2024 Bagan Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in December)

Bagan is renowned for its sunrise and sunset views, and the best place to enjoy these is undoubtedly Shwesandaw Pagoda, the tallest pagoda in Bagan. The pagoda has five levels, each with a terrace to linger on, but you have to climb steep stairs first. Those afraid of heights might feel shaky, but once you reach the top, it's worth the effort. Shwesandaw Pagoda covers a large area, and because of its height and the lack of tall buildings in Bagan, the view from the top is excellent. You can even see the Irrawaddy River. Every day at sunrise and sunset, the place is packed with people eager to witness the beautiful scenery. During sunrise, you can also see hot air balloons drifting into the sky, which is quite a lucky sight. The pagoda is a standard red-brick structure, with the bottom two levels in red brick and the top three levels painted white, making it quite striking. Besides the panoramic views, the pagoda also houses relics of Buddha's hair and a large reclining Buddha statue, which are worth seeing. However, after the pandemic, for safety and heritage preservation reasons, climbing pagodas in Bagan has been completely banned. Climbing Shwesandaw Pagoda to enjoy the sunrise and sunset is now a thing of the past, which is quite a pity.

After visiting the founding pagoda of the Bagan Kingdom, we arrived at the last Burmese-style pagoda of Bagan, Htilominlo Pagoda, built by King Htilominlo in 1218. The spire stands prominently on the vast plain, making it quite conspicuous. Htilominlo Pagoda is a typical red brick structure, with a pyramid-like spire symbolizing Mount Meru, the sacred mountain in Buddhism. The main tower is tall and majestic, surrounded by smaller towers on all four sides, symbolizing the four corners of the earth. The corridors, statues, murals, and reliefs are adorned with brick carvings on the walls, and there are relief Buddha statues under the walls, resembling a fine piece of craftsmanship. When we visited, the bougainvillea was in full bloom, and the pagoda was surrounded by red and white bougainvillea flowers, making it a perfect spot for social media photos. Usually, there are vendors gathered around large pagoda temples. After worshipping the Buddha statues, you can browse the handicrafts and buy a cup of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice to quench your thirst and cool off.

Visited the Shwesandaw Pagoda, the founding pagoda of the Bagan Kingdom, on a hot afternoon. It is now one of the four major pagodas in Myanmar. The scale and grandeur are truly astonishing, and even the term 'resplendent' falls short of describing its magnificence. To enter the Shwesandaw Pagoda, you need to pass through a long corridor that provides some shade, making the walk relatively comfortable. However, once you reach the pagoda grounds, you have to take off your shoes! The ground is scorching hot, and you can only stand in the shaded areas outside to admire the pagoda, or else your feet will burn! Besides the resplendent main pagoda, there are three other highlights: a statue of the Naga descending from the sky, a small puddle that reflects the pagoda, and a father and son Buddha statue. Unfortunately, the top of the pagoda was under maintenance during our visit, covered with white cloth, making it look like it was wrapped in snow, which was quite cute. The Shwesandaw Pagoda, said to be the prototype of Myanmar's pagodas, features a three-tiered square base, an octagonal platform, and a bell-shaped tower, exuding stability and solemnity. Each of the four sides has a large niche housing a 4-meter tall standing Buddha.

#travel #myanmar #bagan 🇲🇲 📍Address: Bagan, Myanmar 🇲🇲 📍Address: Ancient City, Myanmar 🇲🇲 🏖️Ambiance/Facilities: Old town, Architecture 🌃 🏖️Ambiance/Facilities: Too much temples 💞Reasons to Recommend: UNESCO 💫 💞Reasons to Recommend: My Country 🇲🇲 Day-1 : Yangon, Myanmar 🇲🇲 to Bagan, Myanmar 🇲🇲 Day-2 : Bagan Pagodas, Temples, Mountains, Villages Day-3 : River Sightseeing and Swimming at Hotel Day-4 : Bagon, Myanmar 🇲🇲 to Yangon, Myanmar 🇲🇲 Hotel : Hotel Glorious 🏨 #naturalwonders

#ancienttown #100waysoftravel Bagan, an ancient town in Myanmar, is a breathtaking testament to the region's rich history and cultural heritage. Known for its vast landscape dotted with over 2,000 temples, pagodas, and stupas, Bagan offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the past. The sheer scale and architectural variety of these structures, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries, create an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Sunrise and sunset views over the archaeological zone are particularly magical, with the golden glow casting an ethereal light across the ruins. Despite challenges such as tourism impacts and preservation issues, Bagan remains an invaluable historical treasure and a must-visit destination.

