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10 Best Things to Do in Mandalay, Myanmar

best things to do in mandalay myanmar

Mandalay, Myanmar is the country’s second-largest city, a city rooted in enriched history. If you’re planning to stop by here during your visit to Myanmar, you’ll come across remnants from the last kings of Myanmar and World War II to British colonialism throughout its neat and grid-like streets. 

As I previously said in the other articles, visiting Myanmar wasn’t on my bucket list but something came up and I had to go out of Thailand and back in and I’ve decided to go to Myanmar for a week.

That one week became 30 days as I fell in love with some places, one of them being Mandalay.

Best Places to Visit in Mandalay

10Mandalay Hill 

Mandalay Hill, Myanmar

9Mandalay Palace

royal palace mandalay

8Kuthodaw Pagoda 

Kuthodaw Pagoda, mandalay
Picture by SarahDepper

Another spot you simply can’t miss in the area is the Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to what is known as the ‘largest book in the world.’ 

The golden pagoda is surrounded by over 700 smaller pagodas, each with a marble slab with inscribed texts that altogether narrate Buddhist fables.

You could also check out the Sandamuni Pagoda, just a short walk away. 

7Shwenandaw Monastery 

Shwenandaw Monastery, Mandalay
Photo by Alan Cordova

Shwenandaw Monastery is another site to visit that is not too far away. It is known as one of the original structures that remained untouched as it survived destruction brought upon by WWII. The structure’s wooden carvings are genuinely one of a kind. 

The site also resembles one of the best examples of teak architecture in Myanmar. It used to sit at the heart of the royal capital of over 400 years. 

6Mingun Pagoda 

Mingun Pagoda mandalay

5Hsinbyume Pagoda 

Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mandalay

4Maha Muni Pagoda

Maha Muni Pagoda, Mandalay
Picture by Matthew Goulding

The infamous Maha Muni Pagoda is located along the way to Amarapura. The pagoda is home to a giant golden statue of Buddha, plastered with thousands of sheaths of gold leaves, barring the visage, polished by monks in daily ceremonies. 

In your visit here, make sure you try to get a glimpse of the manual gold-pounding process in the nearby local guilds. 

3U Bein Bridge 

sunset at u bein bridge, mandalay

2Inwa

Inwa Mandalay
Picture by glenn forbes

Inwa (also known as Inn Wa or Ava) is the real deal if you’re seeking an exotic experience.

With just another ferry ride, you can take a trip back to memory lane down to older times in Myanmar by exploring the city in a horse-drawn carriage as well as a few other tourist spots! 

1Marble Street

Marble Street, Mandalay