Northern Laos

Northern Laos is a mountainous region of Laos. It shares borders with Thailand, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. The region encompasses the provinces of (from north to south) Phongsali, Oudomxai, Luang Namtha, Bokeo and Sainyabuli.

Cities

Other destinations

Understand

Humans have lived in Northern Laos since the paleolithic era. It was ruled by the Lan Xang kingdom from the 14th to the 18th centuries, at which point the kingdom broke into three parts. Northern Laos fell under the Kingdom of Luang Prabang. The kingdom was weak and owing to attacks, it sought French protection in 1889. The French annexed Laos after the French-Siamese war in 1893. Under French control, the Kingdom of Luang Prabang became the dominant kingdom in the French "protectorate" of Laos. The kingdoms were merged in 1947 into the Kingdom of Laos, which became independent in 1954.

Even at independence, the Pathet Laos (the Laos communists) were in control of parts of Northern Laos. The new Laos kingdom slipped into the 1959-1975 civil war, with the North Vietnamese Army active in Northern Laos for much of this period. To combat them, the CIA began recruiting tribesmen (especially among the Hmong) in Northern Laos to fight the North Vietnamese, eventually fighting them and the Pathet Lao to a stalemate. The North Vietnamese made another push into the area in 1959, with increasingly bitter fighting intensifying from 1965-1973. By the early 1970s, the Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese were firmly in control of most of Northern Laos. After the end of the civil war, Hmong rebels in Northern Laos continued a low-level insurgency which continues to the present day, although the fighting has been much reduced since 2007.

Get in

By plane

The region is served internationally by 🌍 Luang Prabang International Airport ((LPQ IATA)). (updated Dec 2024) which has scheduled flights from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Siem Reap and domestically from Vientiane in Central Laos.

Visa-on-arrival is available at Luang Prabang airport and the price is variable based upon your nationality. You need a passport picture to obtain a visa. If you don't have one, they'll scan your picture from your passport and charge you an additional US$1.

The following minor airports have flights from Vientiane only:

By road

Highway 13 connects the region via Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng and Vientiane in Central Laos. Bus journeys along this road are well known for being uncomfortable and windy. Allow 12 hours to travel between Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

By train

The train station at Luang Prabang photographed in its final stages of construction

The new Chinese-built train line is now fully operational between Vientiane and Boten, taking only 3 hours to travel the entire 414 km length. Two fast electric trains per day stop at the following stations in Northern Laos: Boten, Na Toey, Na Mor, Muang Xai, Muong Nga, Luang Prabang, and then down to Vang Vieng and Vientiane. As of April 2022 tickets can only be bought 2 days in advance, and only at the railway stations. The views from the train in Northern Laos are not spectacular, as the train goes through many tunnels.

Get around

Buses from the northern bus station travel in Vientiane travel along the Mekong River to Sanakhan (the Lao town opposite Thailand's Chiang Khan), then through the mountains to Pak Lai. From Pak Lai, buses travel south to the Thai border crossing at Kaen Teo and north to Sainyabuli, where buses leave for other northern destinations, including the old royal city of Luang Prabang.

See

Itineraries

Do

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Travel Warning WARNING: The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Bokeo province is a high-crime area and should be avoided. Drug traffickers, smugglers, and employment scams operate in this area.
Government travel advisories
(Information last updated 27 Jan 2025)

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