After spending months traversing the winding roads and remote villages of Laos in search of old CIA bases by motorcycle, I’ve gathered extensive knowledge about renting and riding in this beautiful Southeast Asian country. And I wanted to share a more comprehensive guide than the ones you’ll currently find online. So, in this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about renting a motorcycle in Laos, including costs, requirements, and essential tips for a safe journey.
How To Rent A Motorcycle in Laos
You can rent motorbikes in major cities like Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Pakse. Prices range from $7–$25 per day for scooters and $30–$60 per day for adventure bikes. To rent a bike, you should have a valid driving license and an international permit, although many rental companies do not check this.
Make sure you check the bike over for any faults. Some companies will ask for your passport as a deposit, I would personally advise against leaving this. Most companies will take cash, or an old expired passport, some will also take identity cards – if your country produces those, use them.
If you rent for longer you will often get a discount. Make sure you let the rental company know how long you want the bike for and ask if they can discount it. Usually you can get a Honda Wave for anywhere between $7-14/day. Anything above is a total rip off.
Choosing the Right Motorcycle
Laos offers various motorcycle options, but your choice should depend on your experience level and intended journey. The road conditions in Laos can be challenging, with many unpaved sections, even on major routes. As you can see in the images, the roads get pretty bad! And they’re not even the worst of them.
For this reason, I recommend that you get something capable of off-roading. Automatic scooters with small wheels are going to slip ‘n’ slide everywhere on the rough, muddy terrain – especially if you’re going in the rainy season. The best choice for longer journeys is a Honda Wave, semi-automatic. These can take an absolute beating, are cheap to rent, easy to fix, and many of the locals use them to ride across the same terrible roads.
A preview of how bad the roads can be:
Popular Motorcycle Options in Laos
| Type | Best For | Daily Cost (USD) | Recommended Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic Scooter | City riding, short trips | $8-12 | Honda Click, Yamaha Mio |
| Semi-Automatic | Mixed terrain, longer trips | $6-10 | Honda Wave, Yamaha Sirius |
| Manual/Dirt Bike | Off-road, mountain routes | $15-25 | Honda CRF250L, Kawasaki KLX |
Before renting a motorbike in Laos, consider this:
- Road Conditions: Unlike Thailand, Laos has many unpaved roads and challenging terrain. Even main highways can have rough sections, making a more robust bike essential for longer journeys.
- Trip Duration: For multi-day trips, especially on the Bolaven Plateau or northern mountain routes, opt for a semi-automatic or manual bike with better suspension and durability.
- Riding Experience: While automatic scooters are easiest to operate, they’re not ideal for Laos’s varied terrain. Consider a semi-automatic like the Honda Wave if you’re comfortable with gear shifting.
Where to Rent a Motorcycle in Laos
When comparing to neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, motorcycle rental in Laos is much harder. You’ll find a lower selection of bikes, shops to rent from and professionalism can vary. This is why we recommend to stick to major cities and tourist hubs. Most spots outside of these hubs usually don’t offer motorbike rentals.
Here is a short breakdown of the best places to rent motorcycles in Laos:
Major Rental Locations
| City | Rental Scene | Best For | Notable Shops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vientiane | Many options, professional shops | Starting point for northern routes | Central Bikes, Mr. Keo’s Rental |
| Vang Vieng | Lots of options, professional shops too | Cheaper prices, located north Laos | Two wheels in Vang Vieng, Mr. Ta Motorbike Rental |
| Luang Prabang | Tourist-focused, higher prices | If there is no other option | Tiger Trail, LP Motorbike Rental |
| Pakse | Good price range, mostly aimed at short loops | Southern exploration | Miss Noy’s, Pakse Bike Rental |
Things To Look Out For When Renting
Before leaving the rental shop, thoroughly inspect the motorbike, especially if you’re planning a long journey. Check the brakes, wheel alignment, speedometer, fuel gauge, and any other essential features. Don’t forget to ask about oil change intervals—most bikes require an oil change every 500–750 km, so keep track of your mileage.
Take clear photos of the bike before you leave to document any existing scratches or damage. While most owners rarely inspect the bike on return as long as it looks undamaged, this precaution can protect you from unfair charges. If you do cause minor scratches, giving the bike a quick wash before returning it can help ensure a hassle-free handover.
Most of the time they’ll never bother to check if it looks clean and hasn’t been used much.
