Border Crossing - Hanoi To Kunming China

The overland route from Hanoi to Kunming in China can be done and though this is not the most popular overland route, it can be very rewarding and is not that difficult.

Update: 10-8-2013 According to a recent post in 2012 by a traveler who made this crossing, the bus terminal has moved. Please see this link for his post as this information will be helpful. His post was in reference to their trip to another city other than Kunming, however, if the bus terminal has relocated then I suggest that any buses leaving Hekou for Kunming will also depart from this new location. Additionally, other posts will mention buses, times and other information. This border crossing is not the most well traveled on by foreigners, therefore, good solid information is difficult to obtain. If you do this border crossing, please try to post the most updated information to the possible to the internet for others.

*Note - Make sure that you already have your visa because they do not issue any travel visa at the border*

This is not the most popular overland route into China from Vietnam and few take this one, so before leaving Hanoi, I did a lot of searching the internet to see what other travelers had to say about this border crossing. Needless to say, there was very little information and most of it vague and mixed details but a lot of ranting about issues with immigration officers and a lot of useless writing with no details.

Again, as with all things, check when in Hanoi for the most current information.  Also, here is the link to the Vietnam Rail Web site which will provide you with some other details.  Vietnam Rail Link.  Click here and this will take you to the page that has the schedule and costs but this page has no English translation but is relatively easy to work with.  

If you are taking this journey, here are the recommendations;

The border does not open till 7am Hanoi time.  Once on the Chinese side the time changes an hour ahead so keep this in mind when trying to get the bus.

Take the SP3 night train leaving Hanoi at 9:50pm which arrives in Lao Cai at 6am the following morning.

Take a taxi to the border.  Observing the meter in the taxi I took, it was no more than 25,000 VND at the time of this writing but is probably more with changing economic conditions of each country.

Go inside and cue up early to beat the crowd.  If you are a foreigner, the Vietnamese immigration officer will take your passport and process it then hand it back.

Walk across the bridge to the Chinese immigration building, which is a very short walk.

Go inside and to your right you will find the area with the entry cards as well as the medical declaration document.  Fill these out and give to the man standing at counter.  They may move the counters but my experience was ask and someone will tell you where it is as they speak enough English to assist.

At the time of this writing they were doing medical checks and the immigration officer will escort you to an area where they will take your temperature to check for H1V1 illness since that is what is going on at the time of my crossing.

After that you will proceed to the next available immigration officer with your passport.  Be prepared for delays as they seem to investigate the slightest things.

After you are stamped in, go out the exit door, turn left and walk down the street to the intersection, then turn right and walk down the street to the intersection.

The bus station is on your left at that intersection and you will see the back side of the station.  Walk around the corner to your left to the main entrance.

The ticket window is on your left.

If you are there without issues at the immigration check points, Viet and Chinese, then you can most likely catch the 8:45 bus to Kunming.  At the time of this writing the bus I took cost 142RMB.  Do everything possible to get this bus as the next one leaves at 10am and with the transit time makes for a very late arrival in Kunming.

Be prepared for a minimum 10-11 hour journey, however, the bus is good, or at least the one that I was on was good.  It was a full size bus, not a mini-bus and was not a sleeper.  It will make one stop for food and toilet break.

The route the bus takes is absolutely beautiful.  It runs through the mountains for at least 4-5 hours, and then descends into a valley for about an hour, then back into the mountains once again.  However, the mountains after the valley are not as spectacular, have less vegetation, and you are not cruising on high winding mountain roads.

Also, if the bus is like the one I was on, be prepared to listen to monotonous movies or some sort of Chinese soap opera which at first is easy to ignore but after a while it begins to wear on you nerves.

When arriving in Kunming, be prepared for non-English speaking taxi drivers and in my case they would refuse to go to the guesthouse I had booked but there are motorbike taxis that will work.

I hope this helps you with your crossing and arrival in Kunming.  It can be as easy as one makes it or the reverse, as difficult.  Just remember to remain calm, smile all the time, especially when you get to the Chinese immigration side.  If there are issues, getting mad, angry, upset and out of hand will not help you in the slightest.  They are going to do what they will and you have no choice in the matter.  That is one reason I stated that you need to have everything in order specifically a proper and valid Chinese Visa.

Finally, I did read posts concerning the Lonely Planet and issues with bringing it into China.  During my experience, I was never asked to open one bag, have anything sent through the x-ray machine or bothered.  It may be different for your experience as I am sure that each day is different.

If you have more current and detailed information please make a post for others.

Travel Safe, Travel Happy