EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING THE SLOW BOAT TO LAOS
Why fly for one single hour when you could wake up at sunrise and ride down the Mekong River for two full business days on the Slow Boat to Laos?
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On my first trip to Southeast Asia, I didn’t make it to Laos and didn’t get to take the journey down the Mekong on the infamous slow boat… and I honestly kind of regretted it! That was until this past week when I found myself back in the North of Thailand with an open schedule. I knew this was the moment – the multi-day journey up the river, with mixed reviews, was calling me. I picked up, but not without asking 100 questions about what to expect first.
All I had seen online was people saying they did it, but never giving thorough details into everything the journey entails and what it is really like every step of the way.
This guide covers everything you need to know about taking the slow boat to Laos – answering all the questions you might have before booking.
I'M REALLY GONNA COVER EVERYTHING, SO YOU CAN SKIP AHEAD TO...
What is the slow boat to Laos
Solid first question – what even is the slow boat to Laos? It is the 2-day boat journey that takes you from northern Thailand (generally Chiang Rai, but more on that below) into Laos, finishing in the UNESCO city of Luang Prabang.
It is a common route for backpackers travelling in Southeast Asia to do, but it is not a tour exclusive – Laotian locals also take this journey up the river.
What is the route
As a traveller in SEA you’re probably going to be doing the typical route from Thailand into Laos. It is most common to start from Chiang Rai, a city a few hours’ drive from Thailand’s second biggest city, Chiang Mai. You will have to book at least one night in Chiang Rai so that you can get yourself sorted before you’re bound to the boat for two days and so that you’re there for the 5am pick up.
To get to Luang Prabang you drive to the border and stamp into Laos, and then board the boat in Huay Xai. The journey is two days motoring on the river, but at the halfway point, on the evening of the first day, you do get off and spend the night on land in a riverside village called Pak Beng. The following day you board another boat to the final destination of Luang Prabang.
- I definitely recommend spending a couple of nights in Chiang Rai! You can visit the iconic White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) which is a must see! As well as the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten), the giant buddha (Wat Huay Pla Kang)and even the Golden Triangle where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar. It is not just the starting point for the slow boat journey.
Booking the slow boat
Whether you book your slow boat journey ahead through Get Your Guide or Viator like I did, or book the transfer with a Chiang Rai hostel like Mercy Hostel, or a tour agency in town, you will all generally be following the same exact itinerary. It will have the same early pick up to get to the border and ending up on the same boat, with the overnight stop in Pak Beng.
In high season I hear it can get extremely busy (and a lot more chaotic). I went in May and I had open choice of which day I wanted to book for and there was only one boat so I couldn’t end up on a different one than my new friend. In busy season there are typically more that make the trip up the river.
No matter when you take the slow boat to Laos, the itinerary should remain the same. You can always come back to this to make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row on the day.
Book ahead to guarantee your spot through get your guide or Viator.
Alternatives
From Chiang Mai
If you don’t want to spend any time in Chiang Rai you can book alternatives that leave from Chaing Mai or even Pai. These add a full day to the itinerary, which will mostly be spent driving. From Chiang Mai it is around 6 hours to the border, and from Pai 8+. To make the slow boat from either of these places you will have to spend the night in the modest Laos border town of Huay Xai…
Book from Chiang Mai here
Reverse from Luang Prabang
You can also do the route leaving Luang Prabang, Laos, heading to Thailand – this will have it’s own benefits with somewhat less of the backpacker crowds, which can get especially busy in high season. But the downside to doing the route this way is that once you disembark the boat in Huay Xai you generally have to find your own way from the port, to, and across the border, whereas the transfers leaving Thailand generally all include that.
Book from Luang Prabang here
Self guided
You can also just skip the companies offering the packages entirely and do the slow boat journey completely self guided. This involves more planning in the border section (getting yourself to Chiang Kong, Thailand and then across the border to Huay Xai, Laos) as well as figuring out how to get to the boat jetty and paying for tickets. I know it is entirely doable for those wanting to use their brains more than I did, and will likely be even more budget friendly.
