Yangon 7-Day + Bagan Heritage Circuit

Activities

1. 13:00 RGN Yangon Airport arrival + hotel check-in 1.5 hours

   Yangon International (RGN) is 15 km north of downtown, 25-40 min by taxi. Official airport taxi counter $7-10 / 15,000-20,000 MMK to downtown. 4-5 star hotel pickup $25-40. e-Visa (28-day single-entry, $50, pre-applied online at evisa.moip.gov.mm 3-5 business days ahead) required for most nationalities — no visa-on-arrival.

   Cost: Taxi $7-10 / hotel pickup $25-40; e-Visa $50 pre-paid TIP: Use the official airport taxi counter — informal taxis outside arrivals are harder to verify. ATM at the airport for initial 200,000 MMK / $100 cash (covers day 1). Negotiate in MMK not USD. Bring pristine USD 100/50 bills for hotel exchange — banks give 5-7% better rate than airport.
2. 15:00 Sule Pagoda + colonial downtown walking loop 2 hours

   Sule Pagoda (48m gold octagonal stupa at the center of the colonial roundabout, used by Lieutenant Alexander Fraser in the 1850s as the survey datum for the entire colonial grid) is the natural anchor for the downtown walking loop. From Sule, walk south on Pansodan Street past the High Court (1911), the Secretariat (1905, where General Aung San was assassinated 19 July 1947), and Pegu Club. The 90-min self-guided loop ends at the Yangon Central Railway Station (1877) and Strand Hotel on Strand Road.

   Cost: Sule K4,000 ($2) + free self-guided walk TIP: Cover shoulders + knees at Sule; shoes and socks off (free storage). Best photographed from City Hall steps at dusk (18:30-19:30). Most colonial buildings are still semi-derelict — that's part of the character. The Yangon Heritage Trust map is free at their office next to City Hall.
3. 16:30 Strand Hotel afternoon tea + colonial atmosphere 1.5 hours

   The Strand Hotel (1901, Sarkies brothers, the only true colonial grand hotel still operating in Myanmar) is open to non-guests for afternoon tea — a three-tier stand with finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, pastries, and Strand-blend tea inside the 1901 colonial salon. The single most-recommended colonial experience in Yangon.

   Cost: Afternoon tea $25-30 per person TIP: Reservations recommended (call hotel direct). Smart casual dress (no shorts or sandals). Cards accepted. Continue to the Strand Bar after tea for a Yangon Sling cocktail ($14) at 17:30-18:00 — the original 1901 mahogany bar where Kipling, Maugham, and Orwell drank.
4. 19:00 19th Street BBQ alley first-night dinner 2 hours

   19th Street between Anawrahta Road and Mahabandoola Road in Chinatown (5 min walk west of Sule Pagoda) transforms into a BBQ + beer street every evening 17:00-24:00. 30+ outdoor stalls + plastic chairs + grilled pork/chicken/seafood skewers + cold Myanmar Beer + sticky rice. $5-10 per person for 6-8 skewers + 2-3 beers. The canonical Yangon evening.

   Cost: $5-10 per person TIP: Wave down a stall with empty seats and order from the skewer display — grilled-to-order. Bring small MMK notes (cash only). Mosquito repellent helps. The sidewalk + plastic chair + Myanmar Beer experience is the point — embrace the chaos.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 05:30 Shwedagon Pagoda sunrise (the canonical Yangon experience) 1.5 hours

   Shwedagon Pagoda — the 99m gold-plated central stupa on Singuttara Hill is Myanmar's holiest Buddhist site and the symbol of the country. Sunrise visit (5:30-7:00 AM) has the morning chanting, almost no foreigners, soft golden light on the stupa, and the marble is cool to walk barefoot. Foreigner entry K10,000 ($5) and the ticket is valid all day — re-enter for sunset on the same ticket. Shoes AND socks both off; shoulders + knees covered.

   Cost: K10,000 ($5) foreigner all-day ticket TIP: Use the south gate (quietest, mostly local pilgrims). Walk clockwise around the central stupa. No flash near anyone in prayer. Take the photo of the 76-carat diamond at the very tip with morning sun behind. Stairs at all four entrances; the north gate has an elevator.
2. 07:30 Bogyoke Aung San Market breakfast + souvenir browse 1.5 hours

   Bogyoke Aung San Market (the 1926 colonial Scott Market) is the canonical Yangon market — jade, rubies, lacquerware, longyi sarongs, and the cheapest authentic Burmese set meals in the 1F food alley. Post-Shwedagon breakfast is mohinga + Burmese milk tea at the food alley ($2-4).

