In a nutshell

  • The Slow Boat is one of the most popular ways to travel from northern Thailand to Laos. The boats depart at the border near Chiang Rai and cruise along the Mekong River all the way to Luang Prabang.
  • The easiest way to book is to get your Slow Boat ticket bundled with the van transfer from Chiang Rai on 12goasia — all transfers in one ticket, total cost around 40 euros.
  • The slow boat from Thailand to Laos takes two days from Huay Xai (the border crossing) to Luang Prabang. Actual time on the water is around 6–7 hours per day.
  • You’ll overnight in Pakbeng, a small town right on the river. Our pick for accommodation: Mekong Riverside Lodge.

The Most Important Info About the Slow Boat in Laos

Here’s a quick overview of all the key details about the Slow Boat:

  • Departure port: Huay Xai (view location on Google Maps)
  • Arrival port: Luang Prabang (view location on Google Maps)
  • Pure travel time: 13 hours (split over two days)
  • How much time to plan? Two full days
  • Total cost: 40 euros (incl. transfer from Chiang Rai)
  • Cost for Slow Boat ONLY: 16 euros
Good to know: You can also take the Slow Boat in the opposite direction, from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai. The process is exactly the same. Since we traveled from Thailand to Laos across the Mekong, we’ll walk you through the trip in that direction.

Slow Boat Route on a Map

For a better overview, we’ve mapped out the Slow Boat route in Laos for you here.

Slow Boat route map

Where Do You Book Your Slow Boat Ticket?

You can book your Slow Boat ticket online in advance or just show up and sort it on the day — here’s a rundown of your options.

#1 Online at 12goasia (Our Recommendation)

We recommend booking your slow boat from Thailand to Laos on the 12goasia website. The big advantage: it also includes transportation from Chiang Rai to the Slow Boat, so on the day of travel you don’t have to worry about a thing.

We booked through them too, and it all went smoothly. We were picked up at our hotel and always knew exactly which bus to board at the border crossing.

When we arrived at the Slow Boat pier, we even got a free sandwich. Solid bonus.

Book the Slow Boat via 12goasia

#2 At Your Accommodation in Chiang Rai

You can also book your Slow Boat ticket at your hotel in Chiang Rai. Prices are similar to 12goasia, and all transfers are included in one ticket here too.

We skipped this option because we only spent one night in Chiang Rai and didn’t want to leave it to chance.

For the record, you don’t need more than a day for the top highlights in Chiang Rai. The most famous is the White Temple.

#3 At the Slow Boat Pier

A small number of travelers head independently to the Slow Boat pier in Huay Xai and buy their ticket on the spot.

We actually met someone who tried exactly that — and ran into serious trouble because she couldn’t get a ticket on the day and ended up having to take a speedboat instead, which was much more expensive.

If you go this route, you’d book a transfer to the Thai border through your hotel, then separately sort the bus to the Laotian border, and then another bus to the pier.

At the pier, you buy the boat ticket for both days. They cost 200,000 kip each (around 8 euros).

Important: Check whether your ticket includes accommodation between day one and day two in Pakbeng. If not, you’ll need to book your own place to stay there. We went with the Mekong Riverside Lodge.
Slow Boats Laos
This is what the Slow Boats look like from the outside

How Long Does the Slow Boat Take in Laos?

The total travel time on the Mekong Slow Boat is around 13 hours. On the first day we were on the water for about 6 hours, and on the second day 7 hours.

That said, you need to plan for two full days in total. On day one, you still have to travel from Chiang Rai to the border and clear customs, which takes a fair chunk of time.

You arrive in Pakbeng around 5 PM and spend the night there. On day two, the boats leave in the morning and you pull into Luang Prabang in the afternoon — though you’ll still need a bus from the pier into the city center.

Is the Slow Boat Right for You or Not?

Opinions on the slow boat from Thailand to Laos are genuinely split — some people love it, others don’t. Here are the key pros and cons:

Advantages of the Slow Boat in Laos

  • You get to see a huge stretch of Mekong River scenery
  • You meet plenty of fellow travelers
  • It’s seriously affordable

Disadvantages of the Slow Boat in Laos

  • The boats are uncomfortable and cramped
  • The journey takes a long time
  • No entertainment and no proper food on board

Overall, we’d recommend the Mekong river cruise mainly for backpackers — the Slow Boat attracts a lot of like-minded travelers and it’s easy on the budget.

If you want a bit more comfort, are short on time, or simply need to get from A to B efficiently, we’d suggest skipping the Slow Boat on your Laos itinerary.

Stones on the Mekong riverbank
The Slow Boats are definitely not the most comfortable — but the scenery more than makes up for it

What to Do on the Slow Boat in Laos?

There isn’t a whole lot to do on the Slow Boat. Space is tight, so you can’t really walk around much.

We’d strongly recommend bringing a book and a card game, and downloading TV shows or movies in advance. You won’t have internet access during the river cruise.

That said, don’t spend the whole time staring at a screen — the scenery along the Mekong is genuinely beautiful, and sooner or later you’ll almost certainly end up chatting with your neighbors.

Landscape along the Mekong
Take a moment every now and then to soak in the views

Food, Drinks, and Bathrooms on the Boats

The boats have a small bar where you can buy beer, soft drinks, snacks, and instant noodles. You’ll need Laotian cash for this — you can exchange money at the pier in Huay Xai.

There are two bathrooms at the back of the boat, with a sink just outside.

Since you’re expected to take your shoes off on board, there are flip-flops at each bathroom so you don’t have to go in wearing just socks.

There was toilet paper in the bathrooms at the start, but it ran out by the end. Luckily we had our own. We’d always recommend carrying your own toilet paper on any trip to Southeast Asia.