I did what most others do and took a tour from Chiang Rai, Thailand so I don’t have the definitive answer on how to take the toab wols (reverse slow boat lol) Laos to Thailand, or doing it independently.
CROSSING THE BORDER + LAOS VISA
You arrive at the border after a 2 hour drive just in time for it to open at 7:30am. First stop is stamping out of Thailand. This should be very simple and straightforward unless you’ve overstayed your Thai visa. Hopefully you haven’t, but of you have, be sure to come with plenty of extra cash to pay for the mistake.
Once you’re stamped through you will be given a paper bus ticket. This is for the short bus journey that takes you over the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge IV, through the no man’s land between the two countries. The bus will wait for everyone to get stamped through before boarding. Load your bag into the hold on the bottom and then hop on until you get to the Laos border.
Visa on arrival vs. e-visa
Most countries outside of Southeast Asia need a visa to visit Laos – for which you have two options, either a visa on arrival or pre applying for an e-visa.
E-visa
I am a Virgo so, naturally, I always apply for an e-visa ahead of time.
The e-visa is a 30 day single entry visa. It costs $50 USD and is payable by credit card. This is both less and more than the visa on arrival (more on that below). It is a significantly smaller sticker in your passport, if keeping a certain amount of pages available is important to you, if you are running out of pages.
Despite paying the $50USD online, you also need 70 Thai Baht in cash for border fees. I don’t exactly know what the first fee was for, but I paid 50 Thai Baht at the window where the officer stamped my passport – if you give 60 TBH, don’t expect change. As well as, there is a 20 THB tourist entry tax at a different window.
If you are going to apply for the e-visa be sure to do this around a week ahead of your expected departure. It generally takes 3 business days to be approved. You also will need to print your approval letter to hand over at the border. Mercy Hostel in Chiang Rai was able to print mine for 5 Thai Baht.
Apply for your visa on the official Laos e-visa website here
visa on arrival
The Visa On Arrival is also a 30 day single entry visa. You have to complete a paper form (sometimes your tour package will provide it when you book, otherwise it can be completed at the border), as well as arrive with a colour passport photo to hand over.
As for the cost… well that’s a great question. The VOA technically costs $40 USD – but if you are paying it Thai Baht it will cost anywhere from 1500 to 2000 THB.
If you want to pay the lower rate in USD these need to be the crispiest, cleanest $20 bills you’ve ever had. I heard someone had a tiny little pencil mark on one of their bills and it was declined, so they had to pay in Thai Baht anyways. It can also be difficult to get USD after leaving Chiang Mai, so if you are planning to use USD be sure to exchange before you get to Chiang Rai.
If that sounds like too much hassle, you can also pay in Thai Baht. There wasn’t a clear answer online on exact THB going rate and I honestly think it might depend on how the officer is feeling in the moment… because the two girls I was travelling with each paid different fees, no more than 5 minutes apart. One paid 1600 THB ($48 USD) and the other paid 1900 THB ($58 USD). This is why I say that the $50 USD e-visa fee costs both less and more than the VOA.
Visa on Arrival
The Visa On Arrival will also take a bit longer to process than the e-visa as there are so many others in the same queue. It is a 3 counter system to receive the actual visa, and then you proceed to immigration to get stamped into Laos. At the first counter submit all your documents and hand over your passport. You then move to counter two to pay your visa fees in cash. Then, at counter three, you will have your photo taken and then receive your passport back with a full-page visa sticker in your passport. This, again, can be important to know if you have limited pages left in your passport.
Visa on Arrival recipients will also need to pay the 20 THB tourist entry tax at a 5th window after being stamped into the country.
BOARDING THE SLOW BOAT
Woo, you’ve made it into the Laos and are ready to board the slow boat! As long as everything went smoothly at the border you should arrive with around 45 minutes before the 10AM boat departure. Here you can get a Laos sim card if you don’t already have an e-sim. There are one or two stands with a few snacks and drinks available as well.
