Field note · Laos · Champasak

Pakse and Si Phan Don

Pakse has no single bus station: it has four, and which one you want depends entirely on which way you are going. Dao Heuang market at the east end of town is the hub for the Thai border at Vang Tao and for the districts south; the Northern Terminal at Km 7 handles Savannakhet, Vientiane and Vietnam; a separate yard further east on Route 16 sends songthaews up to Paksong and the Bolaven Plateau; and Kieng Kay, south of Dao Heuang, is the Ubon Ratchathani and Bangkok company. Tourist vans bypass all of them and pick up at guesthouses. South of the city everything funnels through Nakasang pier, where boats to Don Det and Don Khon run without a timetable, and on the islands there are no cars and almost no motorbikes – you hire a bicycle.

Researched: 28 September 2026
Reviewed: not yet
Ways of moving: 12, 45 sources
Not confirmed: 8
Fares seen: 2025–2026

How transport works here

12 ways of moving, each with its rule

We confirmed eight ways of moving to, from or around Pakse: one by air, four by road, one by water and two under your own steam, from 45 sources. Four entries are not a service at all but a rule that decides whether travel happens: a permit, a closure, a border, a season or an authority's say-so. One of them runs only on demand or when the seats are full, so there is no timetable to show; the rule is written where the timetable would be. Three need a phone call or a message before you turn up.

The fares were seen in 2025 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. Two fares carry no year, because they could not be confirmed and the field says so. We rate 5 of the 12 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 28 September 2026, and ends with eight things we could not confirm.

One way

By air

scheduled flight

Pakse International Airport (PKZ), Vientiane flights

Pakse International Airport, about 15.1358, 105.7789, three kilometres north of the city, to Vientiane Wattay

A 2,400 by 45 metre runway that takes the ATR 72-600, the A320 and the Comac C909, in service since 1959 and under a major terminal rebuild that began on 3 October 2025 and was scheduled to run about 270 days, starting with the departures hall. The important thing to know is that Pakse is now a domestic airport in practice: Lao Airlines' published summer and winter 2026 schedules show only Vientiane, and its own booking engine offers just Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse as Lao origins. The Bangkok, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City flights that older guides list are not in either schedule. Pakse airport is, however, one of only nine Lao ports that accept the Lao eVisa, which matters if you are flying in rather than crossing a land border. Green Paradise and other Pakse agencies run airport vans to the islands.

When: Two Lao Airlines rotations a day, both daily. Summer 2026, to 24 October: QV305 Vientiane 08:00 to Pakse 09:00 and QV306 back 09:40 to 10:40; QV303 11:40 to 12:40 and QV304 back 13:20 to 14:20, all on the C909. Winter 2026-27, from 25 October: QV305 08:00 to 09:00 and QV306 09:50 to 10:50 on an A320 or ATR 72; QV303 12:00 to 13:00 and QV304 13:40 to 14:40 on the C909.
Takes: One hour to Vientiane
Fare 2026: Not published on the airline's schedule sheet. Agency transfer prices from the airport are quoted instead: van to Nakasang pier 320,000 kip, to Don Det 350,000 kip, to Don Khone 400,000 kip, to the Cambodian border 450,000 kip.

SeasonYear-round; the terminal works from October 2025 mean the arrivals and departures areas move around. Bookinglaoairlines.com, or through a Pakse agency. Airport transfers through Green Paradise Travel Laos on +856 20 99 154 599. Run byLao Airlines, hotline 1626.

4 ways

By road

shared pickup

Pakse's four bus yards and which direction each one serves

Dao Heuang market, the Northern Terminal at Km 7, the Route 16 yard east of town, and Kieng Kay

