Temples of Bagan
Bagan was the capital city of the Pagan Empire and the cultural epicenter of a kingdom that ruled over the regions surrounding the Irrawaddy River during the 10th to 13th centuries.![]()
The Pagan Empire was the first to unify the country’s city states – including Mon, Arakanese, Bamar and Pyu people – into what would become known as Burma. At the peak of its powers the empire built around 10,000 Buddhist temples, monasteries, stupas and pagodas across the plains of Bagan. This was a powerful Southeast Asian dynasty that would rival that of their contemporaries, the Khmer Empire in Cambodia, and the temples of Bagan were as highly regarded as those constructed at Angkor.
There are still around 2,000 ruined and relatively intact temples, stupas and pagodas to be seen on the plains of Bagan today. They are all protected as part of the Bagan Archaeological Zone and have become one of Burma's most significant cultural sites. Some are solid stupas that were used for commemorative reasons, others are hollow gu style temples that were mainly used for meditation.
Bagan stands out not just because of the quantity of monuments but also the quality, intricacy and artistic designs on the brick and gilded architecture. This is testament to the skills and knowledge of the Burmese craftsmen and architects who constructed virtually everything by hand.
Our Myanmar (Burma) Vacations
Myanmar 9 day highlights tour
Myanmar Classic Adventure in responsible ways
From
US $795 to US $1480
9 days
ex flights
Burma cultural vacation
Discover a side of Myanmar hidden beyond the tourist trail
From
£2220
15 days
ex flights
Burma tailor made vacation, highlights
Explore Myanmar in fantastic variety and depth!
From
£1995 to £3000
14 days
ex flights
Myanmar tailor made tour, tea, temples & trails
Venture deeper and further into an undiscovered Myanmar.
From
£2088
16 days
ex flights
Irrawaddy river cruise, Burma
Sail the mighty Ayarwaddy in a unique experience of Myanmar!
From
£2999 to £5999
11 days
ex flights
Myanmar 13 day itinerary
Best of Myanmar's cultural and luxury experiences
From
US $1025 to US $1970
13 days
ex flights
Where are they?
Bagan Archaeological Zone is in an area roughly 10km2 within Bagan's old city. The nearest town is Nyaung-U which is about 4km from the site itself. You can actually fly into Nyaung-U from Yangon (formerly Rangoon); it's just a 20 minute drive for here to Bagan.How can I see them?
The best way to see the temples of Bagan is to stay in Nyaung-U. Small group tours of Burma usually include two or three days in Nyaung-U. Groups can then visit the temples with a local guide with the option to return for an independent wander.Given the scale of the site, one of the most convenient ways to get around the forest-clad temple complex is by bicycle. Some tours provide a bike and route map as part of the experience; electric bikes may also be available. A dusty labyrinth of dirt tracks between the trees and temples makes cycling a really efficient and atmospheric way of getting around. Comfy clothes, sun protection (long sleeves, shades and sun cream) and bike helmets are all advisable.
A far more sedate mode of transport is by hot air balloon. Floating over the temples as the sun rises is breathtaking, and you’ll be served a champagne breakfast, just for good measure. Balloon flights usually last between 45 minutes and an hour but they must be booked in advance, are subject to weather conditions and only offered from October to March.
Another way to see the temples from above is to head to the extinct volcano, Mount Popa (1,518m), about 50km southeast of Bagan. Next to Mount Popa is Taung Kalat, a volcanic fist of a hill that features 777 steps to its summit. This major pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists features a shimmering, golden-capped monastery as well as numerous Nat (Buddhist spirits or deities) temples and shrines. Panoramic views from the top of Taung Kalat reach all the way to Bagan and provide a perfect platform to share with the resident monks and monkeys. Mount Popa is about an hour’s drive from Bagan and can easily be reached by taxi if you’re staying in Nyaung-U.
Our top Myanmar (Burma) Vacation
Myanmar 9 day highlights tour
Myanmar Classic Adventure in responsible ways
From
US $795 to US $1480
9 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Myanmar (Burma) or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
1-866-821-6866
Call toll free
Calling from outside the USA
Please don’t climb on the temples
Although you can clamber all over Bagan’s temples either using steps or simply scrambling to the top, there are now plenty of PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB signs in place, especially around the main temples. Please respect the signs and the local people. It can also be pretty dangerous with loose brickwork and heavy stones crashing down on climbers, or sunset selfie-seekers risking a long fall. If you have to get your climbing fix, go to Taung Kalat.
More about Myanmar (Burma)
The best time to visit Myanmar/Burma is the winter season that lasts from November to February.
Myanmar (Burma) opened up to tourists again in 2011, and the appeal of seeing what lies beyond the borders of this once closed-off nation is still strong.
Our interactive map reveals our top Myanmar (Burma) highlights, plus suggested itineraries to make the most of each region.
The journey becomes the destination in Myanmar, as every step of the way is lined with ancient stupas and pagodas, traditional craft workshops, floating markets and even the "Road to Mandalay" itself.
Myanmar’s relative isolation has helped to preserve its long, rich culture and visitors today will be dazzled by its Buddhist temples, tempted by its crafts and charmed by its gentle, welcoming people, well known for their modesty and warmth.
Myanmar’s second largest lake is a little bit special and not just for the 70,000 Intha people living and working around its edges.
Myanmar is not well known as a small ship cruising destination – its temple-studded interior tends to steal the limelight – but in the far south of the country, the remote Mergui Archipelago is a remarkable, pristine group of islands which can only be explored by catamaran.
Traveling in Myanmar with kids needn't be daunting if you do your research, book with a vacation company focused on all things family.
If you're wondering about the best place to meet elephants, how to bring up Burmese politics, whether the country is going to change much or where to see the war murals of Genghis Khan, our partner vacation companies share their Myanmar travel advice.
It's important wherever you go, but responsible tourism in Myanmar is an especially hot topic as this country is just opening up to tourism and Western involvement after decades of dictatorship and isolation.
