How to go → VIENTIANE to CHIANG MAI? ☀️

1. Bus/Van from Vientiane
2. Flights to Chiang Mai
3. Trains to Chiang Mai
4. Taxi/Car from Nong Khai
🎫 Book a Tour Online
🎫 Book Tickets Online

From Vientiane to Chiang Mai you can travel by plane, bus, train, car.

• • Travel distance from Vientiane to Chiang Mai is about 670 km if you cross the border in Nong Khai at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. There are some options how you can travel from Vientiane to Chiang Mai. You can travel from Vientiane by bus, train or flights with stopover. The best and fastest option is to travel by plane via Bangkok or Luang Prabang. Travel by plane from Vientiane to Chiang Mai (via Bangkok) costs about $150-250/pp. You can also travel by tourist bus/van from Vientiane, or you can cross the border to Nong Khai (about 25 km from Vientiane – by taxi or local bus) and from Nong Khai you can go by another tourist bus.
  • Travel by train to Chiang Mai is also available, but first you have to travel by train from Vientiane to Bangkok and from Bangkok you can take another train to Chiang Mai. Travel by train from Vientiane to Chiang Mai via Bangkok takes about 25 hours. If you want to get to Chiang Mai as quickly as possible, you should use a connecting flight. However, expect a higher price for this shipping option. If you want to see other areas of Thailand and have more time on your trip, use the train connections via Bangkok. You can search and book tickets and flights to Chiang Mai online.

BOOK TICKETS with Baolau ➜

• • Chiang Mai – the most visited place in northern part of Thailand. Chiang Mai is a slightly different area than south of Thailand – fresh air, nature, mountains, ethnic minorities and buddhist relics. Chiang Mai offers lots of interesting attractions for tourist but also for solo adventure travelers. Chiang Mai in Thailand is also a popular site for digital nomads from all the world. Chiang Mai offers various trips to the mountains or visiting various temples and pagodas in the city. It is also a good place for visit if you want to travel to Myanmar.
  • From Chiang Mai you can also travel to Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son. If you want to get to Chiang Mai as quickly as possible, you should use a connecting flight. However, expect a higher price for this shipping option. If you want to see other areas of Thailand and have more time on your trip, use the train connections via Bangkok.

BOOK TICKETS with 12go.asia ➜

---

How do I get from Vientiane to Chiang Mai?

1. FLIGHTS from Vientiane to Chiang Mai

If you are looking for the fastest, most comfortable, but at the same time more expensive transport connection from Vientiane to Chiang Mai in Thailand, you can use connecting flights. There is no direct flight between these cities, so only flights with a transfer in Bangkok or Luang Prabang will be your option.

Flights are operated from Wattay International Airport to Chiang Mai International Airport, or flights with a transfer in Bangkok via Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airports. The flight time from Vientiane to Chiang Mai with a transfer in Bangkok or Luang Prabang can take about 5-10 hours.

BOOK FLIGHTS with Baolau ➜

The flight from Vientiane to Bangkok takes about 1 hour and the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai also takes about 1 hour. However, this time may vary, depending on the waiting time for a connecting flight at another airport. You can use Lao Airlines, AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, Thai Smile, Bangkok Air, Thai Airways, Thai Lion Air, Bangkok Air, VietJet Air, Hanh Air Systems for connecting flights to Chiang Mai, possibly other airlines.

Connecting flights from Vientiane to Chiang Mai cost between $150-250/pp, these prices can vary throughout the year and seasons. Sometimes there can be relatively cheaper promotional flights between individual cities Vientiane – Bangkok (or Luang Prabang in Laos) – Chiang Mai.

So it is advisable to do your research on these flights to Chiang Mai from Vientiane well in advance before you book the flights. So you can easily search and book flights from Vientiane to Chiang Mai online. Also, always read all flight conditions and follow all company instructions.

BOOK FLIGHTS with 12go.asia ➜

2. BUS / VAN from Vientiane to Chiang Mai

One of the options for land transfer from Vientiane to Chiang Mai is by bus, or in combination with a smaller minivan. This option is offered directly from Vientiane by Family Service, which offers combined bus and minivan transportation to Chiang Mai. Another different company that offers bus transfers, but for example from Nong Khai city, is Orsuka Tour.

Nong Khai is a Thai town that is only 20 km from Vientiane, it is a border town and the first town you enter via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Transportation by bus / minivan from Vientiane to Chiang Mai takes about 15 hours, from Nong Khai it can take up to 12 hours.

However, this time may vary slightly, buses may be delayed upon departure and thus also upon arrival in Chiang Mai. A bus/minivan transfer from Vientiane to Chiang Mai costs around $50/pp, from Nong Khai it can be around $30/pp. These prices may change slightly during the year.

