Getting Around in Vientiane
In recent years much work has been put into improving Vientiane transport system, especially the buses. Thanks to the government of Janpan (or JICA project) for their bus donation and for the work they put into enhancing the capacity of Vientiane Capital State Bus Enterprise to make Vientiane city bus widely availalbe, more reliable and more comfortable. Here are some of those informations available.
Arriving in Vientiane by bus
There are 3 bus stations in Vietnam. A bit confusing, but here they are;
1. Southern Bus Station
The Southern Bus Terminal (Dong Dok) is the main departure point for all destinations in southern Laos and international services to Vietnam and Cambodia. It's located 9 km north of the downtown core, straight up Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue from Patuxai monument.
Tuk tuks will ask for 50,000 kip to take you there. An alternative is to take the green and white city bus #29 from the Central Bus Station for 4,000 kip. You can hop on the bus at the entrance of the bus station, but it will go around Dongdok University first, which will cost you 20-30 minutes. If you need to hurry, better go out the bus station then cross the big street and wait at the bus stop there. The #29 bus already go around Dongdok University and ready to take you straight to Morning Market, which is the core of the city. It will take you another 20-30 minutes to reach there.
As for other destinations, buying your bus ticket from a travel agency will cost more but again, it includes a transfer to the station.
Sample destinations include:
Attapeu (local bus) departs 09:30, 17:00, costs 140,000 kip
Attapeu (VIP) departs 20:30, costs 200,000 kip
Pakse (local bus) departs 10:00,12:30,13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, takes 12 hours, 110,000 kip
Pakse (Express) departs at 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, takes 10 hours, costs 140,000 kip
Pakse (VIP) departs at 20:30, 21:00, takes 12 hours, costs 170,000 kip
Salavan (local bus) departs at 16:30, costs 120,000 kip
Salavan (express, via Pakse) departs at 19:00, 19:30, costs 150,000 kip.
Savannakhet (local bus) departs at 05:30, 6:00, 06:30, 07:30, 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, takes 10 hours, costs 100,000 kip
Savannakhet (VIP) departs at 20:30, takes 8 hours, costs 120,000 kip
Sekong (local bus) departs at 04:30, costs 120,000 kip
Thakhek departs at 04:00, 05:00, 06:00, 12:00, 13:00, takes 5 hours, costs 60,000 kip
Services to Vietnam:
Vinh departs 19:00, takes 16 hours, costs US$20
Hanoi departs 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, takes 22 hours, costs US$25
Hue departs 19:30, takes 12 hours, costs US$20
Danang departs 18:30, 19:00, 20:00, takes 16 hours, costs US$25
Ho Chi Minh City departs 19:30, costs US$60
Quang Nam departs at 19:30, costs US$26
Quang Binh departs at 19:30, costs US$20
Services to Cambodia
Phnom Penh (sleeper) departs at 20:30, takes 24 hours, costs US$45
Siem Reap (sleeper) departs at 20:30, takes 25 hours, costs US$50
Bangkok VIP Bus
Any guesthouse or travel agency can sell you a ticket on the overnight VIP bus or sleeper to Bangkok. The bus is quite comfortable with air-con, reclining seats, movies and WiFi, and the price includes a stop for supper. You'll be picked up at your guesthouse around 17:00, departure is at 18:00, a change buses at the border and you arrive in Bangkok around 06:00 the next morning.
2. Northen Bus Station
The Northern Bus Station, 8 km northwest of the city centre, is the main departure point for Luang Prabang and all northern destinations, as well as buses to southern China. It’s sometimes referred to as the Luang Prabang bus station.
Buying your ticket through a travel agency or guesthouse in Vientiane will cost more but it will include pickup from your accommodation and shuttle to the bus station or departure point – some VIP bus companies serving popular tourist destinations Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang load up passengers and depart from the city centre, bypassing the bus station completely.
Buses and large minivans bound for Luang Prabang depart regularly throughout the day, at least one every couple of hours. Air-con buses are comfortable, and the VIP buses provide a bit extra space, a snack and bottled water. Most tourists prefer the overnight air-conditioned sleeper bus as a way of saving time and money on accommodation.