#temples Trip to Myanmar isn't complete if you don't visit Bagan, a small and historical city in central Myanmar. It is also renowned as a sea of temples and it is one of the world's greatest archeological sites. So, you will see a bunch of temples whenever you go around Bagan. They made a unique idea on how to enjoy the panoramic view of this magical city, Bagan, by taking a ride on an hot air balloon. Everybody comes to the most iconic temples during sunrise and taking a ride on the balloon which make several hot air balloon gathered above the sky. This is one of the reason why you should come and visit Bagan. But if you feel you are not keen on take the balloon ride feel no worries as you still climb up to the top of Bagan viewing tower to enjoy the whole scenery of the city. Myanmar is a fun visiting! 📍Old Bagan, Bagan, Myanmar #bagan #myanmar #archeologicalsite

Bagan, Myanmar is a surreal place. Just a few hours south west of Mandalay by bus, it is home to over 2000 temples across a beautifully scenic plain which is actually only a fraction of how many were originally built. Every morning twenty plus hot air balloons take to the sky for those people who want to spend the money on the balloon ride, however it also gives those down on the ground a spectacular show, this sight is something that makes chasing sunrise here something that you will never get tired of. The people of Myanmar are incredible people dispite what the country has faced and I hope one day to return to this vibrant country. #mytripvlog #awesomepic #urbanexplorer #tripblazers #couplestrip

Myanmar (Burma) is a unique country with its rich history and ancient monuments. What I love the most are breathtaking sunrises and sunsets in Bagan. You can even take a balloon trip at sunrise. People are friendly also. #bagan #myanmar #burma #traveladdict

Unforgettable experience. A country you should explore and your mind will be blown away! Myanmar is a country that you must visit! #myanmar #travel #explorer #asiatrip

This tower has steps to go up to the second floor, and some people will ask you for a tip." Thatthe Mokgu Hpaya, Nyaung-U, Mandalay Region. We didn't buy an excursion, left the hotel and took a tuk tuk. The driver rode us all morning, showed us good places for a photo, we met the dawn. If you fly on an excursion to Myanmar, you should definitely drink alcohol. Still having problems with sanitation, I suffered from my stomach for a month after the trip. I've had a dream of visiting this country since childhood. I was satisfied, but the second time I don't want to, lol. Maybe in a couple of decades, when civilisation will be better there#mytripvlog

The Bagan Thande Hotel is situated in the heart of Old Bagan and has a dramatic location overlooking the Irrawaddy River. The hotel's river view rooms are spacious with wooden furniture and offer amenities such as air-conditioning, TV, mini-bar, a private bathroom as well as some of the best river views in Bagan. The hotel's restaurant is housed in an original 1922 pavilion used at the time of the Prince of Wales' (later Edward VIII) visit in the 1920s. Occasional entertainment is provided at the restaurant. Other facilities include a swimming pool and a terrace overlooking the river. location very nice #bucketlistreboot

Losing yourself among its innumerable temples and monuments, exploring them, feeling different sensations in each one of them, meeting their local people, enjoying the magic of their sunrises surrounded by balloons and colorful sunsets are one of the essentials of Bagan. 🤍 . . . #passionpassport #myanmar #urbanexplorer #summervacation #nationalpark #tripaway #couplestrip

The Ananda Temple is a popular landmark which you should visit if you are in Bagan. To move around this place and the area I recommend hiring a driver. You will be grateful especially for the air conditioning. The recommended sightseeing time is half an hour or maximum one hour. It is a big place, colourful and with a beautiful architecture. It is more comfortable to visit this place in the morning or late afternoon as the weather is quite hot. Remember to remove your shoes to walk inside the building. Remember to remove your shoes. It is strictly prohibited to step on this place with any kind of shoes. #createwithtrip #myanmar #holidays #exploring #createwithtrip

