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The slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Two days down the Mekong by slow boat, from the Thai border to Luang Prabang, with a night in Pakbeng. There is no road along the river: what you see from the boat you won't see any other way.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated · sources

Chiang Saen Vientiane Huay Xai Pakbeng Luang Prabang Day 1 Day 2 Huay Xai Pakbeng Luang Prabang Day 1 Day 2
Not to scale. In brown, the stretch covered, following the current.
The Mekong at sunset between wooded hills in Bokeo province, Laos, on the slow boat route

Photo by Dick Hoskins on Pexels

A slow boat on the Mekong at the foot of a forested limestone cliff

Photo by Shutterstock

The wide, calm Mekong in front of Huay Xai, the Thai hills opposite

Photo by Ondřej Žváček on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

The sandy landing at Pakbeng, boats by the river and mountains in the clouds

Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Panorama of Pakbeng's main street, its wooden houses and the hills

Photo by ElonggnolE on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

See all 5 photos
See all 5 photos

Length
2 days, overnight in Pakbeng
On the water
6 to 7 hours a day
Price
400,000 to 500,000 kip for both days
Leaves Huay Xai
9 a.m., so sleep there the night before
Best time
June to November, high water

The Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat, day by day

Times are approximate: they vary with the water level and how full the boat is.

Colorful slow boats moored at the Huay Xai landing on the Mekong, in hazy light

Photo by Christian Haugen from Trondheim, Norway on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Day 1: Huay Xai – Pakbeng

6 to 7 hours on the water

  1. The day before

    Cross the border at Chiang Khong

    Fourth Friendship Bridge, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a mandatory shuttle for 20 to 30 baht. On the Lao side, visa on arrival for about $40 in cash, with a passport photo, or e-Visa, accepted at this bridge. With the boat leaving at 9 a.m., you sleep in Huay Xai.

  2. 8:30 a.m.

    Board in Huay Xai

    Buy your ticket at the pier office. Scheduled to leave at 9 a.m., often later if the boat isn't full. Get there early for a window seat.

  3. 4:30 p.m.

    Arrive in Pakbeng

    A village stacked above the river. One night, one dinner, and you're off again.

Pak Beng from the Mekong: a white two-story house and roofs on the hillside above a sandy bank

Photo by Grossbildjaeger on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Day 2: Pakbeng – Luang Prabang

≈ 7 hours on the water

  1. 9:30 a.m.

    Leave Pakbeng

    The boat may change: you sometimes have to claim your seat again.

  2. 2:30 p.m.

    Pass the Pak Ou Caves

    The caves are on the right bank; the public boat doesn't stop.

  3. 4:30 p.m.

    Arrive in Luang Prabang

    The pier is 8 to 10 km from town; a tuk-tuk to the center costs 50,000 to 100,000 kip per person.

Map of the Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat

THAILANDLAOSDay 1≈ 130 km · ≈ 7 hrs on the waterDay 2≈ 155 km · ≈ 7 hrs on the waterHuay Xai · startPakbeng · overnightLuang Prabang · finishPak Ou CavesNam OuMekongNatural Earth Huay XaiPakbengLuang PrabangNatural Earth
Rounded distances, measured along the river. Base map: Natural Earth.

How much the Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat costs

How much the Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat costs
Item Price per personPer person Good to know
Slow boat, both days at the ticket office or online 400,000 to 500,000 kip at the ticket office or online
Bridge shuttle more in the evening and on weekends 20 to 30 baht more in the evening and on weekends
Lao visa on arrival, in dollars; the e-Visa costs a little more ≈ $40 on arrival, in dollars; the e-Visa costs a little more
Night in Pakbeng guesthouse to lodge $12 to $150 guesthouse to lodge
Tuk-tuk in Luang Prabang per person 50,000 to 100,000 kip per person
Total per person, on a budget, excluding visa and meals ≈ $35 per person, on a budget, excluding visa and meals
Tickets and schedules on 12Go Affiliate link

Prices checked in October 2026; the boat fare has changed a lot in recent years. Exchange rate on October 11, 2026: $1 ≈ 22,200 kip.

The Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat by season

Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat by month
J (current month) F (current month) M (current month) A (current month) M (current month) J (current month) J (current month) A (current month) S (current month) O (current month) N (current month) D (current month)
Fast, comfortable boat slower slower slower slower slower fast fast fast fast fast fast slower

Fast, comfortable boat

  1. January (current month) : slower
  2. February (current month) : slower
  3. March (current month) : slower
  4. April (current month) : slower
  5. May (current month) : slower
  6. June (current month) : fast
  7. July (current month) : fast
  8. August (current month) : fast
  9. September (current month) : fast
  10. October (current month) : fast
  11. November (current month) : fast
  12. December (current month) : slower

June to November

The current carries the boat: you arrive before dark, the banks are green, the river is wide. At Pakbeng the river rises 9.6 m on average between February and August. July and August rain wets the deck, not the trip.

December to May

The river uncovers its rocks and sandbanks. The boat slows down and may arrive after dark. The scenery, though, is at its most dramatic.

Level: Mekong River Commission, Pak Beng station, median of 2020-2025; low from December to May, high from July to October. When to go on the Mekong, month by month

Where to stay in Pakbeng

Guesthouses at the top of the village fill up as soon as the boat arrives. Booking the day before saves you climbing the hill with your bag for nothing.

The lit terrace of Inn Riverside Hostel at dusk, above the slow boats moored on the Mekong bank

Photo: Inn Riverside Hostel

Inn Riverside Hostel

Above the pier · budget

Right above the slow boats: handy for an early start, with a buffet breakfast and free shuttle.

≈ $27 a night

Availability on Booking Affiliate link
The front of Le Charme Pakbeng Villa, a white house with a wooden veranda and pale curtains, behind a sandy courtyard

Photo: Le Charme Pakbeng Villa

Le Charme Pakbeng Villa

Ban Done Khame · mid-range

An air-conditioned three-star hotel in a large house with a wooden veranda, a garden and terrace; Asian or à la carte breakfast.

≈ $71 a night

Availability on Booking Affiliate link
A wooden room at The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge, its French window open onto a balcony and forested hills

Photo: The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge

The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge

Ban Done Khame · river views, high end

Wooden rooms opening onto a terrace facing the hills, an outdoor pool, a restaurant and a bar.

≈ $131 a night

Availability on Booking Affiliate link

Booking affiliate links · average prices checked in October 2026

Other ways from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Public slow boat

Our pick

2 days · 400,000 to 500,000 kip

Right for you if

You want the river at a local pace, on a budget.

Not for you if

You can't stand 7 hours on a wooden bench.

This guide

Private boat or cruise

More comfortable

2 days · from $140

Right for you if

You want comfort, a guide and village stops.

Not for you if

You're on a tight budget.

Compare cruises

Bus or minibus

Faster

Night bus ≈ 12 hrs · 430,000 kip

Right for you if

You're short on time: night bus at 5:30 p.m., or a minibus to Nateuy, then the train.

Not for you if

You want to see the river: the road strays from it. And the night bus often breaks down in the rainy season.

Tickets and schedules on 12Go Affiliate link

Speedboat

Not recommended

≈ 6 hours · helmet required

Right for you if

Rarely the right choice.

Not for you if

You care about your safety and your hearing: high speed, reported accidents.

Huay Xai – Luang Prabang slow boat FAQ

Do you need to book the slow boat ahead?
In low season, you can buy your ticket the same morning at the office. In December and January, it's better to get it the day before or online.
Can you do the trip the other way?
Yes. The boat heads upstream from the Luang Prabang pier, 8 km from the center, around 8:30 a.m., with the same night in Pakbeng. Against the current, allow 8 to 10 hours a day. In 2026, a ticket costs around 600,000 kip at the pier, or 750,000 through an agency with hotel pickup.
What should you bring for the day on the boat?
A cushion, since the benches are wooden, food and at least 1.5 liters of water: on board you'll only find drinks and instant noodles, and the boat makes no meal stop. Add a jacket for the morning, toilet paper, sunscreen and a power bank.
Can you stay longer in Pakbeng?
Yes. Buy one ticket per leg, about 200,000 kip each, rather than a two-day ticket: some travelers have had their two-day ticket taken on the first leg. Then catch the morning boat on whichever day suits you.

Sources: schedules, prices and border, Gibbon Experience (September 2026), Explorer Tom and Travelfeed (March 2026), passportandstamps (March 2026), travelersanddreamers (May 2026), Backpackers Wanderlust (August 2026), Hobomaps and Wikivoyage; river level, Mekong River Commission (Pak Beng, 2020-2025); cruise, Nagi of Mekong (October 2026); exchange rate, ExchangeRate-API (October 11, 2026). Updated October 13, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.