D87/D88 — Kunming South to Vientiane
Running daily.
Key facts
- Route
- Kunming South → Mohan → Vientiane
- Distance
- —
- Journey time
- ≈9 h 36 m
- Frequency
- Daily
- Gauge / border
- Mohan (磨憨) exit, Boten (磨丁) entry
- Classes
- Second class and first class
- Tickets
- China Railway 12306
- Visa
- A Lao visa must be arranged before departure — Boten station does not issue visas on arrival.
Timetable
Outbound
Kunming South → Vientiane
| Station (EN) | 中文站名 | Arrive | Depart | Stop | km | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kunming South | 昆明南 | — | 08:08 | — | — | — |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 | 08:45 | 08:49 | 4 min | — | — |
| Pu'er | 普洱 | 10:38 | 10:42 | 4 min | — | — |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 | 11:24 | 11:30 | 6 min | — | — |
| Mohan | 磨憨 | 12:31 | 13:23 | 52 min | — | Chinese exit formalities |
| Boten | 磨丁 | 13:35 | 14:27 | 52 min | — | Lao entry — local time 12:35 (UTC+7) |
| Muang Xay | 孟赛 | 14:58 | 15:04 | 6 min | — | — |
| Luang Prabang | 琅勃拉邦 | 15:54 | 15:58 | 4 min | — | — |
| Vang Vieng | 万荣 | 16:49 | 16:52 | 3 min | — | — |
| Vientiane | 万象 | 17:44 | — | — | 1035 | Local time 16:44 — about 9 h 36 min end to end |
Return
Vientiane → Kunming South (listed from the destination back to the origin)
| Station (EN) | 中文站名 | Arrive | Depart | Stop | km | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vientiane | 万象 | — | 09:00 | — | — | — |
| Vang Vieng | 万荣 | 09:52 | 09:55 | 3 min | — | — |
| Luang Prabang | 琅勃拉邦 | 10:46 | 10:50 | 4 min | — | — |
| Muang Xay | 孟赛 | 11:41 | 11:44 | 3 min | — | — |
| Boten | 磨丁 | 12:15 | 13:07 | 52 min | — | — |
| Mohan | 磨憨 | 13:19 | 14:11 | 52 min | — | — |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 | 15:10 | 15:16 | 6 min | — | — |
| Pu'er | 普洱 | 15:56 | 16:00 | 4 min | — | — |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 | 17:51 | 17:55 | 4 min | — | — |
| Kunming South | 昆明南 | 18:34 | — | — | — | — |
Schedule verified: 2026-10 · Sources: China Railway 12306 (official English site), checked 2026-10; China–Laos Railway passenger service information, checked 2026-10
How to buy
Register on 12306 with your passport. The international sector still needs a paper ticket collected at the station.
Seats and fares come live from China Railway, so you can book here rather than on the railway site. The international sector is still collected as a paper ticket at the station — bring the passport you booked with.
Fares
- Second class, Kunming South–Vientiane — ¥542
- First class, Kunming South–Vientiane — ¥864
- Second class, Kunming South–Luang Prabang — ¥413
Published fares, checked 2026-10. They are set by the railway and can change.
Visa & boarding
A Lao visa must be arranged before departure — Boten station does not issue visas on arrival.
- Get the Lao visa before you travel: no visa on arrival at Boten
- You leave the train twice at the border, about 1 hour each time (Mohan exit, Boten entry)
- Register on 12306 with the same passport you will travel on
At the border
- Book on 12306, then collect a paper ticket at the station — the international sector is not a pure e-ticket
- Two border stops: Mohan on the Chinese side, Boten on the Lao side, roughly 1 hour each
- Fastest journey is about 10.5 hours
Related international trains
Need help with this route?
We arrange group tickets (10 or more), counter purchases and visa or border briefings. Tickets are issued by the railway, 12306 or CITS — we assist, we do not issue them ourselves.
Contact the booking team →