   Cost: Breakfast $2-4 + browse free TIP: Closed Mondays. Bargain hard on jade and lacquerware — start at 50% of asking, settle 60-70%. Longyi (Burmese sarong) at $1.50-15 is the canonical Yangon souvenir + temple wear. Cash only at most stalls; ATM at the entrance.
3. 10:00 Chauk Htat Gyi Reclining Buddha (65m) 1 hour

   A massive 65-meter reclining Buddha statue inside a tin-roofed pavilion 1.5 km northeast of Shwedagon — the head and torso were rebuilt in 1966 after the original 1907 figure was damaged. The soles of the feet are inlaid with 108 mother-of-pearl symbols representing the 108 marks of the Buddha. K3,000 ($1.50) foreigner. Pair with neighboring Ngahtatgyi Pagoda (14m seated Buddha) for a quiet 90-minute escape.

   Cost: K3,000 ($1.50) TIP: Most peaceful in the 14:00-16:00 lull but morning works. Photograph the full body length from a low angle near the feet. The shoe-storage attendant sometimes asks K500-1,000 — fair.
4. 12:00 Lunch + Feel Myanmar curry set 1 hour

   Feel Myanmar Food downtown — the canonical Burmese curry set meal. Pick 1 curry from the steam-table display (pork pongkari, chicken, fish, prawn, or vegetable) + 5-8 free side dishes including soup, raw vegetables, condiments, and rice ($5).

   Cost: $5-8 TIP: 11:30-13:30 lunch peak. The free side dishes refill if you ask. English photo menu at the counter. Cash only.
5. 14:00 Botataung Pagoda + Yangon River sunset deck 1.5 hours

   Botataung Pagoda — the 40-meter gold stupa on the Yangon riverfront is structurally unlike any other in Myanmar: you walk INSIDE the hollow stupa through a mirrored gold-tiled labyrinth, with a Buddha hair relic visible behind glass in the central chamber. K6,000 ($3). The riverfront deck out the back is one of the better sunset spots in town with views across the Yangon River.

   Cost: K6,000 ($3) TIP: Walk inside the stupa labyrinth — that's the unusual experience, not the exterior. A 15-min walk east of Sule Pagoda. Pair the interior visit with the riverfront deck for sunset 17:30-18:30.
6. 16:30 Hotel break + change for evening 1 hour

   Light hotel rest + change for Shwedagon evening visit + Rangoon Tea House dinner. Refill on water; the Shwedagon evening visit is 2-3 hours.

   Cost: Free TIP: Bring a power bank charged — the floodlit Shwedagon evening photo session will drain phone batteries fast. Mosquito repellent + cover-up for shoulders/knees.
7. 17:30 Shwedagon Pagoda sunset + floodlit evening (same ticket) 2 hours

   Return to Shwedagon Pagoda with your morning all-day ticket. Sunset 17:30-18:30 catches the western face of the stupa in golden light; floodlights turn on at 18:30 and the entire platform glows. The most-photographed Yangon moment. Walk clockwise, observe pilgrim families making evening offerings, and take the long-exposure stupa-against-night-sky shot.

   Cost: Free with morning ticket TIP: The east gate is the traditional pilgrim approach with the most photogenic ascending stairs at night. Floodlights vary across faces — walk all four sides for the best shot. Avoid flash near anyone in prayer.
8. 20:00 Rangoon Tea House dinner (modern Burmese) 1.5 hours

   Rangoon Tea House (Pansodan Street, modern Burmese in a 1932 colonial shophouse) is the canonical second-night dinner. English menu, Burmese tapas approach, in-house cocktail bar using Burmese ingredients (tamarind, ginger, palm sugar). The Royal Yangon cocktail is the signature drink.

   Cost: $10-18 per person TIP: Reservations recommended weekends. Air-conditioned, hipster + tourist crowd, smart casual. Cards accepted.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 07:30 Yangon Circular Railway (3-hour suburban loop) 3 hours

   The 46km, 39-station, three-hour commuter loop through Yangon's outer suburbs is the single best window into how the city actually lives. K200 ($0.10) at the foreigner ticket counter at Yangon Central Railway Station (the small office on the left side of platform 7 — show passport). No air-conditioning, hard wooden benches, vendors moving through cars selling sliced fruit and quail eggs and betel nut. The most-recommended $0.10 experience in Asia.