This is the thing nobody writes down, so learn it before you get in a tuk-tuk. Dao Heuang market, also called the New Market, sits at the eastern end of town near 15.1147, 105.8132; the songthaew and bus stand beside it at about 15.1134, 105.8151 is signed for the Thai border at Vang Tao and Chong Mek, and Dao Heuang is also the hub of the city and district bus network. The Northern Terminal, Km 7 out on Route 13 north near 15.1699, 105.7603, is the one for Savannakhet, Thakhek, Vientiane and the Vietnamese routes to Hue and Da Nang. A separate yard further east on Route 16, near 15.1136, 105.8764, is the Paksong and Bolaven Plateau stand and has nothing to do with the other three. Kieng Kay bus station, near 15.1069, 105.8285, is the Ubon Ratchathani and Bangkok operator. For Nakasang and the islands the local songthaews go from the Southern Bus Station out on Route 13 south, hourly from 07:00 to 14:00, and a tuk-tuk will take you there. The cross-border coaches use their own offices: VET Air Bus, which runs the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap services, boards at about 15.1171, 105.8206, on the Dao Heuang side.

When: Songthaews to Nakasang hourly 07:00–14:00 from the Southern Bus Station, and back from the Morning Market in Nakasang hourly 07:00–12:00; the long-distance yards run to their own timetables through the morning
Takes: Southern Bus Station to Nakasang about 3 hours by songthaew, longer than the tourist van because it stops
Fare 2026: No fare table is published for the local songthaews. The tourist van that covers the same Pakse to Nakasang run is 200,000 kip, and the songthaew is described by residents as roughly the same price but ending at the Southern Bus Station rather than in town, from where you still need a tuk-tuk.

SeasonYear-round. In March 2026 a temporary free city bus service was added during a fuel shortage. BookingNone for the songthaews; turn up and pay on board. Guesthouses and restaurants anywhere in Pakse will sell you a van ticket instead. Run byChampasak Provincial Department of Public Works and Transport; private songthaew owner-drivers.

bus

Pakse city buses and the free fuel-shortage routes

Km 7 North to Km 8 South along Route 13, and Tha Salakham to Dao Heuang market, plus district runs out of Dao Heuang

Pakse got a proper city bus network on 17 March 2026, when the Champasak Provincial Department of Public Works and Transport put three state buses on the road free of charge to get people through a fuel shortage. Route one runs the length of the city on Route 13 from Km 7 North to Km 8 South, calling at the provincial stadium, Sabaidee Market, the Teachers Training College and Pakse International Airport, which makes it the only public way to the airport. Route two runs Tha Salakham to Dao Heuang market via Sanamdaeng, Wat Phabat, Phonexay Secondary School, Champasak College of Health Science and the city pillar shrine. Two further routes link Dao Heuang market with Lak 14 Market and with the Sanasomboon district office, which is the clearest evidence of Dao Heuang's role as the hub for the districts. Route maps and stop lists are posted at bus stations and stops rather than published online.

When: 06:00 to 20:30, about seven round trips a day on the Km 7 to Km 8 route, each round trip about two hours
Takes: About one hour end to end on the Route 13 run
Fare 2026: Free while the programme lasts. The province said it would run until fuel supply stabilises and prices return to normal, so expect a fare to be reintroduced.

SeasonIntroduced March 2026 as a temporary measure. BookingNone; board at a stop. Run byChampasak Provincial Department of Public Works and Transport.

bus

Vientiane, Savannakhet and the VIP sleepers from Pakse

Pakse north on Route 13 to Savannakhet, Thakhek, Vientiane and Vang Vieng; the sleepers pick up in town, the day buses use the Northern Terminal at Km 7

Two different products leave for the same places. Day buses and vans to Savannakhet, Thakhek, Xekong and Attapeu go in the morning and use the Km 7 Northern Terminal or the agency's own yard. The sleepers all leave at 20:00 and are sold through agencies with a hotel pickup, which is the normal way foreigners travel it – a 10-hour run to Vientiane arriving early morning. There is a through sleeper-plus-train product to Luang Prabang, which puts you on the night bus to Vientiane and then the Laos–China Railway north. Be aware of the safety record on this corridor: a Vientiane to Pakse bus crashed in January 2025 leaving one dead and 43 injured, and in April 2026 a bus overturned in Bolikhamxay with eight dead and 35 injured, after which the travel company was suspended.

