Destination guide · Verified 5 September 2026
Thakhek Bus Tickets: Getting There, and Starting the Loop
Direct buses run Vientiane to Thakhek in about 8 to 9 hours. Thakhek is also the start of the famous motorbike loop, and the Lao side of the 3rd Friendship Bridge to Thailand.
- Direct bus, approx 8–9 hrs
- 3rd Friendship Bridge to Nakhon Phanom
- Motorbike rental in the riverside area
- Bus station approx 5 km from that area
Search Vientiane to Thakhek routes
How do I actually get to Thakhek?
Direct buses run Vientiane to Thakhek in about 8 to 9 hours, from roughly 220,000 kip. Long-haul buses continuing to Savannakhet or Pakse also pass straight through Thakhek and will stop there too. The bus station is on Route 13, about 5 km from the riverside area where the Thakhek Loop starts.
Getting to Thakhek
A direct bus runs Vientiane to Thakhek, about 8 to 9 hours. If the direct departure times do not suit, a Savannakhet or Pakse-bound bus works just as well, since every long-haul service on Route 13 passes straight through town and will set you down there.
The bus station itself is on Route 13, a few hundred metres south of the Route 12 junction, about 5 km from the riverside travellers' area. Arrange a tuk tuk for the last leg with luggage.
The Thakhek Loop starts here
A roughly 500 km round trip by motorbike, out along Route 12 through the karst and cave country around Kong Lor, then back to Thakhek on Route 13. Most riders go counter-clockwise, saving the longer, flatter Route 13 return for last. Rental shops are concentrated in the riverside travellers' area, five kilometres from the bus station, not at the terminal itself.
Crossing to Thailand from here
Thakhek is the Lao side of the 3rd Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, into Nakhon Phanom, the quietest of the five bridges and a natural start or end point for the loop. Full hours, visa rules and fares are on the Laos to Thailand crossings page.
ThakhekNakhon Phanom
Direct serviceCommon questions
Is there a direct bus to Thakhek?
Yes, Vientiane to Thakhek direct, about 8 to 9 hours, from roughly 220,000 kip.
Where is the bus station?
On Route 13, near the Route 12 junction, about 5 km from the riverside area.
What is the Thakhek Loop?
A roughly 500 km motorbike loop via Route 12 and Kong Lor, back on Route 13.
Can I cross to Thailand here?
Yes, via the 3rd Friendship Bridge to Nakhon Phanom.
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
- Lao Department of Immigration: checkpoint list, opening hours and visa status
- Wikivoyage: Laos: background on overland travel and bus classes
- Away Go We: the Thakhek Loop: the loop route and where to rent a motorbike