{
  "name": "Route 13: Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang",
  "slug": "route-13-vang-vieng-luang-prabang",
  "url": "https://www.bestdrivingroads.com/roads/route-13-vang-vieng-luang-prabang/",
  "summary": "The mountain section of National Route 13 between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang is one of Southeast Asia's most dramatic highland drives, climbing from limestone karst to the 1,400 m Phoukhoune plateau before descending to the Mekong.",
  "roadNumbers": [
    "Route 13"
  ],
  "location": {
    "country": "Laos",
    "region": "Vientiane / Luang Prabang Province",
    "start": {
      "name": "Vang Vieng",
      "lat": 18.927697,
      "lon": 102.451634
    },
    "end": {
      "name": "Luang Prabang",
      "lat": 19.888237,
      "lon": 102.136413
    }
  },
  "measurements": {
    "lengthMiles": 142.5,
    "lengthKm": 229.3,
    "driveMinutes": 299,
    "corners": 195,
    "hairpins": 10,
    "maxGradientPercent": 16,
    "summitMetres": 1431.7,
    "elevationConfidence": "measured",
    "difficulty": "demanding",
    "tightnessOutOf10": 6
  },
  "timing": {
    "bestSeasons": [
      "autumn",
      "winter",
      "spring"
    ]
  },
  "conditions": {},
  "hazards": [
    "Sharp hairpin switchbacks with grades up to 20% between Kasi and Phoukhoune",
    "Heavy logging and trade trucks on a narrow road with no hard shoulders",
    "Dense fog and reduced visibility in the wet season",
    "Livestock and pedestrians crossing through villages",
    "Road washouts and landslides after heavy rain",
    "No road lighting, dangerous after dark"
  ],
  "scenery": [
    "mountain",
    "valley",
    "forest"
  ],
  "pointsOfInterest": [
    "That Phousi Viewpoint"
  ],
  "geometry": {
    "pointCount": 2452
  },
  "attribution": {
    "source": "Routes - bestdrivingroads.com",
    "citation": "Cite with a link to the road page. Stats are measured from the mapped line, not copied from other lists; where elevationConfidence is \"approximate\" the 30 m DEM cannot resolve that line and the elevation figures are indicative.",
    "roadGeometry": "(c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL",
    "terms": "Facts are free to cite with attribution; bulk reproduction of the catalogue requires permission (simon@keane.studio)."
  },
  "updated": "2026-08-03"
}