Getting Around Udon Thani
How to Get There, Get Around & Cross to Laos

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

First, get the lay of the land. Central Udon is easy to wander on foot around Nong Prajak Park and the markets for good food, but the sights people actually come for sit outside town: Red Lotus Lake is about 45 km to the south, Ban Chiang is around 50 km to the northeast, and Kham Chanot is furthest of all, nearly 100 km to the north. That means if you plan to roam beyond the city, you'll need a vehicle one way or another — either a rental or a hired car. As for getting to Udon from Bangkok, pick by budget and time: flying is fastest, the sleeper train is the comfiest, and the bus is the cheapest.

Getting to Udon Thani from Bangkok — flight, train or bus

Udon is about 570 km from Bangkok — roughly 7–8 hours of driving via the motorway and Highway 2 (the Friendship Highway) — but most people pick one of these three options based on the budget and time they have.

From the airport into the city

Udon Thani Airport sits unusually close to the city — closer than you'll find in most other provinces. It's only a few minutes from the terminal to the hotel district, and there are several ways to make the trip.

• Metered taxi / airport car — there's a counter outside the terminal; into town runs about ฿100–150, and it's the easiest option if you've got a lot of luggage.
• Hotel shuttle — many city hotels offer free or cheap pickup; just arrange it ahead when you book.
• Rental car dropped at the airport — most local rental outfits deliver the car to the airport for free, so you can collect it and drive straight into town or off to your first stop.
• Grab app — it works in Udon, with prices close to a taxi, and it's handy if you'd rather not haggle.

Getting around central Udon

There's no skytrain or metro in Udon, but the city isn't big and it's fairly flat. The main eating and hangout areas — Nong Prajak Park, Centre Point market, the walking street and the downtown malls — are all within a short distance of each other.

• Songthaew / tuk-tuk — they run along the main routes in town for a few tens of baht, good for short hops, but ask about the route before you hop on to be sure.
• Grab / motorbike taxi — easy to hail, you set the destination in the app, no haggling, and ideal for nights out or when it's raining.
• Motorbike rental — shops rent them for around ฿200–300/day, great for getting around town and reaching the morning markets.
• Walking + cycling around Nong Prajak — the central park is easy to stroll or cycle around the lake, and in the evening plenty of locals come out to exercise.

Renting a car for the outskirts — Red Lotus Lake, Ban Chiang, Kham Chanot

Almost everything people come to Udon for sits outside the city, and there's no convenient direct public transport. The most flexible way is to rent a car — and there are two options depending on what suits you.

Distances from central Udon to the main sights (useful for planning routes and timing)

• Red Lotus Lake, Nong Han Kumphawapi — about 45 km south, ~50 min drive along Highway 2 to Kumphawapi (the lotuses only bloom beautifully in the cool season, Dec–Feb, and you need to go at dawn before 9am).
• Ban Chiang National Museum — about 50 km northeast, ~1 hr drive, a prehistoric archaeological site known worldwide.
• Kham Chanot (Wang Nakhin) — to the north in Ban Dung district, about 90–100 km, ~1.5 hr drive, the floating island where the spiritually inclined come to pay their respects.
• Wat Pa Phu Kon — about 1.5–2 hrs to the north, a white marble reclining Buddha set among forested hills, with a winding road toward the end.

Crossing into Laos — Vientiane is just over the bridge

One of the perks of basing yourself in Udon is how easy it is to continue into Laos. Vientiane, the Lao capital, is about 75–80 km from Udon via the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge crossing at Nong Khai. Thai citizens can use their ID card for a border pass to cross, while foreigners use a passport (check Lao visa rules for your nationality before you go).

• Cross-border bus (BKS) — there's an Udon Thani–Nong Khai–Vientiane route that takes you the whole way in one go, with no changing buses, handy for first-timers who'd rather not deal with the border alone.
• Cross-border train — trains 147/148 run Udon Thani–Khamsavath (on the Vientiane side) via Nong Khai, a comfortable option with the experience of crossing the Mekong.
• Do it leg by leg — take a bus or train Udon–Nong Khai first, then a shuttle across the bridge at the checkpoint, then a vehicle into Vientiane. Flexible, but you'll manage several connections.
• Hired car / day tour — there are day-trip Vientiane tours from Udon/Nong Khai, leaving in the morning and back by evening, good if you'd rather not think about the route at all.

Sample 3-day, 2-night itinerary

If you're not sure how to thread the routes together, here's a rough plan that doesn't pack the days too hard, assuming you fly in or arrive on the morning sleeper and rent one car.