Here’s a quick pre-rental checklist for motorbike rentals in Laos:
- Check for visible damage and take photos.
- Ensure proper inflation and tread condition on tyres
- Test both front and rear brakes.
- Verify all lights and indicators are functioning.
- Ensure mirrors are intact and adjustable.
- Test the horn to see if it works & is loud.
- Listen for unusual noises and check responsiveness.
- Check the fuel level and the fuel gauge + that it works
- Ensure the speedometer and odometer work correctly.
- Check the suspension.
- Check the battery for good condition and no corrosion.
- Check for proper tension and lubrication of the chain
- Get the rental agreement and bike’s registration papers.
- Ensure the bike comes with a locking system and it works. Check the hexagonal part of the key (at the end) isn’t worn (you need it to open the keyhole)
- Make sure your helmet fits and is in good condition
- Understand the insurance coverage (if you have no license you’re not covered)
Insurance
Make sure when renting a motorbike in Laos, your travel insurance covers you to do so. There are too many cases of people who go to South East Asia and decide it’s a good time to learn how to ride a motorbike, having never ridden one before. They crash, can’t afford the crazy medical fees (or worse die), and put up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the medical fees.
Don’t be that guy or girl.
It’s incredibly dangerous to ride a motorcycle in South East Asia. And, if you get hurt, the hospitals are not up to standard so often people have to receive medevacs to other countries. The average cost of a medevac to Thailand can be up to $250,000 USD.
Most insurance companies will cover you, provided you have all the correct documentation (international permit, driving license etc.) up to 125cc in a crash. Make sure your insurance company does this. Read the fine print!!
Safety Tips & Road Conditions
Road conditions in Laos can be challenging and vary significantly by region and season. You’ll often run into potholes, landslides, cows will run in the road, and you may almost kill some dogs! If you ride enough, you’ll see many instances of dead dogs on the side of the road (nice). So please prepare and be careful.
I’ve left a small table below of what you should look out for when riding in Laos depending on the roads, and which bikes are best for each situation.
| Road Category | Typical Condition | Common Hazards | Best Bike Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Highways | Paved, variable quality | Potholes, livestock | Any type |
| Provincial Roads | Mixed paved/unpaved | Gravel, washouts | Any type |
| Rural Roads | Mostly unpaved | Mud, steep grades | Semi/Manual |
| Mountain Passes | Narrow, winding | Landslides, fog | Semi/Manual preferred |
Be extra careful when riding during rainy season. This can last from September to early December and it get really bad.
When riding in Laos, you should be wearing safety gear (at least a helmet). Most shops do not provide this gear, so you will have to purchase it yourself. You do however, get the choice some helmets. These are unlikely to save your life, but when given the choice of which helmet to choose, always go for a full-face covered helmet.
If you crash, you don’t want a broken jaw, missing teeth, broken nose etc.
If you can’t get access to safety gear, wear clothes that cover your skin. On your lower half, ideally jeans, and your upper half wear a top and a light jacket. This will help prevent your skin from shredding off if you slide on the pavement. I know it’s not nice to hear this stuff, but it’s important you know the dangers beforehand. Infections are incredibly deadly and common if you get cut badly in Laos. Be smart. Wear gear.
There are also virtually no rules when riding the roads in Laos, be alert at all times, drive slower than you normally would, and be prepared to use your horn on blind corners and more often than you would to alert drivers of your presence. People will cut corners turning into sideroads, you’ll see people driving on the wrong side of the motorway to get to their village… the stuff you’ll see is wild. Be careful!
Explore Deeply
Most importantly, you should have fun and explore this wonderful land as deep as you can possibly go. There is so much beauty to be found here, the people are amazing, and the history is vast. If you need help planning a route, check out our full motorbike guide from Southern to Northern Laos.
I’m Harry – and I was tired of the same old “10 best places I’ve never been but I’m writing about for some reason” blog posts. So… I’m a young traveller on a mission to travel the world and share my true, unfiltered experience, including all the gristly details. From packing my life into one bag for a year, to traveling Vietnam by motorbike, to sorting out Visas for specific countries – I’ve done it all, am doing it all and only give my advice on things I have done – not regurgitated cr*p from another source *cough* most publications *cough*. So bear with us! This project will take some time to grow, and will take a fair bit of money. But I’m determined to make it the single best source of information about traveling on the internet.
