The slow boat to Laos. A two-day journey down the Mekong River, snaking down from the border with Northern Thailand to the old Laotian capital of Luang Prabang.

Many call it a backpacker rite of passage. Others call it a nightmare. Truth is, it’s a bit of both.

Over the past few years, it’s become more complicated to take the slow boat to Laos without booking a tour- but not impossible.

So if you’re looking for a quick answer, a tour is the simpler choice. But it is still possible to do the trip without a tour- it just requires a different strategy than in the past.

Let’s get into it.

Note: I could be wrong, but I assume you’re not just taking the slow boat for the scenery and luxury experience. Here’s my 2-Week Budget Itinerary for Laos, which conveniently begins in Luang Prabang!

What the Slow Boat to Laos Actually Is

Whether you book the slow boat to Laos with a tour or do it all on your own, your time on the boat will be the same.

The slow boat to Laos encompasses a 2-day journey into Laos down the Mekong River before finally arriving in Luang Prabang.

Both days include about 4-6 hours of boat time. When they call it a slow boat, they mean it.

After the first day of boating, you stop in a small riverside town called Pakbeng, where you sleep for the night.

However, you first have to arrive at the start location for the slow boat, which is a town that is located on the border of Thailand and far from a tourist hotspot. And this is where tours make life easier, as I’ll soon explain.

Note: I waited until I arrived to look for accommodation in Pakbeng, but many people had pre-booked online, which you can do here. If you end up taking a tour, make sure they don’t provide accommodation before booking (they usually don’t).

What the Slow Boat Tours Include- And What They Cost

In terms of transportation, the slow boat tours include almost everything.

Direct early morning pickup at your hostel/hotel and transportation to the border, bus to the boat, and the boat itself. The only part that isn’t included is the tuk-tuk from the dock in Luang Prabang to the town.

They also supply you with lunch for the first day and help filling out the forms for the visa.

What is not included is the rest of your food for the trip, as well as your accommodation in Pakbeng, where you’ll be staying after the first day on the slow boat.

As of 2025, there were tours for under $50 USD (1700 baht), so make sure the one you choose is one of them. If the price is good, just book it through your hostel.

I personally booked the tour through Mercy Hostel. The hostel itself was awesome, but that’s not too relevant here. What is relevant is that the tour cost around 1600 baht ($47 USD), which is one of the better deals you’ll get.

This is another good option through GetYourGuide, it’s a touch more expensive- although it’s possible that the boat just costs more now.

Note: I’m not factoring in the visa you’re going to need to pay for into any of these costs. As of spring 2025, the cost was $40 USD or around 2000 Baht, which is actually significantly more expensive (around $60 USD!). Make sure to bring the dollars, and crisp bills as they won’t accept anything less!

How to Take the Slow Boat Without a Tour- And What It Costs

A lot of information online is very misleading about doing the slow boat independently. Some blogs swear by it, others say it’s impossible. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

Most blogs who say to do the tour independently say you can easily take a bus to Chiang Khong (where the boat leaves from) in the morning from Chiang Rai.

However, the bus times have changed- as of 2025, the earliest bus is at 7:30 AM, which will be really pushing it to catch the boat- there’s a large chance you’ll miss it.

Luckily, there’s an alternative.

If you’re really bent on doing it yourself, take a bus to Chiang Khong the night before and spend the night there.

There are plenty of accommodation options (find them here), and another benefit is that you won’t need to wake up at the crack of dawn the following morning.

Now, I will say that you should consider the drawbacks.

Doing it this way is essentially adding an extra day of travel. If it were me, take the night in Chiang Rai where there’s much more to do, and wake up bright and early without a thing to worry about. If Chiang Khong were an interesting place I may have a different opinion. But quite frankly, it isn’t.

Cost-wise, you’ll be lucky to save $10-15 USD by doing everything on your own. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it. This includes the bus from Chiang Rai, transportation to your accommodation, and transport to the border (as well as the slow boat ticket, of course).

So Which Should You Choose?

So, in summary. There’s a lot of information out there, and here’s the truth.

Taking a tour will simplify things. You’ll be able to enjoy your night in Chiang Rai, and not be stressed that you might miss the boat.

You can also do it by yourself- but I wouldn’t take the 7:30 bus. Best case scenario, you save yourself $15 USD this way, and there’s a really solid chance you miss the boat. And if you miss it, you don’t wait one hour for the next one. You wait 24.

So here’s the final answer: if you want to save the stress, book the tour. If you want to save the $15, much respect. Just head to Chiang Khong the night before instead of risking the morning bus.

And again, you can book through your hostels or try this tour from GetYourGuide.