obviously the fastest way to travel, but comes at a price.

Airlines such as AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Thai Smile, Thai Airways and Lao Airlines offer flights through this route. Most of the flights are non-direct and it takes at least 5 hours of travel, usually with a layover in Bangkok. There are only about 2-3 flights which offer direct travel. The price for a direct flight starts at 5,200 THB ($155).

Planes depart from Chiang Mai Airport and land in Luang Prabang Airport. Flight time is just below 1 hour 30 minutes. Click on the button below to check the latest and cheapest flights.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.