Luang PrabangHanoi
Runs through Phonsavan to the Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn border; coming the other way, that gate issues no Lao visa on arrival.
Laos → Vietnam · Verified 30 September 2026
Luang Prabang to Hanoi: Sleeper Bus, Flight, or Train and Bus
A direct flight takes about an hour; the sleeper bus takes 24 hours or more. Neither land border on this route issues a Lao visa on arrival.
- Direct flight, about 1 h
- Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn
- No Lao VOA at either border
Search Luang Prabang to Hanoi routes
How do I actually get from Luang Prabang to Hanoi?
Fly if the fare works for you: about an hour, against a day and a night on the road. Take the direct sleeper for one cheap ticket, or the train and bus via Dien Bien Phu to cut the worst of the mountain road. Either way by land, sort the visa for the direction you are going first.
| Duration | Border crossing | From | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luang Prabang |
approx 24 hrs | Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn | Check prices | |
| Hanoi |
about 1 h | VND 4,359k | Check prices |
The direct sleeper bus
The direct sleeper leaves Luang Prabang's Southern Bus Terminal (Naluang) at around 18:00 and is due at Nuoc Ngam bus station in Hanoi at about 19:00 the next day. It runs through Phonsavan and crosses at Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn. HTX Van Tai 27-7 is the main operator.
Expect a basic sleeper with no toilet on board: it stops for meals and at the border. Recent reviews regularly report arriving three hours late or more, so do not plan a tight connection in Hanoi.
Luang Prabang
Train and bus via Dien Bien Phu
Several agencies sell one ticket that combines the morning train north to Oudomxay, a minibus over the Pang Hok – Tây Trang border to Dien Bien Phu, and a night sleeper to Hanoi. Departures from Luang Prabang railway station run from about 08:30 to 10:30, arriving in Hanoi in the early hours, about 19 hours in all.
It is faster than the direct bus and the train takes the worst of the mountain road away, but you change vehicles three times. Ask where each leg starts before you pay.
Flying instead
Vietnam Airlines and Lao Airlines fly direct in about an hour, usually in the afternoon or evening, from around USD125 one way on the dates we checked. Prices rise close to the date, so it pays to book early.
The other option is the train to Vientiane, about 2 hours, then one of the two daily flights to Hanoi. It only makes sense when the direct flights are full: the railway station is 14 to 15 km north-east of Vientiane and the airport is on the other side of the city.
HanoiLuang Prabang
The two borders on this route
No Lao visa on arrival at either gate
Nam Kan and Pang Hok issue no Lao visa on arrival and do not accept the Lao eVisa. Coming from Hanoi by land, get the Lao visa at an embassy first unless your nationality is exempt, or fly into Luang Prabang instead.
Heading into Vietnam, the Vietnamese e-visa is valid at both gates. Expect about US$2 in small stamp fees at the border.
| Crossing | Connects | Hours | Lao visa on arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn Also written Nam Can, Nậm Cắn |
Xiengkhouang → Nậm Cắn, Nghệ An, Vietnam | 07:00–19:00 | No |
| Pang Hok – Tây Trang Also written Tay Trang, Tây Trang |
Phongsaly → Tây Trang, Điện Biên, Vietnam | 07:00–19:00 | No |
Common questions
How long is the bus from Luang Prabang to Hanoi?
About 24 to 25 hours on the timetable, often more in practice.
Which border does the bus cross?
Nam Kan – Nậm Cắn for the direct sleeper; Pang Hok – Tây Trang for the train and bus combinations.
Where does the bus leave from, and where does it arrive?
Southern Bus Terminal (Naluang) to Nuoc Ngam bus station, Hanoi.
Are there direct flights?
Yes, about 1 hour, from around USD125, on Vietnam Airlines or Lao Airlines.
Do I need a visa?
Into Vietnam, the e-visa works at both borders. Into Laos by land, arrange the Lao visa in advance.
Is the train to Vientiane and a flight a good alternative?
Only when direct flights are full: allow plenty of time between the station and the airport.
Is there an arrival form if I fly into Hanoi?
Flying in, yes: free at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Not needed on the bus.
All nine Laos–Vietnam crossings and the visa rules: Laos to Vietnam. Luang Prabang's stations and how to reach them: Luang Prabang tickets. The same trip from the capital: Vientiane to Hanoi. The train north and south: Laos train tickets. Every other route: all bus routes.
Laos Bus Tickets
Written and maintained from Vientiane. The people behind this site have lived in Laos for two decades and cross these borders themselves. Routes and visa rules get rechecked whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule that lets stale information sit for months.
Sources for this page
- Laovietbus: Luang Prabang to Hanoi sleeper: the direct sleeper's route via Nam Can and its timetable
- Lao Department of Immigration: checkpoint list, opening hours and visa status
- Vietnam Immigration Department: e-visa checkpoints and rules
- Embassy of Vietnam: visa exemption policy: the 45-day visa exemption and the resolutions behind it
- Embassy of Singapore in Hanoi: Vietnam pre-arrival declaration: the airports where the declaration applies