Flying Over Laos in a Hot Air Balloon in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is a hub for adventure lovers in Laos, and one of the best places in Southeast Asia to experience a hot air balloon ride. Here is what you need to know to plan an epic Vang Vieng hot air balloon experience.

Located about mid-way between Luang Prabang and Vientiane is one of the best places in this part of the world to go hot air ballooning. Vang Vieng town was once notorious for alcohol-fueled tubing excursions down the Nam Song river, but has since leaned heavily into its nature and adventure tourism offerings to cater to a broader range of visitors.

Often touted as one of the cheapest hot air balloon destinations, Vang Vieng has more to offer beyond the value-for-money factor. Like going on a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia in Turkey, you are similarly rewarded with insane views and a wonderfully unique landscape; except in Vang Vieng it isn’t fairy chimneys you’ll see, it’s rice fields nestled among towering karst mountains, and small villages along the winding and weaving river.

If you are planning to book a hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng, read on for my recommendation for the best hot air balloon company in Laos, where to stay in Vang Vieng, how to get there and other must-knows before you take to the skies.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng trip? For a luxury Vang Vieng stay with spectacular views, Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick. You can also stay at Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains.

What you need to know before traveling to Vang Vieng

✈️ You can get to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang or Vientiane. It is possible to apply for a visa on arrival in Laos at both airports for most nationalities – bring 1 passport photo and US dollars for the application fee. The Laos visa-on-arrival fee is US$40, and in general the Laos tourist visa is good for 30 days. You can also apply for your Laos e-Visa ahead of time here, however the fee varies according to nationality and takes several days to process.

📱 You can get a local Laos SIM card at the airport to stay connected.

🗺️ Before you travel to Vang Vieng, make sure you download these maps to your phone from Hobo Maps: Vang Vieng town map, Vang Vieng area map & Vang Vieng north map. Most places in town will sell hard copies of the map but you can access them for free online.

💱 The currency is the Lao Kip, and the exchange rate varies from approximately 20-21,000 LAK: 1 USD as of early 2024. There are plenty of places to exchange money in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng itself, and though you can pay for your Vang Vieng hot air balloon ride by credit card you will still need cash to get around.

Looking for more Southeast Asia and Laos travel tips? Click here for 10 things you should know before you visit Southeast Asia and head on over here for all of my Laos travel guides and tips!

The best places to stay in Vang Vieng

Riverside Boutique Resort is the crème de la crème when it comes to boutique hotels in Vang Vieng. This stunning property features traditional Lao-inspired artwork and furnishing, in an incredibly classy and laid-back setting. The pool with mountain views is to die for, and the on-site restaurant serves up some of the best food I had in Laos. Click here to check availability and rates at Riverside Boutique Resort.

I also recommend checking out Inthira Vang Vieng, a boutique hotel in town that offers beautiful rooms with a view overlooking the Nam Song River. The rooms are spacious and elegant, the bathrooms are massive with wonderful water pressure, and the staff are extremely professional. If you are looking for a more upscale and modern hotel in Vang Vieng, click here to see current rates at Inthira Vang Vieng.

Where ever you decide to stay in Vang Vieng, Above Laos will organize transportation from your hotel to the take-off site, and back to your hotel after flying over Vang Vieng in a hot air balloon. Just be sure to stay tuned to your e-mail or Whatsapp as this is where they will send you the confirmed pick-up time, usually the day before your booked flight.

How to get to Vang Vieng

🚅 As of 2023, the quickest and most efficient way to get to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang or Vientiane is to take the new Laos-China high speed rail. There are several daily trains which will take you comfortably to Vang Vieng from Vientiane or Luang Prabang in approximately 1 hour. The trains and stations are brand new and very punctual, however you won’t be able to bring any aerosols, e-cigarettes and other prohibited items on board.

Tickets can be purchased 3 days in advance via the LCR Ticket app, the official app of the railway company (more details here) but you need a Laos SIM card. If you prefer to use a ticketing agent, I had a great experience with Discover Laos Today which has offices in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng town – you can also Whatsapp them at +856 20 93 445 358 to ask for updated train schedules (the timings can change) and purchase your ticket on your behalf.

Alternatively, you can also purchase your Laos train tickets online via 12go.asia (however double check how the tickets will be sent to you, or whether you will need to pick them up at another location prior to boarding). Read more about taking the high speed train in Laos here.

🚌 You can also take a large bus (AKA “VIP bus”) or shared minivan from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, or you can take a bus or minivan from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. Get your hotel to book your bus ticket for you, or simply walk into any travel agent in Luang Prabang or Vientiane to purchase your ticket – prices are fairly standard across the board.

