Myanmar is often called "The Land of Pagodas", as there are numerous temples and pagodas right across the country, so many that no one knows exactly how many! They will form one of the main highlights of our trip, as we will visit various different temples, pagodas, and stupas every day.
Whether gilded, whitewashed, or made of crumbing brick, pagodas dominate Myanmar's skyline; but you won't need to fear being bored by the same sights every day, as each of the temples and pagodas has its own unique characteristics and varies in its architecture and significance.
We can also tailor itinerary according to your interests and time. Below is information about some of the main temples you may visit, categorized by location.
Location | Temple/ Pagoda | Significance |
---|---|---|
Yangon | Shwedagon Pagoda | The most sacred and majestic pagoda in Myanmar |
Mandalay | Shwenandaw Monastery | Known for its unique classical Burmese architecture and teak carvings |
Kuthodaw Pagoda and the World's Largest Book | Golden stupa surrounded by 729 smaller stupas which house marble stones inscripted with the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism | |
Mahamuni Pagoda | Home to a 4-meter-tall bronze Buddha | |
Sagaing Hill | Common day-trip destination, dating back to the Sagaing Dynasty of the 14th century | |
Bagan | Ananda Temple | Perfectly-dimensioned architecture |
Shwezigon Pagoda | Prototype of Burmese style golden stupa, enshrining Buddha's bone and tooth | |
Inle Lake | Indein Stupa Complex | Cluster of stupas being consumed by nature, can be reached by a scenic boat ride in the rainy season |
Mon | Kyaiktiyo Golden Rock Pagoda | Iconic gravity-defying golden rock |
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Excellent planned and executed Myanmar excursion
Asia Highlights and their local Myanmar partner "mAsia" did an excellent job in planning and execution of a one week trip to Myanmar.The various tour guides and drivers had good knowledge and good command over English. More
Gerd,
Jan 2018
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy( Siem Reap)were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
kelli,
Jul 2023
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
Sana Samhouri,
Jul 2023
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela,
Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon,
Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil,
Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte,
Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
Lauren,
Jun 2023
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola,
Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson,
Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger,
Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux,
Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica,
Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal,
Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M,
Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones,
Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S,
Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover,
Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount,
Feb 2023
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Excellent service and Wonderful Guides
All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends. More
Kaaren,
Feb 2023
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Yangon
Yangon was the capital city from the start of the British colonial period until 2005, and even now it is the best-known city in Myanmar, and its commercial center.
You will probably begin and end your journey here, and while there are many pagodas around the area, Shwedagon is by far the most significant and magnificent.
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the most sacred pagoda in the country because it is believed to enshrine eight strands of Gautama Buddha's hair.
This glorious 2,500 year-old pagoda, which stands 100 meters tall and is decorated with numerous golden plates and diamonds, is a reflection of Myanmar's past glory, when the country was referred to as the "Golden Land".
Now, the pagoda not only attracts tourists, but also pilgrims from right across the country, coming to worship and offer their prayers.
Mandalay
Before British colonization, Mandalay was the capital city of the kingdom. It is now the second largest city in Myanmar, located in Upper Burma, about 75 minutes' flight from Yangon.
Shwenandaw Monastery in Mandalay
Shwenandaw Monastery was built in the style of classical Burmese architecture, and was originally part of the Royal Palace at Amarapura.
In 1878, King Thibaw Min dismantled and relocated the building to its current location in Mandalay because he believed it to be haunted by his father's spirit.
The monastery is distinguished from other monasteries by the teak carvings describing Buddhist myth on its walls and roofs. It now functions mainly as a tourist attraction, and no longer serves spiritual purposes. People no longer go there to pray or burn incense.
Kuthodaw Pagoda and the World's Largest Book in Mandalay
Kuthodaw Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa containing "the world's largest book". It was modeled after Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan and completed in 1868, making it almost 150 years old.
The golden stupa in the middle is surrounded by 729 kyauksagu, or stupas containing marble slabs inscribed with the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. "The world's largest book" actually refers to these 729 white stupas.
Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay
The Maha Muni Pagoda is considered the second most significant pagoda in the country, due to the four-meter bronze Buddha statue enshrined within it. Some even believe the Buddha himself resides in the statue.
The statue is believed to have been made in Rakhine State (western Myanmar) by a king who was very impressed by the Buddha's teaching.
You will be able to see some local craftsmen in workshops on the steps leading to the temple, working on crafts including stone and marble carvings and gold-leaf making.
Sagaing Hill in the southwest of Mandalay
Sagaing Hill is an area with numerous pagodas, located along the Irrawaddy River, 20 km southwest of Mandalay. Sagaing was the capital of the Sagaing Kingdom, one of the minor dynasties in the 14th century, after the fall of the Pagan Dynasty. It is now a common destination for day-trippers.
Bagan
Bagan is an ancient city in the Mandalay region, about 30 minutes by flight from Mandalay city. It was the capital city of the Kingdom of Pagan from the 9th to the 13th century, the kingdom that unified much of Myanmar, making it what it is today.
During its golden era, over 10,000 temples were built on the Bagan plains, and even now more than 2,200 remain.
Ananda Temple in Bagan
Ananda Temple was built in 1105 AD during the Pagan Dynasty. Its architectural structure is a fusion of Mon and Indian styles, and it is perfectly dimensioned. It was damaged in an earthquake in 1975 but has since been fully restored.
Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan
While Shwedagon is believed to enshrine 8 strands of Buddha's hair, the Shwezigon Pagoda is believed to enshrine his bone and tooth. It was also built during the Pagan Dynasty.
Other Regions
Indein Stupa Complex at Inle Lake
Indein is a small village west of Inle Lake, which is about 35 minutes by flight from Mandalay. There are two groups of numerous ancient pagodas in the village, which can be reached by boat through a long narrow canal.
The scenic 8 km boat ride can be made only in the rainy season, when the water level is deep enough. The complex is regarded as comparable to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, in being slowly consumed by nature.
Kyaiktiyo Golden Rock Pagoda (not a typical pagoda, but a golden rock with important religious significance)
After Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and Mahamuni Temple in Mandalay, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is next in significance. It is both a pilgrimage as well as a tourist site.
The site is well-known for its iconic gravity-defying golden rock, with a golden pagoda on top. Unlike other major sites for temples and pagodas, Kyaiktiyo Golden Rock Pagoda is located in Mon state, in southern Myanmar, about 160 km from Yangon.
Myanmar has too many temples and pagodas to count, never mind visit. The 9 sites above are our recommendations as the most significant ones worth visiting. Please bear in mind, however, that our tour service can be tailored to suit your interests.
The temples are spread out over a wide area, but this will not be a problem, as we'll arrange a suitable itinerary and transportation, including air-conditioned private cars for land-transportation.
A knowledgeable local guide will provide an insider's view, revealing stories behind each site. So, bring your camera in anticipation of some good photographs, and enjoy.
Visit Myanmar with Asia Highlights
We provide tailor-made tours to Myanmar. Tours typically start or end in Yangon or Mandalay and last approximately 9 days; visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.
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