Yes - one bus actually crosses the Lao Bao border into Laos and keeps driving, instead of turning back at the gate. I’ve used this exact crossing more times than I can count running visa transfers out of Da Nang, and the route splits into two honest options: get off at Savannakhet’s Xeno terminal after about 11-12 hours, or stay on board roughly another 10 hours to reach Vientiane. Most Da Nang visa-run guides stop at the border gate. This one covers the ride past it.

I live in Da Nang and handle e‑visa and border transfers here for work, so this route isn’t something I read about once - it’s one I send people across on a regular basis. If you’d rather not deal with the crossing paperwork yourself, there’s an easier version of this trip, and I’ll get to it further down.

Is There a Direct Bus From Da Nang to Laos Beyond the Border?

Yes. One operator, Vietlaobus-Yen Hai, runs a sleeper bus from Da Nang straight through the Lao Bao border into Laos, with two stopping options on the same route: Savannakhet’s Xeno terminal, or all the way to Vientiane. You don’t change buses at the border itself - the same vehicle clears Vietnamese exit and Laos entry, then keeps driving.

Interior of a Vietnamese bus with passengers seated, seen from behind the last row.
Vietlaobus–Yen Hai runs the same Da Nang to Laos bus through both immigration checkpoints without a change.

If you only need to touch Laos and come straight back for a fresh Vietnam visa, that’s a shorter, different trip - the day-trip Lao Bao visa run covers that version, without the overnight leg into Laos.

How Long Does Da Nang to Savannakhet Take?

The Da Nang-Savannakhet bus takes about 11 to 12 hours, leaving Da Nang around 8:00 AM and reaching Xeno bus station the same evening, roughly 8-9 PM. Xeno is not Savannakhet town - it’s a terminal about an hour outside it.

Aerial view of a two-lane highway running through farmland toward misty mountains.
Long stretches of open highway make up most of the ride to Savannakhet.

From Xeno, you transfer to a shared minivan or a private Grab for the last stretch into Savannakhet, which runs close to 100,000 VND and takes around an hour. Budget that transfer as part of the trip, not an afterthought.

How Long Does Da Nang to Vientiane Take?

Staying on the same bus to Vientiane adds another leg: the full run takes about 22 hours, departing Da Nang at 8:00 AM and arriving in Vientiane around 6:00 AM the next day. The return service leaves Vientiane at 6:00 PM and gets back into Da Nang by late afternoon the following day.

A white long-distance passenger van parked at a roadside fuel station in Vietnam.
Long-distance vans like this one pick up passengers on the way to Vientiane.

12Go.asia, an independent booking site, lists several nightly departures on this route, with journey times quoted anywhere from 18 to 24 hours depending on the exact service. Book directly with the operator or through 12Go - either way, confirm the departure time for your specific date before you plan the rest of your trip.

How Much Does the Ticket Cost?

A Da Nang-Savannakhet ticket runs 1,000,000-1,200,000 VND, about $40-48. The full run through to Vientiane costs 1,100,000-1,350,000 VND, about $44-54. Neither fare includes food.

Interior of a modern coach with leather seats and an onboard toilet door marked Please Keep Clean.
Newer coaches on the Savannakhet and Vientiane route build in toilet stops for the overnight ride.

Pricing varies slightly depending on where you book, and 12Go.asia independently shows a similar figure - around $47 for the Vientiane run. Pick-up in Da Nang is near the Ton Duc Thang / Hoang Van Thai petrol station, roughly 7:30-7:45 AM; the same bus also picks up passengers in Hue around 10:00-10:30 AM, so it’s worth checking whether boarding in Hue instead saves you the early Da Nang start.

What Happens at the Lao Bao Border Crossing?

Lao Bao/Dansavanh is one of three Vietnam-Laos land crossings a Da Nang traveler is likely to use - I’ve compared Lao Bao against Moc Bai and Ha Tien elsewhere for the short visa-run version. On this crossing specifically, it’s open daily from roughly 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and it’s the one where most nationalities can get a Laos visa on arrival - it does not accept the Laos e‑visa. The fee runs $30-50 depending on nationality, paid in cash only, and you’ll need two 4x6cm photos; there’s no ATM at the crossing itself.

A river bridge decorated with rows of Vietnamese flags leading toward an arched gate.
A bridge like this is a common landmark on the road toward the Laos border.