When: Savannakhet vans 08:30 and 09:30; Thakhek, Xekong and Attapeu buses between 08:30 and 11:00; all sleepers at 20:00
Takes: Savannakhet about 4 hours, Thakhek about 8 hours by day bus or 5 by sleeper, Vientiane about 10 hours by sleeper, Vang Vieng about 14, Luang Prabang about 16 with the train leg
Fare 2026: Savannakhet 450,000 kip, Thakhek day bus 500,000 kip, Tadlo 450,000 kip, Xekong 500,000 kip, Attapeu 500,000 kip. Sleepers: Thakhek 550,000 kip, Vientiane 550,000 kip, Vang Vieng 850,000 kip, Luang Prabang with the train 1,350,000 kip.

SeasonYear-round. BookingThrough an agency with hotel pickup, or at the Km 7 Northern Terminal for the day services. Green Paradise on +856 20 99 154 599. Run bysold by Green Paradise Travel Laos and other Pakse agencies; state and private coach companies operate.

combined transfer

Pakse to Don Det and Don Khon, van to Nakasang plus the boat

Guesthouse pickup in Pakse, Route 13 south about 150 km to Nakasang pier, then a motorboat across to Don Det or on to Don Khon

The one ticket covers the road and the water, and the boat leg is the bit people get caught out by. At Nakasang you walk down to the river and turn right to a boathouse, where you trade the voucher that came with your van ticket for an actual boat ticket; if you do not do that, your ticket is not a boat ticket. Vans leave Pakse around 08:00 to 09:00 and reach Nakasang before noon. Coming back, the departure from the islands is fixed at 11:00 and 16:00, so a morning on Don Det and an afternoon bus is not an option. There is no public bus from Pakse or from the Cambodian border to Nakasang for foreigners, which is why the agency van is the default; the local alternative is the songthaew from Pakse's Southern Bus Station. Buy from any guesthouse, hotel or even restaurant in Pakse.

When: Southbound 09:00 and 12:00 daily. Northbound from Don Det 11:00 and 16:00, from Don Khone 11:00 and 16:00, from Nakasang 12:00 and 16:30.
Takes: Pakse to Nakasang about 3 hours, the boat about 15 minutes to Don Det, about 25 minutes to Don Khon
Fare 2026: Pakse to Nakasang pier, van only, 200,000 kip. Pakse to Don Det including the boat 230,000 kip, to Don Khone 250,000 kip, to Don Khong 250,000 kip, to Champasak 300,000 kip. Return, Don Det to Pakse 220,000 kip, Don Khone to Pakse 250,000 kip, Nakasang to Pakse 200,000 kip. A private van Pakse to Nakasang is US$100.

SeasonYear-round. BookingAny guesthouse in Pakse or on the islands. Green Paradise, Paradise Resort Don Det and a Pakse office at No 24 Road, Thaluang Village, +856 20 99 154 599. Run byGreen Paradise Travel Laos and other Pakse and Don Det agencies.

4 ways

Rules, permits and closures

border crossing

Vang Tao to Chong Mek, and the Ubon Ratchathani connection

Pakse 45 km west on Route 16 to Vang Tao, across to Chong Mek in Ubon Ratchathani province, and on to Ubon city, its railway station and its airport

This is the way almost everyone reaches Bangkok from southern Laos, because Pakse itself has no international flights. Local transport for the border leaves from the stand beside Dao Heuang market signed for Vang Tao; the through buses to Ubon are run by the Kieng Kay company from its own yard south of Dao Heuang. Tourist vans and coaches leave in two waves, morning and mid-afternoon. From Ubon you pick up either the State Railway of Thailand line to Bangkok or a domestic flight. There is a through product that puts you on a van to the border and then a first or second class Thai train the same day. The trap to know about: Vang Tao is not one of the nine Lao ports that accept the Lao eVisa, so coming into Laos this way you need a visa on arrival or an embassy visa, and an eVisa approval printed at home will not be honoured here.

