Hanoi Visa Run Bus: Schedules, Pickup Points & Fares

The visa run bus from Hanoi is a shared van that does the whole border run in one day. It leaves twice a week, on Tuesday and Saturday, picks riders up from their hotels and meeting points before dawn, drives the Ho Chi Minh Highway down to the Lao Bao border crossing in Quang Tri, and brings everyone back to Hanoi the same evening. One seat, one day, no overnight anywhere.

The van is not a public bus. It is a private service for people doing a visa run, which means the schedule, the route, and the border paperwork are all built around that one job. The driver knows the crossing, the fixers at Lao Bao handle the stamps, and you do not have to figure out which bus goes where or argue with a ticket counter in a language you do not speak.

A seat costs 1,500,000 VND with pickup in Tay Ho, or 1,650,000 VND from Long Bien or Gia Lam. That price covers the ride, the fixer service at the border, snacks, and water. The Laos entry fee, lunch, and the 90-day e-visa are separate, and we cover each of those below so the total does not surprise you.

Shared van departures run twice weekly, on Tuesday and Saturday. Those are the only two days the cheap seat exists, so the schedule matters more than on a private car, which can leave any day you like.

If your visa expires on a day that is not a Tuesday or Saturday, do not wait for the van. A private car runs any day of the week, and the fixers confirm the return time before you leave. Waiting two extra days on an expired stamp is how small problems become big ones.

The van follows one route each departure day, so pickup order is fixed. Riders in Tay Ho board first, then the van works through Long Bien and Gia Lam before heading south. When you book, you choose your zone and we confirm the exact meeting point the night before, usually your hotel lobby or a landmark within a short walk.

The pickup window is a window, not a promise. The driver waits about ten minutes at each point, then moves on. Set two alarms. The van does not come back for a late rider, and there is no second departure that day.

The fare reads like a bus ticket, but it covers a lot more than a seat. Included: the driver, the fuel, the tolls on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, the bilingual fixer who stages your Vietnamese exit stamp and walks you through the Laos side at Dansavanh, snacks, and water. The fixer alone is worth most of the fare if you have ever stood at a border not knowing which window comes first.

Not included, and worth knowing before you board:

One thing the ticket does not include is luggage space. Shared vans allow carry-on bags only. If you are moving apartments or hauling suitcases, book a private car instead.

1. The night before

   Confirm and pack

   The driver confirms by WhatsApp. Pack your passport, two spare 4x6 cm photos, and cash for the Laos fee. Charge your phone.

2. 04:00 to 05:30

   Boarding

   Tay Ho riders board first, then Long Bien and Gia Lam. The van leaves once the route is done. Late means left behind.

3. 05:30 to 09:00

   The drive south

   Ho Chi Minh Highway and QL217, roughly 300 km. One rest stop halfway. Sleep, watch the karst hills, or catch up on work.

4. 09:00 to 12:00

   The crossing

   The fixer takes your passport, stages the Vietnamese exit stamp, and walks you through Dansavanh. Pay the Laos fee if your passport needs one, then turn around and re-enter Vietnam. Your fresh entry stamp resets your stay.

5. 12:00 to 14:00

   Lunch and the drive home

   A meal stop in Thanh Hoa, usually Quan Hoa. If you added the visa desk, your e-visa was already submitted the moment Laos stamped you out.

6. 18:00 to 20:00

   Back in Hanoi

   Drop-off in your original pickup zone. The driver messages when you are 30 minutes out, and follows up after with your stamp photo or visa status.

You can reach Lao Bao on public buses for a fraction of the fare. Sleepers run from Hanoi's southern stations toward the border, and a ticket costs far less than any organized seat. That is the honest trade: you save money and take on the whole job yourself.

For the full budget picture, including what the DIY route costs in time and patience, see our cheapest visa run from Hanoi breakdown.

Booking takes about two minutes. Pick your departure day, Tuesday or Saturday, choose your pickup zone, and tell us where you are staying. Shared seats pay before departure, in VND or USD, and the driver confirms everything by WhatsApp the night before.

Want the 90-day e-visa on the same trip? Add the visa desk when you book and upload your passport page and a portrait photo. The application goes in the moment Laos stamps you out, so you come home with a fresh entry stamp and a 90-day visa already processing.

Dispatch answers 05:00 to 23:00 daily. Seats on the shared van are limited, and the Tuesday and Saturday departures fill up first, so booking a few days ahead is the reliable move.