Yangon

No reviews yetCity Yangon, Myanmar

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar

About Yangon

The golden spire of the Shwedagon Pagoda rises over Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, and every evening its terraces fill with worshippers walking clockwise among shrines, flowers and candles. Below it spreads a city of more than five million people, where monks, street markets and teahouses share the streets with weathered colonial buildings.

Under British rule Yangon, then called Rangoon, became the capital of Burma and one of Asia's busiest ports, and its downtown grid still holds one of the largest collections of colonial-era architecture in Southeast Asia. The government moved to Naypyidaw in 2005, but Yangon remains the country's commercial and cultural center, with pagodas, markets and lakes that reward slow exploration.

Yangon International Airport is the main gateway to Myanmar. The slow Circular Railway gives a window on daily life, and teahouses serving mohinga noodle soup and sweet milky tea are the best introduction to Burmese food. Check current travel advice before planning a visit, since conditions in Myanmar can change quickly.

Best seasonNovember-February, the cool dry season

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingYangon International Airport

Your Yangon Bucket List: 12 Top Picks

Temples and Shrines 4

Shwedagon Pagoda

The most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar, this gilded stupa rises about 99 metres above Singuttara Hill and is said to enshrine re...

Sule Pagoda

Set in the middle of a roundabout at the heart of downtown, this octagonal golden pagoda is said to be more than two thousand year...

Botataung Pagoda

On the Yangon River waterfront, this pagoda was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War and rebuilt afterward. Unusually, its...

Chaukhtatgyi Reclining Buddha

This huge reclining Buddha, about 65 metres long, lies beneath a tall open shelter north of the center and is among the largest in...

Shopping 1

Bogyoke Aung San Market

Built in 1926 under the British as Scott Market, this sprawling covered bazaar with cobbled lanes holds hundreds of stalls selling...

Parks 2

Kandawgyi Lake Yangon

Ringed by a wooden boardwalk and parkland east of the Shwedagon, this former reservoir offers some of the best views of the golden...

Inya Lake

The largest lake in Yangon is lined with walking paths, cafes and lawns that fill with students, couples and families as the day c...

Museums 1

National Museum of Myanmar Yangon

Spread over several floors, this museum covers Burmese history, art and culture, from prehistoric finds to royal regalia. Its star...

Landmarks 3

Yangon Circular Railway

This commuter loop runs for about 46 kilometres through the city and its outskirts, stopping at dozens of stations where vendors c...

The Strand Hotel Yangon

Opened in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, who also founded Raffles in Singapore, this white colonial hotel on Strand Road is one of...

Maha Bandula Park

Facing Sule Pagoda and City Hall, this green square holds the white Independence Monument obelisk and is framed by some of downtow...

Food and Drink 1

19th Street Chinatown Yangon

In the heart of Yangon's Chinatown, this short street turns into an open-air barbecue strip every evening, with low tables spillin...

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