Note: sleeper buses usually consist of a single bed shared between two people. If you’re travelling solo, that means getting cosy with a stranger. They do make a concerted effort to pair you up with someone of the same sex. Tall people will all too quickly discover that the beds are quite short.
As with all travel in Laos, travel times listed are optimistic estimates.
Luang Prabang (air-con) departs 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:00, takes 10 hours, costs 110,000 kip
Luang Prabang (VIP) departs 08:00, 09:00, 19:30, takes 10 hours, costs 130,000 kip
Luang Prabang (VIP sleeper) departs 20:00, 20:30, takes 11 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Luang Prabang (air-con minivan) departs at 07:00, 09:00, 19:00, takes 8 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Luang Nam Tha (air-con) departs 08:30, 17:00, costs 200,000 kip
Udomxai (air-con) departs 06:45, 13:45,17:00, 170,000 kip
Udomxai (VIP sleeper) departs 16:00, costs 190,000 kip
Bokeo (Huay Xai) (air-con) departs 17:30, costs 230,000 kip
Bokeo (Huay Xai) (VIP sleeper) departs 10:00, costs 250,000 kip
Sayaboury departs at 09:00, 16:00, 18:30, costs 110,000 to 130,000 kip
Parklai departs at 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 11:00, costs 100,000 kip
Xiengkhuang (Phonsavan) departs 06:30, 07:30, 09:30, 16:00, 18:40, takes 10 hours, costs 110,000 kip,
Xiengkhuang (Phonsavan) (VIP sleeper) departs 20:00, takes 10 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Phongsali (air-con) departs 07:15, 210,000 kip
Phongsali (sleeper) departs 18:00, costs 230,000 kip
Sam Neua (air-con) departs 07:00, 9:30, 12:00, 17:00, costs 170,000 to 190,000 kip, takes
Sam Neua (sleeper) departs 14:00, costs 210,000 kip
Service to China:
Kunming departs 14:00, 18:30, takes 32 hours, costs 729,000 kip
Meungla departs 11:00, costs 284,000 kip
Service to Thailand:
Bangkok (VIP Bus) departs 17:00, takes 12 hours, costs 248,000 kip
Nakhon Ratchasima (VIP Bus) departs 17:00, takes 4 hours, costs 149,000 kip
Khon Kaen (VIP Bus) departs 08:15, takes 4 hours, costs 50,000 kip
Any bus bound for Luang Prabang can drop you off in Vang Vieng, though you pay the same ticket price as if you were going all the way. The better option is to book a ticket for Vang Vieng from a travel agency.
3. Central Bus Station
The Central Bus Station (also referred to as Khou Din station or Talat Sao Bus Station or Morning Market Bus Station) is located beside the morning market and is a bustling hub with bus services for the city, municipalities and a few further destinations in Laos and northern Thailand.
A fleet of green and white air-conditioned public transit style buses has routes throughout the city, including:
Bus #14: Is the cheapest way to get to the Friendship Bridge and Buddha Park (6,000 kip). It departs frequently, roughly every 10 to 20 minutes, 05:35–17:30.
Bus #29 goes to the Southern Bus Terminal (Dong Dok) every 10 to 20 minutes and costs 4,000 kip.
A few buses (#3, #30, #49) pass the turn-off to the airport, though none actually go to it. Note that local buses are often marked only with Lao letters and numbers in the front windscreen, but station staff can direct you to the right bus. Be wary of tuk tuk drivers who say you’ve already missed your bus.
It's also possible to get a local bus to Vang Vieng, Savannakhet or Pakse. However, the other terminals have far better buses and more frequent departures for these routes.
Kasi departs at 08:30, Vang Vieng departs at 07:00, 09:30, and 13:00;
Savannakhet departs at 05:00, 06:00, and 07:00
Pakse departs at 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00
Attapeu departs at 09:30 and 17:00
Tha Khaek departs at 06:00, 11:30 and 12:00
The Central Bus Station also offers convenient service to Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen in northern Thailand, with the bus waiting for passengers to clear passport control. From these cities it is easy to catch buses to other destinations within Thailand.
