Myanmar Travel Guide: Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay & Current FCDO Warnings

A By Anna · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Yangon International (RGN), about 45 minutes from the city centre; Mandalay International (MDL)

Flight time

no direct flights; usually 13-16h from London with one stop

Best time to go

November-February

Currency

Myanmar kyat (MMK)

Myanmar, formerly Burma, was for years one of South-East Asia's most rewarding destinations: a country of golden stupas, saffron-robed monks and markets that felt little changed by mass tourism. Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda glows above the city, more than 2,000 temples stretch across the plain at Bagan, and on Inle Lake fishermen row with one leg.

Since the military coup of 2021, Myanmar has been in civil conflict. The FCDO advises against all travel to large parts of the country, including Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon and Rakhine states, Sagaing and Magway regions, northern Shan State and areas north of Mandalay, and against all but essential travel to southern and eastern Shan State (including the Inle Lake area), eastern Mandalay Region and other areas. It warns that the security situation can deteriorate at short notice and the regime can introduce travel restrictions at any time. A major earthquake in March 2025 also caused heavy damage around Mandalay and Sagaing. Read the GOV.UK foreign travel advice for Myanmar before planning. For the wider region, see our Asia guide, and neighbouring Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh.

Myanmar is six and a half hours ahead of the UK in winter (five and a half in British Summer Time). Plugs are mixed, traffic drives on the right, and cash in crisp US dollars or kyat is essential.

Why go

• Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon: the country's most sacred site, at its best at dusk when the gold stupa is lit.
• Bagan: a vast plain of brick temples built between the 11th and 13th centuries, now a UNESCO site.
• Mandalay: the royal palace, Mandalay Hill and nearby old capitals such as Amarapura with its teak U Bein Bridge; check FCDO advice and earthquake damage.
• Inle Lake: stilt villages, floating gardens and markets, in an area currently under an "all but essential" warning.
• Yangon's colonial quarter: crumbling British-era buildings, tea shops and the Circle Line train.
• Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo): a gilded boulder balanced on a cliff edge in Mon State, currently within an "all travel" warning area.

Where to stay

• Yangon: colonial-era hotels downtown and guesthouses near Sule Pagoda.
• Bagan (Old Bagan, New Bagan, Nyaung U): everything from riverside resorts to backpacker hostels.
• Mandalay: city hotels close to the palace moat.
• Inle Lake (Nyaungshwe): guesthouses in town and stilt resorts on the lake, where advice allows.

Getting there

There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect via Bangkok, Singapore, Doha or Kuala Lumpur to Yangon, with domestic flights to Bagan, Mandalay and Heho for Inle Lake. British passport holders need a visa, usually available as an eVisa. Overland routes from Thailand are affected by conflict in border areas. Internet access and banking can be disrupted.

Good to know

• Temples: remove shoes and socks at all pagodas and monasteries, and cover shoulders and knees.
• Communications: mobile internet is restricted in some areas and can be cut without warning.
• Food: mohinga (fish noodle soup), tea leaf salad (lahpet thoke) and Shan noodles.
• Restrictions: the regime controls access to many areas, and travel permits and checkpoints are common; follow local instructions and FCDO advice.
• Health: medical facilities are limited outside Yangon, so take comprehensive insurance that covers evacuation.

Best time to visit

November to February is the cool, dry season and the most comfortable time to visit. March to May is very hot, especially in Bagan and Mandalay, and the monsoon brings heavy rain from roughly June to October.

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