The Complete Guide to Bagan Temples

Bagan temples are an archaeological bounty that will tickle your inner Indiana Jones. Bagan temples shimmer across a 26-square-kilometres stretch of grassy countryside in Central Western Myanmar like thousands of raw jewels. Hard to say how many there are – could be up to 4,000, making it Asia’s greatest concentration of ancient architecture and art. Recent research shows they were built from AD 540 onwards to the 20^th Century, with perhaps as many as 10,000 temples built all up. On 6 July 2019, Bagan was officially inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The Low-Down on Bagan, Myanmar

You’ll find Bagan on the Ayeyarwady (or Irrawaddy) River in Upper Myanmar. Bagan (or Pagan) was a prominent early urban centre, now about 400 kilometres south of Yangon’s current capital. History records it as an economic and military power and a key ritual centre to glorify Buddha. The town takes the kingdom’s name that reigned there between the 11^th and 14^th centuries.

Just after the 1975 earthquake, researchers listed 2,237 temples, pagodas, stupas and monasteries, plus a few hundred extras were recorded separately. Since 1995, about 1,300 such artefacts were “speculatively rebuilt from mounds of rubble”, says the World Archaeology journal. The military used cherry red bricks to restore some ancient buildings, says The New York Times. But more recently, conservation approaches have lifted a notch or two using remote sensing and spatial info sciences. However, the significant challenges are earthquakes (the last one was in 2016), flooding, and poor maintenance.

That’s prompt, if any, to see Bagan temples for yourself now.

How to Get to Bagan Temples 

Check with your closest embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar if you need a visa – Australians, Canadians and those from the US will. You should get an e-Visa from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population website and have the printout handy to show when you enter Myanmar at any of the three major airports or three border crossings.

From Myanmar’s capital, Yangon, you can take a 13-hour overnight bus or from Mandalay, a day bus or from Inle Lake, you’re up for a 10-hour bus trip. There are air-conditioned VIP or Express buses available or more budget options. You can check this site for more bus info. You also have the option of a slow boat from Mandalay, which will take you up to 15 hours, but there are only two boats per week.

Or you can speed up your journey by flying with a local airline (Air Bagan, Asian Wings or Air Mandalay ) and taking a taxi to Nyaung U ($AUD6) or New Bagan ($AUD9) for your starting point. Beware too, seats on flights are limited, so it’s worth booking perhaps months in advance online as you’ve got a fat chance of getting an online booking once you arrive in Myanmar. Get a closer inspection of what the travel options are from this site.

Getting into the Bagan Archaeological Zone will cost you about $AUD13 for five days of touring, but feel free to donate at any temple or pagoda once you are there. We also suggest having loose change handy when photographing or filming inside templates as there may be a filming charge. Tipping is also appreciated in Myanmar.

Bagan Tour Options

Once in the Bagan area, you’ll be spoilt for transport choices –bus, taxi, horse cart, trishaws, pickups, hot air balloon, bicycle (about $AUD4 a day from most hotels), even an electric bike, boat or foot. Have you noticed we didn’t say motorcycles? Tourists aren’t allowed to ride them.

As for tours, the more you pay, the higher quality and extent of the commentary you will receive. Cheap tours usually equal transport and not much else. Don’t mistake skimping on a tour, as you can miss a couple of significant temples as you might not be able to make sense of the maps. That’s a common problem due to poor signage.

If you want to save money, consider getting a guide at least for your first day to tick off the main temples, then spend the next two on a self-guided wander on a bike or foot; if you’re on a higher budget, start with a plane or hot air balloon. Check our Myanmar tours

The Must-See Bagan Temples

First, an overview of the Bagan Archaeological Zone is that it’s four main settlements – Old Bagan, New Bagan, Nyaung and Myinkaba.

Especially interesting are these four wonders of Bagan:

• the massiveness that is Dhammayangyi (largest, 12^th-century-built featuring original paintings),
• the loftiness that is Thatbyinnyu (the tallest at 60 metres and mostly white with gold-tipped spires but the ’75 earthquake seriously damaged it),
• the grace that is Ananda (well-preserved, 900-year-plus) and
• the almighty that is Shwezigon (Tah Dah, it’s the gold temple with each of its four shrines home to a bronze Buddha).

If eight wonders fit your schedule better, you should also make a beeline for Shwesandaw Pagoda (five terraces to climb), Sulamani Temple (exquisite and has terracotta plaques capturing stories about Buddha’s previous lives), Nanda Pyin Nya (the painted temple where photography is prohibited) and the Ta Wet Temple (the ‘secret temple’ – an ideal spot to view the sun rising).

