2-Day Yangon Itinerary: Best Places To See In Yangon, Myanmar

2-Day Yangon Itinerary: Top Places To See In Yangon, Myanmar

By DAN FORTEZA

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If you’re curious to know which places are worth visiting when you only have two days in Yangon, then you’re in the right place. In this blog, I’ve put together the perfect 2-day Yangon itinerary which includes the top attractions in the city.

Hi there! First of all, I am Daniel – a solo backpacker from the Philippines. If you don’t know my story yet, feel free to read this article where I talked about how I quit my job in order to travel. This article was also featured on TripZilla Philippines.

I flew in to Yangon, Myanmar on my 28th birthday (so this trip is extremely memorable for me) and spent two days in the city. Yep, unfortunately just two days!

WHERE IS YANGON?

Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city and once known as Rangoon, is a 1 ½ hour flight away from Bangkok, 3 hours from Singapore and a slightly longer 6 ½ hours away from Dubai. You’ll find the city in Lower Myanmar at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers.

Slightly closer to home, Yangon is located a short flight away from 3 of Myanmar’s most popular destinations. It takes around 1 ½ hour to reach each of Bagan (via Nyaung U Airport), Mandalay and Inle Lake (via Heho Airport). That makes it a perfect location for entering and leaving the country from, while also offering tourists a wealth of activities and sights to see.

Language: Burmese
Currency: Burmese Kyat (MMK)
Airport: RGN
Preferred mode of transporation: GrabTaxi
Time Zone: GMT +6 ½

Burmese men wearing their traditional LONGYI | Dantravels,org

HOW I GOT THERE:

Finding a cheap flight ticket to Yangon, Myanmar from Southeast Asia is relatively easy (and cheap, too!). I booked mine coming from Manila, Philippines with a connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
I suggest you check Kayak (click HERE) as they usually offer cheap fare rates compared to other booking sites.

HOW TO GET AROUND?

For travelers, the best way to get around Yangon is by taxi. These days the best way to hail a taxi is with the Grab app. There are apparently other local apps but the Singapore-based Grab is much better. It works exactly like Uber. So make sure you have Grab app as well as mobile internet where you’re in Yangon.

WHERE DID I STAY?

I arrived at Yangon International Airport (RGN) at around 8:00 AM from a 2 ½ hours flight from Kuala Lumpur. The first thing I looked for at the airport was the ATM to withdraw some Kyats and then a sim card with internet to help me navigate the city. With my mobile internet, I booked a taxi via Grab going to my hostel in downtown Yangon.

  • Sim Card with internet – 6,000 kyats
  • Grab Taxi to Hostel – 6,700 kyats
    • Hostel name: Agga Youth Hotel (click here to book)
    • Hostel room type: 1 Bed In 12 Beds Mixed Dormitory
    • Hostel rate: 272.17 PHP (5.4 USD) per night (as of July 2019)

You can book a room at any Yangon hotel through Agoda or Booking.com. I usually book my room accommodations through booking.com. Room accommodation ranges from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. Book hostels through booking.com as they have free cancellation or pay-at-the-hotel option.

If Yangon hotel isn’t to your liking, try AirBnb. Airbnbs are immersed in neighborhoods, condos, and townhomes. There is a feeling you get when you stay in an Airbnb that makes you feel like you belong in that city or town. Since it is someone’s home, there is a certain amount of pride you feel while staying there. I have used Airbnb on some of my other trips and I loved it!

If you’re new to AirBnB, then you can get up to 42 USD free travel credit by signing up via this link.

2-DAY YANGON ITINERARY

DAY 1:

1st Stop: Shwedagon Pagoda

Stunning Shwedagon Pagoda is well worth a trip to  visit! If you are visiting Yangon, it’s a must-see. Shwedagon Pagoda is large and looms over the city. It is considered the landmark of Yangon and even Myanmar as a whole. You really can’t miss it!

All shoes must be taken off before entering and your feet will get very dirty so take some wipes for afterwards (I was given free wipes so I guess that was included in the entrance free).

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 3 hours
  • Shwedagon Pagoda entrance fee: 10,000 Kyats
  • Shwedagon Pagoda opening hours: 4:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon | Dantravels.org

2nd Stop: Sule Pagoda

The Sule Pagoda is right in the heart of Yangon. It’s at the intersection of two main thoroughfares, Maha Bandula, and Sule Pagoda Road; but more specifically in the center of the traffic circle where these two major roads circle a roundabout. All shoes must be taken off before entering as well.

