There are 5 ways to get from Vientiane to Lijiang by plane, train, car, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly to Lijiang Sanyi Airport
best- Fly from Wattay International Airport (VTE) to Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG)plane VTE - LJG
5h 50m¥1,337–3,844Train, bus
cheapest- Take the train from Vientiane station to Kunming Southtrain
- Take the bus from Kunming West to Lijiangbus KunmLijiang
20h 53m¥604–1,192Train
- Take the train from Vientiane station to Kunming Southtrain
- Take the train from Kunming South to Chuxiongtrain
- Take the train from Chuxiong to Lijiangtrain
15h 36m¥649–1,276Drive 1,439.9 km
- Drive from Vientiane to Lijiangcar 1,439.9 km
17h 42m¥1,722–2,487Fly to Diqing Shangri-La Airport, train
- Fly from Wattay International Airport (VTE) to Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG)plane VTE - DIG
- Take the train from Shangri-La to Lijiangtrain
7h 7m¥1,532–4,284
Wattay International Airport (VTE) to Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Vientiane to Lijiang is to train and bus which costs ¥600 - ¥1200 and takes 20h 53m.
The fastest way to get from Vientiane to Lijiang is to fly which takes 5h 50m and costs ¥1300 - ¥3900.
No, there is no direct train from Vientiane station to Lijiang. However, there are services departing from Vientiane station and arriving at Lijiang via Kunming South and Chuxiong. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 15h 36m.
The distance between Vientiane and Lijiang is 1025 km. The road distance is 1439.9 km.
The best way to get from Vientiane to Lijiang without a car is to train which takes 15h 36m and costs ¥650 - ¥1300.
It takes approximately 5h 50m to get from Vientiane to Lijiang, including transfers.
Vientiane to Lijiang train services, operated by Laos - China Railway, depart from Vientiane station.
The best way to get from Vientiane to Lijiang is to fly which takes 5h 50m and costs ¥1300 - ¥3900. Alternatively, you can train, which costs ¥650 - ¥1300 and takes 15h 36m.
Lijiang is 1h ahead of Vientiane. It is currently 9:39 PM in Vientiane and 10:39 PM in Lijiang.
Vientiane to Lijiang train services, operated by Laos - China Railway, arrive at Kunming South station.
What companies run services between Vientiane, Laos and Lijiang, China?
China Eastern Airlines, China West Air, and three other airlines fly from Wattay International Airport (VTE) to Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) 3 times a day. Alternatively, you can take a vehicle from Vientiane to Lijiang via Vientiane station, Kunming South, Chuxiong, and Lijiang in around 15h 36m.
- Website
- en.ceair.com
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Lijiang Sanyi Airport via Kunming
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ¥1,300–3,900
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Lijiang Sanyi Airport via Guangzhou Baiyun
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- ¥1,700–4,900
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Diqing Shangri-La Airport via Kunming
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 33m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ¥1,400–4,200
- Website
- westair.cn
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Lijiang Sanyi Airport via Chongqing
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 40m
- When
- Wednesday and Friday
- Estimated price
- ¥1,100–5,500
- Website
- shenzhenair.com
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Lijiang Sanyi Airport via Tianfu International
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ¥1,800–7,500
- Website
- ch.com
Flights from Wattay International Airport to Diqing Shangri-La Airport via Tianfu International
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 55m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ¥1,900–8,000
- Phone
- 021-891888
- Website
- facebook.com
Train from Vientiane station to Kunming South
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 34m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ¥440–950
- Schedules at
- baolau.com
- Book at
- booking.baolau.com
- Second Class
- ¥440–600
- First Class
- ¥550–950
Train from Vientiane station to Kunming South
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 34m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ¥440–950
- Schedules at
- baolau.com
- Book at
- booking.baolau.com
- Second Class
- ¥440–600
- First Class
- ¥550–950
Train from Kunming South to Chuxiong
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- ¥70–140
- Schedules at
- chinahighlights.com
- Adult - 2nd Class
- ¥70–100
- Adult - 1st Class
- ¥95–140
Train from Chuxiong to Lijiang
- Adult - second class
- ¥100–140
Train from Shangri-La to Lijiang
- Adult - second class
- ¥45–65
- [email protected]
- Website
- chinabusguide.com
Bus from Kunming West to Lijiang
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- ¥140–202
- Schedules at
- chinabusguide.com
- Bus
- ¥140–190
Want to know more about travelling around the world?
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Travelling by boat in Italy, Getting around the Cyclades, and How to get from JFK to New York City - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Booking & Getting There
Yes, the driving distance between Vientiane to Lijiang is 1440 km. It takes approximately 17h 42m to drive from Vientiane to Lijiang.
There are 233+ hotels available in Lijiang.