10 Best Things To Do In Mandalay, Myanmar – Full Guide

Mandalay is the second-largest city and former royal capital in Northern Myanmar. I spent three days exploring Mandalay City, its ancient pagodas and beautiful waterfalls, and have put together this ultimate guide of the 10 Best Things To Do In Mandalay to help you plan your trip.

10 BEST THINGS TO DO IN MANDALAY

MANDALAY HILL

A visit to the peak of Mandalay Hill is one of the best things to do in Mandalay. Located on the very northern end of town you can discover the Su Taung Pyae Pagoda which sits on the very top of Mandalay Hill.

From the center of town, it takes no more than 10-minutes to drive up to Mandalay Hill.

There is a parking fee of 300 Kyat and an additional 1000 Kyat entrance fee to the Su Taung Pyae Pagoda.

Ride the elevator from the parking lot to the very peak of Mandalay Hill.

At the top, you can expect to experience 360-degree views of Mandalay City and its incredible surrounding landscape of various mountain ranges and the Irrawaddy River.

The Su Taung Pyae Pagoda itself is a unique building with decorative mosaic tiles and colorful artworks throughout. I was so impressed by how much time and detail was put into the walls and shrines here on Mandalay Hill.

Must Read → 2 Week Myanmar Itinerary

DEE DOKE WATERFALL

Dee Doke Waterfall is a hidden gem, located high in the mountains just outside of Mandalay City, Myanmar. Get off the beaten Myanmar route and take the time to visit Dee Doke Waterfall and the incredible blue lagoons.

WHERE IS DEE DOKE WATERFALL

Dee Doke Waterfall is approximately a 1 hour 15 minutes drive south-east of Mandalay City.

The scenic drive out to Dee Doke Waterfall will take you through small local villages at the foot of towering cliffs and eventually run parallel with the beautiful Myitnge River.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT DEE DOKE WATERFALL

When you arrive at the gravel parking lot at Dee Doke Waterfall you will have to pay 3oo Kyat to park the scooter and there are no other entrance fees to visit the Dee Doke Waterfall.

It is an easy to moderate 20-minute hike from the car park to the main falls at Dee Doke Waterfall.

You will come to an intersection along the rocky trail, one path leading down to the left and the other path up to the right. Take the path down to the left for a 2-minute hike down to the main swimming area at Dee Doke Waterfall. The other trail leads up to the blue lagoons which I will mention further down in this blog post.

The main swimming area at Dee Doke Waterfall has several rock pools and a small waterfall breaking through the rocks halfway up the valley.

The water is a bit fresh until the sun reaches over the mountains at around 10 am, lighting up the entire valley and providing some heat in the rock pools.

A small cafe is also built into the side of the mountain selling cold drinks and snack foods.

I hiked back to the intersection on the trail and then took the path that leads off to the right. It is a further 5 to 10-minute hike to the blue lagoons at the top of the valley.

I was in awe when I laid eyes on this crazy lagoon. The color of the water was fluorescent blue, getting its color from the towering limestone cliffs that surround the lagoon.

The lagoon was no more than 2 meters deep so I wouldn’t recommend doing any cliff jumping here, however, it would be rude not to go for a refreshing swim to cool off!

Full Blog Post → Dee Doke Waterfall

KUTHODAW PAGODA

Kuthodaw Pagoda is an incredibly beautiful Buddhist stupa that is home to the world’s largest book and it’s a must-see attraction on your list of things to do in Mandalay.

Kuthodaw Pagoda sits at the foot of Mandalay Hill on the northern end of town. You can visit Kuthodaw Pagoda right after experiencing the 360-degree viewpoint at the top of Mandalay Hill.

When I arrived at Kuthodaw Pagoda, I searched around like a headless chicken for this so-called ‘world’s largest book’ but couldn’t find it.

I then asked a local man to point me in the right direction and he then began to explain that there are 729 marble slabs inscribed with Burmese script inside the white stupas and together these make up the ‘world’s largest book’. The script on the marble slabs contains the teachings of Buddha.

Also at Kuthodaw Pagoda is a large gilded pagoda in the center of the grounds, surrounded by hundreds of white stupas and offers great views upwards of Mandalay Hill.

Find All → Hotels in Mandalay

SANDAMUNI PAGODA

The Sandamuni Pagoda resembles the nearby Kuthodaw Pagoda because of the hundreds of white stupas and gilded pagoda on the grounds. It’s truly one of the best places to visit in Mandalay!

The Sandamuni Pagoda can also be found at the foot of Mandalay Hill and a short 2-minute walk from the Kuthodaw Pagoda.

Sandamuni is world-known for its endless white stupas (1174 shrines to be exact) each inscribed with the teachings of Buddha. It is also home to Myanmar’s largest iron Buddha statue weighing approximately 20 tonnes and covered in a layer of gold.

Sandamuni also offers great views between the shrines upwards of Mandalay Hill.

Must Read → 2 Week Myanmar Itinerary

ROYAL MANDALAY PALACE 

The Royal Mandalay Palace is housed inside of a walled fort and surrounded by a moat of water. Built in 1859, the Mandalay Palace is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy.

The Royal Mandalay Palace is in the center of the citadel and it seems Mandalay City has since been built around the boundaries of the fortress.

The entrance fee to the Royal Mandalay Palace is 10,000 Kyat.

U BEIN BRIDGE 

The U Bein Bridge is an old teakwood bridge that spans across Taungthaman Lake and it is one of the best things to do during your visit.

The U Bein Bridge is located approximately a 30-minute drive southwest of Mandalay City center, near Amarapura village.

U Bein Bridge was built in 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. The U Bein Bridge is a tourist hotspot, especially around sunrise or sunset to witness the incredible reflections on the lake and to see the daily commute of locals and monks that use the bridge as a passageway.