Also check out our packing list for Southeast Asia

Bathrooms on the Slow Boat
The doors on the right and left lead to the bathrooms

Our Experience with the Slow Boat in Laos

We took the Slow Boat at the end of January — a great time to visit Laos. Here’s exactly what the Mekong river cruise was like for us.

Day 1: From Chiang Rai to Pakbeng

Day 1 schedule

  • 5:00 AM: Pickup at the hotel in Chiang Rai
  • 7:30 AM: Arrival at the border
  • 9:30 AM: Bus ride from the border to Huay Xai
  • 10:30 AM: Slow Boat departure from Huay Xai
  • 5:00 PM: Arrival in Pakbeng

Pickup in Chiang Rai and Departure from Thailand

We stayed in Chiang Rai at the Mercy Hostel — a great place with really nice double rooms that we’d happily recommend.

We were picked up there at around 5:00 AM by a van with seating for about 12 people. After a couple of stops at other accommodations, we headed straight to the border at Huay Xai.

The ride took just over two hours, so we arrived around 7:30 AM.

Our driver handed us a sticker to put on our shirt so it was clear which operator we were with. He also gave us the bus ticket for the shuttle from the Thai to the Laotian border.

When we arrived at the border, we were genuinely surprised by just how many tourists were there.

Leaving Thailand was still quick. We waited in the customs line for about ten minutes, got our exit stamp without any fuss, and jumped straight onto the bus.

The ride to the Laotian border took only about five minutes.

It was cold at the border and we sometimes had to wait in long lines

Border Control in Laos

Entering Laos was pretty chaotic. First we had to apply for a visa on arrival, since we hadn’t gotten an e-visa in advance (if you have one, you may need to line up in a different queue).

Also read all our travel tips for Laos including entry requirements

First, we picked up two visa application forms at a counter and filled them out. You should bring your own pen for this.

Some fields seemed a bit odd, so we left them blank — we didn’t have any issues with that.

Info: You need to bring passport photos for the visa. From what we understood, you can get photos taken on-site, but we’re not entirely sure. We wouldn’t risk it.

With the completed forms, we lined up at the same counter and handed in the forms along with our passport photo and passport.

After about 15 minutes, the officers started handing passports back. When it was our turn, we got ours back with a stamp and the “departure section” of one of the forms.

Since we weren’t sure whether we’d need this form again when leaving the country, we kept it safe — and sure enough, we handed it in when we departed.

We then had our passport checked at the counter of our Slow Boat operator, who told us which bus to board next.

On the Laotian side, all kinds of buses were lined up. We waited on the bus for about 30 minutes until all the passengers had cleared border control. We set off around 9:30 AM.

Bus to Huay Xai
The bus from the border to Huay Xai was very cramped

Departure on the Slow Boat

The bus ride to the Slow Boat pier took a good half hour. Once there, our driver handed us two paper tickets for the Slow Boats — one for day one and one for day two.

We were also able to exchange money, buy a SIM card, and grab a free sandwich at the only restaurant at the pier. Coffee and extra snacks were also available.

After a quick bathroom stop, we headed down to the dock.

There were already two Slow Boats waiting — we could pick which one we wanted. Honestly, there wasn’t much difference between them.

First, we carried our luggage to the back and stowed it in a small separate compartment.

Info: If you’re one of the first to board, your luggage will be packed into a compartment at the entrance of the boat below deck.

Our tickets had assigned seat numbers, but since those weren’t identifiable, we just squeezed in wherever we could find a spot.

With a noticeable delay, the boat departed around 10:30 AM / 11:00 AM.

Slow Boat passengers
The Mekong river cruise is mostly backpackers — you’ll see very few locals on board

Arrival in Pakbeng

We arrived at the Pakbeng pier around 5 PM — so the trip took six hours in total. Along the way, the Slow Boat stopped two or three times for locals getting off or goods being loaded.

From the pier in Pakbeng, we were able to walk to our accommodation since it was only five minutes away. Fair warning though: it’s a steep uphill walk, which isn’t ideal with heavy luggage.

If you’ve booked somewhere further away, there are group transfers from the pier. Some hotels also had drivers holding up signs.

Checking in at the Riverside Mekong Lodge was straightforward. We paid in cash in US dollars.

In the evening, we had dinner at one of the many local restaurants in town — we unfortunately can’t remember which one exactly.

Pak Beng port
The view from the Riverside Mekong Lodge overlooking the Pak Beng port

Day 2: From Pakbeng to Luang Prabang

Day 2 schedule

  • 9:00 AM: Slow Boat departure
  • 4:30 PM: Arrival in Luang Prabang

Day two is much more relaxed. The Slow Boats officially depart at 9 AM.

We had breakfast at our accommodation around 7:30 AM — breakfast is included at almost all places to stay in Pakbeng. We then headed to the pier and arrived at the boat about 40 minutes before departure.

At that hour the boats were already fairly busy, but we still managed to grab a better spot than on day one.

The Slow Boat left with a good half-hour delay. Shortly after, our paper ticket was checked — so keep it safe, otherwise you’ll have to pay again!

The second day’s journey took a bit longer (about seven hours). We arrived at the Luang Prabang pier around 4:30 PM.

Mekong in sunshine
On the second day of the Mekong river cruise we had really beautiful weather

From the Slow Boat Terminal to Luang Prabang

The Slow Boat terminal is about 8 kilometers north of central Luang Prabang.

After collecting your luggage and getting off the boat, you’ll need to climb a staircase up from the dock. At the top there’s a small booth where you buy your bus ticket into Luang Prabang — it costs 40,000 kip per person.

The buses take about 20 minutes and drop you off at the Luang Prabang Night Market (Google Maps).

We’d recommend spending at least two days in Luang Prabang before continuing on to Vang Vieng or Vientiane.