How to Get to Vang Vieng Laos

Alright, you’ve made your mind up and have chosen to witness the absurdness firsthand. How do you get there? It’s not easy, and the journey will be long, but the debauchery that awaits will be more than worth it.

Get to Laos

Laos is located smack in the center of Southeast Asia, landlocked by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar. Most travel to Laos as part of a larger trip through the region and use an airport outside of the country for their connecting long haul flights. Bangkok (BKK) is the most convenient, but its also possible to fly into Hanoi (HAN) or Saigon (SGN) or others.

Once you’re in the region you need to set your course for Vang Vieng, Laos. There area number of choices depending on your time frame and budget.

Fly to Luang Prabang or Vientiene

By far the easiest and most comfortable option, short flights from any of the surrounding countries will save you a ton of time on buses, trains or boats and shouldn’t break your budget if you stick to Asia’s many budget airlines. I suggest checking Skyscanner since they include the budget airlines in their searches.

Coming from Bangkok, Thailand

Buses and trains connect Bangkok to Vientiane daily. Both options take around 11-12 hours so you’ve been forewarned. Buses leave from the Northern Bus terminal and trains can be booked online at http://www.railway.co.th

Coming from Chiang Mai, Thailand

From Thailand’s largest city in the north you’ll have a few options to choose from. It’s possible to book each leg on your own or to go through a travel agency or your guesthouse and save you the hassle. Buses go from Chiang Mai to the Laos border town of Huay Xai. From there you can bus your way through the winding mountains of Northern Laos, or, a far more common option, take a slowboat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang. Your choice.

Coming from Hanoi, Vietnam

If you’re coming overland from Hanoi, you have some long bus rides ahead of you. Direct buses can be booked in Hanoi to either Luang Prabang or Vientiene, but times will vary. People have reported anywhere from 24 to 30 hr trips so hunker down for the long haul.

Laos Visa

A Visa on Arrival can be obtained at the border or airport and should run somewhere around $30, depending on your nationality. For some reason, Laos took after South Park and hates Canadian (they pay more). Bring 2 passport sized photos and US Dollars in order to save some extra money.

Home Stretch to Vang Vieng

From Luang Prabang or Vientiene, you’ll need to catch a bus or minibus the rest of the way. The road from Luang Prabang can take anywhere from 7 to 11 hours through winding mountain roads. Those susceptible to motion sickness should take caution. Vientiene, on the other hand, is a little closer with a estimated time of 3-4 1/2 hours and the road much more flat. Tickets can be bought at the bus stations, at any travel agency or through most guesthouses.

David Daly says:

April 8, 2013 at 10:28 AM

Hi,

I heard a rumour that tubing was finished. Is this true or is it still going?

I am thinking abuot going in August.

Thanks,

David

- Tubing Master says:
  
  April 10, 2013 at 10:08 PM
  
  Unfortunately, I think it’s true, at least to a certain extent. I asked a buddy that just went throug Vang Vieng and here was his reply:
  
  Yeah dude, it’s completely dead. The only way you see anybody is if you are in a big group of people. There’s only about four bars open around the river and only a handful of other people are there at a time. No zip lines or anything crazy like that. It’s still cool and chill to float down the river, but even with the bar set up, no one in our group was drunk when we finished.

The Definitive Guide to Tubing in the Vang Vieng, Laos