Keep in mind that once you start meandering off the main tracks, you might find nooks of pagodas and temples to yourselves or just a handful of other tourists. Here, you set your own pace, rest up and soak in the vistas and splendour to recharge. If you head east along the Irrawaddy River bank from Nyaung U, you will stumble upon some open temples with interiors that have stood the test of time.

Take your discovery tour up a level checking the panorama from viewing hills and platforms.  The go-to ones are at Ko Mauk Lake, Oh Htein Kone, Nyaung Lat Phat Kan and Sulamani Kone. The one at Nyaung Lat Phat Kan, for example, is 122 metres long, seven metres high, and almost eight metres wide. The government built these platforms to stop visitors from climbing pagodas and temples. Two more viewing platforms are on the cards.

See Badan Temples From Above

If you want to feel like a bird, you should hop into a hot air balloon to get a real sense of the expanse of Bagan’s temple zone. It’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous, especially if you take off just after sunrise. Usually, there are 12 to 16 passengers in a basket, but you won’t feel like you are jostling the others. The tours are well-organised, the guides are informative, and it’s good to know the baskets rotate 360 degrees. Cost is $370 to $AUD500 for an hour-long flight, and tickets sell out way in advance for the Christmas and New Year period.

Fright at Heights? Don’t Worry!

Not everyone’s going to get into a hot air balloon, no matter how adventurous they are. That’s ok. You can ground yourself with a private half or full-day tour for about $AUD56 to $AUD150. Some include a trundle on an ox-drawn or horse cart ($AUD14 to $AUD24 a day to hire those), market visit, pottery and art gazing. The area’s cultural and arty highlights include glazed plaques, stucco, mural paintings, stone inscriptions, replica art, and lacquerware. Bagan is the country’s lacquerware manufacturing centre.

Transport wise, while trishaws and pickups abound, trishaws are your short-distance option in towns, while pickups will only take you from Nyaung U to Old Bagan and New Bagan via the main road. If you’re keen to tick the significant temples and monasteries off your list, pick up the pace by bicycle, which can go in places horse/ox-drawn carts can’t. Hire a bike (they’ll come with a nicely cushioned seat) to explore on your own/with buddies or hook into an organised tour. There’s a range of operators, including those with mountain bikes. Another idea is to get into the water with a sunset boat cruise on something that looks like a stretched gondola (about $AUD8 for a one-hour cruise). You can also opt for a dust-free travelling option via an air-conditioned taxi (but don’t expect it will be able to go on all of the tracks). Depending on where and how far you go, it will set you back between $AUD25 to $65(ish).

Where to Stay

For an overview of the top five hotels, check Backackerlee’s site – these are the luxury options for the region. Old Bagan, a quiet walled city, has the priciest accommodation as it’s the nearest you can stay to the temples, including at four-star hotels. Scout is around to secure the cheapest room at around $AUD126 in this old city, also home to the Bagan Archaeological Museum (entry about $AUD8). South of Old Bagan is Myinkaba, a village known for its traditional lacquerware and bamboo weaving, but few accommodation options exist.

Be kinder to your budget and stay in New Bagan, between Old Bagan and Nyaung U (aka Nyaung Oo) and easy enough to travel to the temples. The town was built in 1990 has many handicraft shops and a good selection of restaurants on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

If you don’t mind staying about three kilometres from the edge of the start of the main temple area, then Nyaung U has your cheapest hostels and hotels (from $AUD18 per night). You’ll find most of your mod cons in that town, including transport links, ATMs and access to free WIFI at the touristy Restaurant Row (Thiripyitsaya 4 Street).

You Won’t Be Rained Out

There is no monsoon season in Myanmar’s lower areas to narrow your travel window. You can visit Bagan pretty much any time of year, but the likelihood of rain means no hot air ballooning there from April to September. Just as a reference, the temperature averages 28^oC from October to March and slightly higher at 32^oC from April to September. High humidity means you’ll need to pack light clothes made from natural fabrics such as cotton, silk or hemp, plus a hat or cap. Leave your risqué attire at home (cover your knees and shoulders), or you’ll risk offending locals. Don’t drink the tap water, though – bottled water is the go. Mornings are cooler and usually less crowded for your Bagan temple viewing, too. And check when religious festivals are on because that’s when people from across the country converge onto the Bagan temple area.

After You’re All Templed Out

After the dust has settled on your Bagan temple tour, consider venturing out to Inle Lakes in Myanmar for its floating gardens and villages. Now that’s a contrast – the impermanence of those settlements with the enduring (though somewhat battered in parts) temples of Myanmar’s yesteryear.

Ready To Plan Your Myanmar Adventure?

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