Is Bagan worth visiting? Bagan is worth visiting if you want to go to the #1 most popular attraction in Myanmar. Bagan is a collection of 2000 Buddhist pagodas, stupas and temples scattered across a flat area near the Irrawaddy River (alternatively spelled as the Ayeyarwady River).
The 42 mile trip from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin takes around 4 hours, provided there are no delays. The train (131 UP) departs Mandalay at 4am and arrives at Pyin Oo Lwin around 8am. There is only one train per day in each direction.
Travel to almost all parts of Myanmar is safe. Smartraveller.gov.au advice says visitors to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake should use normal safety precautions. Anyone thinking about visiting Rakhine State should reconsider their need for travel. The overall rating for the country is “high degree of caution”.
Myanmar has a reputation of being a very expensive travel destination. But you can just as easily travel through Myanmar on a shoestring as a backpacker. Public transport is cheap, so is food at local restaurants, and simple accommodation won't cost you an arm or a leg either.
You should plan to spend around MMK92,746 ($56) per day on your vacation in Myanmar, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, MMK13,772 ($8.37) on meals for one day and MMK5,663 ($3.44) on local transportation.
Two weeks is the perfect amount of time to explore Myanmar. If you have less time, you can still have a great experience but it requires careful planning. At a minimum, five days is enough to give you a taste of the country's history and culture by visiting two of Myanmar's “Big Four” destinations.
To enter Burma, you must have a valid passport with at least six months remaining validity and a valid visa. You should apply for your visa at a Burmese embassy or consulate abroad before you arrive in Burma.
25 Best Things to Do in Bagan (Myanmar)
- Explore Shwezigon Paya. Source: Luciano Mortula - LGM / shutterstock Shwezigon Paya.
- Tour the Archaeological Museum.
- Visit Dhammayangyi Pahto.
- Check out Shwesandaw Paya.
- Check out Nathlaung Kyaung.
- Visit Sulamani Pahto.
- Buy some local art work.
- Eat and shop at the Night Market and Carnival.
A flight ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about MMK 199,114. If you want to save on transportation, it's better to take a bus as a bus ticket costs as low as MMK 20,113.
Balloons Over Bagan has two balloon flight options – classic or premium. The classic package costs $340 USD per person.
As you may know, Bagan is famous for its thousands of old pagodas and stupas stretching into the horizon. Bagan was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan from the 9th to the 13th centuries, a period in which some 50 Buddhist kings ruled the Pagan Dynasty.
Those that do make the trip find that much of the country is perfectly safe. “In general terms, Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Hsipaw, Kiyakto and the Mergui Archipelago have no travel restrictions for tourists, and pose no risk for leisure travelers,” Tucci says.
Mandalay is a little bit more laid back than Yangon. The vegetation is denser, the traffic is better and there are tons of places to explore. If you are looking for a more relaxed city, you should definitely choose Mandalay.
Bagan is a historical city scattered with over 5000 temples and Pagodas covering an area of 40 square kilometers. This fascinating place was called Pagan in the past and it was built between the 11th and 13th centuries.
If you're flying to Bagan, Nyaung-U Airport is the airport you'll fly into. As small as it is, it's the airport that serves as the aerial gateway to the Bagan region. (There are other ways to reach Bagan, of course, such as flying into Mandalay and taking a bus or boat.)
Getting from Yangon or Mandalay to BaganYou can book your bus/plane ticket from Yangon to Bagan here: Book a plane/bus ticket from Yangon to Bagan. From Mandalay, you can fly domestic via Air KBZ as well for 82 USD or you can take the minivan operated by OK Minibus for 12 USD and takes around 6 hours to reach Bagan.
From October onwards the rains subside; the best time to visit most of Myanmar is from November to February, when temperatures are relatively manageable. From March to May, the country becomes very hot, particularly the dry zone of the central plains where Bagan and Mandalay often see temperatures in excess of 40°C.
The most affordable way to get from Thailand to Bagan is to bus, which costs ?1100 - ?2000 and takes 31h 23m. What is the fastest way to get from Thailand to Bagan? The quickest way to get from Thailand to Bagan is to fly and train which costs ?4800 - ?11000 and takes 8h 22m.
There are just two international airports in Myanmar (Burma) – Yangon (Rangoon) and Mandalay.
