Bagan is an ancient city of spectacular temples across a vast lush landscape, famous for its stunning sunrises, sunsets and epic landscapes. To let yourself be enchanted by its epic views, how to get there is the very first thing to know.
Air
airBagan- source: internet
Nyaung U’s airport (NYU) services daily direct links with Heho (for travelers going to Inle Lake), Mandalay and Yangon. It’s served by at least six airlines: Yadanarpon Air; Yangon Airways; Myanma National Air; Golden Myanmar; KBZ and Asian Wings with KBZ being the most expensive one. Their published prices for mid-2017 are: Heho $70-$128, Mandalay $53-$103 and Yangon $90-$104. Among them, Yadanarpon is usually the cheapest one but for up-to-date costs, make sure to check on the airlines’ websites or those of Bagan travel agents. Travel to Bagan with: Indochina tours Myanamr
A taxi ride from the airport, which is around 3 kilometres southeast of town to the center should set you back 7,000 and 8,000 for Old and New Bagan or 5,000 kyat (approximately 4 USD) for Nyaung U. As views over the temples at landing and take-off can be incredible, do try to snare a window seat on the plane!
Train to Bagan- source: internet
Trains depart Bagan for Mandalay to the north or Yangon in the south. For Yangon, a train on the official schedule departs at 04:00 PM and arrives the next morning at 10:40 Am. Posted rates as of mid-2017 are 4,500 kyat ($4) ordinary class; 6,000 kyat ($6) second class; 12,000 kyat ($12) upper class seat and 16,500 kyat ($17) upper class sleeper.
There are two trains running at 04:00 and 07:00 for Mandalay. The express takes approximately eight hours while the early one, which is a slow train, ordinary class only, takes at least 11 hours. Ordinary class 1,300 kyat and first class seat is 1,800 kyat.
A way out of town, Nyaung U’s station is a couple more kilometers far away from the airport, and for destinations in Nyaung U, or New and Old Bagan, the official taxi rate is 7,000-8,000kyat.
Bus
It is a couple of kilometers from the main long-distance bus station of Bagan up the airport road outside of Nyaung U. The Mandalay, Yangon and Inle/Kalaw routes will be of main interest to travelers. There is a small local bus station located on Nyaung U’s Main Road and servicing Monywa, Pakokku and Magwe.
For Mandalay, you have a choice between minibuses, full-sized 45-seater and 24-seaters coaches. The ticket price ranges from 8,000 to 10,000 kyat; minibus tickets are usually a little bit higher and those of larger buses are a few more kyat. The normal transit duration is around five hours but expect the larger buses to stop longer and of course take much longer. Late morning and afternoon services are much scarcer though plenty of departures leave between 05:00 and 09:30.
For Yangon, your available options are between morning and evening departures, split between VIP and regular air-conditioned coaches. The VIP night buses cost 18,500 kyat while the latter are priced at around the 13,000 mark. Departures are scheduled between 07:00 AM and 08:30 AM, and 07:00 PM and 08:30 PM, with the VIP choice (run by Bagan Minn Thar) departing at 08:00 PM. They all will take you nine hours or so. Myanamar travel tours
Boat
Even though government boats do still ply the Ayeyarwady between Bagan and Mandalay and private companies organize regular boats, river travel in Burma is waning slightly these days among locals thanks to the road improvement. Since there are no boats from Bagan there, for Chindwin services you will have to travel overland to Monywa first. You can hire boats from one of the jetties in Nyaung U as well as Old and New Bagan for shorter distances and for example sunset cruises.
A trip from Bagan to Mandalay via a day cruise down the mighty Ayeyarwaddy can be an amazing chance to avoid second-rate lunch stops, crowded buses and of course bumpy roads. Ticket demand and water levels are the two factors determining the public boat services on the Ayeyarwaddy. Schedules are reduced to once or twice per week come the quiet months from June to October although services are daily in the high season months from October onwards. It differs from year to year but during the dry, hot season from February to May, low water levels often means that it is not possible for navigation. The wide river is shallow and myriad sandbanks emerge since water goes down.
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