You can also exchange some Thai Baht for Lao Kip if you want to have some on hand, but definitely avoid the ATMs at the border and in Huay Xai… they are not the most reliable and this is not the time to be fighting with a machine to get your card back. Everywhere in Pak Beng will accept Thai Baht, so there is no need to get Lao Kip until you get all the way to Luang Prabang.
Your tour operator will give you a sandwich and the ticket for the slow boat. KEEP IT SAFE. It is necessary to have it for boarding the boat the next day. The sandwich, however, you can eat day of.
Get a seat ASAP
You won’t want to waste too much time at the little cafe because you are free to board the boat as soon as you have your ticket. Head down the hill and board the slow boat as soon as you can so you can secure yourself (or your group) a good seat. Although your ticket is labelled with a seat number, simply ignore it… the seats are an absolute free for all. The earlier you get on the boat, the more choice you will have for a good seat. You definitely want to sit away from the motor and toilets in the back. Boarding is done from up front so don’t make the mistake of walking all the way back thinking you’re heading away from the motor.
You will need to remove your shoes before boarding and keep them in a plastic bag that you are given. I think this helps keep the interior as clean as possible. Just keep them with you so they don’t grow legs and walk away, and so you can put them back on to use the toilet. Once you’re on board you can hand off your big bag to the boat guys who will pile it or stash it beneath the floor. You will be able to get it as you disembark.
LIFE ON THE SLOW BOAT
Alright, lock in for 6.5 hours of slow boating down the Mekong River. Those 6.5 hours are as you can expect, slow, but do pass pretty easily. Watch the lush green jungle go by, and observe the simple life of the locals living in the riverbank villages. Grab a drink from the little boat cafe and get to know your seat mates. Maybe play some uno. You’ll be in Pak Beng before you know it.
The slow boat is what you make it, but I do think it depends a bit on the boat you find yourself on.
The first day the slow boat I was on was far more lush than the second. It had tables and benches as well as some seats you could lounge on. In addition, there was a snack bar with beers and soft drinks, as well as cup noodle available for purchase. There was one group who I think bought out the entire beer fridge… you should have seen the state of them and their table by the end of the day.
The day 2 slow boat was more similar to what I had read about, with the rows and rows car seats that are not bolted down, no tables, and a much smaller snack bar with just instant coffee and cup noodles.
Toilets
There are toilets on board, generally two, which can be found at the back. The toilet situation is passable but not good. On both slow boats I was on there was at least one western toilet (although the toilet seat was not guaranteed). All the toilets flush by pouring water in from a separate bucket. The second one had a squat toilet as well, and of course, it is always BYOTP – bring your own toilet paper.
The slow boats are also totally exposed to the elements – in the winter season it can get quite cool in the morning on the boat. In summer it can get quite hot during the day. Although the boat is “slow”, it can pick up to quite a clip and get pretty windy. It looked there are little plastic curtains that can be rolled down in the case of rain.
SLOW BOAT ESSENTIALS
In Chiang Rai I did a little shop up to make sure I had everything I needed for the slow boat. Most critical to bring with you is water, and toilet paper/wipes. The rest is just to make the journey more comfortable.
I enjoyed having lots of snacks as well because I liked to eat when I was bored… which was basically the whole time.
Even if you have a sim or e-sim the service can be spotty so you want to have things to occupy yourself with other than using phone data. Download some podcasts or Netflix or bring a book and a deck of cards.
You’re also spending a loooong time just sitting on a boat so you will want to wear some very comfortable clothing. The boat is open to the elements so you will want a layer than you can take on or off depending on temperature.
Overnight in pak beng
You arrive in Pak Beng at around 4:30PM so you can enjoy your evening in this quiet little village.
Once you get off the boat there will be some trucks for the hotels/homestays in town that will take you and anyone else staying at the same accommodation there to check in.
Some people suggest you can just rock up and book your accommodation when you get there – but that is the last thing I would do. It may save you a few bucks but I literally had a private room with a queen sized bed for less than I’ve paid for a top bunk in a 20 person dorm… and I didn’t have to walk around town asking about rooms and rates or bartering about prices.
