When we decided to travel to Myanmar (also known as Burma), we didn’t know anything about the country, only that some of our friends said that it was a magical and enchanting place to see with lots of old temples and pagodas.

At the time, we lived in Thailand and needed to extend our tourist visa, so we took our friend’s advice. We packed our bags, bought a plane ticket, and began our Myanmar adventure. In this article, we will let you in on how we utilized only 14 days to get an amazing taste of what Myanmar has to offer.

Mandalay

Our journey began when we flew into Mandalay from Chiang Mai, Thailand. After about an hour’s drive from the airport, we finally made it to our hostel, Ned Kelly. The staff are very friendly and will help you with anything you need when seeing Mandalay. They also have a very nice restaurant/pub on the rooftop and a free breakfast that is especially impressive. Below are the places that we decided to see with our 1 day in Mandalay.

Mandalay Hill

This sits at the top of Mandalay Hill. It is comprised of a whopping 1729 stairs that go all the way to the top of the hill, where you can catch a spectacular view of the city of Mandalay. In respect of Buddhist tradition, you must be barefoot all the way up to see the abundance of pagodas, monasteries, and huge statues of Buddha.

Kuthodaw Pagoda, Largest Book in The World

The Kuthodaw Pagoda was built in 1857 by King Mindon Min. This extravagant golden pagoda is surrounded by 730 smaller white stupas that contain the largest book in the world. It’s called “The Largest Book in the World,” but it actually isn’t a book like we would think of one. It consists of 730 different tablets with texts that make up 1460 individual pages. And those tablets are housed in the white stupas that surround Kuthodaw Pagoda.

The tablets of The Largest Book in the world hold The Buddhist Dhamma teachings. King Mindon Min had the tablets built with concern that the teaching would be lost when the British invaded. Incredibly, each tablet was originally written in golden ink and decorated in diamonds and rubies. Unfortunately, when the British invaded, they stole the jewels and the gold. It has now been restored with black ink.

It is absolutely a sight to see and is located near the South entrance of Mandalay Hill, making it very convenient for you to pack in everything you can on your adventure in Mandalay.

Mandalay Royal Palace

The Mandalay Royal Palace was not on our list of things to do until after seeing the “largest book in the world” and realized we had a bit more time to squeeze in another piece of history in Mandalay.

Built-in 1859, this palace was the royal residence of kings. It was constructed with teak wood and had a traditional Burmese design that takes you back in history and lets you feel how life was like at this time. It is surrounded by four 2km concrete walls that form a perfect square and a moat that gives it quite the presence in the center of the city.

While this wasn’t on our to-do list, we were glad that we stopped to check it out. It cost around 15 USD to enter, but you can get a private driver that will take you around and let you explore the area as long as you like while taking loads of pictures. We were pleasantly surprised by how cool this place is.

U Bein Bridge

If you are a sucker for sunsets like we are, the U Bein Bridge should definitely be on your list of things to do in Mandalay. The bridge stretches nearly one mile, crossing Taungthaman Lake, and is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. It was built in 1850 and constructed from the remains of a royal palace.

It takes roughly one hour to go from one side to the other and back and has people selling all kinds of things from food to souvenirs along the way, given that it is one of the main tourist attractions in Mandalay you won’t want to forget to bring your camera. The sunset here is absolutely stunning, and you will certainly want to capture the breathtaking view and beauty of Myanmar from this special place in Mandalay.

Bagan

Wow! How can I put Old Bagan into words? It was our second stop in Burma but one of the most incredible places we have been to, not just in Myanmar but in all of our travels. This ancient city is home to over 2000 temples and pagodas and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back between 1057 and 1287.

Built by kings, this extraordinary archeological site can be compared to site rivals like Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The energy in Bagan is both magical and mysterious. It will keep you wanting to explore the next temple or pagoda endlessly and, trust me; you can not see them all.

Electric Bike

While you are in Bagan, you have to rent an electric bike! We spent our 3 days with the freedom to hop from temple to temple, and by far, the best way to do this is to rent an electric bike. Follow this link to see a video of us electric biking through Bagan!!!

When you’re out exploring, don’t miss stopping at our favorite restaurant in Myanmar, The Moon, also known as Be Kind to Animals. It is a vegan restaurant, but I promise it will not disappoint even those meat-eaters.

Below is a list of some of the more notable temples to see, but every temple is unique and special in its own way, so it is totally worth stopping at any interesting temple you are drawn to along the way.

