Editor’s Note: This post is part of my Myanmar–Thailand trip to Asia. For more on this trip, check out my other posts on Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan.
I know “rapid-fire” travel is not for everybody. I know some people may be horrified and offended I plotted a way to see an entire city/surrounding area in less than 24 hours (actually, in this case, 5 hours).
If this is you, stop reading now.
If, on the other hand, you like to see everything you can see and do everything you can do, even in a small sliver of a day (cruelly limited by finite vacation time-off), or if you are just a fan of Clark W. Griswold, by all means, keep reading.
24 Hours In Mandalay: How To See Mandalay In 1 Day – Or Less (Mandalay, Myanmar)
I’d like to think I’m an experienced traveler. I’m usually a meticulous planner who usually has everything neatly planned out. That was exactly the case for my recent trip to Myanmar – with one exception – Mandalay.
For some reason, I couldn’t quite line up an itinerary or find a tour that I liked. I also didn’t want to 100% wing it with such limited time.
I Googled “top things to do in Mandalay, Myanmar” and got the following results:
The Initial Plan
From the list above, I decided on a few “must do’s” and then tried to find a way to see them all in the 5 hours of daylight we would have after we arrived at Mandalay International Airport (MDL).
My initial plan was first check-in to the hotel, then hire a taxi from the hotel to take us site-seeing. This was the initial itinerary: MDL Airport – Hotel – Min Kun – U Bein Bridge – Mandalay – Mandalay Hill – Hotel.
Problems With The Initial Plan
- Problem #1: I realized Mandalay International Airport (MDL) was a full 1 hour away from our hotel in Mandalay (The Hilton Mandalay).
- Problem #2: I realized the town of Mingun was 1 hour from the U Bein Bridge.
- Problem #3: I realized the town of Mingun was 1:45 from the Hilton Mandalay; this meant a round-trip time of 3 hours and 30 minutes in travel time to and from Mingun alone – not counting the 1 hour ride from the airport.
It seemed like we’d have to sacrifice something major as we’d only have about 5 hours of daylight and one night in Mandalay. Or did it?
My [Ingenious] Solution
I plotted everything out in Google maps and came up with the following route: MDL Airport – Min Kun – U Bein Bridge – Mandalay – Mandalay Hill – Hotel.
I was able to get the total travel time down to 3 hours and 42 minutes, saving one crucial hour of daylight!
The Execution Of The New Plan
Having devised a plan that could work, I just needed to find someone that would make it work.
I headed straight to the taxi stand at MDL Airport and showed them my plan on Google maps. The guy at the stand saw it and laughed, then showed it to another guy and he laughed. Then that guy took it to a group of taxi drivers that saw it, and they all laughed.
“Uh-oh”, I thought. Then I saw a young guy take a look at the map, and some negotiations seemed to follow. The taxi stand guy returned and said, “OK, OK, 65,000 Kyat”. I did some quick calculations and worked out that to be $45 USD. I confirmed, “65,000 Kyat for 2 people total”? “Yes, yes,” he replied. “OK!” I said, while handing him our bags.
Just like that, we were off.
Driving over the mighty Irrawaddy River
Destination 1: Min Kun
Our first stop was the town of Min Kun (or Mingun in English). Here, we’d check out 3 major sites – starting with the Mingun Pahtadowagyi, a massive unfinished temple built by the eccentric King Bodawpaya in 1790. It’s also known for being the largest pile of bricks in the world.
The Mingun Pahtadowagyi
The next stop was the Mingun Bell, to this day, the second largest ringing bell on earth.
Mingun Bell
The last stop in Min Kun was the magnificent Hsinbyume Pagoda, a beautiful structure built in 1816 in memory of a princess who died giving childbirth nearby.
Hsinbyume Pagoda
Destination 2: Amarapura (U Bein Bridge)
Built in 1850, the U Bein Bridge has the distinction of being the longest wooden bridge in the world. It’s also a very scenic location (especially at sunset), popular for photos with both tourists and locals alike.
U Bein Bridge
View from the bridge
Local women doing a photo shoot
Destination 3: Mandalay (Kuthodaw Pagoda)
The next stop was Mandalay to see the world’s largest book (yes, you read that correctly), the Kuthodaw Pagoda.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
This pagoda was built in 1857 and modeled after the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan
Each stupa contains pages from the Tripitaka book (protected behind iron bars)
Destination 4: Mandalay Hill (Sunset)
We then made our way to Mandalay Hill. As it turns out, Mandalay Hill is the perfect spot to watch a Burmese sunset.
Elevator to Mandalay Hill
View from the top of the hill
Tourists flock from all over the world to catch a sunset here
The Burmese sunset
Final Thoughts: 24 Hours In Mandalay: How To See Mandalay In 1 Day – Or Less (Mandalay, Myanmar)
It wasn’t pretty, but we made it. We were able to see a whole lot of Mandalay in 5 hours. When we were done with the tour, our taxi driver drove us to our hotel and smiled and said simply, “I like your lifestyle”.
Of course, had we more time (say another day or two), we would have checked out the enormous Mandalay Palace, the ornate wood workings of the Shwenadaw Monastery, and the reconstructed Bagaya Monastery.
Even from the extremely short stay in Mandalay, I could tell Mandalay was a place I’ll return to. The people were warm and friendly, the sites were awe-inspiring, and the food was just amazing (and spicy!).
Tourists visiting Myanmar may wonder if Mandalay is worth a stop over. I’m here to tell you [unequivocally] that Mandalay is absolutely worth a stop over – even if you only have 24 hours (or less).
Cheers!
