Route 13 is the most important highway in
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. It begins at
Boten in northern Laos at the Chinese border. It connects the city of
Vientiane to
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, pronounced ), historically known as Xieng Thong (ຊຽງທອງ) and alternatively spelled Luang Phabang or Louangphabang, is the capital of Lu ...
in the north and roughly follows the line of the
Mekong River
The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...
down to the border with
Cambodia. The road then continues at
National Highway 7 in
Cambodia. Route 13 passes the
New Laos National Stadium at
Vientiane prefecture and all three international airports in Laos:
Vientiane Airport,
Luang Prabang Airport, and
Pakse Airport. Between Boten and
Nateuy a 20 km segment of Route 13 is part of the
Kunming-Bangkok Expressway, (
Asian Highway AH3). From Nateuy to Vientiane, Route 13 is part of
AH12 and from Vientiane to the border of Cambodia,
AH11. It roughly runs parallel to
Vientiane-Boten Expressway.
Route 13 passes through the cities of Vientiane,
Vang Vieng,
Phoukhoune district where is intersection of
Route 7 (Laos), and Luang Prabang. The road is mostly paved, though the pavement is in poor condition at places, it is relatively narrow with sharp curves and there are no markings or lighting on the road everywhere. Several daily buses run from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, the journey taking 8–10 hours.
Travel in northern Laos
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File:Laos Route N13.jpg, N13 Milestone from Chinese border at Boten
File:Oudomxay.JPG, Laos Route N13 at Muang Xay
File:RueVangVieng2011-b.jpg, Laos Route N13 at Vang Vieng
File:NR13S, Laos.jpg, Laos Route N13 at Pakxan
File:Savannakhet1.JPG, Laos Route N13 at Savannakhet
References
{{Highways in Laos
Roads in Laos
Mekong River