10 days in Laos
A ten day northern Laos route built around the railway that exists now, and the booking rule nobody warns you about.
Last updated . Railway fares, ticket office hours and the booking window are all administered locally and have changed more than once since the line opened. Kip prices move quickly. Recheck the railway sources below close to travel.
Book the trip
Start with Laos, dates and travellers
Compare the travel services first, then use the itinerary below to plan each day.
- Flights
Choose your airports, travel dates and passenger count.
Search flights - Hotels
Search stays near the places in this route.
Search Booking.com - Activities
Check tours and tickets for the stops you want to keep.
Find activities
You book each service directly with its supplier. These separate bookings do not form a RoamWeek package.
Laos changed shape in 2021 and a lot of the writing about it has not caught up. A journey that used to be a full day on a minibus over mountain roads is now under an hour on a high speed train. What almost nobody mentions is the catch attached to it: the ticket cannot be bought more than 3 days before departure, there is no international online sale, and the stations sit well outside the towns whose names they carry.
How many days do you need in Laos?
10 days for the north: 4 around Luang Prabang, 3 in the mountains at Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi, and 3 at Vang Vieng.
A week means dropping Nong Khiaw, which is the stop travellers most often say they wish they had kept. The south, around Pakse and the 4000 Islands, is a separate trip rather than an extension of this one.
How far in advance can you book the Laos train?
3 days, and no more. There is no international online booking for the Laos to China railway.
Tickets are bought at the station counter or through a local agency. The agency route is convenient and roughly doubles the fare: Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng has been quoted at about 265,000 kip through an agent against about 135,000 at the window.
How far are the Laos train stations from the towns?
Vientiane is about 15 km out, Luang Prabang about 11 km, and Vang Vieng the exception at about 2 km.
That distance has to be paid for twice, once to buy the ticket and once to travel, unless you send someone or use an agency. A tuk tuk to the counter and back often costs about what the agency commission would have.
Do you need your passport to buy a Laos train ticket?
Yes, for every passenger including children. Around 120 cm is the cutoff for a half price child fare.
ASEAN identity cards and driving licences are not accepted. This matters if you rented a scooter, because most rental shops hold the passport as a deposit and the ticket counter will not take a photocopy.
The plan at a glance
- Days
- 1 to 3
- Where
- Luang Prabang
- How you get there
- Fly in
- Days
- 4
- Where
- North to Nong Khiaw
- How you get there
- Minibus, about 4 hours
- Days
- 5
- Where
- Nong Khiaw
- How you get there
- On foot
- Days
- 6
- Where
- Muang Ngoi
- How you get there
- Boat up the Nam Ou, about an hour
- Days
- 7
- Where
- Back to Luang Prabang
- How you get there
- Boat, then minibus
- Days
- 8 to 9
- Where
- Vang Vieng
- How you get there
- Train, about 50 minutes
- Days
- 10
- Where
- Vientiane and out
- How you get there
- Train, about 50 minutes
| Days | Where | How you get there |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Luang Prabang | Fly in |
| 4 | North to Nong Khiaw | Minibus, about 4 hours |
| 5 | Nong Khiaw | On foot |
| 6 | Muang Ngoi | Boat up the Nam Ou, about an hour |
| 7 | Back to Luang Prabang | Boat, then minibus |
| 8 to 9 | Vang Vieng | Train, about 50 minutes |
| 10 | Vientiane and out | Train, about 50 minutes |
The route at a glance
10 mapped stops · 10 days
Live route map
OpenStreetMap tiles
Loading the OpenStreetMap map.
Route stops
Follow the numbered order through each day.
