Your Magical Bagan Itinerary: Top Things To Do in Bagan, Myanmar
From mystical temples and local, cultural experiences to hot air balloon rides during sunrise, Bagan is one of Myanmar’s most beautiful places to visit. There isn’t anywhere quite like this in the world. There are many things to do in Bagan but you’ll want to spend your days here exploring temples like Indiana Jones, discovering long lost treasures and culture of this tremendous area. In this Bagan itinerary discover how to see the temples and find out all the information you need to know to plan your trip and visit well.
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WHAT IS BAGAN?
Much like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bagan is an archaeological zone located in the central Mandalay Region of Myanmar (Burma). The area consists of over 2,000 temples strewn across this vast plain of dry grasses and shrubs. The temple complex is surrounded by small villages, Nyaung-U, Old Bagan and New Bagan which all make great places to base yourself to see the surrounding area. There are so many things to do in Bagan and with the complex being so huge, make sure to save this Bagan itinerary for offline reading, in case you lose service during your time here.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Much like the rest of South-East Asia, Bagan has a hot, tropical climate for most of the year. The best time to visit is during the cooler season which falls between November and February. March-May is the hottest time to visit when temperatures can easily soar over 40°C (105°F) making sightseeing extremely difficult. The rainy season falls from June to October which can also make transit difficult.
HOW TO GET TO BAGAN
There are three ways to get to Bagan from the city hubs of Mandalay and Yangon.
By plane- The closest airport to the temple complex is Nyaung U airport from which you can continue to the centre of Nyaung U by taxi. Destinations to and from Nyaung-U airport include Mandalay, Yangon and Heho. While this is the fastest option, tickets cost upwards of $200 return.
By Bus- The most comfortable, budget and sustainable option, buses in Myanmar are cheap, comfortable and reliable. Buses take about 8 hours from Yangon and 6 hours from Mandalay. It’s well worth upgrading to a VIP bus service as you’ll pay only a few dollars more for a lot more comfort- think business class on airlines.
By train- for those wanting a slow and local travel experience the train is also possible, especially from Yangon. The journeys lasts 18 hours where you can absorb yourself in the lush Burmese countryside from the comfort of your sleeper cabin. Train times from Mandalay are about 8 hours.
WHERE TO STAY IN BAGAN
There are three main areas to stay in Bagan; Nyaung U, New Bagan and Old Bagan. Nyaung U is the most popular budget option due to its range of budget guesthouses and local restaurants and cultural options. New Bagan is where many of the relocated locals live and you’ll find many mid-range hotels here as well as a few restaurants. Old Bagan is the best place to head for resorts and luxury hotels.
Here are some of my favourite accommodation options in Bagan.
Budget- Morning Star Guesthouse – A lovely, simple guesthouse located on the edge of New Bagan, this place is clean, airy and each room comes with a lovely garden view and balcony. It’s close to all the great restaurants and temples too. This is a lovely, simple, no-thrills place perfect for the budget traveller.
Mid-Range- My Bagan Residence y Amata – This hotel is definitely one of the best value places around with clean and spacious rooms and a lovely long pool too cool off in after a day of exploring. It’s decorated in a traditional Burmese style with wooden finishings and traditional ornaments. They even have a highly rated spa for any treatments you may desire during your trip.
Splurge – Villa Bagan – While not exactly a very expensive option when talking about luxury accommodation, this is one of my favourite places to stay in Bagan so I had to mention it. This stunning hotel is surrounded by lush green gardens and temple stupas in the distance. There’s a beautiful pool and each room is traditionally yet minimally decorated with teak bed frames and beautifully intricate artwork on the walls. Rooms are homely, simple and tastefully decorated and it has a great location not far from all the temples.
There are also many Airbnb options in Nyaung U, Old and New Bagan for budget guesthouses and unique, stylish finds. Use the box below to find your perfect stay:
WHERE TO EAT IN BAGAN
To date, Bagan has a total of five vegetarian restaurants which all serve a variety of delicious local food with many plant-based options allowing you to try many different places during your Bagan itinerary. In general, the food here is delicious, healthy and vegetable-based.
The Moon– This restaurant is a classic in Bagan and it’s been around for years. With open-air seating, it’s the perfect place to stop at for lunch on the way to Ananda Temple. (They also have another branch in New Bagan) Don’t miss the local tea leaf salad or any one of their amazing vegetable curries.
