Yangon, Myanmar: travel guide
Myanmar's largest city and former capital, where gilded colonial-era architecture meets the golden spires of Shwedagon Pagoda — the country's most sacred site — amid a chaotic, charming urban energy.
- Country
- Myanmar
- Currency
- MMK
- Time zone
- Asia/Rangoon
- Nearest airport
- RGN
Top places to visit in Yangon
Shwedagon Pagoda
Temple · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · entry MMK 10,000
Myanmar's most sacred Buddhist site — a 98-metre gilded stupa crowned with 4,500 diamonds and 2,000 rubies, dominating Yangon's skyline for over 2,500 years. Especially magical at dusk when the gold glows deep orange.
Bogyoke Aung San Market
Market · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h
Yangon's iconic covered bazaar — built in 1926 as Scott Market — packed with over 2,000 stalls selling lacquerware, gemstones, jade, longyi fabric, silver jewellery, puppets, and fine Burmese handicrafts.
Sule Pagoda
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h · entry MMK 3,000
A 48-metre golden stupa at the very heart of downtown Yangon, said to be 2,500 years old and containing a hair of the Buddha. Sitting in a busy traffic roundabout, it anchors the historic city grid laid out by the British.
Kandawgyi Lake & Nature Park
Nature · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h · entry MMK 2,000
A large natural lake in central Yangon offering beautiful views of Shwedagon Pagoda's reflection on the water. The ornate Karaweik Palace — a royal barge replica — floats on the eastern bank.
Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple
Temple · 4.6 rating · about 1 h
Home to one of Myanmar's largest reclining Buddhas — a 66-metre giant with intricate detailing and bejewelled golden sandals — housed in a large open-sided pavilion. Far less touristed than Shwedagon yet equally impressive.
Yangon Circular Train
Activity · 4.2 rating · about 3 h · entry MMK 200
A 3-hour loop on the colonial-era Yangon Circular Railway — one of Asia's great slow-travel experiences, rattling through urban neighbourhoods, paddy fields, and markets as locals commute with vegetables, chickens, and street food.
National Museum of Myanmar
Museum · 4.0 rating · about 1.5 h · entry MMK 5,000
Yangon's principal museum displaying the Regalia of the Last Burmese Kings, the Royal Lion Throne, ancient coins, traditional costumes, musical instruments, and natural history exhibits across six floors.
Botataung Pagoda
Temple · about 0.8 h
Yangon Central Railway Station
Heritage · about 0.3 h
The Secretariat (Yangon)
Heritage · about 0.3 h
Maha Wizaya Pagoda
Temple · about 0.5 h
Yangon Chinatown Night Market
Market · about 1 h
Things to do
- Shwedagon Pagoda Evening Guided Tour Cultural · 2.5 h · from MMK 39,700 per person
- Colonial Heritage Walking Tour Historical Tour · 3 h · from MMK 33,100 per person
- Yangon Street Food Night Walk Food Tour · 2.5 h · from MMK 48,500 per person
- Yangon Circular Railway Half-Day Sightseeing · 3 h · from MMK 17,600 per person
- Kandawgyi Lake Sunrise Cycling Cycling · 2 h · from MMK 26,500 per person
Day trips and tours
- Yangon Heritage & Food Full Day 12 h · from MMK 106,000
- Yangon Nature & Local Life Half Day 5 h · from MMK 48,500
Where to stay in Yangon
- Downtown & Colonial Quarter about MMK 6,500 per night
Yangon's atmospheric riverside core — walkable to Sule Pagoda, the Strand waterfront and the city's best colonial buildings. The density of restaurants, cafes and heritage hotels makes this ideal for first-time visitors.
- Shwedagon & Dagon about MMK 9,500 per night
The upscale residential belt surrounding the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda. Quieter and greener than downtown with good mid-range and luxury hotels. Short taxi ride to the colonial core.
Hotels
- The Strand Yangon 5-star · MMK 250,000 to MMK 600,000 per night
- Governor's Residence 5-star · MMK 180,000 to MMK 450,000 per night
- Savoy Hotel Yangon 4-star · MMK 80,000 to MMK 180,000 per night
- Classique Inn Yangon 3-star · MMK 25,000 to MMK 50,000 per night
- Pan Pacific Yangon 5-star · MMK 100,000 to MMK 250,000 per night
- Kandawgyi Palace Hotel 5-star · MMK 120,000 to MMK 320,000 per night
Where to eat
- 999 Shan Noodle House Shan, Burmese · about MMK 2,000 per person
- Feel Myanmar Food Burmese, Shan · about MMK 7,000 per person
- Rangoon Tea House Burmese, Fusion · about MMK 8,000 per person
- Aung Thukha Restaurant Burmese · about MMK 3,500 per person
- The Strand Grill Continental, Burmese · about MMK 50,000 per person
- House of Memories Burmese · about MMK 15,000 per person
- Le Planteur French, Fusion · about MMK 45,000 per person
- Padonmar Restaurant Burmese · about MMK 18,000 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Safety and scams to avoid
Taxi overcharging at Yangon Airport
Yangon International Airport arrivals hall
Unofficial taxi touts approach arrivals and quote inflated fares (sometimes 5–10x the fair price). They may claim the meter is broken or that the real taxi stand is far away.
How to avoid it: Use Grab (the app pre-installed before landing) or join the official taxi queue outside arrivals. Fair airport rate to downtown is 8,000–12,000 MMK.
Gem shop commission trap
Downtown Yangon, near Bogyoke Market and colonial quarter
A friendly local "student" or "government worker" strikes up a conversation, eventually steering you to a gem shop where they earn a commission on anything you buy. The goods are often low-quality or overpriced.
How to avoid it: Politely decline any offer to take you shopping. Legitimate gems should be bought from licensed Gems Museum shops or established jewellers with receipts.