I arrived at U Bein Bridge at around 6:30 in the morning to find a good spot to take photos at sunrise. There was a lot of low-lying fog this morning, but the sun did show itself for about 5 to 10 minutes, and I got a few good shots in the short time window.

When the sun disappeared again I took some moodier shots of the monks making the commute across the U Bein Bridge.

This particular morning was one of the most memorable moments in the three days that I spent here.

MINGUN PAHTODAWGYI 

The Mingun Pahtodawgyi is an ancient ruined Buddhist temple in Mingun Village.

Mingun Pahtodawhyi is located northwest of Mandalay City and it is approximately a 1.5-hour drive from the center of town. I visited the Mingun pagoda right after watching the sunrise at U Bein Bridge.

Before entering the grounds of the Mingun temple there is a checkpoint on the side of the road for foreigners to pay an entrance fee of 5000 Kyat. This ticket will also allow you entry to the Mingun Bell and the Hsinbyume Pagoda (Myatheindan).

The Mingun Pahtodawgyi is essentially a big pile of bricks that is said to hold the record for the biggest pile of bricks in the world. It was intended to be a 500ft stupa but the construction of Mingun Pahtodawgyi was abandoned when the king died. Mingun Pagoda was then later hit by an earthquake, leaving cracks up the face of the stupa and one whole corner of the monument broke off and now lays in debris.

Mingun Pagoda is quite a popular point of interest in Mandalay so it can get quite busy, although if you take the time to walk around the backside of the temple you will most likely have uninterrupted awe-inspiring views of the ancient monument.

Don’t forget to stop in to see the Mingun Bell, located right next to the Mingun Pagoda. The Mingun Bell is the second largest bell in the world and it can be rung by striking the outside with a wooden baton.

HSINBYUME PAGODA (MYATHEINDAN)

The Hsinbyume Pagoda is a large white stupa that was built in 1816 to represent the Buddhist mythological mountain, Mount Meru. The Myatheindan Pagoda was my favorite location to shoot photos!

Hsinbyume Pagoda is located northwest of Mandalay City and it is approximately a 1.5-hour drive from the center of town. It’s a short 2-minute drive from the Mingun Pagoda and the Mingun Bell, so you can potentially visit all of these 3 locations on the same day.

The Hsinbyume Pagoda is a multi-tiered stupa that can be explored on every level. Be sure to get that classic shot walking across the arches.

Hsinbyume Pagoda

SUNSET AT SKY BAR

Arguably the best place to watch the sunset in Mandalay is at the Sky Bar, the best rooftop bar in the city.

This particular rooftop bar is attached to the Eastern Palace Hotel, located northeast of Mandalay City center. The Sky Bar has 360-degree views at the top, spectacular views of Mandalay Hill, Mandalay Palace, Irrawaddy River, and distant mountain ranges.

The Sky Bar is open to the public; notify reception when you arrive at Eastern Palace Hotel that you want to visit the rooftop bar for sunset.

Happy Hour at Sky Bar is between 5 pm and 7 pm where they offer 2-for-1 cocktails, spirits, and beer.

There is nothing better than sipping on an ice-cold beer while watching the sunset over the second-largest city in Myanmar. A perfect end to a perfect day!

NOVA COFFEE SHOP

If you are a coffee connoisseur like myself then you don’t want to miss out on trying some of Mandalay’s best coffee from the legends down at Nova Coffee Shop.

Nova Coffee is located in the center of Mandalay City. Hanging out at Nova Coffee Shop is about as hip as Mandalay gets.

Let the friendly staff take care of you with their excellent coffee, great food, and hi-speed wi-fi. It was the best co-working space I found in Myanmar and I spent a good 6 hours in the comfort of the lounge chairs, sipping on fine coffee and working away with no disturbances.

HOW TO GET TO MANDALAY

There are a few ways of getting to Mandalay and that is either by bus, train, or plane.

Whether you are on a budget or not, I recommend traveling by bus throughout Myanmar. The main bus companies (JJ Express, Elite, Ok Express) are very efficient and will get you comfortably from A to B.

The cost of bus transportation between cities in Myanmar is on average around $10 to $30.

GET YOUR BUS TICKETS:

• Bagan to Mandalay / 4 hours / $10
• Yangon to Mandalay  / 9 hours / $25
• Inle Lake to Mandalay / 6 hours / $20

GET YOUR PLANE TICKETS:

I search and book all of my flights on Skyscanner, the best online flight directory, to find the cheapest and most convenient flights in Myanmar.

Search All → Flights to Myanmar

GETTING AROUND MANDALAY

Rent a scooter:

Renting a scooter in Mandalay is very affordable and the most efficient way to get around self-guided. I rented a scooter from Mandalay Motorbike Rental and Tours for 10,000 Kyat ($7) per day. The bikes are in great condition and the guys at the rental shop were very friendly. Alternatively, your accommodation may be able to organize a scooter rental for you.

Grab taxi:

Grab taxi is another mode of transport in and around Mandalay City. Download the Grab app from the App Store on your smartphone in order to use Grab taxi services.

MANDALAY MAP

BEST MYANMAR TOURS

WHAT TO PACK FOR MYANMAR

When visiting Myanmar, here is a list of items I highly recommend bringing with you:

FINAL THOUGHTS – WHAT TO DO IN MANDALAY

If you have any questions about Mandalay, please leave me a comment below this post and I will get back to you as soon as I can. For a quicker response, be sure to join Jonny Melon’s Travel Tribe on Facebook and post your questions or recommendations to our awesome community.

TRAVEL RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or it’s your first trip overseas, here are some useful travel resources to help you kick-start your next adventure!

THANKS FOR READING

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