Nong Khai 07:30, 09:30, 12:40, 14:30, 15:30, 18:00, takes 1 hour, costs 15,000 kip
Udon Thani 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, costs 22,000 kip, takes 2-3 hours
Khon Kaen 08:15, 14:45, costs 50,000 kip, takes 4-5 hours
Bangkok 18:00, takes 12 hours, costs 248,000 kip
Travelling around in Vientiane
Bus
Many public buses going around Vientiane. Most of them start/off at Morning Market Bus Station. There is a bus every 15 minutes for popular routes like Dong Dok and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, and every 20-30 minutes for others. Although delays may occur during rush hours, the service is more reliable and more people are using it now than in the past. Service begins at 5.30 am to 7 pm.
Apart from catching the buses at Central Bus Station and designated bus stops, it also can literally be flagged down anywhere along the routes. Even though the city buses are clearly numbered and marked both in Lao and English, it still can be confusing because there are no clear signs to follow (at the bus station). Asking random people is the best and quickest way to find the right bus (it worked for me), and I’d recommend it.
Songtaew
Similar to the ones in Thailand, this is a pick-up or small truck with the back partially enclosed and with benches along the sides. These are mainly used for longer trips between cities on a set route, but you can get on and off whenever you like. They also carry heaps of luggage and goods.
Arriving in Vientiane by bus
There are 3 bus stations in Vietnam. A bit confusing, but here they are;
1. Southern Bus Station
The Southern Bus Terminal (Dong Dok) is the main departure point for all destinations in southern Laos and international services to Vietnam and Cambodia. It's located 9 km north of the downtown core, straight up Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue from Patuxai monument.
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| Entrance gate at DongDok Bus Station |
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| Inside the Dongdok Bus Station |
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| The terminal at Dongdok Bus Station |
Tuk tuks will ask for 50,000 kip to take you there. An alternative is to take the green and white city bus #29 from the Central Bus Station for 4,000 kip. You can hop on the bus at the entrance of the bus station, but it will go around Dongdok University first, which will cost you 20-30 minutes. If you need to hurry, better go out the bus station then cross the big street and wait at the bus stop there. The #29 bus already go around Dongdok University and ready to take you straight to Morning Market, which is the core of the city. It will take you another 20-30 minutes to reach there.
As for other destinations, buying your bus ticket from a travel agency will cost more but again, it includes a transfer to the station.
Sample destinations include:
Attapeu (local bus) departs 09:30, 17:00, costs 140,000 kip
Attapeu (VIP) departs 20:30, costs 200,000 kip
Pakse (local bus) departs 10:00,12:30,13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, takes 12 hours, 110,000 kip
Pakse (Express) departs at 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, takes 10 hours, costs 140,000 kip
Pakse (VIP) departs at 20:30, 21:00, takes 12 hours, costs 170,000 kip
Salavan (local bus) departs at 16:30, costs 120,000 kip
Salavan (express, via Pakse) departs at 19:00, 19:30, costs 150,000 kip.
Savannakhet (local bus) departs at 05:30, 6:00, 06:30, 07:30, 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, takes 10 hours, costs 100,000 kip
Savannakhet (VIP) departs at 20:30, takes 8 hours, costs 120,000 kip
Sekong (local bus) departs at 04:30, costs 120,000 kip
Thakhek departs at 04:00, 05:00, 06:00, 12:00, 13:00, takes 5 hours, costs 60,000 kip
Services to Vietnam:
Vinh departs 19:00, takes 16 hours, costs US$20
Hanoi departs 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, takes 22 hours, costs US$25
Hue departs 19:30, takes 12 hours, costs US$20
Danang departs 18:30, 19:00, 20:00, takes 16 hours, costs US$25
Ho Chi Minh City departs 19:30, costs US$60
Quang Nam departs at 19:30, costs US$26
Quang Binh departs at 19:30, costs US$20
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| International bus from Hanoi to Vientiane with sleeper berth. If you are taller than average local people (above 175 cm) than this 'sleeper' berth is a hell! |
Services to Cambodia
Phnom Penh (sleeper) departs at 20:30, takes 24 hours, costs US$45
Siem Reap (sleeper) departs at 20:30, takes 25 hours, costs US$50
Bangkok VIP Bus
Any guesthouse or travel agency can sell you a ticket on the overnight VIP bus or sleeper to Bangkok. The bus is quite comfortable with air-con, reclining seats, movies and WiFi, and the price includes a stop for supper. You'll be picked up at your guesthouse around 17:00, departure is at 18:00, a change buses at the border and you arrive in Bangkok around 06:00 the next morning.
