Everything you Need to Know on How to Visit Myanmar

Introduction

Some countries are trickier to visit than others. If you only visit France and Italy then travel is easy (speaking from a UK perspective). You don’t need any visas, have an abundance of accommodation options, safety risks aren’t overly excessive and getting around is easy. Therefore no extra guidance is necessary. This post however, is on how to visit Myanmar in 2023.

This is a tougher country to navigate. Myanmar shouldn’t cause any issues for the experienced traveller, but may bring a few surprises for anyone yet to step off the well-trodden backpacking trails of nearby Thailand and Vietnam, or Western Europe for example.

Unlike my other posts you will not find stories or (attempted) humour here. You can read in detail about what to expect whilst visiting Myanmar here. Instead I share raw facts explaining how to visit Myanmar in 2023 to make your trip go as smoothly as possible if you wish to visit this wonderful country.

All information accurate as of my visit in July 2023. An FAQs section has been added to the bottom.

I don’t recommend using government websites as your primary source of information, they are often slow to update and exaggerate the dangers within many places. However the UK government travel advice for Myanmar is a good rough guideline, particularly when it comes to the latest entry requirements into the country. Whilst the visa section is specific towards British travellers, other entry requirements are relevant to everyone.

So can I travel to Myanmar now? Yes. Read on to find out how.

Visa

Apply for the e-visa online on the official Myanmar e-visa website if eligible. This takes 3 working days to process (not including weekends or holidays), although I’d strongly recommend applying sooner, just in case you need to change anything.

You will need to have the following purchased before you can apply for the visa: Travel insurance, hotel booking (I only booked the first two nights of ten, and this wasn’t an issue) and return flights.

Insurance does NOT have to be the local Myanmar insurance offered when you apply for the visa. Your own travel insurance is fine as long as it covers covid.

You have to convert some documents as PDFs before they will accept them. For me I had to resend the proof of insurance and hotel booking as PDFs. They didn’t ask for me to convert the return flight confirmation to a PDF.

Please note visa on arrival is only for business travellers in certain circumstances. Tourists will have to apply for the evisa (if eligible).

Money

When I arrived the official rate was $1 = 2,100 kyat. This is also the rate that was offered at Yangon airport. ATMs did not work with my foreign card. I went to Northern Breeze Exchange in Yangon which was recommended in the previous trip report here, however they now offered the same rate as the airport.

Instead I found an exchange spot on Anawahta Road, between 35th and 36th street called Unity Money Changer. On Google Maps it is called Unity Collection (16.7768044, 96.1607193). The rate offered here was $1 = 3,060 kyat. By the time I returned a week later it had gone up to $1 = 3,200 kyat (and 3,250 the following day).

SIM

I got a SIM at Yangon Airport with ATOM for a rather expensive 40,000 kyat. Since your only access to money at this point is via the airport exchange with poor rates, that’s around $19 for 30GB valid for 1 month.

That sounds like a lot of data but it goes quickly with use of a VPN (which is necessary in Myanmar, particularly for accessing most social media sites). Unless you feel you really need a SIM card at this point, wait until you’re able to get into town and you’ll find one for much cheaper.

Transport

The taxi app Grab is your best option in Yangon and Mandalay. To get from Yangon Airport to the city centre costs around 18,000 kyat at the official rate, therefore around $8. For rides between different parts of the city you’re looking at an average of $3-4 for a 20-30 minute ride. You can get a small discount on your first two rides in the country by using the discount code “airport”.

For long distance travel your options are bus, train, or plane.

The bus is by far the cheapest, and staff at your accommodation will most likely help you book this. Yangon to Bagan takes around 10 hours and Bagan to Mandalay is around 5 hours by bus. Mandalay back to Yangon was around 9 hours. These journeys cost around 30,000 kyat each ($10 at the black market rate), give or take around 5,000.

Plane is obviously the quickest option but also the most expensive.

Train I didn’t use myself but those who have used it advise against it. It’s said to be more expensive and much slower than the buses whilst also being very uncomfortable. Only worth doing apparently if you want the adventure.

The buses were all with different companies and all pretty comfortable albeit with freezing cold air con. They all stop at least once along the way.

Safety

You won’t have any issues with the people or military in Myanmar unless you go looking for it. Most of the unstable parts of the country are well away from the tourist trail, and you require permits to access them anyway.

Be careful with photography. You cannot take pictures of anything linked to the government/military. There are many places in Yangon and Mandalay with red and white barricades in front, often covered with razor wire.

Do not take pictures of any of these or any military checkpoints whilst travelling between destinations. If you’re unsure about anything, ask a local. You should be alright taking pictures of Buddhist temples.