From the nat shrine, start up the many steps under a covered walkway and past the rows of trinket and souvenir shops and shrines to a revered local medicine man, Pomin Gawng. At a steady pace it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the summit of this impressive rocky crag crowned with a picturesque complex of monasteries, stupas and shrines. Popa Taung Kalat Temple is but one of several buildings here that you can freely wander through. Along the way, you’ll pass platoons of highly aggressive monkeys (be very cautious near them and don't carry any food or drink) and a small army of locals selling drinks and endeavouring (not always successfully) to keep the steps clean of monkey poo in return for a possible tip. The views from the top are fantastic. You may be fortunate enough to spot one of the slow-walking hermit monks called yeti, who wear tall, peaked hats and visit occasionally.#nationalpark

It had have a long time fame of permitting for seeing sunset view once but now it can't be due to long term mantainance.Great scene of portrait view it have with wide green lawn and steep stairs of old temple for photography enthusiast. Used to be the climb for sunrises, but not now. This place is still beautiful, the symmetry is well worth a visit. There’s an amazing fritters/pakode place a few clicks away from here under a huge tree, yiu would see locals flocking! Check the pics below to find this hidden spot. Good view but it's so crowded here. There are plenty of other pagodas with less people and equally good view from the top. Not good for sunset since you have all the buses and parking lot in the picture...better for sunrise.#nationalpark

I really love cities that have a unique, charming atmosphere all over the place - the cities that feel like one big attraction, no matter where you are. It's way better than those places where you see only a few tourist spots just to tick them off the list. Mandaly is one of those cities where you can just feel the amazing touch of royal splendor and the beautiful charm in the air, everywhere. Very few western tourists, no con artist, no hustlers. Well, there's also a dark side to it - the ubiquitous pollution, but let's focus on the positive side. We spent only one and a half days in Mandalay but it felt like we had seen enough and explored the city well - not only the temples but also ordinary places where local people go about with their lives. It's an easy city to walk around - but if you're too tired, hailing a taxi won't break the bank. Just be careful of stray dogs - they seem to walk in packs in some places and can get aggressive. Take a look at what you can see and expect in Mandaly, besides the main Pagodas described below, you'll see many other, smaller, virtually at every corner.#nationalpark

Bagan (Burmese: ပုဂံ; MLCTS: pu.gam, IPA: [bəɡàɰ̃]; formerly Pagan) is an ancient city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, the first kingdom that unified the regions that would later constitute Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive.According to the Burmese chronicles, Bagan was founded in the second century AD, and fortified in 849 AD by King Pyinbya, 34th successor of the founder of early Bagan. Mainstream scholarship however holds that Bagan was founded in the mid-to-late 9th century by the Mranma (Burmans), who had recently entered the Irrawaddy valley from the Nanzhao Kingdom. It was among several competing Pyu city-states until the late 10th century when the Burman settlement grew in authority and grandeur. From 1044 to 1287, Bagan was the capital as well as the political, economic and cultural nerve center of the Pagan Empire. Over the course of 250 years, Bagan's rulers and their wealthy subjects constructed over 10,000 religious monuments (approximately 1000 stupas, 10,000 small temples and 3000 monasteries) in an area of 104 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in the Bagan plains. The prosperous city grew in size and grandeur, and became a cosmopolitan center for religious and secular studies, specializing in Pali scholarship in grammar and philosophical-psychological (abhidhamma) studies as well as works in a variety of languages on prosody, phonology, grammar, astrology, alchemy, medicine, and legal studies. The city attracted monks and students from as far as India, Sri Lanka and the Khmer Empire. The culture of Bagan was dominated by religion. #beautifulsunsets#ancientlandmark#naturalwonders

Shwezigon Pagoda is located in Myanmar, in the city of Bagan. It is an ancient pagoda that is thousands of years old. It was built in 1587 during the reign of King Anawrahta Mangcho. The pagoda contains two important things: the Buddha's forehead bone and the tooth relic. The surrounding atmosphere is quite cool and comfortable, suitable for meditation. There are many places around the area to pray, but the highlight is the shadow of the upside-down pagoda on the east side of the pagoda. If anyone has the opportunity to visit Bagan, don't forget to pay homage. Thank you. 🙏😁 #Secret location#True foreign city