TIP: There will be a shoekeeping price of 1000 kyats, so do yourself a favor to bring a plastic bag to put your shoes on. I paid an additional 1,000 for the shoe keeping guy before entering haha. And oh, if someone offered you a bouquet of flowers, just ignore them and head straight to the entrance. If you accept it, they’ll make you pay 1,000 Kyats like what happened to me. Oh well!

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 1 hour
  • Entrance fee: 4,000 Kyats
  • Opening hours: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sule Pagoda | Dantravels.org

3rd Stop: Yangon Circular Train

Hop aboard the circular train in Yangon for an authentic experience of the city and its suburbs. Traveling here gives you the chance to witness daily life in Yangon as it passes through suburban districts rarely visited by tourists. The nearest train station to my hostel is Lanmadaw station.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 2 hours
  • Train ticket price: 200 Kyats
  • Opening hours: 6:00 AM – 5:10 PM
Yangon Circular Train | Dantravels.org

DAY 2:

4th Stop: Reclining Bhudda

Also known as Chaukhtatgyi Buddha, the Buddha itself was quite mesmerizing to look at.  The Reclining Buddha image is decorated with very expressive colors, white face, red lips, blue eye shadow, golden robe, and red fingernails. You can take photos from a high platform located at the feet of the Buddha as well.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 1 hour
  • Opening hours: 6:00 AM until 8:00 PM
  • Entrance fee: I actually got here for FREE but some say fee is 5 USD per person.
Reclining Bhudda | Dantravels.org

5th Stop: Kandawgyi Park & Lake

Kandawgyi Park in Yangon is a very nice place to have a quiet walk in the shaded tropical gardens around the lake or spend a relaxed couple of hours. It will be quite easy to forget that right outside it is a busy street. The Kandawgyi Lake, also known as Royal Lake, is an artificial lake built by the British as a water reservoir. It offers views of the Royal barge in the Lake as well as views of the nearby Shwedagon Pagoda. 

There are snacks sold inside the park and even a lakeside restaurant, but feel free to bring your own snacks and do a picnic.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 2 hours
  • Entrance Fee: FREE
Kandawgyi Park | Dantravels.org

6th Stop: Botahtaung Pagoda 

The Botataung Pagoda is a famous pagoda located in downtown Yangon, near the Yangon river. There are many kinds of souvenir shop and interesting place along side of pagoda.
I really love this place especially the riverside view. There are also several street food around.

But the time I visited the Pagoda, it was under renovation so I didn’t bother myself to enter. To appreciate the Pagoda more, it should look like this without those construction poles.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 2 hour
  • Entrance fee: 2 USD per person
Botataung Pagoda under renovation | Dantravels.org

7th Stop: Yangon river

After Botataung Pagoda, I went for a walk along Strand Rd to get a good view of the Yangon river near Nan Thida ferry terminal. There are some good restaurants here to fill your hunger after touring around.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 1 hour
Yangon river viewed from Nan Thida ferry terminal | Dantravels.org

8th Stop: Tooth Relic Pagoda

The Tooth Relic Pagoda or locally known as Swe Taw Myat Pagoda is my last stop for this Yangon itinerary. The Pagoda was constructed to enshrine a sacred Buddha tooth relic. It was believed to be one of the teeth of the Gautama Buddha who died some 2,500 years ago.  Enshrined along with the original relic were two ivory copies, one of which is still enshrined in the Swe Taw Myat today.

  • Duration (getting there + visiting): 1 hour
Tooth Relic Pagoda | Dantravels.org

What do you think of this 2-day YANGON itinerary?

I hope that you find this 2-DAY YANGON ITINERARY useful! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section below.

BOOKING ESSENTIALS

  • Hotel / Hostel
    • Booking.com. I usually book my hostel accommodation at booking.com. Thus, I recommend you guys trying it as well for your Yangon Itinerary.  Room accommodation ranges from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. Book hostels through booking.com as they have free cancellation or pay-at-the-hotel option.
    • Airbnb. Try Airbnb in finding comfy and cozy rooms for your Yangon itinerary! I have used Airbnb on some of my other trips and I loved it!

Have you tried Airbnb? Sign up with my link and you will get up to 42 USD (2,200 Php) off your first stay. Click this link to get that discount.

  • Flights
    • KAYAK. All of my flight bookings are all from KAYAK. Kayak is one of the world’s leading travel search engines and searches hundreds of travel sites.

I suggest you check Kayak (click HERE) as they usually offer cheap fare rates compared to other booking sites.

  • Yangon and Bagan Package tours
    • Viator. Viator is the world’s leading resource for researching, finding and booking the best travel experiences worldwide.

Click here to find the best Viator deals in Yangon! Click here for Bagan!

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