   Cost: K200 ($0.10) foreigner ticket TIP: Foreigner ticket window opens 06:30. Best morning departure 7:00-8:00 AM — cooler, more market activity. Bring water + hat + small fan + sunscreen + small MMK notes for vendors. Hop off at Danyingone Market (most popular stop) and grab a taxi back — you don't have to complete the full loop.
2. 11:00 Kandawgyi Lake boardwalk + Shwedagon reflection 1.5 hours

   Kandawgyi Lake — a British-built 19th-century artificial lake immediately east of Shwedagon, ringed by a 4km wooden boardwalk with the gold stupa visible across the water. Boardwalk entry K2,000 ($1). One of the most photographed views in Myanmar. Allow 60-90 minutes for a full half-loop with photo stops.

   Cost: K2,000 ($1) boardwalk TIP: The eastern boardwalk gives the best Shwedagon-across-water angle. Bring water + hat. Combine with Yangon Zoological Gardens (1906, Southeast Asia's oldest zoo) if traveling with kids ($1.50 entry).
3. 13:00 Light lunch + final downtown wander 2 hours

   Light lunch at Yangon Bakehouse or 999 Shan Noodle + final downtown wander for last-minute souvenir shopping. Bogyoke Market upstairs (open until 17:00) for last jade, lacquerware, longyi, and Burmese tea-leaf packs.

   Cost: Lunch $3-8 + souvenirs $10-50 TIP: Bargain hard on jade — start at 50% of asking, settle 60-70%. Lacquerware and longyi are the canonical Yangon souvenirs. Cash preferred at market stalls.
4. 16:00 Hotel rest + check-out + repack 2 hours

   Hotel rest + check out + repack for international departure. Most hotels store luggage free between check-out and your evening departure.

   Cost: Free TIP: Use the window to repack for the international flight + pay any final hotel bills + arrange airport transfer (hotel pickup $25-40, official taxi $7-10).
5. 18:30 Karaweik Palace dinner buffet + cultural dance show 2.5 hours

   Karaweik Palace — a 1972 reinforced-concrete reproduction of a royal mythical-bird barge floating on Kandawgyi Lake directly opposite Shwedagon Pagoda. Buffet restaurant with traditional Burmese dance + music show 18:30-21:30. Touristy but the lake-side setting is genuinely spectacular — Shwedagon's golden stupa across the water at sunset is the canonical Yangon dinner photo. $35-45 dinner + show.

   Cost: $35-45 dinner + show TIP: Book 1-2 days ahead through hotel. Show runs 19:30-20:30 — arrive by 18:30 for buffet + sunset photos. Cards accepted. Smart casual.
6. 21:30 RGN airport departure 1 hour

   Airport departure — town to RGN 15km via hotel pickup ($25-40) or official taxi ($7-10). Arrive 2.5 hours before international flight (check-in 45 min + security 30 min + remaining MMK to spend at duty-free 30 min).

   Cost: Taxi $7-10 / hotel pickup $25-40 TIP: Spend remaining MMK before departure — MMK is essentially impossible to exchange at home airports. Duty-free options: Mandalay Rum ($5-12/bottle), Burmese single-origin coffee beans ($8-15/250g), Burmese tea-leaf packs ($3-6), Burmese silk longyi ($10-20), lacquerware ($15-50).

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 07:30 Yangon → Bago (80km / 1.5-2h) 1.5-2 hours each way

   Bago (formerly Pegu) was the capital of the Mon Kingdom in the 1300s-1500s, then captured by the Burmese and partially abandoned. Today it's a working town of 250,000 with the densest concentration of ancient Mon temples + pagodas outside Bagan. Private car + English-speaking guide $60-80 per person (6-person max group). Hotel pickup 07:30.

   Cost: Car + guide $60-80 per person TIP: Book the day before through hotel. Public bus from Aung Mingalar bus terminal $5-8 round trip but logistically harder for first-timers. The car + guide combo is the right play for 1 day. Allow 6-7 hours total round trip including 3-4 hours actual sightseeing.
2. 10:00 Shwemawdaw Pagoda (114m, taller than Shwedagon) 1 hour

   Shwemawdaw Pagoda — at 114m, this gold stupa is actually TALLER than Shwedagon (99m), though less famous because it sits in Bago not Yangon. The site is 1,000+ years old, rebuilt after earthquakes in 1917 and 1930. Quiet, mostly local pilgrims, foreigner entry K10,000 ($5). The cone is sheathed in gold leaf and topped with a hti (crown) holding diamonds and rubies.