Remember, you are in a small village in a poor country so don’t expect the most glamorous stay. The best way to ensure you have a pleasant and comfortable night is to pre-book your accommodationin Pak Beng.
Check out the hotels and homestays available in Pak Beng
Once you’ve checked in to your accommodation, head out into the town to find some dinner. Dinner at Khopchaideu Restaurant was nice, Sabaidee Restaurant and Ounhouan Restaurant looked popular.
the next day
Don’t miss your boat – the departure is scheduled an hour earlier than the previous day. You want to be on the correct slow boat, headed in the correct direction towards Luang Prabang by 9AM. They won’t wait for you.
This is the day where you will be asked for the ticket that you received from your tour group the day before. It is dated so you can’t spend any extra nights in Pak Beng, not that you necessarily would wanted to. If you’ve misplaced the ticket, you will be on the hook to pay for the journey again.
The homestay I was staying at had a shuttle back to the pier but it was scheduled later than I wanted to get there. The seats, again, are a free for all and I wanted to secure myself a good seat and then hop back off the boat to pick up some last minute snacks. I opted to leave my accommodation around 7:45AM to walk down with my bags, and it was only a 15 minute walk through town. I arrived an hour ahead of schedule and had plenty of choices for good seats. In high season I’ve heard it can be even more intense and some arrive as early as 7:30AM to guarantee themselves a good seat. The second day you will be on the boat for a full 8 hours, as it makes more stops along the way to Luang Prabang, so it is definitely worth it to make sure you aren’t stuck at the back with the loud motor and the toilets.
Arriving in luang prabang
After two full days on the slow boat you will be really glad as you make the final approach to Luang Prabang.
Unfortunately, the slow boat terminal is about 10KM from the city centre so you will need to take a 20 minute tuktuk ride into town to your accommodation. There are plenty of tuktuks waiting for all the passengers. These are not private so they will try and get as many people as will fit in the back before leaving. The going rate seemed to be 100,000 Kip per person (May 2025), paid before departure. Just let the driver know your accommodation and they will let you off there.
To do in luang prabang
Luang Prabang is a lovely city and a great place to spend some time following two long days on the slow boat. Have a stroll around town and stretch your atrophied legs after sitting for two days straight. These are some of the best things to do in Luang Prabang.
PHOUSI HILL VIEW
sunset drinks at the river
Kuang Si Waterfall
famous temples
Did I enjoy the slow boat?
Although I was definitely glad to be off the slow boat and not getting back on the next day, I would gladly do the journey again! I really enjoyed the slow pace for the few days and watching the world along the river banks.
Like I said earlier, I do believe it is what you make of it. I had great company (shoutout Beth) and a good seat, so I didn’t feel bored or trapped. The big HOWEVER is that I went in May 2025. May is comfortably into the rainy season in Thailand and so there was definitely fewer travellers making the trip. I have heard and read some brutal horror stories about there not being enough seats for passengers or just the utter chaos of travelling in peak season (Nov. to Feb.). I can only imagine how uncomfortable the journey would be with hundreds more travellers all clambering over each other… Maybe just take that as a note to travel in shoulder season if you are interested in taking the slow boat to Laos.
So why take the Slow Boat to Laos? Well because –
- it's a chance to slow things down
- it's a unique Laotian cultural experience
- you can travel a bit greener & cheaper
- it's a rite of passage for backpackers in Southeast Asia
- it's a fun (??) adventure
More Laos Travel Guides
Happy trip planning!
From one traveller to another, I hope this guide was helpful for you as you make your plans to take the slow boat to Laos and set out on your next adventure down the Mekong!
If you read through this guide and still have questions about the experience on the slow boat or have other questions about any part of the journey… fear not because I can still help! I have a personalized trip planning and advice service available to all Everywhere Travel Club readers. I’d love to chat for an hour with you and help answer any questions you’re working through, share fun ideas, and help bring your big trip into reality! For more info about the one one-on-one call for advice check out the details of my Personalized Travel Planning Sesh.
Let me know what you think about this guide or if it helped you – I’d love to hear from you! You can find me everywhere on the Everywhere Travel Club Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest!