Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

Chiang Mai
Luang Prabang
Sat, May 17
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Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang Destination Reviews

S
From Chang Mai till Laos border was really good. Nice van, lovely prossional drivers. Nice help at the border. Laos bit was really bad. The bus was terrible. I was obliged to share my berth with some teen stranger. Air-con freezing could. And blasting music in and out all the night long. Resulting nobody could sleep. Rude, grumpy drivers and staff. Last thing. You get dropped off at 10 km from the town after a night of poor sleep. Here the tuktuk gang comes to try to reap you off. So either one walks 10 k uphills or accepts to pay an arm and a leg to go to town. Be prepared.
Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Sleeper Bus, K Buddy (เค บัดดี้), Mar 30, 2025
AA
the thailand part was great, but once we reached Laos, the bus has nothing of a VIP one. communication should have been clearer
Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, Van Van + Bus, Mekong Transfer, Aug 15, 2024
4.4
43 customer reviews
5
28%
4
23%
3
21%
2
28%
1
0%

Facts about the transport from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

Cheapest Transport$55
Fastest Transport4h 55m
Earliest Departure6:00 AM
Latest Departure11:30 PM
Departures per day20
Distance2924 kilometers
Transport CompaniesBangkok Airways, Firstplan Transport Services, K Buddy, LaoLuang Travel, Mekong Transfer, Naluangs, Terminal Green Pai, Thai AirAsia, Transport Co, Yortdoy Travel

How to get from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

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

  • Flight
  • Bus
  • Ferry
  • 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 Train+van ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A flight ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 221.17. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus+taxi as a bus+taxi ticket costs as low as USD 54.08.

How far is Chiang Mai from Luang Prabang?

If you’re traveling by land, it’s important to know the distance from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. Your trip will be a total of 1818 miles (2924 km). The flying distance is 2598 miles (4180 km).

How long does it take to get from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang?

The travel time from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 5 to 59 hours.

How much does it cost to get from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang?

The cost of the trip from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Naluangs: travelling by bus+taxi expect to pay as low as USD 54.08 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a flight - a one-way flight ticket can cost as much as USD 221.17.

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

  • Bus+taxi price: USD 54.08 - USD 55.58. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:30 Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 until 09:00 CoolMuang Coffee
  • Bus+Van price: USD 55.58 - USD 65.62. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 06:00 Chiang Mai until 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer
  • Bus+taxi+Ferry+Van price: USD 67.60. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Tha Phae Gate until 09:00 Tha Phae Gate
  • Ferry+Van price: USD 72.11. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer until 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer
  • Bus+Ferry+Van price: USD 76.61. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Mai Town Hotel Transfer until 09:00 Chiang Mai Town Hotel Transfer
  • Train+Van price: USD 88.33. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer until 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer
  • Van price : USD 88.63;
  • flight price: USD 161.37 - USD 221.15. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:10 Chiang Mai Airport until 23:30 Chiang Mai Airport
  • flight+Bus price: USD 219.80. From Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:30 Chiang Mai Arcade 2 until 07:30 Chiang Mai Arcade 2

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 632.55 to USD 855.05.

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

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

  • 12 by flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 07:10 Chiang Mai Airport until 23:30 Chiang Mai Airport
  • 4 by Bus+Van from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 06:00 Chiang Mai until 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer
  • 2 by Bus+taxi from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 08:30 Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 until 09:00 CoolMuang Coffee
  • 1 by Bus+taxi+Ferry+Van from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Tha Phae Gate until 09:00 Tha Phae Gate
  • 1 by Ferry+Van from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang starting from 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer until 09:00 Chiang Mai Transfer

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Chiang Mai 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 USD 632.55.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Chiang Mai 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:

  • 28% chosen Bus+Van
  • 24% chosen Bus+taxi
  • 21% chosen Bus+taxi+Ferry+Van
  • 7% chosen Ferry+Van
  • 7% chosen Train+Van
  • 6% chosen Bus+Ferry+Van
  • 6% opted for a van.
  • 1% Other