   Cost: K10,000 ($5) TIP: Cover shoulders + knees. Shoes and socks off (free storage). The stupa is taller than Shwedagon but visited far less — you may be the only foreigner on the platform. Walk clockwise. Hottest 11:00-14:00 — visit earlier if possible.
3. 11:30 Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha (55m) 45 min

   Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha — a 55-meter reclining Buddha built in 994 AD, lost to the jungle for 250 years after Bago's destruction in 1757, rediscovered in 1880, restored 1903-1948. One of the largest and oldest reclining Buddhas in Myanmar. K3,000 ($1.50). The pavilion is open-sided so afternoon light hits the figure dramatically.

   Cost: K3,000 ($1.50) TIP: Photograph the full body length from a low angle near the feet. The soles of the feet show 108 mother-of-pearl-inlaid auspicious symbols. The neighboring Kyaikpun Buddha (4 Buddhas back-to-back, 27m each) is the natural pair stop.
4. 13:00 Lunch in Bago + market 1.5 hours

   Bago lunch + market walk. The town's main market has Mon textiles + local Burmese fruits + sticky-rice snacks. Lunch at a local Burmese curry house — your guide will know the right spot. $5-8 per person for a full Burmese curry set + drink.

   Cost: $5-8 TIP: Bring small MMK notes. Limited English at local restaurants — your guide handles ordering. Vegetarian options available; ask about ngapi (fermented fish paste base seasoning).
5. 15:00 Kyaikpun Buddha + return to Yangon 45 min Kyaikpun + 1.5-2h return

   Kyaikpun Buddha — four 27-meter Buddha statues sitting back-to-back around a central column, representing the four Buddhas of the present age. Built 1476, restored after earthquake damage. K3,000 ($1.50). The unusual back-to-back arrangement is unique in Myanmar.

   Cost: K3,000 ($1.50) entry + return car (included in $60-80 package) TIP: Return to Yangon 17:30-18:30 typical. Hotel rest + Yangon dinner. Bago is a long day — pack light at hotel pickup, eat a real Bago lunch, and you'll be tired by Yangon return.
6. 20:00 House of Memories dinner (Aung San villa) 2 hours

   House of Memories — set inside the restored 1903 colonial villa where General Aung San (independence hero) and his brother lived in the 1940s. Traditional Burmese 6-course set menu, garden terrace seating, and a small museum room with Aung San family memorabilia. The canonical Yangon heritage dinner.

   Cost: $20-30 per person TIP: Reservations essential. Garden terrace is the special seating. Smart casual. Cards accepted. Closed Sundays.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 06:00 Yangon → Kinpun base camp (200km / 4-5h) 4-5 hours

   Kyaiktiyo Golden Rock — a 7.6m gold-leaf-covered granite boulder balancing impossibly on a cliff edge 1,100m up, said to be held in place by a single hair of the Buddha. Myanmar's third-most-important Buddhist pilgrimage site after Shwedagon and Mahamuni. 200km southeast of Yangon. Van transit to Kinpun base camp 4-5h via Bago. Booked through hotel as overnight package $80-120 per person (van + summit pickup + base camp hotel + porter optional).

   Cost: Package $80-120 per person all-inclusive TIP: Book the morning before. Pack overnight bag with warm layer (summit gets to 18°C / 64°F evenings), sunset + sunrise camera gear, snacks, headlamp.
2. 11:30 Kinpun base camp lunch + summit pickup truck 1.5 hours

   Lunch at Kinpun base camp restaurants ($4-6) + pickup truck transfer to summit. The pickup truck is the only way up — 30-min ride sitting on benches in the open-air bed, 35-40 passengers per truck packed tight. K3,000 ($1.50) round trip ticket. Adventure transport is part of the experience.

   Cost: Lunch $4-6 + truck $1.50 TIP: Pickup trucks depart when full — wait time 5-30 min depending on day. Bring water, hat, hold on tight to the bar at the front of the bed. Cash only.
3. 13:30 Final walk to Golden Rock + temple visit Afternoon-evening

   From the pickup-truck terminal, a 15-min walk uphill to the Golden Rock platform. Foreigner entry K6,000 ($3). The boulder + small stupa balanced on the cliff edge is the photographic icon. Walk around the platform, observe pilgrims applying gold leaf to the boulder (only men can touch it; women view from a distance), and find a sunset position 17:00-18:00.