2. Northen Bus Station
The Northern Bus Station, 8 km northwest of the city centre, is the main departure point for Luang Prabang and all northern destinations, as well as buses to southern China. It’s sometimes referred to as the Luang Prabang bus station.
Buying your ticket through a travel agency or guesthouse in Vientiane will cost more but it will include pickup from your accommodation and shuttle to the bus station or departure point – some VIP bus companies serving popular tourist destinations Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang load up passengers and depart from the city centre, bypassing the bus station completely.
Buses and large minivans bound for Luang Prabang depart regularly throughout the day, at least one every couple of hours. Air-con buses are comfortable, and the VIP buses provide a bit extra space, a snack and bottled water. Most tourists prefer the overnight air-conditioned sleeper bus as a way of saving time and money on accommodation.
Note: sleeper buses usually consist of a single bed shared between two people. If you’re travelling solo, that means getting cosy with a stranger. They do make a concerted effort to pair you up with someone of the same sex. Tall people will all too quickly discover that the beds are quite short.
As with all travel in Laos, travel times listed are optimistic estimates.
Luang Prabang (air-con) departs 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:00, takes 10 hours, costs 110,000 kip
Luang Prabang (VIP) departs 08:00, 09:00, 19:30, takes 10 hours, costs 130,000 kip
Luang Prabang (VIP sleeper) departs 20:00, 20:30, takes 11 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Luang Prabang (air-con minivan) departs at 07:00, 09:00, 19:00, takes 8 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Luang Nam Tha (air-con) departs 08:30, 17:00, costs 200,000 kip
Udomxai (air-con) departs 06:45, 13:45,17:00, 170,000 kip
Udomxai (VIP sleeper) departs 16:00, costs 190,000 kip
Bokeo (Huay Xai) (air-con) departs 17:30, costs 230,000 kip
Bokeo (Huay Xai) (VIP sleeper) departs 10:00, costs 250,000 kip
Sayaboury departs at 09:00, 16:00, 18:30, costs 110,000 to 130,000 kip
Parklai departs at 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 11:00, costs 100,000 kip
Xiengkhuang (Phonsavan) departs 06:30, 07:30, 09:30, 16:00, 18:40, takes 10 hours, costs 110,000 kip,
Xiengkhuang (Phonsavan) (VIP sleeper) departs 20:00, takes 10 hours, costs 150,000 kip
Phongsali (air-con) departs 07:15, 210,000 kip
Phongsali (sleeper) departs 18:00, costs 230,000 kip
Sam Neua (air-con) departs 07:00, 9:30, 12:00, 17:00, costs 170,000 to 190,000 kip, takes
Sam Neua (sleeper) departs 14:00, costs 210,000 kip
Service to China:
Kunming departs 14:00, 18:30, takes 32 hours, costs 729,000 kip
Meungla departs 11:00, costs 284,000 kip
Service to Thailand:
Bangkok (VIP Bus) departs 17:00, takes 12 hours, costs 248,000 kip
Nakhon Ratchasima (VIP Bus) departs 17:00, takes 4 hours, costs 149,000 kip
Khon Kaen (VIP Bus) departs 08:15, takes 4 hours, costs 50,000 kip
Any bus bound for Luang Prabang can drop you off in Vang Vieng, though you pay the same ticket price as if you were going all the way. The better option is to book a ticket for Vang Vieng from a travel agency.
