The public slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang was a great experience. It gave us the chance to relax and enjoy the mountainous scenery as we slowly cruised along the Mekong River. The journey is split into two days, with around 7 hours of travel each day. After the first leg, you’ll stop overnight in a small village called Pak Beng before continuing the journey the following day.
I’d highly recommend taking the public boat—it’s amazing value at only around £15. For those seeking a more luxurious experience, there is a luxury private slow boat, but you’ll pay over £100. The public boat is busier and you don’t have food included, but the price and views are worth it.
How to get to the slow boat in Huay xai
Packaged tours are available but in my opinion, it seems much better (and cheaper) to arrange the trip yourself. Overall, we spent about £25 each on our transport to the border, our hotel and food in Huay Xai, and our ticket for the slow boat. By doing it independently, you also avoid the early 5 a.m. start and the hassle of waiting for large tour groups. Plus, you get the chance to spend a night in Huay Xai, a charming riverside town with a peaceful, off-the-beaten-path vibe, thanks to its lack of tourists.
If you’re coming from Northern Thailand, start by taking a bus to Chiang Khong. We travelled from Chiang Rai, which is a great one-night stopover if you’re coming from Chiang Mai or Pai (check out my Chiang Rai blog post for tips on spending a day there!).
The bus will drop you off at the Chiang Khong border control, where you’ll get your passport exit stamps. From there, a bus will take you across Friendship Bridge into Laos, as walking or cycling across the bridge isn’t allowed. The bus costs around 35 baht (roughly 80p) and takes just five minutes.
At the Laos border, UK travellers will need to get a visa on arrival. You’ll fill out two forms and pay about $40 USD for the visa. We also had to pay an additional 40 baht in mysterious “tourist charges.” After crossing the border, you can take a songthaew to your hotel in Huay Xai. The whole process was very smooth and there were no long queues or waiting around.
Staying in Huay Xai
We stayed in Somewhere Over the River for just £4 per night, which included a private room and free breakfast. The owners were incredibly helpful with booking our slow boat tickets and also offer a packed lunch service for the first day on the boat. There’s no lunch on the the slow boat so definitely get a packed lunch to take with you.
We ate lunch at the hotel and secured our boat tickets for 440,000 kip (about £15). We watched the sunset from our hotel balcony before having a lovely dinner at a local restaurant on the main street.
Day 1: The First Leg of the Slow Boat
After breakfast at the hotel, we were picked up at 8:30 a.m. and driven about 5 minutes to the boat. Although the boat was scheduled to leave at 9 a.m., we didn’t set off until 11 due to tour groups being delayed at the border (another reason to organise it yourself!)
Once we were on our way, the scenery was stunning—beautiful greenery, winding riverbanks, and glimpses of village life along the water. There’s also coffee and snacks available on board.
After 7 hours of slow cruising, we arrived in Pak Beng. While you don’t necessarily need to book accommodation in advance because there are hostel owners waiting for you as you step off the boat, it can be chaotic with so many backpackers arriving at once. We ended up sleeping on mattresses on the floor of a massage room—not the most comfortable night! I’d definitely recommend booking a room ahead of time to save the stress of trying to find a decent hostel on the spot.
For dinner I’d recommend Alisa, a riverside restaurant with fantastic views and delicious food. They also offer packed lunches for the next day’s journey.
Day 2: The Final Stretch to Luang Prabang
The next morning, we grabbed breakfast at Alisa (we couldn’t resist those views again) and were lucky enough to spot elephants from the Mekong Elephant Sanctuary bathing across the river.
We arrived at the boat early (8:30 a.m.) to secure good seats, as there are no reservations on the second day. By then, the boat was already filling up because everyone wants a window seat at the front to avoid the noisy engine room. Fortunately, we managed to secure better seats than on the first day. The second day’s journey was even more enjoyable than the first, with blue skies, warm sunshine, and impressive scenery.
After 14 hours on the slow boat, we finally arrived in Luang Prabang. The experience really encourages a slower pace of travel, letting you unwind and take in the beauty of your surroundings. While it’s a long time to spend on a boat, with good preparation, it’s a welcome break from the usual fast pace of backpacking.
Overall, my advice for the slow boat would be to organise it yourself, arrive early on day two to secure seats, get a packed lunch and plenty of snacks, and, most importantly, sit back, relax and enjoy the views.