Myanmar Tours & Travel packages 2024 - 2025

Preparing for a new destination like Myanmar can be stressful. We recommend some essential things you need to know before your trip to this country.

Visa and passport

It is required that your passport must be valid for 6 months from the date of entry to Myanmar and you must have at least one blank visa page.

Myanmar visa exemption:

• Passport holders from these Southeast Asian countries can visit Myanmar without a visa for 2 weeks: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• Passport holders from Singapore can visit Myanmar without a visa for 30 days

Tourist visa to Myanmar has a length of stay of 28 days from the date of arrival to this country. Passport holders from 100 countries can apply for tourist e-visa. Don’t apply for your visa too early nor too late since it will take up to 2 weeks to process your application.

Passengers with e-visa can only enter Myanmar from three main ports: Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw International Airport.

Money

Kyat (pronounces ‘chat’) is the official currency of Myanmar, abbreviated as K. US Dollar is also accepted for larger transactions for hotels, luxury restaurants or flight tickets. If you bring more than US $10,000, you should declare the amounts to Myanmar’s arrival immigration.

Before the government reforms, some black markets in Myanmar such as the famous Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) offered a better exchange rate. But this is no longer the case, now you can exchange foreign currency at some national banks of major cities (Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, etc.) or at the airport. Remember that your US Dollar notes must be of the intact condition; any dirty note will not be accepted.

The exchange rate is fluctuating; so bring US Dollar along with the local currency to get the best value for your purchase.

There are plenty of ATMs around major tourist destinations in this country. Though there is no international bank in Myanmar, the local bank accepts international cards and the withdrawal fee is around K5000. If you intend to visit some rural places, bring some spare Kyat.

Phone & Internet Service

Several hotels and restaurants in Myanmar have wifi, but the internet speed is relatively slow. You can purchase a data package from Telenor and Ooredoo. Data packages are cheap in Myanmar (1.5GB for 7 days at K2,500). You can buy a SIM card at the airport or in some tourist destinations such as Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.

When purchasing a SIM Card, you should provide photocopies of passport photo page and Myanmar visa page, and a passport photo as well.

Getting around Myanmar

Taxis are accessible in big cities and the price is reasonable (around K1,000 per kilometer). Renting a car in Myanmar is the most convenient way to travel around certain areas.

Train is a romantic way to travel around this country. The train condition on Yangon to Mandalay route is cleaner than trains in rural areas.

Long-distance bus tickets can be purchased online or at the bus station. For popular bus routes such as Yangon to Bagan and Yangon to Mandalay, we recommend booking tickets in advance.

Land transportation are sometimes slow, so if you are lack of time, consider a flight for core routes such as Yangon to Mandalay or Yangon to Bagan. Tickets will be sold out quickly before Thingyan Water Festival, so buy tickets in advance if you want to attend the festival.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, used to be under the rule of an oppressive military regime and be a mystery to the outside world. Since the revolution in 2011, this sleeping beauty has been open for foreign trade and tourism. Nowadays, it is relatively safe and simple for foreign tourists to visit this country. Myanmar is an attractive tourist destination in Southeast Asia with numerous Buddhist architecture, pristine natural landscapes, and colorful Oriental culture. Here are four best places for your vacation in Myanmar.

Yangon – The garden of Orient

Yangon served as the capital city of Myanmar until 2006, when the government relocated the capital to Naypyidaw. With the population of around 7 million people, Yangon is the largest city in this country and it is the most important commercial center. Traveling to this ancient capital, travelers are amazed at its crystal-clear rivers, lush green tropical trees and cool shady parks. That is the reason why this city is proudly praised as ‘The Garden of Orient’. Yangon is also well-known for vibrant Buddhist pagodas, unique colonial architecture, delicious local specialties, and welcoming people.

Mandalay – The marvelous royal city

Located in the north of Myanmar, Mandalay piques travelers’ curiosity with a solemn allure of a bygone era. From the famous Kuthodaw Pagoda with splendid Buddhist scriptures carving on marble tablets, the breathtaking moat around the ancient Mandalay Palace, and the ancient capital Amarapura and Sagaing to the stunning Mandalay Hill where you can get the whole view of this city and the scenic Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay is a heaven for those who love to discover Burmese cultural heritage and fantastic landscapes. You will feel that your trip is too short to discover this enchanting city!

