Must-see attractions in Myanmar (Burma)

  • The reflection of Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

    Shwedagon Paya

    Yangon

    One of Buddhism's most sacred sites, the 326ft zedi (stupa) here is adorned with 27 metric tons of gold leaf, along with thousands of diamonds and other…

  • View over the moat of Mandalay Palace to Mandalay Hill with its many temples; Shutterstock ID 241383850; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
241383850

    Mandalay Hill

    Mandalay

    To get a sense of Mandalay’s pancake-flat sprawl, climb the 760ft hill that breaks it. The walk up covered stairways on the hill's southern slope is a…

  • The top of Mat Ma Taung, Mount Victoria mountain.

    Mt Victoria

    Chin State

    The highest peak in Chin State – 10,016ft – and the third-highest in Myanmar, stunning Mt Victoria is one of the principal attractions of southern Chin…

  • The golden buddha of Mahamuni Paya.

    Mahamuni Paya

    Mandalay

    Every day, thousands of colourfully dressed faithful venerate Mahamuni's 13ft-tall seated buddha, a nationally celebrated image that’s popularly believed…

  • Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha in Bago, Myanmar.

    Shwethalyaung Buddha

    Myanmar (Burma)

    Following the destruction of Bago in 1757, this huge reclining buddha was overgrown by jungle and not rediscovered until 1881, when a contractor unearthed…

  • Myanmar, Burma, Yangon, Rangoon, Kandawgyi Lake, Shwedagon Pagoda

    Kandawgyi Lake

    Yangon

    Also known as Royal Lake, this artificial lake built by the British as a reservoir is most attractive at sunset, when the glittering Shwedagon Paya is…

  • The statue of Statue of King Anawratha and the exterior of National Museum of Myanmar.

    National Museum (Yangon)

    Yangon

    Even though the museum's collection is poorly labelled and often badly lit, the treasures that lie within this cavernous building deserve a viewing. The…

  • The heart shaped lake of Rih Dil at Rikhawdar, Myanmar.

    Rih Lake

    Chin State

    This small, heart-shaped lake has huge spiritual significance for the Mizo people, who inhabit both sides of the nearby Myanmar–India border. Rih Lake…

  • Shwemawdaw pagoda, Bago, Myanmar.

    Shwemawdaw Paya

    Myanmar (Burma)

    A zedi (stupa) of washed-out gold in the midday haze and glittering perfection in the evening, the 374ft-high Shwemawdaw Paya lords it over Bago. At the…

  • Mya Kyauk Kyaung at Yankin Hill, Mandalay.

    Yankin Hill

    Mandalay

    Staring distantly towards Mandalay Palace, temple-topped Yankin Hill is worth climbing for views of greater Mandalay's rice-field setting and of the Shan…

  • Maha Bodhi Tataung

    Myanmar (Burma)

    If you're a fan of garden gnomes, you're going to love this place! The name of this vast hillside buddha-rama translates as '1000 buddhas'. In reality…

  • Footbridge Ubein Teakwood. Connects Amarapura To A Pagoda On The Other Side Of The Lake. Myanmar. (Photo by: EyeOn/UIG via Getty Images)

    U-Bein Bridge

    Myanmar (Burma)

    The world’s longest teak footbridge gently curves 1300yd across shallow Taungthaman Lake, creating one of Myanmar’s most photographed sites. In dry season…

  • Chaukhtatgyi Paya, reclining Buddha in Yangon, Myanmar.

    Chaukhtatgyi Paya

    Yangon

    Housed in a large metal-roofed shed, this beautiful 215ft-long reclining buddha is larger than a similar and better-known image in Bago. The statue's…

  • Secretariat

    Yangon

    After many years of being off limits, this spectacular red-brick complex, which takes up a 16-acre block and was once the British seat of government for…

  • the Bagaya Kyaung monastery, entirely built in teak, characterized by wooden beams and panels inlaid and decorated with figures of gods and myths, Bagan, Myanmar; Shutterstock ID 1119025109; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
1119025109

    Bagaya Kyaung

    Myanmar (Burma)

    This lovely 1834 teak monastery is Inwa’s most memorable individual attraction. It's supported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60ft high and 9ft in…

  • The Shwe In Bin Monastery, the old teakwood sculpture temple in Mandalay, Myanmar.

    Shwe In Bin Kyaung

    Mandalay

    A meditative departure from the usual Burmese 'douse-it-all-in-gold-and-pastels' aesthetic, this gorgeously carved teak monastery is beloved by tourists…

  • The Budda sculpture in Ngahtatgyi Paya, Yangon, Myanmar.