When: Van to the Thai border 08:30 and 15:00; bus to Ubon 09:30 and 15:00; coach to Bangkok 15:00; the van-plus-train products leave 12:30 and 15:00
Takes: Pakse to the border about 2 hours, to Ubon about 4 hours, to Bangkok about 12 hours by coach or 13 by road and rail
Fare 2026: Van to the Thai border 350,000 kip, bus through to Ubon 400,000 kip, coach to Bangkok 900,000 kip. Van plus first class Thai train to Bangkok 1,850,000 kip, plus second class 1,750,000 kip, second class train only 1,650,000 kip. A private car to the Chong Mek border is US$45 and to Ubon station or airport US$160.

SeasonYear-round; Thai and Lao public holidays lengthen the queue at Chong Mek. BookingAgency or hotel in Pakse for the vans; at Kieng Kay station for the scheduled bus. Carry US dollars for a Lao visa on arrival coming the other way. Run byKieng Kay for the scheduled Ubon and Bangkok buses; Green Paradise Travel Laos and others for the vans.

permit

The Don Det to Don Khon bridge ticket and the Li Phi falls

The 1910 French railway bridge between Don Det and Don Khon, and the Tad Somphamit or Li Phi falls on Don Khon

What people call the bridge toll is really an area ticket collected at a booth by the bridge on the Don Khon side, and it covers the waterfall site rather than the crossing itself. The booth keeps roughly office hours, about 08:00 to 17:00, and outside them nobody collects anything. Keep the ticket: it is checked again at the falls. At Li Phi you are then offered a second, much larger ticket for the five elevated mesh walkways that take you out over the rapids, which is the most expensive single thing on the islands and, by most accounts, worth it. Khone Pa Soy falls, on the far side of Don Khon, is free, and the bridge to it is hard to find. An old locomotive sits beside the railway bridge.

When: Booth staffed roughly 08:00 to 17:00 daily
Takes: Not applicable; the bridge is a two-minute walk or ride
Fare 2026: 30,000 kip per person seen in February 2025, 35,000 kip quoted in 2026, for the bridge and Li Phi Somphamit together. The elevated walkways into the falls are a separate 250,000 kip. Khone Pa Soy is free.

SeasonYear-round. The falls still run hard in the dry season. BookingNone; pay at the booth by the bridge. Run byDon Khon village and the Champasak provincial tourism authority.

border crossing

Nong Nok Khiene to Trapeang Kriel, the Cambodian border

Nakasang or Don Det south on Route 13 about 40 km to Nong Nok Khiene, across to Trapeang Kriel and on to Stung Treng, Kratie, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap

The crossing sits at the bottom of Si Phan Don and there is no public bus to it, so everybody goes on a through van ticket bought on the islands or in Pakse. Green Paradise on Don Det is the only authorised agent in Laos for AVT, the Siem Reap van operator, and this matters mechanically: if you book AVT through an online platform you must still go to the Green Paradise office on Don Det before you leave, swap the PDF voucher for a real boat ticket, and be taken to the border to meet the AVT staff. A booking confirmation on your phone will not get you on the boat. Coming into Laos, note that Nong Nok Khiene is not one of the nine Lao ports that accept the eVisa, so you need a visa on arrival, which runs US$35 to US$40 by nationality, and there is a stamp fee collected on both sides. The through coaches on the Cambodian side board in Pakse in the morning: VET Air Bus, SRL Transportation, Rally Tour and Go Ho Travel all leave around 08:00 to 09:00.

When: Vans to the border 09:00 and 12:00 from Pakse, 09:00 from Don Det and Don Khone, and a boat-plus-van from Don Khone at 14:00. Cross-border coaches from Pakse 08:00 to 09:00; the Don Det van-and-boat to Siem Reap leaves 11:00.
Takes: Don Det to the border about 1h 30m, Pakse to the border about 3h 30m. Pakse to Phnom Penh 11 to 14 hours, Pakse to Siem Reap 9 to 11 hours, Don Det to Kratie about 5h 45m.
Fare 2026: Agency vans from Pakse: Cambodian border 450,000 kip, Stung Treng 550,000 kip, Kratie 750,000 kip, Phnom Penh 850,000 kip, Siem Reap by AVT van 850,000 kip. From Don Det in dollars: border US$4, Stung Treng US$20, Kratie US$28, Phnom Penh US$40, Siem Reap US$40, excluding the boat off the island. Booked internationally: Pakse to Phnom Penh US$42 with VET Air Bus, US$52 with Rally Tour, US$55 with SRL; Pakse to Siem Reap US$42 to US$60; Don Det to Siem Reap US$30 to US$48; Don Det to Kratie US$25.

