Interesting Things to Do in Bagan

An Intro to Bagan

Bagan is an ancient city and the old capital of the Bagan Kingdom, located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. The city and the surrounding temples and savannahs make Bagan a prominent UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of the immense number of ruins, historical zones and excavation sites, there are dozens of interesting things to do in Bagan.

Bagan is best known for its stunning historical monuments. There are over 2000 structures, temples, pagodas, ruins and monuments from different time periods. It’s the most important historical site in all of Myanmar with a rich history extending back over 1,500 years.

The city was known as the seat of the Bagan (or Pagan) empire. In the 13th century, the empire was invaded by Mongols commanded by Kublai Khan. After the collapse of the nation, the temple-city was slowly abandoned, falling into decay. Furthermore, repeated earthquakes shattered many temples, leaving only 2,000 or so intact for repair.

Modern Bagan is also famous for hot air balloon festivals, which sees fleets of balloons drifting over the savannah. Hitching a ride in a hot air balloon over the safari or watching the balloons drift through the morning light are some of the most interesting things to do in Bagan.

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Advice For Visiting Bagan

Once travelers arrive in Bagan, the best way to experience the massive temple safari is through a personal vehicle. Scooter and motorbike rentals with maps can allow a tourist to visit a vast number of obscure, grand and spectacular structures.

When renting a motorbike or scooter, make sure to use a reputable company. Get photos of your vehicle, especially any pre-existing damage before riding.

When driving in Myanmar, give cars a large amount of space. Myanmar has strange, inverted driving rules. Myanmar gained its independence from the British Empire.  However, the British Commonwealth didn’t dissolve vehicular contracts upon giving up government control.  So even though Myanmar laws have people driving on the RIGHT side of the road (like Americans) all vehicles have the wheel on the RIGHT side (like the UK).  This creates a rather large blind spot, so long road trips need a “spotter” in the left passenger seat to safely pass other vehicles.  

Myanmar has a confluence of religions, all of which are quite conservative.  When entering sacred sites, including mountains where nats (god-like polytheistic spirts) shoes must not be worn and long skirts must cover the legs of both men and women.  When visiting distant heritage sites around Bagan, shoes should still be removed and appropriate attire is necessary.

Myanmar is very cheap to visit and stay.  Lodging costs are extremely affordable and food is cheap, though not terribly healthy.  The rainy season creates many road-washouts, so expect considerable delays while driving.  

When visiting Bagan, make sure to bring a face mask. The roads are quite dusty in the dry season, so a face covering is enormously helpful when blocking out dust.

Shortlist: Things to Do in Bagan

Bagan Archaeological Zone – Bagan’s true claim to fame is a vast, safari, covered UNESCO-protected temples, structures and ruins. This is considered the most interesting thing to do in Bagan.

New Bagan – The somewhat more modern portion of Bagan with many restaurants and lodging locations.   

Old Bagan – This is part of the original city of Bagan, notably for its access to many roads leading to the more famous pagodas and temples in the safari.

The Moon, Be Kind to Animals – The very pleasant vegan-option restaurant located in Bagan.

Mt. Popa – A couple of hours outside of Bagan, this is a large holy mountain hosting one of the famed Nat spirits of the country. 

Lawka Nanda Riverside Pagoda – A large and ornate pagoda overlooking the nearby river facing West. 

Hot Air Balloons – Aside from hosting an enormously popular hot-air balloon festival, there are daily balloon rides which go over the entire safari. 

MBoutik – A local, community-driven NGO ActionAid facility designed to sell handmade clothing and crafts from villages around the Bagan area.

Thanakha Gallery –Shwe Pyi Nann Thanakha Museum – A small, focused museum dedicated to the vital history of the thanakha tree, which is used for medicine, cosmetics, construction and more. 

The Night Market Carnival – Like many places in Asia, Bagan has an operational night market.  There is a special Burmese Ferris Wheel, powered by local men pushing it around.

Gubyaukgyi Great Painted Cave Temple – A wonderful painted cave decorated with wall-to-wall artwork inside the cave structure. 

Detailed List: Things to Do in Bagan

Bagan Archaeological Zone

Bagan’s true claim to fame is a vast, safari, covered in shrouded temples. The ancient temples are spread through the entire UNESCO zone.  Many of the temples are fully repaired, in a state of ruin or currently under maintenance. There are over 2000 ancient structures spread across the safari. Visiting the full safari is the most interesting thing to do in Bagan.

Visitors must rent private scooters to go from place to place, endlessly attending quiet temples.  Shoes must be taken off upon entry.  Many of the more famous temples are busy and packed with tourists, especially at sunrise and sunset.

Often, at busy temples, children will offer tourists the opportunity to go to a “secret temple” for a price, but these are generally just as busy.  The only true way to garentee a spot overlooking the savannah is by arriving well before sunrise or sunset. Many temples have the upper stories closed off due to a tourist accident some years earlier.

