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Flights from Hanoi to Vientiane

Two daily flights link Hanoi and Vientiane in about an hour: Vietnam Airlines in the morning, Lao Airlines in the afternoon. VietJet tickets on this route are for the Lao Airlines flight. The sleeper bus takes 20 to 23 hours.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated · sources

Wat Si Saket and its brick-paved courtyard surrounded by galleries

Photo by Basile Morin on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Boarding pass · nonstop

one way · Hanoi, from

$104

fare checked October 12, 2026; it changes with your dates

Compare on Aviasales

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Flight
nonstop, about 1 hr
Airlines
Vietnam Airlines, Lao Airlines
One way
from $104
By bus
20 to 23 hrs, from $30

Hanoi to Vientiane: plane or sleeper bus?

Two flights a day, or a night and a day on the bus across the Annamite Range. Times are for the trip itself.

Plane

Our pick

≈ 1 hr · 2 flights a day

Right for you if

You want to pick your time: Vietnam Airlines leaves at 9:20 a.m., Lao Airlines at 4:20 p.m., daily.

Not for you if

You decide late: after 4:20 p.m., there's no nonstop until the next day.

Sleeper bus

Very long

20 to 23 hrs · from $30

Right for you if

Tight budget: leaves at 6 p.m., arrives around 5 p.m. the next day; newer bus on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Not for you if

You plan to enter Laos on an e-Visa: the Nam Phao crossing on this route doesn't accept it.

Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate link

Hanoi to Vientiane flight prices by month

The lowest one-way fare seen for each departure month.

One way, lowest fare seen

  1. January : $171
  2. February : $164
  3. March : –
  4. April : –
  5. May : –
  6. June : –
  7. July : –
  8. August : –
  9. September : –
  10. October : $141
  11. November : $114
  12. December : $104 the cheapest
January
$171
February
$164
March
–
April
–
May
–
June
–
July
–
August
–
September
–
October
$141
November
$114
December
$104the cheapest

Source: Aviasales via Travelpayouts, lowest one-way fares seen in recent days, checked October 12, 2026. “–”: no fare seen for that departure month.

From Wattay Airport to downtown Vientiane

Wattay is in town, 4 km from the center. Fill in the Lao Digital Immigration Form (LDIF) online within 3 days before you arrive.

Official taxi

140,000 kip

Fixed fare, paid at the desk inside the terminal before you walk to the car. About 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.

Ride-hailing

≈ 70,000 kip

With the LOCA app, or inDrive, the ride downtown costs about half the official taxi. You need a data connection on arrival.

Shuttle, bus no. 44

40,000 kip

It runs to Talat Sao bus station via the hotels, every 1.5 to 2 hours, 8:10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. from the airport.

From Vientiane, the Mekong heading south

Vientiane looks across the river at Thailand. Farther down, Pakse is an hour's flight away: from there, Champasak and the 4,000 Islands are close.

Hanoi to Vientiane flights: FAQ

Can you fly VietJet from Hanoi to Vientiane?
VietJet sells tickets on this route, but the plane is Lao Airlines' 4:20 p.m. flight: same times, same check-in desk. Compare the fare under both names; it's the same seat.
How long is the flight from Hanoi to Vientiane?
About an hour. The Vietnam Airlines flight then continues to Ho Chi Minh City.
Is the e-Visa accepted at Vientiane airport?
Yes, Wattay is one of its entry points; a visa on arrival there costs around $40. The e-Visa isn't valid, though, at the Nam Phao road crossing used by buses from Hanoi.

Sources: flights and times, trip.com (flight status, October 2026) and Kayak (October 2026); bus, Seat61 (June 2026); fares, Aviasales via Travelpayouts (weekly check); visa, official portal laoevisa.gov.la and Seat61 (June 2026); Wattay, GeckoRoutes and KPL (2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.