Travel advice for Myanmar (Burma)
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Myanmar (Burma)
- Asia
- Myanmar (Burma)
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Myanmar is a large country, and you could spend months here and still not see everything. At a bare minimum, seven days would provide just about enough time for a whirlwind tour of the “big four” sights of Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay and Bagan. With more time on your hands you’ll be able to work some farther-flung possibilities into the mix.
10 days / from2372 USD
Old World Myanmar
Myanmar offers visitors a tantalisingly exotic culture of gilded stupas, red-robed monks and elaborately carved teak palaces. Discover the country’s rich cultural heritage as you take in its spectacular charms.
customize ⤍9 days / from2840 USD
Myanmar Family Adventure
An ideal short tour for families and first-time visitors to get a glimpse of what Myanmar is all about, discover the land of rice and rivers, breath-taking pagodas and stupas. Meet the locals in Mandalay, Yangon and Inle Lake and sleep on the Ayeyarwady for a real family adventure.
customize ⤍4 days / from383 USD
Love Yangon
Explore the intriguing architecture, captivating art and delightful culinary scene of Yangon with a visit to Myanmar’s bustling former capital.
customize ⤍10 days / from3427 USD
Myanmar Dreams
One of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia, Myanmar offers a magical visitor experience. From your base in some of the country's most deluxe resorts, get out and explore the untouched treasures that Myanmar has to offer.
customize ⤍9 days / from1126 USD
Classical Myanmar
Experience the best of Myanmar with this trip of a lifetime. See historic Yangon, before moving on to the great plains of beautiful Bagan with its ancient Buddhist pagodas. Discover Mandalay’s hidden gems, see ancient capitals and boat around Inle Lake.
customize ⤍12 days / from4044 USD
Famous Waterways of Myanmar: Inle Lake and the Irrawaddy River
Experience Myanmar as never before: cruise along the Irrawaddy River, take a boat trip around Inle Lake and Sagar, and fly over Bagan and its many temples in a hot-air balloon. This comprehensive trip also explores the cities of Yangon and Mandalay.
customize ⤍If you are planning your travel to Myanmar yourself, use these itineraries created by our travel writers as a starting point for inspiration.
With Myanmar becoming ever more popular as a tourist destination, would-be travel renegades are having to try a little harder to get their off-the-beaten-track fix. With a little advance planning, and by avoiding the corners of “The Kite”, you could max out your visa without seeing a single tour bus.
1. Tanintharyi Region
Head down to Myanmar’s deep south, whose abundance of beaches and islands are becoming easier to explore.
2. Pyay
An enjoyable stopover on the slow road from Yangon to Mandalay, with ancient Pyu ruins, the towering Shwesandaw Pagoda and one of central Myanmar’s best night markets.
3. Meiktila
This little-visited crossroads town has a beautiful lakeside setting, a clutch of quirky temples and stand-out street food.
4. Pindaya
Those staying in Kalaw or Nyaungshwe often make a day-trip to see Pindaya’s wonderful Buddha-filled cave – trump this by staying the night in this wonderfully chilled-out town.
5. Katha
Inspiration for the town of Kyauktada in Orwell’s novel Burmese Days, Katha’s backstreets are dotted with atmospheric colonial buildings; the 1924 tennis club still hosts matches today.
6. Indawgyi Lake
Kayak across or bike around Myanmar’s biggest lake to seldom-visited villages and Shwe Myitzu, a golden pagoda that floats above the water’s lapping waves.
7. Putao
Discover Kachin State’s wild side in the thickly forested Himalayan foothills outside this remote far northern town.
Myanmar’s default itinerary follows a vaguely kite-shaped route around the country, taking in the “big four” with a visit to the Golden Rock – the kite’s string – as an optional side-trip from Yangon. Many travellers are happy to spend the duration of their entire 28-day visa in these places alone.
1. Yangon
The country’s largest city, home to the stupendous Shwedagon Pagoda, with its huge clusters of gleaming golden spires, as well as one of Asia’s most perfectly preserved colonial centres.
2. Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock)
Join local pilgrims on a night-time walk up Mount Kyaiktiyo, at the summit of which sits a golden, apparently gravity-defying boulder.
3. Kalaw
The most enjoyable way to reach Inle Lake is on a two- or three-day hike from this relaxed – and occasionally chilly – mountain town.
4. Inle Lake
Take a boat trip around spectacular Inle Lake, which features “floating” villages and farms, and a truly photogenic cast of locals.
5. Mandalay
Markedly more relaxed than Yangon, Myanmar’s second city also has its fair share of sights and restaurants, and is the best place in the land for local-style entertainment.
6. Bagan
Quite simply, one of Southeast Asia’s must-sees – catch sunrise or sunset from one of its thousands of temples.
The chance to see colourfully attired minority folk is one of Southeast Asia’s major tourist draws, and Myanmar is no exception to this regional rule. The national government does, of course, have something of an axe to grind with certain groups, but the danger zones are all off-limits to travellers.
1. Hpa-An
The startling limestone karst scenery around Hpa-An is home to the Kayin, resplendent in their distinctive striped longyi.
2. Mrauk U
Much of Chin State remains off-limits to travellers, though you can get an easy sampler of Chin culture on a boat trip from Mrauk U – the tattoo-faced old ladies hereabouts are particularly photogenic.
3. Myitkyina
Catch the colourful Kachin National Day celebrations way up north in multicultural Myitkyina.
4. Kyaukme and Hsipaw
Head for the tea-swathed hills north of these two towns, where Shan-dominated valleys give way to tea-growing hills tended by the Palaung, crisscrossed with great trekking routes and peppered with homestay opportunities. Hsipaw itself is a laidback town offering a taste of Shan culture.
5. Inle Lake
Myanmar’s most easily accessible minority folk live around Inle Lake – most notable are the long-necked “giraffe” women of the Padaung group, though those trekking here from Kalaw, or visiting the umpteen local markets, will also see pockets of Pa-O and Danu.
6. Kengtung
A small Shan State city surrounded by Akha, Lahu and other colourful ethnic groups, yet almost entirely tourist-free – and even more tempting now that restrictions have been lifted on the nearby Thai border.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Myanmar (Burma)
written by Andy Turner
updated 26.04.2021
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