Our Complete Guide to the Ancient City of Bagan

Important update – October 2026: We visited Bagan in 2017, before the military coup of February 2021. Since then, Myanmar has experienced significant political upheaval, ongoing conflict and major changes to tourism. We’ve kept this article as a record of our experience exploring Yangon and its beautiful attractions. Please be aware that the situation today is very different, and some of the practical information, including transport, accommodation and access to attractions, may no longer be accurate.

One of the highlights of our trip to Myanmar was visiting Bagan, an ancient city on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River in the heart of the country. Once the capital of a powerful kingdom, Bagan is now famous for its extraordinary archaeological zone, home to thousands of ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas.

Often nicknamed the “Land of Pagodas”, Bagan is a truly remarkable place. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than 10,000 temples, pagodas and monasteries were built across the surrounding plains. Today, over 2,000 monuments remain, many remarkably well preserved considering their age and the earthquakes that have affected the region, including those in 1975, 2016 and 2025.

When we organised our trip to Myanmar with Pro Niti Travel, we made sure to allocate three days to explore this incredible ancient city. It was enough time to discover some of its most beautiful temples, soak up the atmosphere and gain a deeper appreciation of the country’s rich Buddhist heritage.

As we soon discovered, Bagan is one of those places that leaves a lasting impression.

What to Do in Bagan?

Go Temple hopping

There are over two thousands pagodas, temples, and monasteries in the area, so deciding which one to visit is tough. Luckily we had an excellent local guide and driver to take us to the best temples and to explain their histories. Each temple that we visited was unique with its own story to tell. That meant that even Simon didn’t get templed out! We explored many temples while in Bagan, but here are the ones that really stood out for us, that you really should visit:

Ananda Temple

The Ananda temple (also named Ananda Pahto) is located East of the old Bagan city walls, close to the Tharabar gate. Its architectural style has a Mon & North Indian influence, and this single storey temple is the most beautiful and best-preserved temple in Bagan.

The temple has some distinctive features, such as its gilded sikhara (a tower like spire on top of the pagoda). You can see the reflection of the gilded sikhara from miles away, pretty much anywhere on the Bagan plains. But the best part is the four remarkable 9.5 metre high standing Buddhas that represent the four Buddhas who have attained nirvana. If you look at the Buddha images up close, they appear to be frowning. But if you step back they begin to smile; step even further and they will be laughing. It’s pretty amazing!

After dark, the Ananda Pagoda is all lit up, creating a mystical atmosphere. Ananda suffered considerable damage during the 1975 earthquake, but it has since been completely restored.

Shwezigon Pagoda

About five kilometers North East of Old Bagan, on the edge of Nyaung U village, sits the Shwezigon Pagoda. This single storey pagoda is one of the oldest and most impressive pagodas in Bagan. The best part of this complex is the huge gold-plated pagoda that glimmers in the shining sun. It is home to some sacred Buddhist relics (including a copy of the sacred tooth relic of Kandy in Sri Lanka). Its relics make it a popular pilgrimage site.

Dhammayangyi Temple

This temple is the largest temple in Bagan, and you can see its imposing pyramid structure from far away. It was built by the tyrant King Narathu, who killed his own father to steal the throne. He then proceeded to kill his brother, the queen, and countless slaves. He oversaw the building of this temple, but it was never completed because King Narathu was murdered himself. Locals believe the temple is haunted by his sins.

Gu Byauk Gyi Pagoda

This Indian style cave temple is quite small, but it is decorated from walls to ceiling with incredible mural paintings that depict scenes from the Jataka tales, the previous lives of the Buddha. To protect the murals, photography is not allowed inside this temple.

Htilomilo temple

The Htilomilo temple is a three-storey majestic structure, that towers 46 meters high. Built from red brick, it was originally plastered with white stucco, some of which still remains. This temple has fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. On the first floor, you’ll find four Buddhas, one facing each of the walls. There are four Buddhas on the second floor as well, but it is closed to the public.

Get up early to watch the sunrise

Yes, getting up before six in the morning is not ideal, and like most people I hate it. But plenty of travellers had said that waking up early to catch the sunrise in Bagan was a magical experience. So we bit the bullet and set our alarms!

Our tour guide took us to a quieter temple, and at first, we were the only ones there. A few other tourists arrived later to join us. As we climbed the steps in the dark to the roof of the temple with the aid of a flashlight, it felt like a real adventure. We then sat in the cool morning air, waiting for the sun to rise; it was so peaceful. Sadly the clouds all turned up that morning, which made the sunrise a bit of a fizzer. But as the daylight replaced the night sky, it revealed many temples and pagodas on the plains surrounding us, bathing them in a beautiful light. It was a magical sight.

Take a hot air balloon ride

If you visit Bagan during the hot-air balloon season, generally from October to March or early April, you may have the opportunity to watch the sunrise over thousands of ancient temples from the comfort of a hot-air balloon!

From everything we’d heard, it was one of the most magical experiences you could have in Bagan and an absolute bucket-list activity. Naturally, it was at the top of ours, so we booked our flight six months in advance!

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side. With the wind blowing in the wrong direction and rain threatening, our flight was cancelled for safety reasons.

Let’s not panic, I told myself. We still had another morning in Bagan, so surely we could try again? Sadly, the following day’s flight was already fully booked. And as it turned out, that flight was cancelled too!

TIP: If a balloon flight is high on your wish list, book it for your first morning in Bagan and allow a few extra days in case of cancellations. Weather can be particularly unpredictable at the beginning of the season in October, although flights can be cancelled at any time for safety reasons. Check current operating dates and availability directly with balloon operators.

