China → Laos · Scenic
The D87 and D88 services run between Kunming South and Vientiane on the China–Laos Railway, a 995-kilometre route opened to through passengers in April 2023 and covered in around nine and a half hours. Trains call at Yuxi, Pu'er and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, cross the border at Mohan and Boten with joint customs formalities, and continue through Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng to the Lao capital.
Kunming → Vientiane
Photo: Julia Denton-Barker · CC BY-SA 2.0
Why this route
Before this line existed, getting from southern China to Vientiane meant days on mountain roads; now it is a single daytime train. The railway is almost entirely tunnel and viaduct through the mountains of Yunnan and northern Laos, and the windows between them give you tea terraces, the Mekong tributaries, karst hills and finally the flat country around Vientiane. Luang Prabang is the natural break in the journey. Border formalities happen at Mohan and Boten, so allow time and carry your passport ready.
Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.
More subjective
Not rated yet: value for money, food & drink, seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, romance, remoteness.
Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.
The route
The map and published route details show the verified geography and structure of the line.
The published route runs from Kunming to Vientiane via Yuxi East, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Mohan, Boten, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng.
995 km · Kunming to Vientiane
Key stops
Kunming SouthPu'erXishuangbannaBotenLuang PrabangVientiane
Kunming South
China
Yuxi East
China
Pu'er
China
Xishuangbanna
China
Mohan
China
Boten
Laos
Luang Prabang
Laos
Vang Vieng
Laos
Vientiane
Laos
Along the line
Published highlights in the order the route reaches them.
D87/D88 run south through Yuxi, Pu'er and Xishuangbanna before reaching the border at Mohan.
The end-to-end service crosses between China and Laos through the paired border stations at Mohan and Boten.
In Laos the route serves Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng before continuing to Vientiane.
Evidence on demand
Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.
9h 34m
The published route runs from Kunming to Vientiane via Yuxi East, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, Mohan, Boten, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng.
995 km · Kunming to Vientiane
Key stops
Kunming SouthPu'erXishuangbannaBotenLuang PrabangVientiane
Kunming South
China
Yuxi East
China
Pu'er
China
Xishuangbanna
China
Mohan
China
Boten
Laos
Luang Prabang
Laos
Vang Vieng
Laos
Vientiane
Laos
It is a daylight run chosen for the landscape, which means the best use of the time is simply to keep looking out. The long run between Kunming and Vientiane (about 995 km) gives the scenery time to shift gradually, and the day settles into its own rhythm of stops and open stretches. Passing Yuxi East and Mohan gives the journey its midpoint, and the character either side of it is noticeably different. Crossing between China and Laos adds its own punctuation to the day, and the journey changes tone on either side of the border.
Reclining seats
D87/D88 are seated daytime cross-border services; class and seat choice should be confirmed for the selected departure.
Luggage storage
This is an international daytime journey; keep passports and border documents accessible rather than packed away.
2 onboard details are confirmed against a source. Anything not listed here has not been researched yet; treat it as unknown, not absent.
Jan: Runs year-round; the dry season, roughly November to March, is easier travelling.
These months show when the train runs, which is a service fact. How good each month is for the experience has not been rated yet, so no month is presented as better than another.
Rail enthusiasts
Especially good
The train and the line itself are a large part of the reason to travel.
Slow travellers
Especially good
A long journey where the time on board is the point.
Photographers
Good fit
Published photography score is high for this route's landscapes and structures.
It takes most of a day
9h 34m on board, end to end.
You cannot just turn up
A reservation is required for this journey.
Booking takes some effort
Verified as difficult to book.
Not yet verified: typical price, rail pass validity. We leave these blank rather than guess.
This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here. Journey length: 9h 34m. Checked 12 Sep 2026 · China Railway 12306 (official ticketing).
The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.
Your next step
Cross-border seats are limited and sell out quickly; the Chinese leg is booked through 12306 and the Lao leg through Lao ticketing channels, and a passport is required.
Check availability with China State Railway Group (China Railway) (opens in a new tab)This is the operator's own reservation entry point. Fares and availability are confirmed there, not here.
Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.
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Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.
Last reviewed 12 Sep 2026.
Official sources
Checked 12 Sep 2026