Border crossing from China to Laos? Check out my experience

International travelers crossing the land border between China and Laos must go through the Mohan-Boten border crossing. Mohan is located on the Chinese side, while Boten is on the Laos side. Whilst I had initially planned to travel across the border by bus, I soon realized that long-distance bus travel across the Laos-Chinese border was no longer a viable option. The newer and more efficient railway had rendered long-distance bus travel across the Laos-Chinese border obsolete. Follow my journey from China to Laos on the Laos-China Railway.

Tips and thoughts:

• Food options are limited at the stations so have some snacks in your bag for the journey
• The toilets are clean and with toilet paper available
• Expect some luggage lugging and long immigration lines but otherwise a smooth journey

My experience: Border crossing from Xishuangbanna (China) to Luang Prabang (Laos)

Purchase of tickets & boarding the train

I bought my ticket at the Xishuangbanna ticket office on the day of travel. These trains only offer second and first-class seats so I opted for a second class seat. Since there is only one counter serving the international train, anticipate a queue and arrive early. Also, make sure to have your passport with you for the ticket purchase.

After purchasing the ticket, pass through the security screening to enter the main hall of the station. Ticket checking commences around 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival of the train to the station. The process was smooth and it was easy to locate my seat after boarding the train. The seats, arranged in a 3-2 configuration, were packed with predominantly Chinese and Lao travelers.

Mohan Station, the Chinese border checkpoint

At Mohan station, passengers must collect their luggage and disembark to clear the Chinese immigration checkpoint. Food choices at the station are quite limited, primarily consisting of a makeshift table stall offering instant noodles and bread. For hot water, there’s a convenient water dispenser. So having some snacks in your bag for the journey is advisable.

Afterwards, passengers re-board the train for the journey to Boten station. During this leg of the journey, attendants will distribute the Laos arrival card and verify the validity of the passengers’ visa documentation.

Boten Station, the Lao border checkpoint

At Boten station, passengers again collected their luggage and disembarked the train. This time to clear the Laos LCR immigration checkpoint. This immigration checkpoint is dedicated to the LCR and is located further south from the Boten immigration checkpoint. Complaints from passengers were quite audible due to the inconvenience of the multiple stops and immigration procedures.

Visa on arrival is available at the checkpoint if required. Expect to queue behind long lines for the immigration process. After clearing immigration, you have officially entered Laos! There is a store outside the immigration checkpoint that also provides money exchange services so this may be a good place to change some Chinese Yuan to Lao Kip.

During the next leg of the journey from Boten, the attendants would bring food carts through the train with offerings such as sausages and baguette sandwiches. Do note that only Lao Kip is accepted if you wish to purchase anything. The attendants sometimes offer to exchange Kip for Yuan but expect the exchange rate to be rather poor.

I have noticed ATMS at the Laos stations, such as Udomxay station and Luang Prabang station, so that’s an option for getting some Laos Kip as well. Alternatively, after arriving at Luang Prabang, the shuttle bus service operator offered a money exchange service as well.

And that’s it! Check out this post for the five great places to go in Luang Prabang!

Background on LCR – the efficient mode of transport

The Laos-China Railway (LCR) officially commenced operations in December 2021, drastically reducing travel times between Vientiane (Laos) and Kunming (China). Train D887 departs daily from Kunming Railway South at 8:08 am (UTC+8) and arrives at Vientiane Station by 4:34 pm (GMT+7), completing the journey in just 9 hours and 26 minutes.

For the return journey, Train D888 leaves Vientiane at 8:08 am (UTC+7) and reaches Kunming South by 6:34 pm (UTC+8). This high-speed rail connection provides a swift and efficient transportation option between the two destinations.

Second Class seats are priced at 542 yuan (USD$76 / SGD$104 _{as of 26 Dec 2023}) while first-class tickets cost 864 yuan (USD$121 / SGD$165 _{as of 26 Dec 2023}). Stops along the route include Puer, Xishuangbanna, Mohan, Boten, Luang Prabang, and Vang Vieng.

Traveling from China

Visitors can easily check the schedule, remaining seats, and ticket prices on the official China Railway website for departures from China. Pre-booking of tickets via the website is also possible.

Traveling from Laos

For departures from Laos, visitors may check the schedule, remaining seats, and ticket prices on the LCR Ticket App (Google Play / App Store). Purchase tickets for departures from Laos directly at the ticket office, through tour operators, or via the LCR ticket App*. International visitors should look at the former two options.

_{*Registration for the purchase of a ticket on the LCR ticket app is only open to individuals holding a Laos ID with a mobile number from China, Thailand, or Laos.}

Bus travel – the obsolete transport of the past?

Before the completion of the Laos-China Railway (LCR) in late 2021, travelers took long-distance coaches from Kunming, Jinghong (Xishuangbanna), or the border town of Mengla to get to the Laos border. Direct buses to destinations such as Huay Xai and Luang Namtha in Laos used to depart from Xishuangbanna, China, as you may find in other blog posts. However, as of my visit on 6 November 2023, I found no direct buses between Xishuangbanna and Laos due to the impact of Covid-19. The resumption of this service remains uncertain.