How to get from Vientiane to Vientiane

The capital of Laos, Vientiane, is a beautiful city where Buddhist temples blend with French colonial architecture. Not as businesslike as many Southeast Asian cities, Vientiane has a more relaxed atmosphere, open and vibrant, so it is a great place to visit. After enjoying the capital of Laos, head north to the city of Vang Vieng to see rural life in this picturesque country.

Vang Vieng with its historic temples is located on the banks of the Nam Son River and is famous for its caves, limestone mountains and lagoons. It is known as a tourist destination, with original guest houses to stay in and good local restaurants to dine in.

Travel options from Vientiane to Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is directly north of Vientiane, and in a straight line the distance is only about 110 kilometers (68 miles). Unfortunately, you cannot travel in a straight line, so when you add many twists and turns to the road that connects Vientiane to Vang Vieng, the journey actually becomes close to 160 kilometers (100 miles).

You also need to remember that these are not major highways. The roads can be quite narrow in places, often full of potholes, and you will be driving through mountains, so it is by no means a fast trip, as vehicles can only move at lower speeds. You can only get from Vientiane to Vang Vieng by road, as there is no airport in the small town of Vang Vieng, so you have two options: bus or minibus.

From Vientiane to Vang Vieng by bus

There are several bus companies that you will see on the route from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, but not all of them really work. For up-to-date information, we recommend booking your tickets through 12go.Asia. This reputable travel site has connections to all the bus companies, so when you book online you know you can trust the information you've been given, and if the company stops operating, you can find an alternative.

12Go currently sells Vientiane to Vang Vieng bus tickets with Soutchai Travel. With them you have two flights a day; one at 9:30 am and one at 1:30 pm. The scheduled travel time is 5 hours, and while you may find that the bus does in 4 hours; count on 5 if you are planning other trips - just in case. The buses have air conditioning, but other than that they're pretty modest if you're used to traveling on the more luxurious buses that often operate in this part of the world.

From Vientiane to Vang Vieng by minivan

Traveling by minibus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng is another option. Some may prefer a smaller vehicle, but in fact the minivan does not have many advantages. For starters, it's usually a little more expensive than taking the bus, so it won't save you any money.

Travelers say a minivan always has less legroom and storage for your luggage.
If you're still interested, the advantage is that it can be a more enjoyable experience if you're with a group because you can take up most of the van and feel like you have your own personal space. The vans are air conditioned, as are the buses, so that's a plus too.

You can book a minibus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng with 12Go , using PTS Transit service. They offer one van departure per day from Thanaleng train station in Vientiane at 8:30 am, but the scheduled travel time is 5.5 hours, so it turns out that the minibus trip is slower than the bus trip.

If you're traveling from Vientiane to Vang Vieng by bus or minibus, be sure to book your tickets through 12Go in advance so you don't have to worry about finding tickets at the last minute.