Travel Vang Vieng

Travel and Transport Info for Vang Vieng, Laos by Hobo Maps - - - Home

Tourism's biggest little town in Laos and maybe in SE Asia !

Click to see our Vang Vieng Town Map & Area Map & North Area Map

The new Lao-China Railway line and station is in full operation. See our web pages for Railway Schedule Timetables and Railway Information .

Chart below shows railway ticket fares for trains departing from Vang Vieng. Excludes agency fees and extra 20,000 kip extra charge for tickets bought with App or not at railway station.

The ordinary train travels slower at 120 km per hour and can carry 732 passengers in air conditioned carriages - 590 chair seats, 106 wide chair seats and 36 seater/sleeper beds. For this service tickets may be sold for same-day travel and immediate departure so passengers may be pretty sure to a get a ticket and a seat if they arrive early and won't need to purchase tickets the day before. Fares are lower than fares for the high-speed trains and passengers can carry more baggage than the 20 kilogram limit per passenger on the fast trains.

E-cigarettes and vaping are illegal in Laos and these items may be confiscated by train station security staff. Separate police action with fines or prosecution is possible.

Vang Vieng railway station open hours below in April 2024 for both ticket sales and station entrance.

Vang Vieng Railway Station image below:

Public transport below waits to take arriving passengers into Vang Vieng town from the railway station.

Entrance fees now being charged for vehicles to get into the Vang Vieng railway parking area - 3,000 kip for motorbikes, 20,000 for cars and 30,000 for larger vehicles. Many vehicles now stop outside the toll collection tent and let their passengers out there to avoid the fees so their railway passengers need to walk the last 100 meters.

New public toilet building beside the station is almost done and should be open soon.

Convenience store image below inside Vang Vieng railway station.

The newly-constructed Vientiane-Vang Vieng Expressway (Lao-China Expressway) is finished and the toll road has been open since Dec. 2020. The fee for a vehicle less than 2 tons weight is about 100,000 kip one way and over 2 tons is 166,000. The Expressway does not allow pedestrians, motorbikes or bicycles. We've seen them refuse a vehicle with riders sitting in back of a truck in the open.

Vang Vieng Expressway Toll Booth image below.

Vang Vieng Minivan Bus Transport - Minivans to Vientiane leave from the old runway bus hut beside Highway 13 when full and the wait is usually less than one hour and the trip takes about 1.5 hours. The cost was 110,000 kip in Dec.2023. Minivans to Luang Prabang depart from same hut at 08:00 on time and leave even if not full. Other buses that depart from Vientiane come thru Vang Vieng around 11:00 AM to 13:00 on their way to LP, Oudom Xay, L.Namtha, etc.. Can wait for these buses at north bus station or by the old runway hut.

Around-Town Transport
- Visitors can charter tuk-tuks and pickup style buses for their travel around the area since there are many and rates are reasonable. Many places rent bicycles and motorbikes. The town is not large with all places reachable by walking. In the past we could just wait beside a main road in town and flag down a passing songtaew bus but now there aren't many roaming around. Just look for them parked on the road in the central area instead.

International Bus Service
- There are no international buses departing from Vang Vieng yet although they may restart service to Nong Khai and Udon Thani in Thailand soon.

Tubing the Song River is now back after a long suspension. Cost is now 80,000 kip per person and free transport if 5 or more passengers. Office in central town opens at 09:00 daily.

Kayaking is available with arrangements made at many places around town. This usually requires a paid guide to go along.

Sky View Flights are available - small yellow 2 seat plane "Sky Fox" and an ultralight - call number below or go to their private airstrip in town (see our town map).

Hot air balloon rides also available when weather permits but cost is over $100. As with plane flights they often go late afternoon or early morning when conditions are best.

Paramotor rides are popular lately with several departure places popping up all over the area with cost in $70 range

Buggy cars can be rented - most rental places are on the other side of Nam Song river over the bridge.

Ziplining is only available on a limited basis due to safety concerns.