Visiting Luang Prabang before or after Vang Vieng? Head on over here for the best things to do in Luang Prabang (and what you might want to skip)

🚗 You can also hire a private van to Vang Vieng for approximately US$75 from Vientiane or US$150-200+ from Luang Prabang. Enquire directly with your hotel or Discover Laos Today.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng stay? The Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick for a luxury hotel in Vang Vieng. The stunning and perfectly clean rooms offer a balcony or terrace, and the restaurant serves up amazing food. Click here to check rates and availability at Riverside Boutique Resort.

I have also stayed at and recommend Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms (choose one that has a balcony) and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. Click here to see current rates at Inthira Vang Vieng.

Booking a hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng

If you want to experience hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng then you should know that there are a handful of Vang Vieng hot air balloon companies currently in operation.

One of the most reputable Laos hot air balloon companies with strict safety standards and experienced balloon pilots is Above Laos. I chose to book with them when I traveled to Vang Vieng for the third time in 2024 based on the positive reviews from previous guests, and because I had a not-so-great experience with one of the other balloon companies during an earlier trip in 2018.

Above Laos operates small-scale hot air balloon flights in Vang Vieng, with no more than about 8 passengers in their larger balloons and 3 adults plus the pilot in their smaller balloon. When I visited in January 2024 there were 3 balloons that took off with Above Laos during the afternoon “sunset” flight.

The best way to book your flight is directly via the website. It shows availability and the booking system is fairly straightforward – you can also pay directly by credit card and they will send the booking confirmation to your e-mail address.

Some people also opt to shop around and book in town after they’ve arrived – you may run the risk of missing out as they book up quickly. My best advice would be to book ahead of time, their booking calendar usually opens up and displays flight availability a few months in advance.

You might also like: 14 Things to Do in Vang Vieng, the Adventure Capital of Laos

How much does it cost to go on a hot air balloon in Vang Vieng?

Pricing for Vang Vieng hot air balloon rides cost anywhere from about US$100-135 USD per person for a 30-minute to hour-long experience depending on which company you go with.

Above Laos charges US$135 (approximately 125 Euros) per adult and US$70 per child between 5-12 years old as of early 2024. For comparison purposes, standard Cappadocia hot air balloon flights cost approximately US$215-250 for each adult, and hot air balloon flights in Bagan in Myanmar typically cost around US$220.

Ready to book your adventure in Vang Vieng? The Riverside Boutique Resort is my top pick for a luxury hotel in Vang Vieng. Check into Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. You might also look into availability at The Silver Naga Hotel just next door – it also boasts a riverside location as well as daily Yoga classes.

Hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng – what is it like?

I couldn’t believe I was finally in a hot air balloon in Laos. The experience with another balloon operator a few years ago left a pretty bad taste in my mouth (they were a no-show and did not let us know that the flight had been cancelled due to low booking numbers), so I hadn’t imagined that I’d be back in Vang Vieng again and setting off on an adventure in the skies!

Though I had experienced a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia and knew what to expect somewhat, I was still anxious as I suffer from a fear of heights. I could feel my palms starting to get sweaty when I boarded the shared van that would pick up me and my fellow passengers to the balloon take-off site.

Once we arrived, we were called over to meet the pilots and to go through a safety briefing which included information about how to board, instructions for approaching the balloons, what you are and aren’t allowed to bring into the basket (only a small bag and personal photography equipment – a selfie stick is fine), balloon assignments and so on.

From then, it was just a matter of patiently waiting for the balloons to be inflated with hot air and for the baskets to be pulled upright for us to board. This took no longer than about 10 minutes. We received another landing and safety briefing from our pilot once we climbed into the baskets.

Our pilot, Jimmy, took us up gently from the ground up to nearly 4,000 feet, at times we literally had our heads in the clouds! Up in the sky there was not much sound except for the occasional “wow” and the whooshing gust of flames shooting the heat into the balloon.

Hot air balloon pilots cannot control the flight direction as the balloons travel with the wind, but we ebbed and flowed up and down with views of the river and Vang Vieng mountains like the famous Pha Ngern and Nam Xay viewpoints from afar.

Though the sky was fairly muggy and overcast that day and there was no sunset to speak of, I loved the experience soaring weightlessly above the incredible karst mountains in Vang Vieng.

The landing was smooth and thankfully uneventful – we landed in standing positions and not on our backs, and were quickly taken back to the Above Laos headquarters for celebratory bubbly and some snacks. We also received a flight certificate to commemorate our hot air balloon flight in Vang Vieng!

We were up in the air for just over an hour, hot air balloon rides in Vang Vieng can last anywhere from 35 to 75 minutes. The entire experience from hotel pick up and hot air balloon ride to being dropped back off took just over 3 hours, so you’ll need to take this into account if you have to catch a train or have other tour bookings afterwards.

While the Above Laos prices are higher than other Vang Vieng hot air balloon companies at US$135 per person, I have nothing but good things to say about their professionalism, safety and quality of equipment.

