Travel overland from Hanoi to Vientiane

The cheapest way to travel from Hanoi to Vientiane in Laos is to travel by bus. The journey by bus takes around 23 hours, compared to 1 hour 10 minutes by direct flight, but only costs 20% of a flight.

Bus Times from Hanoi to Vientiane

There are 3 direct bus services a day from Hanoi to Vientiane available book online.

Buy Tickets from Hanoi to Vientiane

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Hanoi to Vientiane.

Hanoi Bus Stop

HTX Van Tai 277 services from Hanoi to Vientiane depart from Nuoc Ngam Bus Station.

Vientiane Bus Stop

HTX Van Tai 277 services from Hanoi to Vientiane terminate at Vientiane Southern Bus Station.

Wat Pha That Luang in Vientiane

Wat Pha That Luang in Vientiane is the top tourist attraction in Vientiane and the most important temple in a country which has lots and lots of temples. The temple in its current form dates back to the 1560s to the reign of King Setthathirat, who decided to relocate the country’s capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. The precise date when the temple was established is not known for sure. Some people believe that a temple was built on the site of Luang Prabang in the 12th or 13th Century, and that this older temple was itself built on top of a stone obelisk installed during the reign of King Ashoka of India (268 to 232 BCE) to house the pelvic bone of the Lord Buddha. King Ashoka of India is known to have sent Buddhist relics to sites across Asia and this association with an important relic is one of the reason why Wat Pha That Luang is such an important religious site to some Buddhists. Whether or not Wat Pha That Luang contains the relic, or whether its more than 2,000 years old or only 500 years old, it’s still a very impressive building. The central stupa tower is 44 metres high, and has a base which is 67 metres wide, all covered in gold paint. The stupa itself is enclosed by a wall measuring 350 metres in length. Installed under the roof of this wall are very old statues which have been found during work undertaken to repair the stupa. Wat Pha That Luang is impressive and well worth visiting if you go to Vientiane.

Wat Pha That Luang is open from 08:00 until 12:00 and then again from 13:00 to 16:00 everyday and admission costs 5,000 Laotian Kip.