Nestled in the mountains of northern Thailand, the city of Chiang Mai is the perfect place to relax, soak up the atmosphere and recharge your batteries before continuing your adventure. Being in the north of the country, Chiang Mai is a popular destination from which to continue longer journeys to neighboring Laos and Myanmar. One of the popular destinations that can be reached from Chiang Mai is the beautiful city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos. Much of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been preserved, allowing us to enjoy a fantastic mix of history and architecture, from Buddhist temples to French colonial buildings. If you are looking for the best way to travel from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, this guide will tell you the details.
Transfer from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
Depending on the chosen route, the road distance between two cities can vary from 607 to 675 kilometers. In any case, the journey is quite long, although this will only be the case when traveling by private vehicle. Commercial buses are limited to the route they must follow and must take a good turn to enter Laos at a certain point. In this way, the journey ends at a distance of around 1,000 kilometers and the duration can vary from 18 to 22 hours. Also keep in mind that you will be transiting from one country to another so you need to know the visa requirements before starting your trip. Although traveling by car from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang is quite popular and cheap, the journey takes a long time. You can also choose to go by plane or, if you want to go more leisurely, take a boat, which takes about 2 days to cover.
Flights from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
Lao Airlines flight from Chiang Mai International Airport to Luang Prabang © Sudpoth Sirirattanasakul / Shutterstock.com
If you have read the previous paragraph, you probably think that flying from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang is the best option. Without a doubt, a plane between two cities is better than any other means of transport, but this speed comes at a price. Flights from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang are expensive and operated by only one airline, which, having no competition, is quite expensive. Therefore, if you are traveling with the right amount of money, it is possible that flying is not in your plans, although if you are short on time, it is the only option.
Lao Airlines, the national airline of Laos, flies four times a week from Chiang Mai International Airport. You can easily get there by tuk-tuk, songthaew or taxi, because it’s only a few kilometers from the old town. The flight takes only one hour and lands at Luang Prabang International Airport, which is 4 kilometers from the city center. You can go to the center for a reasonable price in a shared van or leave the terminal and take a tuk-tuk for less money.
From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang by bus
Tuk-tuk picking people up from Luang Prabang South bus station © CatwalkPhotos / Shutterstock.com
The bus journey from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang is a long one, but there are several options you can consider. If you prefer to take the bus and not worry about anything until you reach your destination, the first option is for you. This is an international bus that leaves Chiang Mai around 9:00 am and arrives in Luang Prabang the next day around 5:00 am. It is a standard VIP bus with air conditioning, an onboard bathroom and relatively soft reclining seats. He usually makes three long stops along the way.
Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, the tour buses arrive at a different station than the regular buses. It is close to the south bus station and from there you can go to the center by tuk tuk.
If you prefer to travel more independently with the ability to get there in less time, there are several bus options from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang to consider. You can take a private minibus or VIP bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong. Here you will pass the border crossing on the Mekong River, so when the bus arrives, you can get off and cross the border on your own in about 25 minutes on foot.
When in Laos, you have several options to get to Luang Pragang. You can choose a slow or fast boat, or continue your journey on another bus. Below are the details of the boat trip.
By boat from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
You may have heard that some tourists take a boat from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, but the truth is that you cannot go from one city to another directly by boat because they are not even connected by water. What you need to do is get to Chiang Khong as we explained in the previous section, cross the border and board a boat once you are in Laos. The city opposite Laos is Huay Xai, which offers a variety of accommodations to spend the night in, which you’ll probably want to do as buses and vans often arrive at night. Book your boat ticket upon arrival to secure your spot.
There are three boat travel options. You can go on a luxury river cruise, a very convenient option but also quite expensive, or you can choose a fast boat or a slow boat. The slow boat is the cheapest and best to get close to the local people, but it takes two days to complete the tour, about the same as a luxury cruise. Fast boats are a good option as they take 6 hours to cover the route but are not suitable for everyone as they move a lot and make a lot of noise.
Here are the travel options from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. Choose the one that best suits your pocket and plans, taking into account the pros and cons of each.