    Ngahtatgyi Paya

    Yangon

    One of Yangon's, if not Myanmar's, most gorgeous buddha images is this 46ft-tall one at the Ngahtatgyi Paya, sitting in calm gold-and-white repose and…

  • Hpo Win Daung Complex

    Myanmar (Burma)

    One of Monywa's biggest attractions, this rural complex of 492 buddha chambers was carved into a limestone hillside between the 14th and 18th centuries…

  • Thanboddhay Paya

    Myanmar (Burma)

    This colourful, modern temple is famed for its staggering number of buddha images as well as its carnivalesque exterior, with a unique roof layered with…

  • Shwe Ba Taung

    Myanmar (Burma)

    Some 650m beyond the restaurants and souvenir stands of Hpo Win 'village' lies Shwe Ba Taung, a smaller, contrastingly different set of 46 cave chambers…

  • Meilamu Paya

    Yangon

    Situated next to the Nga Moe Yeik creek, this Disneyland-ish pagoda is a hoot. Larger-than-life 3D stucco depictions of the Buddha's life and practice…

  • Ancient Stupas

    Myanmar (Burma)

    A Myint is a charmingly unspoiled riverside village dominated by a series of 336 higgledy-piggledy ancient stupas in varying stages of collapse. All are…

  • Marble Workshops

    Mandalay

    Lining the Sagaing–Mandalay road, just southeast of Mahamuni Paya, is workshop after workshop (an estimated 75 in total) where you can see (or purchase,…

  • Stupa at Botataung Paya.

    Botataung Paya

    Yangon

    Botataung’s spacious riverfront location and lack of crowds give it a more down-to-earth spiritual feeling than Shwedagon. Its most original feature is…

  • Temples of Bagan

    Shwesandaw Paya & Around

    Myanmar (Burma)

    Set atop a hill in the town centre, the stunning Shwesandaw Paya (and the surrounding pagodas and monasteries) is not only Pyay’s major point of interest,…

  • Main road in Siang Sawn Village

    Siang Sawn

    Chin State

    This rather strange, impeccably tidy village is an oddity in that it follows its own religion despite its proximity to heavily Christian Tiddim. In fact,…

  • Shwemokhtaw Paya

    Myanmar (Burma)

    This centuries-old golden stupa looms over Pathein like a glittering beacon. The hti (stupa pinnacle) consists of a topmost layer made from 14lb of solid…

  • Sule pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

    Sule Paya

    Yangon

    Not many cities have a primary traffic circle occupied by a 2200-year-old golden temple. This 46m zedi (stupa), said to be older than Shwedagon Paya, is…

  • Sunset at wall of Mandalay palace

    Mandalay Palace

    Mandalay

    The 1990s reconstruction of Mandalay's royal palace features more than 40 timber buildings constructed to resemble the 1850s originals. Climb the curious…

  • View of Mahabandoola Gardens

    Mahabandoola Garden

    Yangon

    A green breathing space in the heart of downtown Yangon, this park provides lovely views of surrounding heritage buildings, including City Hall, the High…

  • View of Uppatasanti Paya

    Uppatasanti Paya

    Myanmar (Burma)

    An act of merit-making by General Than Shwe and his wife, this 321ft-tall golden pagoda – 1ft smaller than Yangon’s Shwedagon Paya – is impressive from…

  • Mount Popa and Taung Kalat of the Mandalay Region, Myanmar. On the foothills of the mountain you will find this beautiful temple perched high up on a hill.

    Popa Taung Kalat Temple

    Myanmar (Burma)

    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…

  • Jade stones and jewelry at the Jade Market, Mandalay, Myanmar.

    Jade Market

    Mandalay

    Rock dust and cheroot smoke fill the air in this heaving grid of cramped walkways, where you'll find a mass of jade traders haggling, hawking and…

  • Elephant fountain, People's Park, Yangon, Myanmar

    People's Park

    Yangon

    Notable for its splendid views of the western side of Shwedagon Paya, this well-tended park offers plenty of pleasant features, such as flower gardens and…

  • Mother Spirit of Popa Nat Shrine

    Myanmar (Burma)

    Before climbing Popa Taung Kalat, drop by the tiger-guarded shrine in the village at the foot of the mountain (just across from the steps guarded by…

  • Buddha statue at Ta Moke Shwe Gu Gyi Pagoda.

    Ta Moke Shwe Gu Gyi

    Myanmar (Burma)

    Located northwest of Kyaukse, this enormous temple complex, once buried underground, but since excavated, is a fascinating historic site, but its…

  • Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue in Yangon.

    Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue

    Yangon

    All the traditional features of a synagogue are present in this superbly maintained 1896 building: the bimah (platform holding the reading table for the…

  • Walls of citadel which contains Mandalay Royal Palace, Mandalay, Myanmar

    Moat & Fortress Walls

    Mandalay

    Viewable only from the outside, a 230ft-wide moat and well over 4 miles of crenellated 26ft-high walls form a vast square around the site of the former…

  • Myanmar Treasure Hotel

    Inya Lake

    Yangon

    Inya Lake, created by the British as a reservoir in 1883, is Yangon's largest artificial body of water. The best spots from which to view the lake are the…

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