The main dangers in Myanmar come from the environment around you. The traffic can be chaotic at times with many vehicles paying little attention to safety. Myanmar also suffers from regular electricity blackouts. These occur multiple times a day and can make it tricky to walk around at nighttime. Bringing a strong torch is wise to avoid any issues.

Also be wary of animals here. Rats are common at night. Stray dogs are everywhere and generally harmless during the day but more aggressive at nighttime. Snakes are said to be common in Bagan, including many venomous species. I didn’t see any myself, however don’t go walking through long grass or piles of clutter.

Also worth noting there is a curfew overnight (exact timings and locations change regularly). You must be inside during this time.

Overall, is Myanmar dangerous for tourists? No. With common sense it’s very easy to visit without issues.

I’ve written an entire post on whether Myanmar is safe to visit for tourists. And I would say the cities here are safe overall, even if they aren’t quite the safest cities in Southeast Asia.

Destinations

I went to the three main tourist spots of Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. Inle Lake is also easy to get to and caters for tourists, although I ran out of time to visit.

Yangon

The former capital Yangon is fun. Checked out the Sule Pagoda and Bohtataung Pagoda from the outside. Both looked pretty cool. Kandawgyi Lake has a cool palace on the southern side called Karaweik. Worth checking out. The lake is also said to be a nice spot for sunsets (although June-October is the rainy season and sunsets are much rarer at this time of year).

The Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple was also very interesting. There’s a giant reclining Buddha in there and it’s free to enter. The highlight of Yangon however by far is Shwedagon Pagoda. It costs 10,000 kyat ($3) for foreigners and is by far the most interesting Buddhist temple in Myanmar (from those I saw at least). Lots to see up there, lots of locals, and there are tour guides who can show you round if you wish. Although if you stand out as an obvious foreigner they may pester you a bit.

As a football enthusiast I also went to watch a top flight game in Yangon. Dagon FC vs Rakhine United. It cost 3,000 kyat ($1) for a ticket. Saw four goals (1-3 to the visitors), but with an attendance of around 100-200 in a 50,000 seater stadium, the atmosphere was poor. The quality of football was perhaps what you would expect. Would only recommend going to a game if you’re a real football fanatic like me. Thailand and Vietnam are the best countries I’ve been to for a football experience in SE Asia.

Bagan

Bagan is home to over 2,000 Buddhist temples spread across a vast plain, many of which are pretty much abandoned today. Walking isn’t practical here. Unless you book a full tour, the best option to see the temples is by hiring an e-bike. This cost 13,000 kyat ($4) for 9 hours. There are marginal price differences depending on how long you borrow the bike for, and where from. However differences are minimal. At sunset try and find a nice spot overlooking the Irrawaddy River for some good views. Previously people would climb the temples at sunset, but this is no longer allowed.

Supposedly there is a 25,000 kyat ($8) entrance fee to visit the temples, which is paid as soon as you arrive at Bagan bus terminal or airport. However I never saw anyone asking for this. I asked at my hostel and they said I can buy a ticket at the temples the following day. However, I again never saw anyone selling this and was never asked for it. Not sure if they’ve scrapped the fee recently or I just got lucky. Probably best to assume the fee still exists and budget accordingly.

One popular highlight of Bagan is seeing the temples at sunrise in a hot air balloon. This occurs generally from October until March and costs upwards of $350 per person. If you have the budget, it’s said to be worth doing. Didn’t get the chance myself however as it’s currently the wrong season and balloons don’t operate in July.

Bagan is pretty undeveloped and accommodation/restaurant options are limited, so don’t expect to find many home comforts over here.

Mandalay

Of the three places I went to, Mandalay was the least exciting. Mandalay Palace is quite heavily guarded. Only walked around the outside but it’s a good place to get away from the madness of the city. The city also has some more Buddhist temples.

Shwenandaw Buddhist Temple and nearby Atumashi Kyaung Taik Shwe Kyaung were both closed unfortunately.

Nearby Kuthodaw Pagoda was the highlight of Mandalay. It is known as the world’s largest book due to having 729 double-sided slabs (“pages”), each held within a separate small structure. The slabs consist of Buddhist teachings. You won’t be able to read them unless you understand Burmese, however it’s still pretty interesting to see.

Accommodation

You won’t find as many options as some neighbouring countries here. Yangon has the most variety, you won’t have any problems finding a place there. In both Mandalay and Bagan however, the only real budget option is Ostello Bello hostel ($10) although private rooms start from around $20-25 per night.

Some places will be cheaper due to the black market rate. Others however will charge you a higher price as they get charged up to 55% extra for online bookings in cross border charges and some places will charge you more than what’s listed online.