   Cost: K6,000 ($3) entry TIP: Cover shoulders + knees. The platform is steep marble — careful walking. The boulder catches sunset light from the western side; sunrise from the eastern side. Sunset 17:30-18:30 (winter).
4. 17:00 Sunset + base camp hotel check-in 2 hours

   Sunset at Golden Rock — the western-face golden boulder glowing against the sky is the canonical Kyaiktiyo shot. Then descend via pickup truck to Kinpun base camp + check into your overnight hotel (Mountain Top Hotel $30-50 or Kyaiktiyo Hotel $50-80 — included in package).

   Cost: Included in package TIP: Most travelers stay at base-camp level, not summit. Summit hotels (Mountain Top) are expensive and basic. Base camp is fine and the truck connection is included in your package.
5. 05:30 Sunrise at Golden Rock (the next morning) 1.5 hours

   Pre-dawn pickup truck back to summit + sunrise visit at the Golden Rock. The eastern-face sunrise 06:00-06:30 catches the gold leaf in pure light. The most photographed moment of any Myanmar pilgrimage. Foreigner re-entry $3. Most travelers consider this the highlight of the Myanmar trip.

   Cost: K6,000 ($3) re-entry TIP: Bring layer + headlamp for the 05:30 walk. Sunrise crowds peak — arrive on the platform by 05:45 for a clear photo spot. Hot beverages at summit shops $0.50-1.
6. 08:00 Return to Yangon + airport 5-6 hours

   Pickup truck down to Kinpun + van back to Yangon (4-5h). Hotel drop in Yangon 13:00-14:00 typical. Hotel rest + repack + Yangon airport pickup ($25-40) or taxi ($7-10) for international evening departure.

   Cost: Included in package + final airport transfer $7-40 TIP: Spend remaining MMK before departure — Mandalay Rum, coffee beans, Burmese silk, lacquerware at duty-free.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 07:00 Yangon → Bagan (NYU airport) domestic flight (1h) 1 hour flight + 1h ground

   Myanmar National Airlines, Air Bagan, or KBZ Airways operate daily flights Yangon → Bagan (NYU airport) — 1 hour, $80-150 one-way. Book 1-2 weeks ahead. Bagan was the ancient capital of the Burmese kingdom 11th-13th century — the temple-building era left 2,200 brick and stucco pagodas + monasteries scattered across the Irrawaddy plain.

   Cost: Flight $80-150 one-way TIP: Domestic flight check-in is 1 hour before. NYU airport is 15-min taxi to Old Bagan / New Bagan hotel zones ($5-7). Bagan entry fee is K25,000 ($12) — purchased at the airport or hotel, valid 5 days.
2. 10:00 Bagan hotel check-in + e-bike rental + Ananda Temple 2 hours

   Hotel check-in (Old Bagan or New Bagan or Nyaung U town). Rent an e-bike ($5-8/day) — the canonical Bagan transport. Visit Ananda Temple (built 1090, one of the four largest Bagan temples, the four standing Buddha statues at the cardinal directions are the photographic centerpiece). The white-painted exterior + gold spires are unmistakable. Free entry inside the Bagan archeological zone (the $12 zone ticket covers all sites).

   Cost: E-bike $5-8/day + Ananda free (with zone ticket) TIP: E-bikes are the right transport for Bagan — quiet, easy, lets you stop at any temple. November-February cool morning rides 08:00-11:00 are perfect. Bring helmet (provided), water, hat. Shoes + socks off at all temples.
3. 13:00 Lunch + Dhammayangyi Temple (largest in Bagan) 2 hours

   Lunch at a Bagan restaurant (Be Kind to Animals the Moon for traditional Burmese; Sharkys for Western, $5-12). Then Dhammayangyi Temple — the largest temple in Bagan by footprint, built 1170 by King Narathu (allegedly to atone for killing his father and brother), distinctive brick pyramid silhouette with bricks fitted so tightly no needle can pass between them. Free entry.

