MM · Mandalay Region · 21.98°N 96.08°E

mandalay

Royal-city history, woodcarving workshops and the broad Ayeyarwady River.

Best time
November to February is warm and dry. March to May is extremely hot, with April often over 40°C. The rains come from June to October, lighter than in Yangon.
How long
2 days
Getting there
No direct flight from KL. Fly to Yangon (about 2 hours 45 minutes) and connect to Mandalay, about 1 hour 15 minutes. The airport is about an hour south of the city. Myanmar is 1.5 hours behind KL.
Save postcard
MM · Mandalay Regionmandalay21.98°N 96.08°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Royal-city history, woodcarving workshops and the broad Ayeyarwady River.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingMandalayMM, Mandalay Region
KLmandalay
≈ 2,181 km from KL, as the crow flies
Ku Tho Taw Pagoda & Sandar Muni Pagoda, Mandalay

Photo: Heinz_Htetz · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Myanmar's last royal capital and second city, laid out on a grid around the moated palace, with monasteries, gold-leaf workshops and the Ayeyarwady on its western edge. The March 2025 earthquake did heavy damage here, and rebuilding is still going on.

Makan

  1. Nangyi thokeThick rice noodles tossed with chicken curry, chickpea flour and lime, Mandalay's breakfast.Map ↗
  2. Tea shop breakfastSweet tea with palata, samosas and bean dishes; many of Mandalay's tea shops are Muslim-run.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Mandalay HillA long barefoot climb up covered stairways to a hilltop pagoda, for sunset over the plain.Map ↗
  2. Shwenandaw MonasteryA teak monastery, once part of the royal palace, covered inside and out in carvings.Map ↗
  3. Mahamuni PagodaHome to a seated Buddha so thick with gold leaf from devotees that its shape has blurred.Map ↗
  4. Gold-leaf workshopsMen hammering gold into tissue-thin leaf by hand, in the streets near Mahamuni.Map ↗
  5. U Bein BridgeA 1.2 km teak footbridge across a lake in Amarapura, south of the city. It was damaged in the 2025 earthquake and closed for repairs.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The UK advises against all but essential travel to Mandalay and against all travel just north and west of the city, which rules out the old favourites of Mingun and Sagaing Hill.
  • Mandalay has a large Muslim community, and halal tea shops and biryani restaurants are easy to find in the city centre.
  • The sights are spread out, so hire a driver for the day.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.