Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha

By bus the journey from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha is scheduled to take from 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes depending upon which service you take.

Bus Times from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha

There are currently 2 bus services a day from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha available to book online.

Buy Tickets from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha

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Chiang Khong Bus Station

Bus services from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha commence with a pick up from any hotel in Chiang Khong.

Luang Namtha Bus Station

Naluang bus services from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha terminate at Luang Namtha Bus Station.

About Travel to Luang Namtha

By road it’s slightly over 180 km from Chiang Khong to Luang Namtha. It’s a slow journey partly because of the time it takes to pass through two sets of border controls, one to exit from Thailand and another to enter into Laos, but also because the road passes through mountainous terrain and has lots of bends in it as a consequence.

About Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha is one of the larger settlements in the remote northern part of Laos. The city is estimated to have over 50,000 permanent residents. The main reason why Luang Namtha has grown into a city of this size is because it’s located about 50 km by road from the border with China at Boten.

Before the opening of the Laos-China high speed railway, the main route leisure travellers took to cross from laos into China was via Luang Namtha. Since the opening of the railway link between Laos and China the number of tourists coming to Luang Namtha has reduced. The city, however, still receives lots of visitors, particularly people driving trucks laden with cargo or Chinese visitors travelling to Laos in their own cars.

Hotels in Luang Namtha

The city has around 10 tourist hotels and guesthouses. Some of these hotels can be booked online using major hotel booking websites. These include Tulip Hotel, MANYTHIP Hotel, and Boat Landing Guesthouse. Hotels which aren’t available to book online include the city’s largest and best known hotel, Dokchampa Hotel.

For the cheapest room rates in Luang Namtha, simply turning up and enquiring directly at the reception desk is often the best strategy. There is a cluster of hotels located right in the centre of the city close to the Dokchampa Hotel which are close enough to walk between.

Visitor Attractions in Luang Namtha

There are no well known tourist attractions in Luang Namtha City. Nonetheless, the city’s two main temples, Poum Pouk Stupa and Luang Namtha Stupa, are worth visiting as is the main fresh food market in Luang Namtha, Muang Sing Market. Many of the vendors at Muang Sing Market sell produce grown by the remote communities living in the surrounding area.

Nam Ha National Protected Area

The main tourist attraction near Luang Namtha is the Nam Ha National Protected Area. The Nam Ha National Protected Area covers 2,234 square kilometres of nearly all dense jungle, with 3 major rivers flowing through it. One of the highlights of trekking in the Nam Ha National Protected Area is the opportunity to visit very isolated villages occupied by members of distinct ethnic groups, such as the Akha and Tai Dam, known for their colourful clothing and traditional crafts.

A guide and a permit are mandatory for foreign visitors to the Nam Ha National Protected Area. There are several tour operators based in Luang Namtha who can organise both a guide and a permit, as well as food, transport, and accommodation. The best known tour operator for the Nam Ha National Protected Area is Green Discovery Laos which runs 1 to 3 day trekking trips with pick up and drop off in Luang Namtha City included in the price.

Overland Travel to China

By local bus it takes about 1 hour to travel from Luang Namtha City to the border crossing with China at Boten. From Boten it then takes around 50 minutes to travel to the nearest large town in China, Mengla, where travellers can board longer distance bus services to destinations such as Kunming.

A faster option for onward travel into China from Boten is to take the daily international train on the  Laos – China high speed railway line which terminates in Kunming.