Yar Pyi – Another great option on the way to Ananda Temple, this simple restaurant serves a wide range of veggie salads, curries, rice dishes and soups. They also have amazing fruit juices and smoothies- perfect to stop, rest and cool off after a morning of temple sightseeing.
Khaing Shwe Wha – Another lovely restaurant with tasty food in Old Bagan, they specialise in Burmese dishes and a few fusion dishes. Don’t miss their tamarind leaf salad and tasty curries.
Moe Pyae San – One of the only veggies options in Nyaung U, this is a great choice if you’re staying nearby. It has a range of tasty salads and vegetable stir-fries.
THINGS TO DO IN BAGAN
Bagan Archaeological Site is all about the temples and their unique culture and history and most things to do in Bagan revolve around the temples.
SEE THE TEMPLES
One of the most unique temple complexes in the world, Bagan is a beautiful place that should be on everyone’s bucket list. With more than 2,000 thousand temples occupying a space of 26 square- miles there’s plenty to see and experience in the area. See our full Bagan temple itinerary below for how best to visit them.
HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE
If you don’t mind shelling out $300USD per person during your stay, then a hot air balloon ride over Bagan at sunrise is one of those bucket list experiences that you get the chance to do just once. Imagine a golden-pink sky punctuated by the darkened silhouettes of balloons flying over a vast, flat plain of thousands of beautiful brick temples which represent a thousand years of history. You’ll end your sunrise balloon ride not only in awe but with a glass of sparkling wine in hand to toast the truly electrifying moment.
To book your ride with one of the most reputable companies in Bagan click here.
DAY TRIP TO MOUNT POPA
Mount Popa is an incredibly unique ancient Monastery with beautiful gold stupas perched precariously on top of an extinct volcano, 1500 metres above sea level. It makes a fantastic day trip or half-day trip from Bagan and anyone who takes just one look at this temple simply has to visit.
While is it a steep feat, consider climbing the 777 stairs to the top to admire the beautiful and peaceful monastery Taung Kalat while making your way past many cheeky monkeys.
To book your Mount Popa Day Tour, check out my favourite tour here. We had so much fun and learned a lot about Burmese culture and the monastery itself from the great local guides.
WATCH SUNRISE AND SUNSET
No doubt you would have heard about the awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets of Bagan or seen them on Instagram and quite truly, catching sunrise and sunset in Bagan is a must. The best views are from the tops of certain temples but make sure you pay attention to signs to see whether you can climb or not. As of 2017, there has been a major clampdown of climbing temples due to both safety and preservation- old bricks can come loose at any moment. One of the best temples to head to for sunrise is Shwesandaw Pagoda or Sulamani Temple and for sunset, Thatbyinnyu Phaya Temple.
VISIT THE MUSEUM
Visiting the Bagan Archaeological Museum is a lovely way to find out more about what was once housed in all the temples – not to mention, it also makes a nice air-conditioned break from temple hopping. You’ll be able to get your bearings here and find out more about the history of the Pagan Empire.
BAGAN ITINERAY FOR TEMPLE SIGHTSEEING
This Bagan itinerary takes into account 3 full days in Bagan which is the perfect amount of time to really see what the local area has to offer. If you have less than 3 days- that’s ok feel free to cut out certain temples and visit the most popular places instead.
I’ve split up this Bagan itinerary into three parts; the Nyaung U side, the Old Bagan side and New Bagan/Southern Bagan. This is what I did and I can highly recommend it as it saves traversing great distances every day especially if you’re on a bicycle. Having said that, there are so many amazing temples in Bagan so don’t be afraid to just explore where your eye takes you. Travel down unknown paths to smaller, unknown temples to really experience the magic of this area.
DAY ONE- Nyaung U Area- Shwezigon Pagoda / Myazigon Pagoda / Htilominlo / Alotawpyae Pagoda / Ananda Temple
Shwezigon Pagoda
A superb place to start your Bagan adventure is at the glittering, golden Shwezigon Pagoda in Nyuang U. This beautiful circular, gold leaf structure dates back to the 11th Century when building was started by the first King of the Pagan Empire. It’s believed to enshrine a tooth and bone of Gautama Buddha, making it a sacred space of worship for Buddhists far and wide.
Around the pagoda, you’ll find depictions of past legends on terra-cotta tiles and statues standing guard at the temple entrance. 37 spirits (nats) are represented along the outer limits of the pagoda. Around the pagoda, there are many sellers, some of which can be pretty insistent on you buying their wares. To avoid them try to visit as early as you can or give them a firm ‘no’.