SeasonYear-round. BookingGreen Paradise on Don Det or in Pakse, or bookmebus.com, which lists Pakse, Nakasang, Don Det, Don Khone and the border itself as places. Any online AVT booking must be validated at the Green Paradise office on Don Det before departure. Run byAVT (Asian Van Transfer), VET Air Bus Express, SRL Transportation, Rally Tour & Travel, Go Ho Travel, LANA Transportation; Green Paradise Travel Laos as the Lao agent.

service status

The Mekong's dry season and the wet season on the islands

The Mekong between Pakse, Champasak and Si Phan Don

Si Phan Don means four thousand islands, and the number is a function of the water: in the wet season, roughly June to October, some of the smaller islands disappear under the river altogether, and in the dry months, roughly December to April, the channels between them narrow into sand and rock. The Nakasang boats keep running through both, because the crossing to Don Det is short and the boatmen shift the landing point rather than stop; what changes is where the boat puts you ashore relative to your guesthouse and how far you walk with your bag. Low water also makes the Khone Phapheng and Li Phi falls more walkable and more photographable rather than less impressive. The bigger seasonal risk in Champasak is upstream: the province sits below several dams, and in August 2026 hydropower operators across southern Laos were releasing water as heavy rain raised the flood risk, with Sekong province next door warned specifically.

When: Wet season about June to October, dry season about December to April
Takes: Seasonal, not a scheduled closure
Fare: No charge; this is a condition, not a service

SeasonYear-round condition, worst flood risk August and September. Run byChampasak Provincial Department of Public Works and Transport; the Mekong River Commission for river levels.

One way

By water

boat

Nakasang pier boats to Don Det, Don Khon and Don Som

Nakasang pier on the Mekong bank at the end of the road off Route 13, to Don Det, Don Khon and the smaller islands

There is no timetable. Boats leave when they have passengers, from about 07:30 in the morning until 20:00, and the ticket counter is at the pier. Tickets are sold one way or return, and the price doubles between 18:00 and 20:00, so an evening arrival at Nakasang costs twice what a midday one does. Bicycles and motorbikes go on board for an extra fee. The counter takes US dollars, euros and Thai baht as well as kip at rates posted on the wall, but it does not take cards, and there is no ATM on Don Det – the last cash machines are at Nakasang, opposite the Morning Market. That market is also where the local songthaews back to Pakse wait, hourly from 07:00 to 12:00.

When: On demand from about 07:30 to 20:00; nothing after 20:00
Takes: About 15 minutes to Don Det, about 25 minutes to Don Khon by longtail
Fare: No published tariff; the fare is normally bundled into the van ticket from Pakse and exchanged at the boathouse. Buying at the pier, expect the evening rate from 18:00 to be double the daytime one, and a surcharge for a bicycle or motorbike.

SeasonYear-round. Water level changes the landing point rather than stopping the service. BookingAt the pier counter. Cash only; bring kip, dollars or baht. Run byNakasang boat owners' association, selling at the pier counter.

2 ways

On foot, by bike, or otherwise

bicycle hire

Bicycles on Don Det and Don Khon

The sandy sunrise and sunset tracks on Don Det, across the French railway bridge and round the paved ring road on Don Khon

There are no cars on the islands and no public transport of any kind, so the bicycle is the transport system. Almost every guesthouse hires them out and the transaction is informal – hand over the money and go, no paperwork and often no deposit. The bikes are single-speed with a front basket, which is fine because the islands are flat, but the Don Det tracks are sand and the Don Khon ring road is the better surface. A handful of Cambodian-style tuk-tuks have appeared on the islands and locals expect more as the roads improve, but there are only a couple and you cannot rely on finding one. Motorbikes are rare. The full loop of Don Det is about 7 km of path; Don Khon is bigger and takes a day with the waterfall stops.

