How to Budget for a Trip to Myanmar: 24 Helpful Tips

Trying to plan a trip through Myanmar can be frustrating due to the lack of information combined with out-of-date information. Therefore I thought I’d compile some helpful information I learned so that you know what to expect when budgeting for a trip to Myanmar.

Here are 24 tips to know before you go to Myanmar.

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What to Expect in the Capital of Myanmar: Yangon

Formerly known as Rangoon, Yangon is the capital and largest city in Myanmar. In Yangon you’ll find bustling markets, stunning pagodas, and inadequate infrastructure. It’s an incredible city and well worth a visit. Here are some tips for budgeting for a trip to Myanmar and Yangon.

7 Budgeting Tips for Yangon

1. Plenty of ATMs and money changers are available in the airport. Kyat is now the preferred currency as compared to the previous usage of US dollars. It may in fact be hard to use US dollars unless they are in perfect condition and larger bills. (1,295 kyat = 1 USD as of January 5, 2016.)

2. Taxi from the airport to the city is set at 10,000 kyat and takes around an hour, two if it is rush hour.

3. Shwedagon Pagoda has a 8,000 kyat entrance fee. Must have shoulders and knees covered. Remove your shoes and socks.

4. Sule Pagoda has a 4,000 kyat entrance fee. Must have shoulders and knees covered. Remove your shoes and socks.

5. The Circular Train ticket is 300 kyat and takes about three hours to make a loop around the city.

6. The main long distance bus terminal is about two hours outside of the city with taxis costing 10,000 kyat.

7. Yangon to Bagan on JJ Express cost 22,200 kyat booked directly with them. Departs at 8pm and arrives at 4:30am.

Learn more about Yangon in the post Visiting Yangon – Formerly Rangoon.

Visiting the Famous Bagan in Myanmar

Bagan is the most renowned city in Myanmar for its stunning 3,822 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries. You can take in sunrise and sunset overlooking this stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site, or plan a balloon ride over this famous region. Here are some tips for budgeting this beautiful city into your plans.

5 Tips about Prices in Bagan

1. From the bus station into New Bagan, a taxi should cost 7,000 kyat. Old Bagan would be similar, listen to the loud-speaker announcements at the bus station to hear the fixed price. Taxi drivers will try to charge more.

2. Entering the Bagan area has a 25,000 kyat fee paid at the entrance when your taxi passes. At this time no temples have additional fees so you can wander freely in the whole area after the initial fee.

3. Renting an e-bike starts at 5,000 kyat per day up to 10,000 kyat depending on the power of the bike.  Make sure to take the number of the renter in case the battery dies while you are out and about.

4. Sunrise hot air balloon rides range from $320 – 380.  There are no sunset balloons.

5. Bagan to Mandalay by minibus cost 9,000 kyat booked through a travel agent. Lots of times to choose from. I took the pickup at 7:30am and arrived at 1:30pm at the Mandalay bus station but you can be dropped off elsewhere.

Learn more about Temple Hopping in Bagan.

Stopping in Mandalay, Myanmar

The second largest city in Myanmar, Mandalay is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River. It offers a few key sights of interest and is worth a quick stop if you are passing through.

4 Tips for Understanding the Cost of Mandalay

1. Mahamuni Pagoda has no entrance fee but charges a 1,000 kyat fee for a camera.

2. The Royal Palace has a $10 entrance fee but it’s good for five days. I have read rumors that this goes directly to the government so think twice before purchasing.  Locals do not appear to support people visiting it.

3. A half day motorbike tour costs ~15,000 kyat from the bus station around to all of the main sights, including the U Bien Bridge for sunset. I did not bargain as this seemed reasonable to me and my driver was constantly smiling, full of knowledge, and spoke decent English, but you could try to go cheaper. Otherwise you can get around on your own but would still need transport to get to the bus station and to the U Bien Bridge.

4. Mandalay to Kalaw on JJ Express cost 17,000 kyat booked through a travel agent. Departs at 10:00pm and arrives at 6:00am.

Plan a quick visit to Mandalay using additional tips from this post.

Traveling around Kalaw and Inle Lake

When planning a trip to Myanmar, I encourage you to consider hiking from Kalaw to Inle Lake. It’s a wonderful experience – and it won’t have a big impact when budgeting for a trip to Myanmar. If hiking isn’t for you, you can skip the Kalaw area, but do not miss Inle Lake! It is a stunning region offering some unique sights and experiences.

4 Tips for What to Expect in Kalaw and Inle Lake

1. A day trip out to the Pindaya Caves ran us 10,000 kyat total for the car and driver, split four ways (2,500 each).  The entrance fee is 3,000 per person plus a 300 kyat camera fee.

2. 3 Day/2 Night trekking from Kalaw to Inle Lake including all meals, sleeping arrangements, and luggage drop off at Inle Lake costs around 40,000 kyat using Ever Smile or 45,000 using Sam’s Family Trekking. There are many trekking companies in town so you can just show up and book it upon arrival – something will be available. If you have a specific company in mind, try to reach out ahead of time but information on the companies and their contact information are still pretty limited online.

3. Half day boat tour on the lake costs around 7,000 kyat but is split between everyone on the boat. Our boat held four people.

4. Inle Lake to Yangon on JJ Express cost 25,000 kyat booked through a travel agent.

Take the 3 Day Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake and then explore Inle Lake, a must visit in Myanmar.

4 Other Helpful Tips When Planning a Trip to Myanmar

Here are some other key tips for visiting and budgeting for a trip to Myanmar.

1. Hotels

Cheap hostels and hotels start between $9 – 20 depending on the city, considerably higher than you may find in other parts of Southeast Asia. There is no longer as much of a shortage of hotels, guest houses, or hostels as there once was but in high season consider booking ahead online. I recommend searching Booking.com or Agoda.

2. Meals

A meal can start at 1,500 kyat for fried rice or noodles with chicken and move upwards. Western food is closer to 6,000 and up. A large beer can range but is typically 2,000 – 3,000 at a local restaurant.

3. Transportation

Long distance buses are probably the most comfortable way to get around. Booking online is still limited but the larger more comfortable buses can sell out. I had luck with emailing JJ Express ahead of time to book my first bus and then used a travel agent in Myanmar for the rest of my travel needs.

Buses vary in price and luxury, see above for idea of cost. The buses I took with JJ Express were large reclining chairs with complimentary water bottle, boxed snacks, and blanket – the air conditioning is cranked down to freezing! Other options include flying or in some cases train, minibus, shared taxis, etc.

4. Mode of Dress

Myanmar is conservative. Cover your knees and don’t wear spaghetti straps.

Wrap up your visit with the post Saying Goodbye to Myanmar.

Explore More of Myanmar

And there you have it, 24 helpful tips for planning and budgeting for a trip to Myanmar. Get more tips on saving money in the post: 44 Pro Tips for Saving Money while Traveling.

Want to travel more of Myanmar? Check out these helpful posts.

• One Day in Yangon, Myanmar: The City Formerly Known as Rangoon
• 7 Best Ways to See the Temples of Bagan, Myanmar
• 11 Best Places to Visit in Myanmar
• Travel Guide for Inle Lake: Best Things to Do in Inle Lake & More!
• How to Budget for a Trip to Myanmar: 24 Helpful Tips
• 3 Day Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
• A Quick Visit to Mandalay to Explore the Top Sights of the City

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