I also really enjoyed being in a smaller balloon with only 7 other passengers, so the hot air balloon in Vang Vieng didn’t feel cramped in the slightest and no one had to jostle for a better view.

Ready to book your Vang Vieng adventure? I recommend checking out Riverside Boutique Resort for a luxury Vang Vieng stay. You can also check into Inthira Vang Vieng for modern rooms and a pool overlooking the Nam Song river and karst mountains. You might also consider The Silver Naga Hotel next door – it boasts a riverside location as well as daily Yoga classes.

When can you go hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng?

The best time to visit Vang Vieng for hot air ballooning is from around October to March when there is less rain but the weather is still warm. The summer months between June to late August can be miserable with torrential, unrelenting downpour, but the rain means that the rice paddies are lush and the Kaeng Nyui waterfall is stunning from June to August.

Hot air balloon rides are usually operated daily by Above Laos, the company that I chose to book, from October to June (subject to weather conditions and passenger loadings), but stay tuned to their Facebook page for updates as they may start or end the season earlier/later by a few weeks depending on the weather.

Sunset or sunrise Vang Vieng hot air balloon ride?

Hot air balloons in Vang Vieng typically fly in the early mornings for the best conditions. Above Laos operates one or two balloon flights during the season: either early in the morning around 5:30 AM, or in the afternoon around 4 PM. That being said, you are not guaranteed to see a sunrise or sunset in the air.

You should also know that the afternoon sunset hot air balloon flights in Vang Vieng don’t run throughout the entire season (they offered it in January when I visited, but not when I looked again at the availability calendar in April), so you may not have any option other than the early morning Vang Vieng hot air balloon flight.

Personally, I wasn’t too keen on a 4 AM wake up call and already had plans to visit more of the blue lagoons in Vang Vieng in the morning, so I opted for the afternoon flight. I recommend going with what works best for your Laos travel schedule and what availability the hot air balloon company has.

However, I will note that as it slowly began to get darker the longer we were in the air during our sunset hot air balloon ride in Vang Vieng, the harder it was to get good quality photos – whereas you might get luckier with the lighting conditions on an early morning flight as it will only get brighter and brighter as the flight progresses.

Is it safe to go on a hot air balloon in Laos?

If you’re thinking, “are hot air balloon rides safe in Laos?” Here is what you should consider before pressing ahead. There have been collisions in the past like when a drone flew into a hot air balloon in Vang Vieng, but just like stepping into an airplane, accidents can still happen even with the best pilots and ground crews, and the optimal weather conditions.

So, is hot air ballooning safe in Vang Vieng? Though there are measures in place to ensure your safety, hot air ballooning in Vang Vieng still involves some level of risk. This is why I recommend choosing an experienced balloon company like Above Laos with seasoned pilots for Vang Vieng hot air balloons that values passenger safety above all else – even cancelling flights if they deem the weather conditions to be too risky.

Above Laos complies with internationally-recognized European Civil Aviation safety standards and their equipment is regularly inspected and maintained by a Civil Aviation-authorized organization. Their pilots are certified, internationally-trained and undergo regular reassessment. According to Above Laos, the equipment is inspected every year or every 100 hours or flight (whichever comes first).

Can anyone go on a hot air balloon in Vang Vieng?

As is the case with any reputable and responsible hot air balloon company, there are certain passenger prerequisites that must be fulfilled for safety reasons. For example, you must be able to climb in and out over the sides of the basket, and children under 6 years old are not generally recommended to join as they may not be able to stand and see above the top of the basket (115 cm).

You are unlikely to be able to fly in a hot air balloon in Laos if you have any significant medical condition or have recently undergone major surgery. Pregnant women are also not able to participate per Civil Aviation regulations.

Ready to experience hot air ballooning in Laos? Here are my Vang Vieng hotel recommendations for a perfect stay: for a perfect, unobstructed view of the Nam Song River and karst mountains then stay at Riverside Boutique Resort, Inthira Vang Vieng or the Silver Naga Hotel. These hotels are all located in the heart of Vang Vieng town, right on the bank of the Nam Song River.

You might also find these guides helpful:

• This guide to the top things to do in Vang Vieng is a must-read
• Read more about the different blue lagoons in Vang Vieng here
• Visiting Luang Prabang before or after Vang Vieng? Head on over here for the best things to do in Luang Prabang (and what you might want to skip)
• If you are planning to spend a few days in Vientiane during your time in Laos, check out my guide on what to see and do in Vientiane here
• Looking for more Southeast Asia travel tips? Click here for 10 things you should know before you visit Southeast Asia

Have you visited Vang Vieng? Tell me all about your stay in the comments section below!

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Just so you know, I was a paying customer with Above Laos, and this article contains affiliate links. If you choose to book using these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my website by using these links!

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