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Flights from Pakse to Vientiane

Lao Airlines has the Pakse–Vientiane route to itself: two to three flights a day, 1 hour to 1h 15m. Overnight, sleeper buses make the trip in 10 to 15 hours for $19 to $34. No train runs to the south yet.

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 · Pakse, from

$91

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

Compare on Aviasales

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Flight
nonstop, 1 hr to 1h 15m
Airline
Lao Airlines only
One way
from $91
Night bus
10 to 15 hrs, $19 to $34

Pakse to Vientiane: plane or night bus?

An hour in the air or a night on the bus: a clear gap in price, and in comfort. Times are for the trip itself.

Plane

Our pick

1 hr to 1h 15m · 2 to 3 flights a day

Right for you if

You want to keep your day: departures from 9:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Not for you if

You're counting every kip: the bus costs $19 to $34.

Sleeper bus

Cheapest

10 to 15 hrs · $19 to $34

Right for you if

You want to save a night's hotel: leaves between 6 and 8 p.m., arrives in the morning at Vientiane's Southern Bus Terminal.

Not for you if

You're traveling solo: the berths are doubles, so you'll share yours with a stranger.

Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate link

Pakse to Vientiane flight prices by month

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

One way, lowest fare seen

  1. January : –
  2. February : –
  3. March : $91 the cheapest
  4. April : –
  5. May : –
  6. June : –
  7. July : –
  8. August : –
  9. September : –
  10. October : $103
  11. November : –
  12. December : –
January
–
February
–
March
$91the cheapest
April
–
May
–
June
–
July
–
August
–
September
–
October
$103
November
–
December
–

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. It's a domestic flight: no immigration on arrival.

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.

Before you fly, the southern Mekong

Pakse is the gateway to southern Laos: Wat Phou is 45 km away, the 4,000 Islands a little farther down, near the Cambodian border.

Pakse to Vientiane: FAQ

Is there a train between Pakse and Vientiane?
No. The Laos-China Railway ends in Vientiane; no train runs south in October 2026.
Why does the 2:20 p.m. flight run only three days a week?
It comes from Siem Reap: it stops in Pakse on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, then continues to Vientiane.
Where does the night bus arrive?
At Vientiane's Southern Bus Terminal, not at Talat Sao, the central station. Kriangkai and Sanga run this overnight route.

Sources: flights and times, FlightMapper, Kayak and trip.com (October 2026); bus, GoAsia; fares, Aviasales via Travelpayouts (weekly check); Wattay, GeckoRoutes and KPL (2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.