1 Day in Yangon – Myanmar

How to spend 1 day in Yangon? Yangon is known as Myanmar’s biggest city and also served as the capital until 2006. The city stands on the east bank of the oceanic River Yangon, about 30km from the Andaman Sea. If you have plenty of time to travel to Myanmar, you should spend at least one day in Yangon exploring its blend of classical Asian and Western architecture, the sparkling Golden temple, the slow pace of life,… that you will definitely not find anywhere but your unforgettable one day trip to Myanmar.

Best time to explore Yangon

Yangon is famous for its tropical monsoonal climate including two main seasons: dry season and rainy season. The dry season is also divided into a stage of cooler weather and a prolonged inning of very hot climate.

The best time to explore Yangon lasts from mid- December to mid- February, known as the period of dry and sunny weather. By the second half of February, it’s certainly hot but it often gets cool or even cold at night in domestic areas. If you make your decision to spend one day in Yangon this time, you will have a chance to swim, sunbathe and enjoy the breeze while the weather remains pleasant, at any period of the day.

Best places to visit in 1 day in Yangon

Shwedagon Pagoda

The Shwedagon Pagoda is a large symbol of Myanmar, the wonder of the world and one of the most attractive destinations for both domestic and foreign travellers. This 2500 year-old temple has been renovated many times to serve tourism activities and legend has it that this place was born before the death of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Around the temple are preserved many Buddhist treasures. Typically, there are four sacred articles of Buddhism: the stick of the Buddha’s Exalted Buddha, the Water Filter of Buddha’s Jaw, a piece of Buddha Ca Lettuce and eight hair of Shakyamuni Buddha. The whole temple is covered with a thin layer of gold so that when the sun is shining, this place becomes surprisingly glistening.

Shwedagon Pagoda is open from 4am – 10pm daily. The pagoda is very crowded with Buddhist pilgrims, as well as visitors visiting in the afternoon. This is considered a wonderful place to watch the sunrise and sunset that you definitely don’t want to miss on your one day trip to Yangon.

Sule Pagoda

After Shewdagon Pagoda, the second temple you must see on your one day trip to Yangon should be the Sule Pagoda. There is no single reason why you should not visit the Sule Pagoda, especially when during your one-day trip to Yangon, you will probably come across because its location is right on the main route toward the city center.

This temple is surrounded by many other special works that when you take a view from above, you can imagine it as a precious crown with natural unique landscapes. At Sule Pagoda, you can also discover up to 10 large bells placed in many different locations and large footprints made of marble, which are silhouetted on the base of the temple.

Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple

This temple is located right to the North of the Kandawgyi Park and famous for its giant 65m-long (217ft) reclining Buddha image. This statue has a view towards the East and has its face facing the South. Both of the statue’s eyes are large and made from very special imported glass. The toenails and hands of the statue are painted red to make it stand out. Right at the foot of this Buddha is decorated with a lot of sacred Buddhist symbols (about 108 in quantity).

In addition, there are 8 temples in the grounds corresponding to 8 days of the week, according to the astronomy of Asia (the 4th is separated into 2 days). Local residents often come to pray at the temple corresponding to their birthdays.

Yangon’s brilliant Old Town

This is a beautiful highlight of Yangon city, which any visitor will wish to find and feel with their eyes when traveling to Myanmar. If you are also a fan of the indigenous tourism and love to explore street life during your one day trip to Yangon, you will appear to be obsessively infatuated by the colorful rows of synchronously built houses. They merged into a series of neatly-built streets and its classical British architecture shows intact at the detail of the iron balcony protruding from each floor. The old town is also numbered and planned well to help you walk freely without worrying about getting lost- how wonderful this must-visit town is!

Kandawgyi Lake

Located East of the Shwedagon Pagoda, Kandawgyi Lake (Royal Lake) was artificially created during British colonial times. It belongs to the beautiful Kandawgyi National Park right in the heart of Yangon and widely known as an ideal place to find the most peaceful, quiet moments and to get away from all the noise.

Beautiful lake landscape stays glorious at any time of the day. Even so, the most beloved landscape is still the sunset when the sky tranforms into variety of impressive colors.

Bogyoke Aung San Market

Located on Bogyoke street, this market, formerly known as Scott Market, is a relic of British imperialism in Yangon. Coming here, besides admiring the market’s architecture and history, visitors can also buy many beautiful handmade souvenirs such as jewelry, carpets, paintings, wooden carvings,…

You can also enjoy delicious foods in the market at any time of the day on your one day trip to Yangon; however, you should keep in mind that the market is closed around 5pm.

Best things to do in town

Take a ride around Yangon on Circle Line Train

If you don’t want to spend too much time strolling around Yangon, you should go to the Central Yangon train station on Kun Chan Road and board the train to travel around the city. From the train, you will have the opportunity to see the whole city and the daily life of the locals on your 1 day in Yangon.

The journey by train costs about 3 hours to go around Yangon and often takes less than half a day for your returning to the city center.

Try Mohinga fish noodle soup

This is a popular dish in Myanmar, which usually be consumed at breakfast but tourists can find restaurants in Yangon selling this dish all day. The main ingredients of this special mohinga include: chickpea powder or roasted rice, garlic, red onion, lemongrass, banana, ginger, fish sauce, fish sauce and catfish cooked in the rich gravy and served with warm sauce in a cauldron.

Visit Yangon’s Chinatown

Every Chinatown in different countries contains dissimilar interesting things. There is also a Chinatown in Yangon that you should definitely take your time to visit. In addition to feeling the lifestyles of the citizens here, you can also enjoy countless attractive dishes. There are several points of interesting comparison with the Chinatowns that you’ve arrived before.

The best time to discover this place is in the evening. You can feel the lively space of the neighborhood and take a look at the aromatic food shops- such wonderful activities to take at the end of your 1 day in Yangon.

Arrive to typical “Myanmar style” restaurants and bars

Myanmar cuisine is a blend of Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisine. Street food actually brings you no choice but greasy fried foods. That’s why you’d better make your decision to come to a restaurant or a bar. Here are some typical “Myanmar style” restaurants and bars that you should try during your one day trip to Yangon:

Gekko Bar & Cafe:

This is an interesting destination for any visitor who would like to sip with a few beers and have headless conversations in the late afternoon on your 1 day in Yangon.

Yangon Tea House:

If you’re a fan of classic milk tea drinks, this is the place for you. Take your time to enjoy a cup of specialty milk tea and try rich dishes from the restaurant’s abundant menu. Here you will also find true Myanmar flavor in the most modern way.

Some notes for travelling to Yangon:

• When going to any temple grounds in Yangon, you must always go barefoot. Therefore, do not forget to bring a small plastic bag to keep your shoes with you. In addition, you need to pay special attention to the dress issue. You should not wear open-top shirts, chest open shirts, skirt or short pants above knees when entering any religious site. There is no exception of long maxi skirt but thin chiffon material.
• You should bring lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella, comfortable shoes and sunblocks. You can also add a light jacket or a sweater for cooler evenings in Yangon.

Read more:

• 3 or 4 days in Myanmar
• 5 days in Myanmar
• 6 days in Myanmar
• Unforgettable experience in Myanmar