The village where the slow boat between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang stops for the night. A street of guesthouses and restaurants climbs from the landing; the next morning, the boat moves on.
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Photo by Jakub Hałun on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Ondřej Žváček on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
Photo by Gzzz on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Everhard van Eimeren on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by yeowatzup on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by Tango7174 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Clay Gilliland on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by ElonggnolE on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by yeowatzup on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Pakbeng, in Oudomxay province, lives off the slow boats. The public boat leaves Huay Xai on the Thai border and docks here in the late afternoon; it sets off again around 9:30 am the next day for Luang Prabang, 6 to 7 hours downstream. The district has about 30,000 people, Lao, Khmu, Lue and Hmong. Since March 2016, a 379 m bridge has linked the Pakbeng bank to Xayaboury province.
Photo by Everhard van Eimeren on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The public boat costs about 200,000 kip per leg, 400,000 to 500,000 for both days according to 2025 and 2026 reports; the 110,000 or 210,000 kip prices still quoted are out of date. Buy tickets at the landing or from guesthouses. Nagi of Mekong cruises run the same route three times a week, $160 to $195 including the hotel night.
Photo by Ondřej Žváček on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
From the landing, the main street climbs between guesthouses, restaurants and shops. Power now runs around the clock, but the town goes quiet around 10 pm. Two ATMs, BCEL and LDB, sometimes run dry in high season: arrive with kip in cash.
Photo by Gzzz on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Two temples overlook the town, Wat Sin Jong Jaeng and Wat Khok Kho, where people climb for the view over the river and hills at sunset. Entry is free; a small offering is welcome.
Elephants, no riding: the Mekong Elephant Park next to town earned Gold certification under the ACES standards for captive elephants in February 2025: no riding, no shows. Allow $58 to $68 for a half day and $87 for a full day, according to a local guide. One hotel listing still mentions elephant rides: it is out of date.
A lodge facing the river, wooden houses on the hillside, and a hostel right above the slow boats.
Photo: The Luang Say Lodge
Rooms with balconies facing the river and mountains, plus a restaurant, bar and garden; it's also the overnight stop of the Luang Say cruise.
≈ $225 a night
Photo: Mekong Riverside Lodge
A three-star hotel in wooden houses with balconies, a garden, terrace, restaurant and bikes; ATM on site.
≈ $44 a night
Photo: Inn Riverside Hostel
A hostel overlooking the moored slow boats, with a bar, buffet breakfast and free shuttle; currency exchange and ATM on site.
≈ $27 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Slow boat · 6 to 7 hours
Since December 2024 the public boat has left Huay Xai at 9 am, so you need to sleep there the night before; it reaches Pakbeng in the late afternoon. About 200,000 kip per leg.
Slow boat · 6 to 7 hours
Leaves Pakbeng around 9:30 am, arriving around 4 or 5 pm at the Luang Prabang landing, 8 to 10 km north of the centre. The other way, the boat leaves Luang Prabang around 8:30 am.
Bus · about 4 hours to Oudomxay
Oudomxay is 144 km away on Road 2W, with departures around 9 am and 12:30 pm according to a 2018 report. Muang Ngeun, on the road to Thailand, is 40 km away across the bridge.
With no official timetable, boat times and prices come from travellers' reports in 2025 and 2026: check again locally.
November to February are the most pleasant months: 26 to 28 °C in the afternoon, 15 to 18 °C at night and almost no rain. March and April top 32 °C. The monsoon peaks in July and August at nearly 300 mm a month.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 14 | 6 | 3 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | High | High | High | High | Falling | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Fair | Good | Ideal | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 20 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 12 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 41 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 86 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 165 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 183 | Rising | |
| Jul (current month) | 279 | High | |
| Aug (current month) | 292 | High | |
| Sep (current month) | 187 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 78 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 33 | Falling | |
| Dec (current month) | 22 | Low |
2 tours to book in Huay Xai – Pakbeng – Luang Prabang
Affiliate links GetYourGuide · Prices checked October 11, 2026
Two days on the public boat with locals and other travellers, and a night in Pakbeng; ticket and transfers booked in advance.
from$58
AvailabilityThe slow boat heading upstream, with the hotel transfer and a night in Pakbeng before reaching Huay Xai on the Thai border.
from$69
AvailabilitySources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); slow boat, travellers' reports (2025 and 2026), Wikivoyage, Hobomaps and Gibbon Experience (2026); cruises, Nagi of Mekong; bridge, AidData; dam, Radio Free Asia (August 2026); Mekong Elephant Park, Asian Captive Elephant Standards (2025) and Discover Laos; ATMs and power, Wikivoyage (2025); population, 2015 Lao census; Oudomxay road, Mekong Riverside Lodge (2018); safety, FCDO and Government of Canada (2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
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Photo by Monika Guzikowska on Unsplash