Day 1: Luang Prabang, slowly
- 1The peninsula and Wat Xieng Thong · about 3 hours
- 2Mount Phousi at sunset · about 90 minutes
Day 2: Kuang Si
- 3Kuang Si Falls · about 5 hours
- ·The night market · about 2 hours
Day 3: The river, and buying tomorrow's ticket
- 4Pak Ou Caves · about 5 hours
- ·Transport admin · about an hour
Day 4: North to Nong Khiaw
- ·Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw · about 4 hours
- 5Nong Khiaw · the evening
Day 5: The viewpoints
- 6Pha Daeng Peak viewpoint · about 4 hours
- ·The river bank · the rest of the day
Day 6: Muang Ngoi by boat
- ·Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi · about an hour
- 7Muang Ngoi · the rest of the day
Day 7: Back south
- ·Muang Ngoi to Luang Prabang · about 6 hours
Day 8: The train to Vang Vieng
- ·Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng by rail · about 3 hours all in
- 8Vang Vieng · the rest of the day
Day 9: Caves and lagoons
- 9The Blue Lagoons and Tham Phu Kham · about 5 hours
- ·Kayaking or tubing the Nam Song · about 3 hours
Day 10: Vientiane, and out
- ·Vang Vieng to Vientiane by rail · about 2 hours all in
- 10Vientiane · about 4 hours
Day 1: Luang Prabang, slowly
A UNESCO listed old town on a peninsula between two rivers, and it is small enough to walk end to end.
- On foot
- About 4 km on foot, all of it flat
Afternoon
The peninsula and Wat Xieng Thongabout 3 hours
The old town sits between the Mekong and the Nam Khan and takes about 20 minutes to walk the length of. Wat Xieng Thong is at the far tip and is the one temple to see if you only see one.
Evening
Mount Phousi at sunsetabout 90 minutes
About 300 steps in the middle of town. It is genuinely crowded at sunset, so either accept that or climb an hour earlier and have it largely to yourself.
Day 2: Kuang Si
Tiered turquoise pools about 30 km out of town, and the whole day belongs to them.
- On foot
- About 5 km on foot with a steep optional climb
Morning
Kuang Si Fallsabout 5 hours
Go at opening. By mid morning the lower pools are full and the shared minibuses arrive in a block. The path up the side of the main fall is steep and slippery and worth it.
Afternoon
The night marketabout 2 hours
Textiles and food along Sisavangvong Road from late afternoon. The food alley behind the main strip is where people actually eat.
Day 3: The river, and buying tomorrow's ticket
A boat morning on the Mekong, and the admin day for everything that has to be arranged in person.
- On foot
- About 3 km on foot
- Book before you go
- The minibus north, and any train ticket inside the 3 day window
Morning
Pak Ou Cavesabout 5 hours
Two hours upriver by slow boat to caves stacked with thousands of discarded Buddha figures. The journey is the better half of it.
Afternoon
Transport adminabout an hour
Book the minibus north for tomorrow. If your return train falls inside the 3 day window, this is also the day to send someone to the station, which is about 11 km out with split opening hours.
Day 4: North to Nong Khiaw
Four hours on a road that locals describe as a free massage, into proper mountain country.
- On foot
- About 2 km on foot, plus 4 hours on the road
- Book before you go
- The minibus seat
All day
Luang Prabang to Nong Khiawabout 4 hours
There is no train on this route and there is no good road either. Around 4 hours by minibus and the surface is the reason people warn about it. Sit at the front.
Nong Khiawthe evening
A village on the Nam Ou between limestone walls, split across two banks by one bridge. The quieter bungalows are on the east side.
Day 5: The viewpoints
Two hard climbs out of a village with almost no nightlife, which is exactly the point of being here.
- On foot
- About 7 km on foot with a 500 metre climb
Morning
Pha Daeng Peak viewpointabout 4 hours
Around 90 minutes up through forest, steep and unshaded near the top. Start early, take more water than seems necessary.
Afternoon
The river bankthe rest of the day
Nothing scheduled. This is the day the itinerary stops being a list, which is what people come to northern Laos for.
Day 6: Muang Ngoi by boat
An hour up the Nam Ou to a village with no road into it at all.
- On foot
- About 5 km on foot
Morning
Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoiabout an hour
About an hour upriver by longtail. Boats leave on a loose morning schedule rather than a timetable, so ask the night before.
Afternoon
Muang Ngoithe rest of the day
Reachable only by river. There is no cash machine, the connection is poor and there is very little to do, all of which is the reason people stay longer than planned. Bring kip.
Day 7: Back south
River, then road, and the long day that pays for the three quiet ones.
- On foot
- About 2 km on foot, plus 5 hours travelling
- Book before you go
- The minibus back, arranged in Nong Khiaw
All day
Muang Ngoi to Luang Prabangabout 6 hours
Boat down to Nong Khiaw, then the same minibus road back. Allow the whole day and do not book anything for the evening.
Day 8: The train to Vang Vieng
Fifty minutes on a high speed line for a journey that used to take a day.
