Best of Myanmar: Top 4 Places to Visit in 1 Week

7 Day Myanmar Itinerary: Top 4 Destinations

In Country Guides & Itineraries, Myanmar by Sheena10 Comments

Experience the best of Myanmar in 1 week! There’s a lot to see & do but if you’re short on time, check out our 7 day Myanmar itinerary & discover the top 4 places to visit!

Contents

7 Day Myanmar Itinerary

  • #1. Yangon

Most visitors will touchdown at Yangon International Airport & dive head-first into Myanmar’s largest & most chaotic city!

* Don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before any trip to Myanmar. We’ve been using World Nomads for over 10 years – it’s the best-value provider we’ve found but there are important things to consider.

For more details check out our World Nomads review.

All the action is located in Downtown Yangon where the streets are crammed with markets & bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Street hawkers sell everything under the sun while food vendors prepare the tastiest local food in all of the country.

There are few, if any, skyscrapers or fast-food chains, but the noise & sight of construction is everywhere.

We feel that Yangon is Asia at its most authentic – but it’s also where globalisation seems both inevitable and a long way away.

Eight-storey apartment block

The eight-storey apartment block is a characteristic of Yangon architecture

For some peace & serenity, head straight to the dazzling Shwedagon Pagoda. This is a must-visit places on every Myanmar itinerary

This is the true heart & soul of Yangon, where you’ll find Buddhist worshippers mingling in harmony with foreign tourists. It’s one of the most unforgettable highlights of Myanmar.

Other Yangon attractions include:

  • Sule Paya
  • Bogyoke Aung San Museum
  • Aung San Suu Kyi’s House

Tour options:

* 1-2 Days are recommended in Yangon

Free Things to do in Yangon

From temples & museums to markets & lakes, there are many free things to do in Yangon – find out the top 10 attractions in the Myanmar’s largest city

Read more

Put Shwedagon Pagoda on your Myanmar Itinerary

  • #2. Inle Lake

From Yangon, take a night bus to Nyaung-Shwe or fly into Heho, both of which are gateways into Inle Lake.

Hire a longtail boat for a full-day tour of Inle lake & visit numerous villages & temples.

A typical tour should include visits to:

  • Ywama Village – silversmith workshop
  • Indian Village – market, ethnic tribes, Shwe Indein Pagoda
  • Paper & Umbrella-making workshop
  • Lotus weaving centre
  • Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
  • Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, aka Jumping Cat Monastery
  • Cheroot workshop

There’s a lot to see & do but nothing beats the beauty & tranquility of simply being on the lake.

Inle Lake Traditional Fisherman

See a traditional Intha fisherman on your Inle Lake, Myanmar Itinerary

The Intha people reside along the 4 villages surrounding Inle Lake.

Most men in this ethnic Tibetan-Burmese group are self-sufficient farmers and fishermen, tending to floating gardens and catching fish to sustain their livelihoods.

The traditional fishermen practice a local technique, casting out their nets while standing at the stern on one leg and draping the other leg around the oar – it’s something you won’t see anywhere else.

On a finest day on Inle Lake, they’ll be blue skies & white puffy clouds above a backdrop of rolling hills, reflecting onto the calm, shimmery water.

Tour option: Inle Lake Sunset Boat Ride

* 1 full day is recommended to tour Inle Lake

Inle Lake Boat Tour

Hire a longtail boat for an Inle Lake tour of Myanmar’s most famous lake – with villages & temples, find out the top things to do in Inle Lake

Read more

A Perfect Longtail Boat Tour of Inle Lake

  • #3. Mandalay

Take a bus or flight from Inle Lake to Mandalay.

We arranged our accommodation as we traveled around Myanmar but if you prefer to book in advance check out Hostelworld or try staying with locals through Couchsurfing.

Be warned that Mandalay is intensely hot and humid for much of the year but it’s is also refreshingly laid-back and relaxed – which is why we think that Mandalay is better than Yangon 🙂

Mandalay was old Burma’s last royal capital, with King Mindon founding the city around the vast grounds of the Royal Palace. Many outstanding monuments around the Palace were also commissioned by the King.