3. Central Bus Station
The Central Bus Station (also referred to as Khou Din station or Talat Sao Bus Station or Morning Market Bus Station) is located beside the morning market and is a bustling hub with bus services for the city, municipalities and a few further destinations in Laos and northern Thailand.
A fleet of green and white air-conditioned public transit style buses has routes throughout the city, including:
Bus #14: Is the cheapest way to get to the Friendship Bridge and Buddha Park (6,000 kip). It departs frequently, roughly every 10 to 20 minutes, 05:35–17:30.
Bus #29 goes to the Southern Bus Terminal (Dong Dok) every 10 to 20 minutes and costs 4,000 kip.
A few buses (#3, #30, #49) pass the turn-off to the airport, though none actually go to it. Note that local buses are often marked only with Lao letters and numbers in the front windscreen, but station staff can direct you to the right bus. Be wary of tuk tuk drivers who say you’ve already missed your bus.
It's also possible to get a local bus to Vang Vieng, Savannakhet or Pakse. However, the other terminals have far better buses and more frequent departures for these routes.
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| The terminal at central bus station |
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| Central bus station |
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| Morning market across the Central bus station |
Kasi departs at 08:30, Vang Vieng departs at 07:00, 09:30, and 13:00;
Savannakhet departs at 05:00, 06:00, and 07:00
Pakse departs at 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00
Attapeu departs at 09:30 and 17:00
Tha Khaek departs at 06:00, 11:30 and 12:00
The Central Bus Station also offers convenient service to Nong Khai, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen in northern Thailand, with the bus waiting for passengers to clear passport control. From these cities it is easy to catch buses to other destinations within Thailand.
Nong Khai 07:30, 09:30, 12:40, 14:30, 15:30, 18:00, takes 1 hour, costs 15,000 kip
Udon Thani 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, costs 22,000 kip, takes 2-3 hours
Khon Kaen 08:15, 14:45, costs 50,000 kip, takes 4-5 hours
Bangkok 18:00, takes 12 hours, costs 248,000 kip
Travelling around in Vientiane
Bus
Many public buses going around Vientiane. Most of them start/off at Morning Market Bus Station. There is a bus every 15 minutes for popular routes like Dong Dok and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, and every 20-30 minutes for others. Although delays may occur during rush hours, the service is more reliable and more people are using it now than in the past. Service begins at 5.30 am to 7 pm.
Apart from catching the buses at Central Bus Station and designated bus stops, it also can literally be flagged down anywhere along the routes. Even though the city buses are clearly numbered and marked both in Lao and English, it still can be confusing because there are no clear signs to follow (at the bus station). Asking random people is the best and quickest way to find the right bus (it worked for me), and I’d recommend it.
If you need to catch a bus, just wait at the bus stop or some where on the roadside, and give a sign to the driver by sticking out your hand to wave the bus down.
Boarding the bus from the doors that opened by the driver. Don't worry about paying or buying ticket just yet, just find your seat or standing spot (if all the seats are occupied) and enjoy the ride. When you want to get off the bus, press the nearby aligthing button or verbally let the driver know and he will pull over where (or close to where) you whan to get off. Before getting off the bus, give cash to the driver. If you're a student and use Student Bus Pass (SBP), touch it to the reader or present it to the driver, and off you go.
Tuk Tuk
These are one-piece cart with motorbike-style steering and a tank at the front with a covered tray mounted on the back for seating. They can comfortably seat up to eight passengers (or more if you don’t mind getting cosy with your fellow passengers). They are traditionally decorated in blue, red and yellow stripes with colourful landscapes painted on the sides. The big one called Skylab, this is the kind of tuk tuk used for our Tuk Tuk Safaris, and the smaller one called Jumbo.
Songtaew
Similar to the ones in Thailand, this is a pick-up or small truck with the back partially enclosed and with benches along the sides. These are mainly used for longer trips between cities on a set route, but you can get on and off whenever you like. They also carry heaps of luggage and goods.
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| Songteaw in Laos |
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| Songteaw in Laos |
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