Along with Inle Lake, Bagan is the most visited tourist destination in Myanmar. And witness just one sunrise in this magical ancient city and you’ll likely join the majority of travelers that claim Bagan is the best destination in all of Myanmar. But like much of Myanmar, Bagan has little tourist infrastructure & this leaves many lost in the dark (literally) when looking for the perfect sunrise location. Let me be your Bagan travel guide.
This Bagan travel guide will help you find your perfect perch for sunrise, sample some of the tastiest Burmese cuisine, stay in one of the best hostels in Myanmar and see some of the lesser-known attractions in the UNESCO-Heritage city.
For starters, the best attractions are spread out across three regions- Old Bagan, New Bagan, & Nyaung U. And there are lots of them. So unless you plan on staying for a week or more you will have to pick and choose what appeals most to you.
The Magic of Bagan
As the pink sun peeks out from behind ancient crumbling stupas casting a golden glow across the dusty green valley– you’ll understand why Bagan is the most popular destination in Myanmar.
With ruins I personally find more appealing than the world-renowned temples at Angkor Wat, you’ll feel like a real Indiana Jones off-roading your E-Bike in the sand & trying to find the perfect sunrise vantage point.
It’s a rare chance to get off the beaten track and feel like an explorer. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of tourists here–but there are thousands of stupas scattered over miles of isolated dirt paths.
It’s not difficult to find one to call your own.
What is difficult however is finding a stupa that you are allowed to climb. But we’ll get to that a little later.
Even if you aren’t a history or architecture nerd the landscape that these 1,100-year-old stupas create is out of this world. & it’s free to visit. Well, almost free.
Ancient City Entrance Fee
Bagan is a UNESCO-Heritage recognized site. This, generally speaking, means that things get exponentially more expensive here in exchange for amenities such as recycling programs, clean streets, and lots of funds donated for “preservation” of the area. Overall, it’s great for the city.
Instead of charging you an entrance fee for each temple you visit you’ll be charged one large entrance fee when you enter the city.
It costs $17.50 per person to enter.
The ticket is valid for 5 days & it allows you to enter all the temples & stupas your little heart desires. This is a steal especially considering the $35 price tag on Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
You should keep your ticket on you at all times. We were never asked to show our tickets, but we met many people who were at random security checkpoints. These mainly occurred at the largest temples.
Getting Around
There’s only one way to get around in Bagan. E-Bike.
Every hostel, hotel, and guesthouse is fully equipped with these silent electronic scooters. I’m guessing UNESCO had something to do with this.
They look the same as any scooter you would rent in Asia, the main difference is the lower speeds, less power, and of course the benefit of a peacefully silent motor.
The E-bikes are $7 for a day or $3.50 for a morning or sunset ride.
The roads in Bagan are paved and empty. It’s a great place to learn to ride a scooter if you never have. Many of the temples require some off-roading but you can always park your scooter and walk if you aren’t confident in the sand.
Finding Your Sunrise Spot
This is the trickiest part about planning your visit to Bagan. Mostly because acceptable sunrise spots are changing constantly.
Why?
Everyone wants the view of the lush green valley filtered with gold and pink sunrise light behind the ancient stupas. & it’s best seen from above.
Bagan is a very flat region, so to photograph the landscape you have to get up high. Which means climbing up the stupas.
Previously, as long as you were shoeless and sockless climbing almost all the stupas was permitted. But with the increase in tourism, regulations changed. Some claim it is because of the religious significance of the ruins, some say the tourists were damaging the pagodas in their efforts to find just the right shot, and some say a few tourists too many plunged off the side of the crumbling domes.
Whatever the real reason is….it’s much more difficult to find a stupa you are allowed to climb that day.
I highly recommend you download Maps.Me. It’s an offline map that users have helpfully labeled things like “Temple with roof access” or “Closed January 2019″.
If you use blogs to try & locate the prime spot make sure you note when they were published. Every month new spots are being closed off to the public for preservation. It’s likely eventually they will have one or two designated sunrise spots with the rest being off-limits to travelers.
My Tips for Finding a Sunrise Spot
- Scout out locations the day before. It’s pitch dark when you set out for sunrise so it’s best to already have a spot in mind.
- My favorite spot was labeled “Place of Worship” it’s located between Old Bagan & New Bagan on Maps.Me & is shown to be near a lake. (There is no lake in actuality.)
- Head to a new spot every day for sunrise & sunset. Try to find your own. That’s the most sure-fire way to get a viewpoint to yourself. We stayed 3 days and wished we had time for one more.
- Don’t climb any super large stupas & always take off your socks and shoes. A little respect goes a long way.