Ananda Temple, Schwesandaw Pagoda, Thatbyinnyu Temple, Sulamani Temple, Thambula Temple, Dhammayangyi Temple, Gawdawpalin Temple, Htilominlo Pahto, Shwezigon Temple

**Hot Tip: I went into google maps and starred the temples I wanted to make sure to see. Then I downloaded the map so I could view it offline. This was a great guide!

Watch the hot air balloons at Sunrise

If you have around 360 dollars to spend, you can catch a ride on one of the many hot air balloons to watch this epic sunrise. If you are like us and on a budget, you can still capture an amazing view from the ground. I suggest finding one of the locals to help you find a nice location away from all tourists.

We were fortunate to have met a local that took us to a hidden spot where we climbed atop one of the pagodas to watch the sunset. After the amazing show and many pictures, our “tour guide” had lots of his artwork for sale. This is a popular hustle but one you should go for. You can choose to opt out of purchasing his artwork but, hey why not. You just got a private show and some artwork from a local!

Inle Lake

When exploring Inle Lake, you will want to sleep in the town of Nyaung Shwe. It is filled with hotels, hostels, restaurants, and bars. Let’s just say they know how to make a tourist feel welcome.

Inle lake flows through the middle of Nyaung Shwe and is the second largest lake in Myanmar, with a surface area of 45 square miles. It’s obvious to say that you have to take the full-day boat tour to explore the lake and all of the wondrous beauty it has to offer when you’re here.

Inle Lake Full Day Boat Tour

This boat tour is not just an awesome way to explore the lake but also a glimpse into the way the Intha’s live their life. Intha is the name of the people that live in this area, and the word Intha literally translates to “lake people.” I gotta say this experience was almost as epic as seeing the temples and pagodas in Bagan.

Below I have listed all of the stops you should make sure are included on your tour.

1.See the fishermen 2. Explore the floating villages 3. Silk/ cotton/ lotus weaving 4. Pa Daung Women (the long neck women) 5. Inn Dein Pagoda 6. Visit a silversmith and goldsmith 7. Sunset on the lake 8. Watch local tobacco being rolled

I feel compelled to share with you that Inn Dein Pagoda was one of those places that made me pause in awe and say to myself, “This is why I travel.” These Buddhist pagodas date back to the 3rd century BC. It is the furthest away from town and is not included on every tour. Make it here!!

Red Mountain Estate Vineyards and Winery

Red Mountain Estate Winery is one of only two wineries in the entire country of Myanmar and has imported vines from Spain, Israel, and France. Having lived in California in the past, we definitely couldn’t miss this chance to taste the wine of Myanmar.

The vineyard overlooks the spectacular Inle Lake and has a restaurant where you can grab a bite to eat and watch a breathtaking view of the sunset, all while sipping a nice cabernet sauvignon.

It’s popular for people to bike there, but if you want to wind down and have a relaxing evening after exploring Inle Lake, it is easy to get a tuk-tuk or taxi up the mountain.

Yangon

After seeing the countryside, it was time to experience Myanmar’s city life. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the capital of Myanmar and the largest city in the country. It is a very fast-paced city with hundreds of people that line the streets selling unique crafts and many other special things of Myanmar.

Shwedagon Pagoda

Wow!!! Holy Gold Everything!!! This gigantic gilded pagoda is unquestionably the main attraction in Yangon. It is believed to be the most famous pagoda globally and is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar.

Known as “The Crown of Myanmar,” it can be seen from almost anywhere in Yangon, especially at night when it illuminates its golden aurora from the middle of the city center.

Given our short time in Yangon, this was the only touristy thing that we could squeeze in before our flight back. We felt a bit discouraged not seeing more, given that we always feel we have to see everything. Still, after seeing Shwedagon Pagoda, we absolutely felt satisfied with our experience.

Overall we had an amazing time in Myanmar and absolutely gave our stamp of approval. It is hard for us to even put into words how special a place Myanmar is. The fact that their traditional culture has been so well preserved despite the Western world’s influence makes it truly an incredible place.

We are so grateful for all of the kind Burmese people we met along the way for sharing their beautiful country with us.

If you only have 14 days, this is the itinerary for you. Even if you have more time, this is a great travel guide for Myanmar. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed and will love every minute you are there!!!

Check out more of our epic adventure in Myanmar in our picture gallery and like us on Facebook!