I was so excited about this experience that I was absolutely gutted when we missed out. But hey, Bagan isn’t going anywhere. We’ll just have to return one day and try again!

Visit one of the local villages

If you get templed out and need a break, be sure to visit one of the local villages. We visited the local village of Minnanthu, where we watched the locals make cigars, extract peanut oil, weave cotton, and harvest their fields. We were also given a village tour, including a tour of traditional living quarters.

It was very interesting to see how the villagers lived, content with just the bare essentials. It really made us appreciate just how spoilt we are, and it put all of our complaints into perspective. Most of the villagers were very friendly and were happy to interact with us. Some even spoke some English and were very happy to answer any questions that we had. I always believe that the best way to really get to know a country is by seeing how its people live.

Watch the sunset over Bagan

After exploring the many temples and getting lost on the vast plains of Bagan, don’t forget to sit down, relax and watch the sun go down. The temples with the best views will attract huge crowds, but some smaller or less popular temples can offer a great experience as well. Do some research by talking to the locals. They will be able to help you find a good spot. Or if like us you have a local guide, they’ll know exactly where to take you.

Watching the sunset over the thousands of pagodas and temples around us, as their colour changed from a dark red to a deep orange, was truly mesmerizing.

Go on sunset cruise on the Ayeyarwady River

Another great way to watch the sunset is by taking a sunset cruise over the Ayeyarwady River. You can take a taxi or e-Bike to the river, and then negotiate a boat from there. Or if you have a local guide they can organise it all for you.

Visit the local market

We’ve visited a few local markets in our lifetime, but none were quite like the one in Bagan. Bagan’s market is ultra colorful, and it attracts very little tourists. The local villagers gather every day to buy and sell produce. It’s crazily busy, but it’s a great place to wander around for an hour or two. There are very few souvenirs for sale; it’s more about seeing all of the local produce, such as dried fish, betel leaves, and lots of amazing looking vegetables. But if you wander past the meat and seafood section you might feel a little bit queazy, and you might decide that it’s a good idea to eat vegetarian food for dinner!

Take a trip to Mt Popa

If you fly to Bagan, you’ll catch a glimpse of Mt Popa as you land. This ancient volcano is about fifty-kilometres South East of Bagan, and it makes a great day trip. At Mt Popa, you’ll find the sacred Popa Taungkalat monastery, which is perched dramatically on top of a huge rocky outcrop. The monastery is entirely surrounded by sheer cliff faces and offers amazing views of the surrounding area.

Getting to the top of the monastery is a bit of a challenge. There are 777 steps to climb up! But the views at the top are a great reward.

Bear in mind that the local macaques are very cheeky and they’ll steal anything they can. Don’t bring anything that you won’t need, and hold on tight to your camera!

How Much Is the Entrance Fee to the Bagan Archaeological Zone?

The entrance fee for foreign visitors to the Bagan Archaeological Zone is K30,000 per person, and the pass is valid for three days.

You can purchase your pass at Nyaung-U Airport or designated ticket counters around the archaeological zone. Keep your ticket handy, as you may be asked to show it when visiting certain temples.

TIP: Entrance fees and regulations can change, so confirm the latest details locally before visiting.

How to Explore the Temples in Bagan

Bagan’s archaeological zone is enormous, with thousands of temples and pagodas scattered across the plains. Exploring everything on foot isn’t practical, but fortunately, there are several ways to get around.

By Bicycle or E-Bike

Renting a bicycle or e-bike is one of the most affordable ways to explore Bagan and gives you the freedom to discover the temples at your own pace.

Bicycles are ideal for shorter distances, particularly early in the morning before the heat becomes too intense. E-bikes are a more convenient option if you want to cover more ground without exhausting yourself!

Both can be rented locally, although prices vary. Be careful on the sandy tracks between temples, and check the battery range before setting off on an e-bike.

By Private Car and Driver

For a more comfortable option, particularly during the hotter months, you can hire a private car and driver.

This allows you to visit several temples without worrying about navigating unfamiliar roads or dealing with the midday heat. It’s also a good option if you have limited time in Bagan.

TIP: Whichever transport you choose, start exploring early in the morning. The temperatures are much more pleasant, and the soft morning light is beautiful for photography.

Our whole trip was organised through ProNiti Travel, and we had a local guide and a driver to take us around the temples.

Where to stay in Bagan?

Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort

This hotel is a 2-minute walk from Irrawaddy Riverside. It offers air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi, the resort features a spa, pool and laundry service. Check out the latest prices here.

Discover more of Myanmar: From the magnificent golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon to the beautiful monasteries and ancient royal capitals surrounding Mandalay, there’s so much more to discover beyond Bagan. Explore our travel stories from both destinations!

Conclusion

Bagan is one of those truly magical places that photographs simply can’t do justice to. No matter how many pictures we took, none quite captured the beauty of thousands of ancient temples scattered across the plains.

Exploring Bagan was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our two weeks in Myanmar, and three days simply weren’t enough. We left with wonderful memories and a long list of places we’d love to discover on a return visit. And, of course, there’s still that hot-air balloon ride we never got to experience!

So much has changed in Myanmar since our visit in 2017, but our memories of Bagan remain as special as ever. We sincerely hope that one day we’ll have the opportunity to return and experience its magic all over again.

Have you visited Bagan? We’d love to hear about your favourite temples and experiences in the comments below!

Read more:

Yangon: One Day in Myanmar Biggest City 

Exploring Mandalay: the Cultural Centre of Myanmar