- On foot
- About 4 km on foot
- Book before you go
- The train ticket, which went on sale 3 days ago and not before
Morning
Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng by railabout 3 hours all in
About 50 minutes. Allow an hour either side for the transfers, since the Luang Prabang station is 11 km out although Vang Vieng's is close in.
Afternoon
Vang Viengthe rest of the day
Limestone towers on all sides and a town that has rebuilt itself around adventure rather than the bars it was once known for. Busier than anywhere else on this route.
Day 9: Caves and lagoons
One full day of the outdoor things Vang Vieng is actually good at.
- On foot
- About 6 km on foot, plus cycling
Morning
The Blue Lagoons and Tham Phu Khamabout 5 hours
Lagoon 3 is furthest out and the quietest of them. The cave above the first lagoon is a scramble with a torch and is more interesting than the swim.
Afternoon
Kayaking or tubing the Nam Songabout 3 hours
The river through town, done in a couple of hours. Check what your operator does about life jackets before paying rather than at the launch.
Day 10: Vientiane, and out
Another fifty minute train, then a capital most people pass through rather than visit.
- On foot
- About 4 km on foot
- Book before you go
- The second train ticket, again inside the 3 day window
Morning
Vang Vieng to Vientiane by railabout 2 hours all in
About 50 minutes, then roughly 15 km from the station into the city. Build in more margin than the train time suggests, because the transfer is the long part.
Afternoon
Vientianeabout 4 hours
Pha That Luang and the riverfront fill an afternoon comfortably. Most travellers find it flat after the north, which is why it is here as a departure day rather than a stop.
The options below are separate choices rather than a package. Read how RoamWeek chooses and orders suggestions before using any of them.
Book the separate parts
Book the parts that need booking
The rail legs are bought locally and cannot be pre booked, so what is worth arranging in advance is the flight, the rooms and the road transport north.
You book each service directly with its supplier. These separate bookings do not form a RoamWeek package.
- Flights
Flying into Luang Prabang and out of Vientiane matches the direction this route runs, and saves repeating the railway in reverse on the last day.
Search on Aviasales
- Stays
Staying inside the Luang Prabang peninsula removes tuk tuks from four days of this trip, and Nong Khiaw guesthouses are also where the boats and minibuses get arranged.
Search on Booking.com
- ActivitiesBuses and minibuses in Laos
The Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw leg has no rail alternative and is the one road transfer on this route worth holding a seat on rather than turning up for.
Search on 12Go
What is worth the time, and what is not
Worth your time
- Keeping Nong Khiaw in a 10 day plan. It is the stop people most often report regretting cutting, and the four hour road is the entire price of it.
- Buying rail tickets at the station rather than an agency. The markup has run to roughly the fare again, and the child discount tends to disappear on the agency version.
- Kuang Si at opening. The shared minibuses arrive together mid morning and the lower pools go from empty to full inside half an hour.
Skip it
- Building days around Vientiane. Most travellers find it flat after the north, and it works better as the departure city than as a stop.
- Adding southern Laos to a 10 day trip. Pakse and the 4000 Islands are a long way down and need their own week, so bolting them on costs you the north.
- Relying on an online seat reservation before you fly. There is no international online sale, so what you booked is an agency promise rather than a ticket.
Why this order
Luang Prabang is first because it is the arrival airport and because three slow days there is the right way to adjust to the pace of the rest. The north comes second while your legs are fresh, since Nong Khiaw is climbing and Muang Ngoi has no road out if you change your mind. The railway legs are deliberately last: they cannot be booked more than three days ahead, so putting them at the end means buying them from a town you are already in rather than gambling on a window that has not opened. And Vientiane is the final day rather than a stop, because it is where the flights are and because nobody has ever wished they had given it longer.
Read next
- 7 days in Cambodia
The usual pairing, and the other country in this region where one booking rule reshapes the week.
- Vietnam itineraries
The third side of the overland triangle, covered here city by city rather than as one country route.
What we checked
- Laos China Railway, buying tickets and station distances read 29 August 2026
- Laos China Railway, routes and timetables read 29 August 2026
- Laos Simply Beautiful, national tourism read 29 August 2026
Why this page exists. This is the only RoamWeek route that states the Laos to China railway booking window: tickets go on sale 3 days before departure, there is no international online sale, and every passenger including a child needs a passport at the counter.