Day 1 Morning in Yangon

Fill your stomach and get plenty of energy in the morning with a traditional Myanmar breakfast of fish soup and tea at one of the streetside teashop.
Enjoy an early morning stroll around Chinatown, the bustling markets in the surrounding blocks and Sule Paya, the geographic heart of the city.

Day 1 Afternoon in Yangon

Lunchtime can be pretty good expereince in one of the Indian eateries nearby before doing some crusing around some temples north of the city center, including the Chaukhtatgyi Paya and nearby Ngatatgyi Paya. Then take a walk around Kandawgyi, and maybe stop in for a drink at one of the lakeside restaurants or hotels.

Day 1 Evening / Night in Yangon

The Shewedagon Pagoda, the highlight of any tour in Yangon, should be your main event, it deserves time, attention, and the perfect light og a Yangon sunset. Dine at one of the excellent restaurants – Bamar, Thai, Korean, Japanese, French or Italian – in the immediate vicinity.

Day 2 in Yangon

The second day can begin much like the first at the street side teashop. Morning is the best time for a ferry back and forth Dalah on the other side of the Yangon river to provide a little taste of delta life. Back on the dry ground, the Botatung Paya near the jetty is the next logical stop. Take a walk along the Strand Rd for the British colonial-era architecture or head directly to lunch at one of the restaurants around Bogyoke Aung San Market.

Then there’s the market itself, a bargain-shoppers Shangri-la, a maze of deals just waiting to be made. If you bags are too heavy, you might want to return to your hotel, otherwise the street stalls in Chinatown are a good way to meet locals while dining in the city center. If you still have some getup and go, head to a teashop or one of the roof top clubs to squeeze as much you can out of Yangon.

Yangon Festivals

If you do want to experience the unique festivals celebrated in Myanmar, especially Yangon, it means that you have to choose your travel dates accordingly to coincide with the festive seasons. Do take note that the festivals are keyed to the lunar cycle, specifically to the full-moon days of each lunar month, and therefore fall on different days each year of the Western, solar-based, calendar.

The two main festival in Yangon is the Thingyan (Myanmar Buddhist New Year) in April during Myanmar New Year and the Shwedagon Festival

The lunar month of Tabaung brings the annual Shwedagon Festival, the largest Paya pwe (pagoda festival) in Myanmar. The full moon day in Tabaung is also an auspicious occasion for the Construction of new payas, and the local paya festivals are held. The full moon day of Tabaung is when there are special alms offerings to monks and fairs are held at the temples.

Other Major Festivals in Yangon

4th January – Independence Day is a major public holiday which is marked by a seven day fair at Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake in Yangon. There are also fairs all over Myanmar at this time.
Dhama Sakya Day (June – July)
Buddha’s Birthday
Martyr’s Day – Commemorating the assasinnation of Bogyoke Aung San and his comrades
Murugu Festival – Held at Yangon’s Hindu temple

Yangon, the most multiethnic and cosmopolitan city in Myanmar is the main gateway to the country. Despite being the commercial capital of Myanmar, Yangon is a city engulfed by it’s rich history and culture, an integration of ancient traditions and spiritual heritage. The stunning Shwedagon Pagoda is the centerpiece of Yangon city, which itself is famous for the best British colonial era architecture.

Shwedagon Pagoda at night by simonsanthane

The history of Yangon is intertwined with the history of the Shwedagon Pagoda, which reaches back to the days of the Enlightenment of Gaudama Buddha – the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda is also one the main reason why visitors ended up in Myanmar. The glory of the Shwedagon comes not from it’s material wealth but rather from it’s 100 pavilions and shrines of traditional architectures clustered on it’s platform and the reverence of the devotees. Throughout Myanmar’s history, many kings and queens had donated pure gold equivalent of their body weight in to the great golden pyramid.

Shwedagon Pagoda by ntempini

The lower stupa is plated with 8,688 solid gold bars, an upper part with another 13,153. The tip of the stupa, far too high for the human eye to discern in any detail, is set with 5448 diamonds, 2317 rubies, sapphires, and other gems, 1065 golden bells and, at the very top, a single 76-carat diamond.

Getting Around

Transportation in Yangon is generally efficient, served with public buses, circular train services, ferry boats, and the city taxis (which you probably might be using mainly) – do remember to bargain on the taxi price before boarding. Many of Yangon’s top sights can be easily reached from the Shwedagon Pagoda, such as Botataung Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, Chauk-htat-kyi Pagoda, Mae Lamu Pagoda and the National Museum.

God light by leprecon

Where to Shop

The 70+ yr old Bogyoke Aung San zei, which is well known for it’s variety of handicrafts is not to be missed if shopping is on your list. Shopping at the markets (zei) can be fun, educational and a chance to interact with the locals. Theingyi Zei is the biggest market in Yangon, good for locals who finds Bogyoke Aung San zei a little too pricey.

Where & What to Eat

Yangon street food by tianyake

Feeling hungry?! Be sure not to miss having a dinner bite at Chinatown (19th St between Mahabandoola and Anawratha Rds ) famous for it’s street food.

You probably spend a good amount of time in Schwedagon Pagoda, and the rest of the Yangon’s top sights can be seen in a rush on an overnight stay, but you’ll need at least 2 days to do them justice. You can get the most out of Yangon in a week stay, do some shopping and even enjoy an excursion out of Yangon.

Welcome to Yangon, one of the most exotic and striking cities in the Southeast Asia.