The most famous of these temples include:

• Ananda Temple
• Shwezigon Paya Temple
• Shwesandaw Pagoda
• Gubyauknge Temple
• Narathihapatae Hpaya
• Dhammayangyi Temple
• Sulamani Guphaya Temple

There are so many temples in the area that it doesn’t matter which are visited or skipped.  All are impressive for sheer quantity, gradeur and scale.  

New Bagan

The somewhat more modern portion of Bagan with many restaurants and lodging locations.  The dirt roads of the village are easy to traverse and very safe for tourists.  New Bagan is where the majority of tourists stay, as the hotels are often better equipped.

New Bagan has dining and views along the nearby Irrawaddy River, a fair number of old palace sites, several protected ruin sites, various travel agencies and a few decent markets and grocery stalls.

Old Bagan

The portion of the original city of Bagan, notably for its access to many roads leading to the more famous pagodas and temples in the safari.  The Old Town is special for its various religious structures, central plaza area, tourist shops and frequent festivals.

Old Bagan is known for it’s active temple, the Golden Palace, the enormous Gawdawpalin Temple, the in-depth Bagan Archaeological Museum, the Old Bagan Palace Excavation Site and a central plaza area. The central plaza space if mostly filled with tourism trinkets and traditional handcrafted souvenirs.

The Moon, Be Kind to Animals

The very pleasant vegan-option restaurant located in New Bagan. The area is well-shaded with plenty of options. They serve fruit drinks, various veggie burgers, rice-based meals, salad options and more.

Mt. Popa

Located couple of hours outside of Bagan, this is a large holy mountain hosting several of the famed Nat spirits of the country.  The mountain is a wonderful view and has a splendid shrine. The shrine houses four of Burma’s most powerful Nat spirits (Byatta, Me Wunna and the Mahagiri Nats). 

Nats are god-like spiritual beings of Burma’s culture and have a connected and reflected nature with Buddhist belief systems.  The worship of Nats predates Buddhism in the area and exists as an extremely varied pseudo-polytheistic spiritual system.  Visiting the nat sites, climbing the holy mountain and evading monkeys makes Mt. Popa one of the most interesting things to do in Bagan.

Mt. Popa is covered in aggressive monkeys. Many tourists feed the monkeys, which make them unafraid of people in general. Often, local monks will drive back the monkeys with shouts, gestures and slingshots. Don’t leave straps dangling or backpacks open when the local monkeys draw near.

The mountain is beautiful to climb and has sun-blocking awnings on the way up.  Because the mountain is a holy site, visitors are required to dress conservatively.  Shoes must be removed at the summit.

Lawka Nanda Riverside Pagoda

A large and ornate pagoda overlooking the nearby river facing West.  It is very nice for viewing sunsets. There are many other viewing platforms, religious sites and ruins nearby, but this Pagoda has a nice, elevated view. Since it’s a religious structure, conservative dress is required and shoes must be removed.

Hot Air Balloons

Aside from hosting an enormously popular hot-air balloon festival, there are daily balloon rides which go over the entire safari.  Even if one decides not to ride in the balloons, it’s fun to watch the sun rise and see the balloons arc over the safari.  The balloons usually launch at sunrise, allowing riders to see the savannah cloaked in morning mist and dew.

MBoutik

This is a local, community-driven NGO ActionAid facility designed to sell handmade clothing and crafts from villages around the Bagan area. They have several stalls in the Old Town area and other operations designed to provide funding to local families.

Thanakha Gallery – Shwe Pyi Nann Thanakha Museum

This is a small, focused museum dedicated to the vital history of the thanakha tree, which is used for medicine, cosmetics, building and more.  It is an important component in the history of the royal families. The pale yellow-whitish powder locals wear as sunscreen is made from the bark of the thanakha trees. Additionally, the museum has English text, making it a decent place for foreigners to learn. The museum and included shop are small, but they’re surprisingly interesting things to do in Bagan.

The museum isn’t clearly labeled, so it can be a little tricky to find. Consider marking it on a map and getting directions prior to heading over.

The Night Market Carnival

Like many places in Asia, Bagan hosts an operational night market.  However, the Night Market in Bagan is special, taking on festival and carnival aspects. Most famously, there is a special Burmese Ferris Wheel, powered by local men pushing it around.

Gubyaukgyi Great Painted Cave Temple

A wonderful painted cave decorated with wall-to-wall artwork inside the cave structure.  This site is located a little bit out from the New Bagan area. The unique cave structure and artwork makes this one of the most interesting things to do in Bagan.

Read more about travels through Asia, including other interesting things to do in Bagan, by visiting the Leftfade Trails Travel Blog.