- Try to find a spot near where the balloons fly overhead. The iconic Bagan hot air balloons come quite close to the ground in places & make for some stunning sunrise shots.
We found our own spots for sunrise but one evening for sunset we saw a local making his way across the green fields with a ladder & followed him. Sure enough, he propped it up against a stupa & helped us and a few other tourists up. For a small price that is.
If it’s getting close to sunrise & you’re still scavenging for a spot you can always pay a local to show you to one. Many locals have capitalized on the lost tourists & wake up very early to show you the way. A few dollars is all they ask.
Where to Stay in Bagan
There’s plenty of options in all three of the Bagan adjacent areas but one particular budget accommodation really stood out.
Ostello Bello Hostel
We didn’t stay here unfortunately. But we had several friends that did & they gave GLOWING reviews. Killer breakfast, laid-back vibe, super cheap, & just overall an amazing place to stay. There are two Ostello Bello hostels located in New Bagan. The one with the pool is known for a quieter atmosphere.
We on the other hand had our worst hostel experience in Myanmar here in Bagan. We were awakened in the night because of a bedbug scare in one of the adjacent rooms & then the owner decided to bug bomb the room we were all sound asleep in. Needless to say we all awoke coughing & rushed to fresh air outside in the middle of the night.
Best Food in Bagan
Food in Bagan was not difficult to find. Most restaurants are a blend of Western and Burmese cuisine so if you have been a little iffy on the food in Myanmar thus far…this is the city for you. These were our three favorite restaurants.
TS Bagan (Nyaung U)
If you want Burmese food this is the place to be. Authentic local cuisine with the cheapest prices in the area, but also a touch of class with excellent table service and a big pitcher of cool fresh water.
They also give you these AMAZING fresh made local candies for dessert after your meal. Slightly sweet, slightly sour…made possibly from tamarind.
Little Bit of Bagan (Nyaung U)
This is a little more on the western side of the tracks in comparison. Great food but slightly pricier.
Aroma 2 (Nyaung U)
Looking for some killer Indian food? Defintely give this place a whirl. Perfect for a nice evening meal after a full day of exploring.
Attractions in Bagan
Visit Hundreds of Ancient Temples & Stupas in Old Bagan
This is why you’re here after all. 1,100-year-old temples crumble in various states of decay after years of wear & earthquakes. There are literally thousands of stupas. The best way to see them is to rent an E-Bike for the day and follow the winding pathways around Old Bagan.
I couldn’t possibly list all the temples here but these were some of our favorite sites that you can easily find on Maps.me.
- Ananda Temple
- Thatbyinnyu Temple
- Shwezigon pagoda
- Shwesandaw Phaya
- Sunset Hill
- Sulamani temple
- Bupaya Pagoda (Highly recommend for sunset)
Balloons Over Bagan
Aside from simply visiting the ancient stupas, the most popular attraction is floating high above them in one of several hot air balloon companies. Balloons over Bagan is just the most popular.
Due to the hefty price tag we skipped this experience. It costs $320-$400 per person for a morning balloon ride. If you have the budget the vantage point is unrivaled and the experience would be once in a lifetime.
Travel Tip: It’s cheaper to book in person in Bagan! Most online sites sell tickets for around $380 whereas it was $320 for the same balloon if you book through your hostel.
Climb Mount Popa
This was my favorite attraction aside from the ancient city. About an hour’s drive outside of the Bagan region sits Mount Popa in a charming mountain town. Ruled by monkeys—or so it seems.
It’s not a long or steep climb to the temple’s peak but you’ll be joined by loads of pesky macaques. It’s worth the drive out. The views of the surrounding area are jaw-droppingly green and I’ll just let them speak for themselves.
Most hostels sell van tours of Mount Popa for a cheap price. The van will drive you there & back as well as a quick stop at a local palm sugar alcohol farm where you can taste palm wine, palm beer, palm liquor, and palm candies.
Visit the Morning Market in Nyaung U
If you’re tired of just dipping your toes into the Burmese culture & ready to fully dive right in—get up early & take your bike to the morning wet market. This is a glimpse of local life in the rural regions of Myanmar & a great way to get an up-close & personal look at where your food comes from.
Bagan is a do-it-yourself kind of adventure. The best part about this town is getting to explore without the crowds and take your bike off-road. This Bagan travel guide is enough to get you started & help you navigate the best attractions but you’ll have to channel your inner Indiana Jones to get the most out of Bagan.
Exploring the Rest of Myanmar
Here are some more helpful blog posts for getting to know the rest of this country.
- Everything You Need to Know Before You Go.
- The 17 Must-See Attractions in Myanmar.
- Your Complete Guide to Visiting Inle Lake.
- Your Complete Guide to Hpa-An: My Favorite Town in Myanmar
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