This is the point where most of my visa-run clients stop, because they only need the Vietnam side of the trip handled, not four more legs of a Laos bus route. With BestBus Vietnam, I bring people to this same Lao Bao gate, walk the crossing with them, and get a fresh e‑visa filed on a card the government portal actually accepts, done the same day. Your side of it stays simple: your passport and your travel dates.

Two smaller costs to keep loose cash for: an informal Vietnamese exit fee of around 50,000 VND (about $2) that’s commonly paid though not an official charge, and a newer digital border fee of roughly $0.50 that I’ve seen reported but couldn’t independently confirm everywhere - worth having small change for either way. Clearing both sides typically takes an hour or two on a normal day, longer around Vietnamese and Laos holidays, based on what I’ve seen at this crossing rather than any published number.

How Do You Book and Ride the Bus, Step by Step?

The process is the same whether you’re getting off at Savannakhet or riding through to Vientiane. Only the point where you leave the bus changes.

  1. Book your seat ahead of time through 12Go.asia or directly with Vietlaobus-Yen Hai, choosing Savannakhet (Xeno) or Vientiane as your stop.
  2. Arrive at the Da Nang pick-up point near the Ton Duc Thang / Hoang Van Thai petrol station by 7:30-7:45 AM, or board in Hue around 10:00-10:30 AM if that fits your plans better.
  3. Carry your passport, your printed or digital ticket, and small VND and USD cash - both the Vietnamese exit stamp and the Laos visa on arrival are paid roadside, with no ATM nearby.
  4. At Lao Bao/Dansavanh, get off with your bags for immigration on both sides; the same bus waits and continues once everyone on board has cleared.
  5. If Savannakhet is your stop, get off at Xeno and take the connecting minivan or a Grab into town; if you’re headed to Vientiane, stay on board for the rest of the overnight run.

What Mistakes Do Travelers Make on This Route?

The biggest one is assuming Xeno terminal is Savannakhet itself and not budgeting the extra hour and transfer fare into town. The second is showing up without small cash - the Laos visa on arrival, the exit fee, and the new digital border charge are all cash-only, and there’s nothing to withdraw money from at the gate. A third: booking a same-day return ticket back into Vietnam without realizing this is a one-way overnight route, not the shorter round-trip visa run.

Savannakhet or Vientiane: Which Should You Book?

If you only want a look at Laos and Savannakhet’s riverside town is enough, book the shorter Xeno run - you’ll be off the bus in under 12 hours and save a bit on the fare. If Vientiane is the actual goal, book straight through: it’s one ticket, no extra transfer at Savannakhet, and only a few more hours and dollars for a proper arrival in the capital instead of a stop along the way.

None of that changes what happens back at the Vietnam side of the trip, which is the part I actually handle. If your journey starts or ends with a fresh Vietnam e‑visa at this same border, message me on Telegram - tell me your dates and I’ll have the crossing and paperwork ready before you reach Lao Bao.

Frequently asked questions

Is the overnight sleeper bus comfortable enough for a 12+ hour ride?

It’s a reclining sleeper bus with individual berths, not a seated coach, and the operator builds in stops for food and toilet breaks along Route 9 and inside Laos. It’s a long ride either way - bring a neck pillow and something to block light if you want real sleep before the border.

Do I need a new Vietnam visa if I only cross into Laos and come back the same day, instead of continuing to Vientiane?

Yes, if you’re doing a same-day round trip across Lao Bao, you re-enter Vietnam on a fresh visa or e‑visa, which is the whole point of a standard visa run. Continuing on to Vientiane is a different trip - you’re not re-entering Vietnam on this route at all, so that visa question only comes up when you eventually fly back in. If you’d rather not handle this yourself, our Da Nang visa run page shows the timings and what’s included.

What if the bus sells out or my travel dates change close to departure?

Sleeper buses on this route run limited seats per departure, and Tet and other Vietnamese holidays sell out fastest. Book a few days ahead in peak season, and confirm changes directly with the operator rather than assuming a same-day swap is possible at the counter.

Are there other bus companies running this exact route besides Vietlaobus-Yen Hai?

I haven’t found another named operator running this specific Da Nang-Lao Bao-Savannakhet-Vientiane through-route in 2026. Vietlaobus-Yen Hai appears to be the one running it end to end, which is another reason to book ahead rather than expect a same-day alternative.

Does the bus run every day, including around Tet?

Sources describe it as a daily service, but schedules commonly get disrupted around Tet (Vietnamese New Year), with fares sometimes shifting for weeks afterward. If you’re traveling within a few weeks of Tet, confirm your exact departure date directly with the operator instead of assuming the normal schedule holds.