2 years ago I had a chance to do a train trip from Mandalay to Bagan. It was amazing and beautiful. This ancient city is just well preserved and worth to visit in your life time. If Cambodia has Ankor Wat , Myanmar has this amazing Bagan. 📌 Put in your list after Covid! #myanmar #bagan #historicculture#summervacation#hikingtrails

Bagan, in central Burma, is one of the most important archeological sites in the world. A green 26-square-mile plain, part-covered in palm and tamarind stands and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains, is caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river. Temples, dozens, hundreds of them, rise from the plain's canopy of green, stunning, otherworldly silhouettes constructed by Bagan's kings between 1057 and 1287, when their country was swept away by earthquakes and Kublai Khan and his invading Mongols. A remnant of the Buddhist notion that building a temple was a way to achieve merit, 2,230 of the original 4,450 temples have survived. Most are in excellent condition or have been restored by organizations like as Unesco, and many have paintings, carvings, and statues of Buddha, both large and little. By the standards of similar sites of equal beauty and stature, this is still a delightfully unspoiled destination. #travelguide#oldarchitecture#ancienttomb#ancientarchitecture#historicculture#nationalpark#roadtrip#summervacation#urbanexplorer

it is famous for thousands of pagodas. now It is also a UNESCO heritage of Myanmar. Bagan is once ancient kingdom. I love how you can see things here through time. amazing #bagan #myanmar #historicculture#summervacation#hikingtrails

a week in Bagan makes me realise how beautiful my life is. Each day I wake up and enjoy beautiful sunrise and end my day with lovely sunset in this historical city Bagan. thousand years has passed by but it never change. If you want to see the most beautiful sunset 🌅 come here to see with your own eyes! in Bagan , Myanmar #bagan #myanmar #beautifulsunsets#roadtrip#summervacation#hikingtrails

Bagan is one of the most spiritual places I’ve ever been to. The people were so friendly and nice and the amazing temples were magical. I hope I can visit this awesome place again! #merrychristmas

This temple which is easily accessible from Bagan ( by taxi, Tuk Tuk or E-bike) is one the largest in Bagan. It is large pyramid like structure visible from far. It has an interesting past - the king who built the temple came to power by assassinating his father and elder brother. He later also killed his Bengali queen, whose father sent mercenaries and had him killed. #GiveThanks

Teakwood is proven to be everlasting at this building. Beautiful carvings, structure and interior. Short visit, about 3 dollar entrance fee. To see such workmanship was enjoyable, hopefully will be maintained future generations. #Givethanks

Really enjoyed the grounds and interior. One of the most complete and beautiful temples with buddha statues and murals that have been saved. Recent UNESCO status will help save and protect such temples. Plan a visit her to be the highlight of bagan. #GiveThanks

Super-popping Bagan Stupa, large harvester Bagan in September is really hot, what makes us insist on walking barefoot on the hot floor? It is a love for photography! Bagan is hundreds of thousands of stupas, and its so beautiful to take pictures! It is characterized by severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the internal structure of various symmetrical pagodas can be instantly cured! The most popular are Dhammayan Gyi Temple and Ananda Temple, especially Dhammayan Gyi Temple, we even met photographers from abroad, with models Come here to take a wedding! Of course, we have been filming here for a few hours and still have not done it! tips: There are a lot of Bagan stupas. If you are a little bigger, you need tickets. You can choose the stupa according to your needs! In addition, the Burmese government has now banned the climbing of the stupa, because many pagodas are faltering after the earthquake, and there are incidents of casualties at the top of the stupa. Therefore, everyone is safe!

Take a horse-drawn carriage tour of Bagan's major stupas and watch a moving sunset to the city of Bagan, the city of Wanfo. What you can't miss is to take a horse-drawn carriage to visit the big stupas and then watch a sunset! We visited the Shwezigon Pagoda and the Htilominlo Temple, where many stupas were destroyed by the earthquake and are still being repaired, but it does not affect the visits of the people and the worship of the believers. ! At present, the Burmese government has banned the practice of climbing the stupa, so to watch the sunset, you can only go to a slightly higher slope! But fortunately, the sunset did not disappoint everyone! Drinking a can of Burmese beer against the beautiful sunset is a happy life! Tips Bagan has hundreds of thousands of stupas, big and small, everyone can visit according to their own preferences! The price of the carriage parade is also different from your business according to your route and price!