Bagan, the city of 4000 temples

The imperial city of Bagan is an essential stopover on a trip to Myanmar.

In the past, the kings had no less than 4000 temples built there.

Getting to Bagan is quite simple. If you come from Mandalay, you will have the choice between plane, train, bus or even boat. A 15-hour cruise connects Bagan to Mandalay.

Today people travel to Bagan to explore the archaeological zone and visit the brick and concrete temples.

The temple plain stands between the villages of Nyaung U and Old Bagan. Tourism facilities are distributed between the two towns; However, there are little places to go out in the evening, bars or restaurants.

What to do in Bagan

The main attraction of Bagan is to visit the plain of the archaeological area. Temples are spread around the main road between Nyaung U and Old Bagan.

They can all reached by small sandy paths. Sometimes you have to go more than a kilometre away from the road to see them.

Depending on the season, the roads can be more or less chaotic.

To make the most of your visit, we recommend that you rent an e-scooter. Eco-friendly, rechargeable, easy to handle, it will allow you to reach the temples more efficiently than by bike.

Admission to the temples is free, and visiting the area without a guide is easy. However, you should have a map which most homestays and hotels can provide you with.

The biggest temples are the most crowded. If you choose to visit them, don’t be surprised to see buses bringing their share of daily tourists, sellers of more or less authentic souvenirs and young people offering to guide you inside the temple. They will logically expect a tip but remember not to encourage begging.

The favourite activity of travellers stopping in Bagan is to climb up temples to watch the sunrise or sunset. Many temples were damaged during the 2016 earthquake, so this activity is becoming more dangerous, if not impossible; be careful and avoid damaging buildings for a stunning shot on your social media feed.