Trekking in Laos, which agencies?

Hello,

We’re planning a 3-week trip to Laos, focusing solely on the north. Our main goal is to do two 4-day treks in two different areas of Northern Laos.

We land in Bangkok on December 12th and will head straight to Chiang Mai before crossing into northern Laos at Huay Xai. Our journey will start there, ending in Vientiane, with a stop in Luang Prabang and the surrounding area. We’ll then take a night train from Udon Thani on December 30th to catch our flight back in Bangkok.

Right now, we’re mainly looking for reliable contacts to organize our two treks. From what we’ve read so far, trekking options exist around Luang Namtha, Phongsali (if it’s not too cold during that period, since we’ll have our 3-year-old daughter with us), or near Muang Ngoi and Nong Khiaw, as we’ve seen there are possibilities in that area too.

If we can organize both treks with the same contact, that would be perfect.

We’d prefer to avoid big agencies with a high-street presence and instead work directly with a local who knows their stuff and can give us good advice. We want to combine stunning landscapes (we love hiking) with cultural encounters in local villages.

We’d love to hear your tips and experiences—maybe some areas are better than others, less crowded, or more challenging (though we’re keeping in mind our 3-year-old, who’s used to hiking but we don’t want to put her in any danger).

That’s the gist of our plans for now! Looking forward to hearing from you, fellow travelers

Hello,

if it’s not too cold for this time of year

In December, in northern Laos, you’ll find temperature swings of about 25–30°C between day and night almost everywhere, so pack some warm clothes from around 6 PM until the temperature starts to rise again around 8–9 AM.

end by heading down to Vientiane (...) and take a night train on December 30 from Udon Thani to catch a flight in Bangkok.

Unless you have a specific reason, there’s no need to go all the way down to Udon Thani for the train. You can now take the Rapid 134 to Bangkok, which leaves directly from Vientiane around 6:30 PM (from a new station, not the one where the Chinese trains to the north depart, as the track gauges are different).

Hi Elise,

Laos: a country close to my heart (5 trips). My last month-long stay was mainly in the north, starting from Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars, and the Nam Ou River journey (treks with the Akhas Loma and other ethnic groups), heading north and then back down via Luang Namtha and Muang Sing from Houay Xai, and descending the Mekong to L.P. for the return. Our guide was Mr. Vong (nickname). Full name: Mr. Chanthavong Kaopraseuth / WhatsApp +856 20 55571033 He specializes in the north, is resilient, knows the ethnic groups well, their customs, the habits of each province, and especially many villages from experience. He lives with his family in Luang Prabang. He seems like the best fit for your request in the north. Have a great trip with your family! Eric

Oh, thank you so much! There’s unfortunately little feedback in the discussions about Laos, so your reply is really valuable. A big thank you, Eric. I’ll keep you posted on how things go, and I’ve noted your route. We don’t have the luck of landing directly in Luang Prabang as planned—flight tickets are exorbitant. To cut the cost in half or more, we had no choice but to arrive and depart from Bangkok, so we’ll lose a bit of time, but no big deal, we’ll make it work. 5 Voyages, Laos must be incredible—there are countries like that you just can’t get enough of. I love INDIA, but for this trip, we wanted a ZEN country, very ZEN. We’ve already been to Thailand, but personally, I didn’t like it—well, at least because we only did the south!!! And Laos has always appealed to me for its less touristy vibe.

Thanks again.

Hi Thierry,

Oh, thanks for your reply! The guidebook I bought isn’t up to date at all, even though I just got it!! It doesn’t even mention the new train line. That’s great news there’s a direct train line. Maybe that’ll let us skip going up through Chiang Mai—we’ll see.

Where can I find info on this train and trains in Laos in general? I read that I should book in advance. Are they sleeper trains?

Do you know if there’s also a train that goes up to Luang Prabang?

We really want to focus on the north since Laos is so big—we can’t do it all anyway. But is the Vang Vieng area between Vientiane and Luang Prabang worth lingering in, or should we save it for a future trip?

