How to get from Pakse to Vang Vieng

Why visit Vang Vieng?

Vang Vieng is a small Laotian town set in the midst of tranquil cliffs and rich green rice fields — just like a scene from an Asian painting. Formerly a party destination, the picturesque town reinvented itself to become Laos’ adventure capital.

Adrenaline-hungry travellers can enjoy many exciting activities in Vang Vieng — from rock climbing and caving to hiking and river tubing. When you want to relax, take a dip in the famous Blue Lagoons or just ride a motorbike across Vang Vieng’s rugged roads and lush green fields.

There are 2 ways to travel the 780 kilometres (485 miles) from Pakse to Vang Vieng. You can choose between the bus and flight. The journey takes 3 hours 45 minutes to 13 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at $49 (1,060,000 LAK).

While Vang Vieng might be known for its river tubing scene, it also boasts a stunning landscape of limestone rocks. This scenic town has amazing views and hidden caves to check out.

To get from Pakse to Vang Vieng by land, you’ll need to make a stop in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Note that even when booking direct tickets, you might need to change vehicles in Vientiane.

The journey takes 12 to 13 hours. The good news is that the bus to Vang Vieng has toilets and is a sleeper bus, making the trip a bit more comfortable.

Flying might seem like a fast way to Vang Vieng – just 1h 15m to Vientiane! But there’s a catch: it’s not direct. You’ll need to catch a bus from Vientiane, adding another 2h 30m - 4h to your journey.

Still, if you’re really pressed for time, flying can be a good option. It can cut the total travel time in half compared to taking the bus all the way.

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

From the city centre, you need to hire a taxi to get to the airport. The taxi ride costs $7 (152,000 LAK).

Lao Airlines offers the fastest and cheapest flight straight to Vientiane. A one-way plane ticket to Vientiane starts at $100 (2,216,000 LAK) and takes about 1h 15m. For more information about booking your flight, read our article on how to go from Pakse to Vientiane.

It takes about 2h 30m - 4h to go from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. You can either book a bus or ride a van for this route. However, we prefer taking the bus because it has more legroom. Expect to pay about $8 (174,000 LAK) for a bus ticket.

Two bus companies operate on this route: RG Adventure and Soutchai Travel.

RG Adventure offers a more frequent schedule, with four trips running daily. The first trip leaves at 7:00 and the last one departs at 15:00.

Soutchai Travel offers two trips per day. The first trip leaves at 9:00, and the last trip departs Vientiane at 14:00.

Make sure that your flight from Pakse to Vientiane is scheduled accordingly so you can travel on the same day. Read Vientiane to Vang Vieng to know more.