When: All day, from any guesthouse
Takes: Don Det end to end about 2 hours on foot, well under an hour by bike
Fare 2025: About 25,000 kip a day, quoted elsewhere as roughly one US dollar. Don Khon bikes are usually a little more than Don Det ones.

SeasonYear-round; the sand tracks are heavy going after rain. BookingNone; walk into any guesthouse. Run byguesthouses and small shops on both islands.

scooter hire

Scooters and trail bikes for the Bolaven Plateau loop

Pakse east on Route 16 up onto the Bolaven Plateau through Paksong, Tad Lo and Sekong and back, roughly two to four days

Rent in Pakse, not on the plateau – there is nothing to hire once you are up there. The loop climbs from the Mekong plain to coffee country around Paksong, and the road surface varies enough that a semi-automatic or a small trail bike is a better bet than a scooter if you intend the big loop. Style Motorbikes has a Pakse shop open 08:00 to 18:00 every day and will do one-way rentals, which is what makes a Pakse to Vientiane or Pakse to Thakhek run possible without doubling back. The public alternative for the same direction is the songthaew and bus yard on Route 16 east of town, near 15.1136, 105.8764, which is the Paksong stand and is separate from the Dao Heuang and Km 7 yards. Rates below are the Lao shop's own, in US dollars as it quotes them.

When: Daily hire, no advance notice needed outside the December to February peak
Takes: The small loop can be done in a long day; the full Bolaven loop is usually three days
Fare 2026: Yamaha PG-1 115cc semi-automatic US$18 a day, US$225 for two weeks, US$360 a month. Haojue GN125 manual US$20 a day. Honda CRF150 and Haojue NK150 trail bikes US$25 a day. Kawasaki KLX230 enduro US$40 a day. The fleet runs up to US$60 a day for the largest adventure bikes.

SeasonYear-round, but the plateau is the wettest part of southern Laos and the loop is hard work from June to September. BookingCheck availability on stylemotorbikes-laos.com or walk into the Pakse shop. Run byStyle Motorbikes Laos, Pakse shop.

Not confirmed

What we could not find out

8 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.

01
No fare could be found for the local songthaews out of Dao Heuang market to Vang Tao or from the Southern Bus Station to Nakasang. Only the tourist van prices are published. Ask at the stand beside Dao Heuang market, or at the Southern Bus Station.
02
The Champasak provincial transport department posts city bus route maps, schedules and stop lists at stations and stops rather than online, so the free city bus timetable could not be verified beyond the March 2026 launch announcement, and it is unknown whether the service is still free or still running.
03
The Nakasang boat tariff is not published anywhere. The only concrete facts found are the 07:30 to 20:00 operating window, that the price doubles from 18:00, and that bicycles and motorbikes cost extra. Ask at the pier counter.
04
No source gives a per-seat fare for Lao Airlines Vientiane to Pakse. The published schedule sheets carry times and aircraft only, and the fare would have to be taken from the booking engine on a chosen date.
05
Whether Lao Skyway or Lanexang Airways currently fly to Pakse could not be settled. Lao Skyway's public city-pair list includes Vientiane to Pakse, but its schedule API returned an empty result for that pair and then began rejecting requests, and Lanexang's website was unreachable.
06
The Don Khon area ticket was seen at 30,000 kip in February 2025 and quoted at 35,000 kip in 2026, but no operator or provincial page publishes it, so the current amount and exactly what it covers should be confirmed at the booth.
07
Nothing was found on how the dry season affects the Nakasang crossing in practice - whether the landing moves, whether larger boats stop running, or whether fares change. A Champasak tourism office or the Nakasang pier counter would know.
08
BookMeBus returns no results for Pakse to Vientiane or Pakse to Don Det, so domestic Lao legs are not sold there and the Cambodian operators' Lao boarding points beyond the VET Air Bus one could not be pinned down.

In the planner

What the planner can route today

The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Pakse is this.

Y: Scheduled flightsPakse (PKZ), 2 km
N: Trains and coachesno timetable feed known for this country
Y: Ferriesferry terminal, 22 km; sailings estimated
Y: Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
N: Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
N: Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: Ubon Ratchathani, 103 km.