We have no idea about travel times, and we really want to take our time, even if it means seeing less. It fits with the country’s vibe!! Speed in a calm country just doesn’t mix!!! LOL

About the temperature—thanks for the info. Is it cold around Luang Namtha too?

Thanks so much, Thierry—your feedback is super helpful!

he doesn’t even mention the new train line. it’s great news that this direct train line exists.

Actually, it’s not a new line—it’s just the classic line (which already originated in Nong Khai, along the border, not U.Thani) that’s been extended to Vientiane.

maybe this will let us avoid going up through Chiang Mai, we’ll see.

That said, you can also reach the far north of Laos (Luang Nam Tha, etc.) by going through Chiang Rai (a bit faster than via Chiang Mai), Chiang Khong, and Huay Xai. For example, if you don’t want to take the same route there and back, but it’s definitely much faster now to go Bangkok-Vientiane and then Vientiane-northern Laos by train.

Where can I find info on this train ?

The clearest info is here: https://www.seat61.com/Laos.htm#bangkok-to-vientiane-by-train

Where can I find info (...) on trains in Laos?

See the page mentioned above (scroll down to the middle for "Laos China Railway"), but it’s not complete on the stations served, so I’ll add this one: https://www.laostraintickets.com/laos-train-schedule-map

For info: - Muang Xai station = Udomxai - Na Teuy station allows access to Luang Nam Tha, about 30 km away, with transport arranged between the two. - If nothing’s changed, you can’t book these Chinese trains directly from abroad without going through an online Lao agency. - Everyone is searched before boarding the train, and they’re even more thorough than for a flight.

Are these sleeper trains? (...) Is there also a train that goes up to Luang Prabang?

No. Yes. See the last link I posted.

is the Vang Vieng area (...) worth spending time in?

Yes, 2-3 nights if you have the time. But if you’re ambitious for Luang Prabang* and everything further north, it might be more reasonable to skip Vang Vieng to save time.

* Lovely and fascinating Luang Prabang and its nearby areas deserve at least 5 nights.

For the temperature, thanks for the info—is it also cold around Luang Namtha at that time?

At night, during the time you’ll be there, yes.

which originally started in Nong Khai, along the border

Nong Khai, sleeper train about to leave for Bangkok:

We’re planning a 3-week trip to Laos, focusing solely on the North. We want to base our stay around two 4-day treks in two different areas of Northern Laos.

Hi there, About 7 or 8 years ago, my wife and I went to Phongsaly by plane from Vientiane. (We took the overnight train from Bangkok to Vientiane.) Once there, in Phongsaly, there was only one agency (which should still exist) that organized small treks lasting 2 to 5 days. We went for 4 days: first, we took a pirogue up the Nam Ou River from Hatsa, then started the trek toward Akha Eupa villages. It was an interesting experience if you don’t mind basic hygiene and spartan comfort. With kids, it’s doable if they’re used to this kind of adventure.

After that, we descended the Nam Ou River by pirogue over 2 days, stopping in several villages, including Nong Kiaw and Muang Ngoi Neua (the ones I remember). From there, you can do day hikes without a guide. These two villages are great for a short stay and local walks, but they’re much less "wild" than the Phongsaly region. We ended our trip in Luang Prabang. Return flight from Luang Prabang to Bangkok.

Hi Djalma,

Thanks for your feedback. I got in touch with Thierry’s guide—I’ll see how it goes. We’ll probably go for just one week-long trek so we can take breaks with our daughter and leave time to explore another area.

Thanks a lot

which originally came from Nong Khai, along the border

Nong Khai, sleeper train about to leave for Bangkok:



Hi, Does this train still exist? I’d be interested—it’d save me from going back to Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

Hi, From Nong Khai to Bangkok* there’s sleeper train #26, sleeper train #134**, and the daytime Express train #76.

*On some search sites, Bangkok station is listed as Krung Thep Aphiwat. **This one originates in Vientiane and stops in Nong Khai.