   Cost: Lunch $5-12 + Dhammayangyi free TIP: Dhammayangyi's mass + the legend of the brick-fitting are the architectural highlights. Walk the four corridors of the pyramid interior — partial collapse blocks the inner sanctum which adds mystery.
4. 16:30 Sunset over the temple plain 2 hours

   Bagan sunset is the canonical Myanmar photographic moment — 2,200 temples turning gold as the sun drops over the Irrawaddy plain. Traditional sunset viewpoints (Pyathada Paya hill + Shwesandaw) were closed to climbing in 2018 for preservation, but several sunset-viewing platforms have been built at low elevations giving wide-angle plain views. Hot-air balloons floating over the temples are the iconic photographic frame (paid balloon companies fly Nov-Mar pre-dawn, not at sunset).

   Cost: Free TIP: Arrive 16:30 for sunset 17:30-18:30 (winter). Bring layer (cool evenings) + camera + mosquito repellent. Multiple platforms allow temple-shadows + sky-color combinations. Your hotel will point you to the current best public platform.
5. 19:30 Bagan dinner + balloon company booking 2 hours

   Bagan dinner — Sunset Garden Restaurant overlooking the Irrawaddy, Sanon Training Restaurant (social enterprise), or Be Kind to Animals the Moon (vegetarian Burmese). $8-18 per person. Book the next morning's hot-air balloon (Balloons Over Bagan or Oriental Ballooning, $300-400 per person, 45-min flight, sunrise 06:00 typical, picked up from hotel 05:00).

   Cost: Dinner $8-18 + balloon booking deposit TIP: Balloons fly only November-March (dry season). Book through hotel or balloon company website 1-2 days ahead. The 45-min flight is the photographic highlight of most Myanmar trips.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 05:00 Hot-air balloon pickup + pre-dawn briefing 1 hour pre-flight

   Hot-air balloon company hotel pickup 05:00 + safety briefing at the launch site + balloon inflation 05:30-06:00. Balloons Over Bagan and Oriental Ballooning are the two main operators ($300-400 per person, November-March dry season only). 45-min flight typically, sometimes longer depending on wind.

   Cost: Included in $300-400 balloon package TIP: Layer up — pre-dawn at altitude is cold. Bring camera with full battery + memory card. Photos from inside the basket are good but the iconic shot is balloons among temples from the ground; your hotel may include both perspectives.
2. 06:00 Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over 2,200 temples 45-60 min flight + landing breakfast

   The 45-min sunrise balloon flight over Bagan — drifting at 200-500m above the temple plain as the sun rises and 2,200 brick stupas turn gold in the morning light. The single most-photographed Myanmar moment for most travelers. Champagne breakfast on landing.

   Cost: Included in package TIP: Photographic gold. Take photos AND just experience it — don't spend the whole 45 min behind a camera. Balloons land in different locations daily based on wind — the company shuttles you back to hotel afterward.
3. 08:30 Hotel breakfast + Ananda Temple morning re-visit 2 hours

   Post-balloon hotel breakfast + Ananda Temple morning re-visit (the white-painted exterior + four cardinal-direction Buddhas catch morning light beautifully). Or hotel pool rest before the airport return.

   Cost: Free with zone ticket TIP: Most travelers prefer hotel rest after the balloon flight + early hotel checkout. Bagan is best appreciated in the cool morning before the heat builds.
4. 11:30 Bagan → Yangon return flight (1h) Half-day

   Bagan NYU airport → Yangon RGN flight 1 hour, $80-150. Hotel pickup 09:30 typical, NYU check-in 10:30, flight 11:30, Yangon arrival 12:30. Hotel pickup at Yangon airport ($25-40) or taxi ($7-10) to luggage storage or final-night hotel.

   Cost: Flight $80-150 + Yangon transfer $7-40 TIP: Book the return flight with the outbound — most travelers book Yangon → Bagan → Yangon as a round-trip. Carry-on only for the domestic flight to skip baggage waits.
5. 16:00 Final Yangon dinner + RGN airport departure 3-4 hours

   Final Yangon stop. Light meal at hotel or downtown cafe. International evening departure from RGN — hotel pickup ($25-40) or taxi ($7-10), arrive 2.5 hours before flight (check-in 45 min + security 30 min + duty-free + MMK spending 30 min).

   Cost: Light meal $8-25 + airport transfer $7-40 TIP: Spend remaining MMK at duty-free — Mandalay Rum, Burmese coffee beans, longyi sarongs, lacquerware, jade. MMK is essentially impossible to exchange at home airports.

Meal Recommendations