A Mandalay Archaeological Zone combo ticket (10,000 kyat / $10.00 in 2014) is required for the following sites:

  • Atumashi Kyaung
  • Cultural Museum Mandalay
  • Kuthodaw Paya
  • Mahamuni Paya
  • Mandalay Palace
  • Paleik Paya
  • Shwenandaw Kyaung
  • Entrance to the ancient cities of nearby Amarapura and Inwa
Shwenandaw Kyaung

Shwenandaw Kyaung – a masterpiece of teak wood architecture in Mandalay

Before being transferred to Mandalay for the last time, the capitals of Myanmar were rotated between the cities of Amarapura, Sagaing and Inwa.

These places should be included on any Mandalay itinerary – they can be visited on a full-day trip from Mandalay, by tour or private taxi hire.

Always be aware of pickpockets in Myanmar. We recommend wearing a money belt with RFID blocking& traveling with an anti-theft daypack.

Check out Lonely Planet for more travel inspiration in Mandalay and the rest of Myanmar.

* 2-3 days is recommended in Mandalay & the surrounding region

Things to do in Mandalay

The Mandalay Archaeological Zone ticket covers all the things to do in Mandalay – find out what’s included & see for yourself which temples are worth visiting

Read more

Things to See & Do in Mandalay Archaeological Zone

  • #4. Bagan

Save the best for last at Bagan – travel from Mandalay by plane, bus or boat.

If you liked Borobodur or Angkor Wat, you’ll be amazed by the 1000 year-old history of Bagan.

It’s the largest ancient temple complex in Asia and arguably the most impressive.

Spread across a vast 42 km sq plain are some 2,000 to 4,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas & monasteries – check out this wonderful Bagan photo diary.

Some of the best temples in Bagan are:

  • Shwesandaw Paya
  • Thatbyinnyu Pahto
  • Manuka Paya
  • Gawdawpalin Pahto
  • Sulamani Pahto
  • Ananda Pahto
  • Dhammayangyi Pahto
Myanmar Bagan Temples

The scale of Bagan is incomparable

The main temples are grouped close together but walking around Bagan isn’t practical, especially under the scorching sun.

Instead, take a tour by car or horse-cart or get around Bagan by e-bike or bicycle.

There’s a lot to see & do at Bagan but don’t miss climbing to the top of a pagoda for sunrise, sunset or both.  

Tour options:

* 1-3 Days are recommended in Bagan

Bagan Budget Travel Guide

Bagan is the largest ancient temple complex in Asia and arguably the most impressive – learn about it’s 1000 year-old history & what to expect when visiting

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It Began in Bagan History & Travel Guide

Know Before You Go

Yangon, Inle Lake, Manday & Bagan are the top 4 places that belong on every 7 Day Myanmar Itinerary.

If you have more time, check out our ultimate Myanmar Destination Guide!

Did you enjoy reading Top 4 Places to Visit in Myanmar? 

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Places to Visit in Myanmar

Top 4 Places to Visit in Myanmar

*** The Final Word – Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay & Bagan are the 4 most popular destinations in Myanmar that you can visit in a fast & furious 7 days! ***

What’s your favorite place in Myanmar?

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Visited in May 2014

Comments

  1. What a unique destination! Looks beautiful and has lots of things to learn about and do. I would love to learn how to make an umbrella! Pinning for future reference.

  2. I will never have the chance to travel and visit so seeing it through your eyes is great.

  3. We had our honeymoon in Burma (before they changed the name to Myanmar). I loved the serenity of Inle and hope the recent earthquake didn’t effect the temples in Bagan too bad. Looking forward to visiting again, this time with the kids.

  4. Aww Amazing! I am of Burmese decent and have never been. This has made we get the itch to go!

  5. Really stunning blog about Myanmar! very inspiring! I would love to visit the 1000-year-old history of Bagan and the largest ancient temple in Asia.

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