BOOK BUS TICKETS to Chiang Mai ➜

Buses can depart from various stations in Vientiane and arrive at various locations in Chiang Mai. You will always see this information when searching for tickets online, so review everything carefully. Sometimes the company also arranges a private transfer from the hotel to the bus station or the place where the bus departs from.

Bus tickets from Vientiane to Chiang Mai or Nong Khai can be easily searched and purchased online in advance. Arrive at the departure point well in advance, at least 30 minutes before the bus departs.

A bus transfer is long and can be a tiring transport option, it is sought after mainly by solo low-cost travellers. You can also travel by bus or small comfortable minivan / minibus via Bangkok, for example, and there are other buses from different companies between Vientiane – Bangkok – Chiang Mai.

3. TRAINS from Vientiane to Chiang Mai (via Bangkok)

You can also use a train transfer from Vientiane to Chiang Mai with a transfer in Bangkok. This may not be a bad option at all, but the train journey via Bangkok takes up to 22-25 hours in total, but you can also visit the capital of Thailand. This option can be implemented in 2 steps, from Vientiane to Bangkok there is a Thai train through the border crossing and another Thai train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. On both routes, Thai trains will offer you seats or sleeping beds.

In the first step, you will use the train that departs from Khamsavath Railway Station (Vientiane-Tai Railway Station, check Laos Railway Map) and arrives at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station in Bangkok. Khamsavath Railway Station is about 10 km from the city center and can be reached by local buses or private transfer. The train that departs from Vientiane crosses the border crossing at Nong Khai via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and stops in other Thai cities before arriving in Bangkok.

The train transfer from Vientiane to Bangkok takes about 10 hours and it is better to choose a sleeper bed. Train tickets to Bangkok from Vientiane cost between $8-30/pp, seats are always the cheapest option, sleepers in 2nd class are always the more expensive option, but more comfortable.

However, this train has a limited schedule and usually runs only 1 train connection per day. You can easily find and buy train tickets to Bangkok online in advance, which is recommended. It is not necessary to print the ticket, the trains also accept e-tickets stored in your mobile phone, you will receive them in your email after booking.

1. BOOK TRAIN TICKETS to Bangkok ➜

The second step is again a train transfer from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which is a very popular train route that is also sought after by tourists. On this route you can use several trains every day and they will offer you seats and again sleepers in the 1st to 3rd class of the trains. The most expensive option are sleeping beds in 1st class trains, but they offer the best comfort and modern conveniences in trains.

The train departs from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station or Don Mueang in Bangkok and arrive at Chiang Mai Railway Station, see the railway map of Thailand. Train transportation to Chiang Mai from Bangkok costs $8-50/pp, depending on the type of train.

Alternatively, you can also get off at Ayutthaya on your way from Vientiane to Bangkok and take a train to Chiang Mai from there. Ayutthaya is an interesting historical site, just north of Bangkok. Trains from Bangkok just pass through this interesting place and then continue to the far north of Thailand.

2. BOOK TICKETS to Chiang Mai ➜

4. PRIVATE CAR from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai

If you would like to use a private car/taxi transfer with a driver to Chiang Mai, you can use this option, but from the city of Nong Khai. This city is only 20 km from Vientiane, it is a border city and you can get here by local bus or private car. Nong Khai is the border crossing between Thailand and Laos and this is the closest town to the border.

For the trip from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai, you can use the services of the private company Smart En Plus, which will offer you a modern minivan. This minivan can be mainly suitable for groups of several people traveling at the same time. Transfer by private car/minivan from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai takes about 12 hours, but this time may vary a little.

BOOK PRIVATE CAR to Chiang Mai ➜

A private transfer is the most expensive transportation option to Chiang Mai and a transfer from Nong Khai costs about $450/car. This is the price for the whole car, you can then calculate the fare for individual passengers. The advantage of a private transfer is that you can choose your departure point in Nong Khai and your arrival point in Chiang Mai.

This way you can save some of your time for any other city transfers. You can search, view and book your private car with driver from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai online in advance. Also, always read all transfer instructions and follow the company’s instructions.

❓ FAQ – Travel route from Vientiane to Chiang Mai:

BOOK a TOUR / ACTIVITY in Chiang Mai ➜

BOOK Your HOTEL in Chiang Mai ➜

---

🎫 Book your tickets or flights from Vientiane to Chiang Mai:

(You can change your travel route, e.g. Vientiane > Bangkok, Bangkok > Chiang Mai…)

Vietnam to Thailand ➔