Bagan – The land of pagodas

With the massive system of 3000 temples and pagodas, Bagan is recognized as ‘The land of pagodas’ in Myanmar. Hot air balloons flying over the blue sky and above the charming pagodas which are surrounded by green trees – this is the signature beauty of Bagan that you cannot find anywhere else in the world! The ballooning season is from mid-October to mid-March when the weather is pleasant and the wind is calm. Don’t miss the ballooning experience when you visit this city. Bagan is also famous for its glorious sunrises and sunsets, which is a perfect spot for nature lovers and photographers.

Inle Lake – Fascinating wetlands ecosystem with skillful leg-rowing fishermen

Inle Lake, the second largest lake in Myanmar, is the ideal place for you to discover watery environment and the locals’ daily life. Leg-rowing fishermen in Inle Lake, which you can see from many travel magazines around the world, have become the iconic image of this destination. Visiting Inle Lake, you will be stunned at the Intha people who can expertly move their small wooden boats by rowing with one leg. You cannot find this unique fishing technique in any other fishing villages in the world!

In recent years, more and more people choose Myanmar as their holiday destination due to its uncommon charm and friendly local people. Once underrated on a list of Southeast Asia’s tourist destinations, nowadays Myanmar attracts thousands of tourists every year for its vibrant religious architecture, unspoiled nature, and rich culture. Here are our top picks for things to do in this exotic country.

Ride an air balloon in Bagan

If you ask what the most interesting activity in Myanmar that you can show off your friends is, it will be balloon experience in Bagan. The massive system of striking pagodas and stupas of this ‘Land of Pagoda’ is more mesmerizing when viewing from above. Riding a hot air balloon is a thrilling and magical experience; you will feel like you are floating in a breeze and immersed in a vibrant landscape of golden spires hidden in lush green trees. The best time for this experience is between mid-October and mid-March when the wind is calm. Floating in a colorful balloon, you can take many stunning panoramic photos which you cannot do when flying in a plane.

Hike the Mandalay Hill

Climbing Mandalay Hill for a panoramic view of the city is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, particularly at sunrise or sunset. The scenery becomes charmingly romantic when the last rays of sunrise hit the top of splendid Sutaungpyei Pagoda. There are cars and buses to get to the top of Mandalay Hill, but most visitors choose to conquer the 1729-step stairway. You can also talk to the Burmese monks here in English. Most of them are studying at the nearby Buddhist University and wish to study abroad in Thailand or India, so they are eager to improve their English proficiency.

Take a boat trip to Inle Lake

To get a glimpse of captivating local life on the lake, there is no better view than from a boat along some water villages here. These villages are the home to Intha people whose main livelihood is fishing. The most mesmerizing image you should capture on this lake is skillful leg-rowing fishermen who can expertly paddle flat-bottom boats with one leg and use the other leg to hold the boat. Traveling to Inle Lake, you will have a chance to visit amazing pagodas and monasteries rising above the water, bustling floating villages, unique stilt-house and enjoy amazing sunset view.

Walk across the U Bein Bridge

U Bein Bridge, with the length of 1.2 kilometers, is the longest teak bridge in the world. It crosses Taungthaman Lake to link two suburban areas of Mandalay. Monks and local residents often walk or bike over the bridge. Walking the bridge, or taking a boat to watch people passing on the bridge is a memorable experience when visiting Mandalay. U Bein Bridge has become one of the most popular photography sites in Myanmar, especially before sunset when lighting is the best here. The amazing thing about sunset at U Bein Bridge is that you can catch different colors of the scenery: sometimes oranges, sometimes vibrant red or violet.

Retreat your soul at some Buddhist pagodas

Listed in top 10 Buddhist countries of the world, Myanmar is the home to a lot of majestic pagodas, temples, shrines, monasteries, and stupas. Traveling to Myanmar, you can refresh, find peace for your soul and detach yourself from your bustling life in some solemn Buddhist sites here. Most popular religious attractions in Myanmar are Shwedagon Temple in Yangon, Maha Muni in Mandalay and Shwezigon Golden Temple in Bagan.