Yangon Travel Guide – Visit Yangon – Budget Travel In Myanmar (Burma)

Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, is a vibrant city filled with crumbling colonial buildings, golden pagodas and delicious street food.

Despite Myanmar’s recent troubles, Yangon is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. You will now find modern coffee shops and western food amongst the local shops. Local people enjoy eating out and having a drink so you will find bars filled with a happy mix of foreigners and locals.

Yangon was our 75th city on our travels and Myanmar was our 10th country.

How To Get From Yangon Airport To The City

There is a bus that will take you so far into the city. As you leave the airport, cross a couple of roads and then to the left there is a bus stop from which two circular buses depart. You will need to know which one will drop you nearest to your location. The journey costs 500 MMK (around 27p) wherever you are heading. More information can be found at https://www.thai.lt/southeast-asia/myanmar/travel/746-shuttle-bus-from-yangon-airport-rng-to-central-yangon.

Where To Stay In Yangon

These are some of the best budget hostels in Yangon, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Eco House
• Backpacker (Bed & Breakfast)
• Lotus Bed & Breakfast
• November Hostel
• Draper Startup House for Entrepreneurs
• Hostel President Yangon
• Hostel H Way Yangon
• Baobabed Hostel
• Backpacker Hostel
• Nest Hostel Yangon

The Lodge Yangon

After spending two weeks in an Air BnB in Hanoi, we decided to go for something more sociable. We came across a place called ‘The Lodge Yangon’ (map) which was mainly dorms but also offered private rooms at a good price. It also boasted a rooftop bar which was the main selling point.

Upon arrival, we had to wait for the manager to deal with a complaint from three tourists who seemed to not want to pay for all the nights they had originally booked for. The manager was embarrassed and apologetic, but I feel he was in the right.

He checked us in and then pre-warned us about the noise from the bar. It seemed our room was a little closer to the bar than we had first imagined.

We took the lift to the eighth floor where we then had to walk through the bar to our room, which was situated next to the bar toilets. This was going to be an interesting stay.

The room itself was a bit grotty but it looks worse than it actually was.

The bed was clean and comfortable, the air-con worked fine and the WiFi was excellent. We had a great view from our window over the city out to the Shwedagon Pagoda. The shower was hot but the bathroom itself was the worst feature. The water just would not drain away so after a shower, the bathroom was filled with an inch or more of water.

The rooftop bar was both a plus and a negative. On the plus side, we spent two nights drinking until the early hours and mixing and making new friends with travellers from all over the globe, under the influential guidance of the barman: an Australian called Bill who liked trying out his new cocktails on us. The flip side of that was that on the nights where we wanted to chill and have an early night, it was literally impossible. On one evening, the music was playing loudly and guests were partying until at least 3.30 am. The morning staff would then arrive at 6 am to start making breakfast. It really messed up our day.

It was a fun but tough experience staying at The Lodge but overall we had a great time. I would not recommend staying in the same room as we did (eighth floor) but for a sociable time in Yangon, it was a good choice.

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We paid for a 4 night stay in a double room with en-suite bathroom.

Click here to book a stay at ‘The Lodge Yangon’.

Backpacker Bed & Breakfast

For the second part of our Yangon visit, we moved to a different hostel. We had enjoyed the rooftop bar but it wasn’t so much fun when we wanted a night in and the party was happening just outside our room.

We moved to ‘Backpacker Bed & Breakfast’ (map). We had a much quieter room that wasn’t anywhere near as grotty and boasted a bathroom that actually worked. WiFi was good and they even provide daily room service. There was also a rooftop bar with great views but this was 7 floors above our room and closed at 10 pm. It was a great place to spend our last two nights in Yangon.

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We paid £27.64 for two nights in a twin room with en-suite shower.

Click here to book a stay at ‘Backpacker Bed & Breakfast’.

Things To Do In Yangon

19th Street

It was already quite late once we got settled into our room so we just wanted to get some food and have an early night. Luckily, ‘19th Street’ (map) was just a few blocks away. 19th Street is one of the livelier streets in this part of Yangon and has many restaurants and bars that stay open later than in other areas. It was busy as we arrived and appears to be the centre of Yangon nightlife.

We had some decent food at ‘Kaung Myat’ (map) and watched the Myanmar street life. People were selling all kinds of things including one guy who had  pushcart selling roasted crickets. We had a couple of child beggars come to our table asking for money. One girl even took one of Joanna’s shrimp heads for a snack. She was probably no more than five years old. It was certainly an eye-opening beginning to our Myanmar experience.

Our bellies full, we headed back to our hostel: passing through the maze of street vendors that sell their goods well into late evening.

Parisian Cake & Coffee

The next morning, we headed out with no plans other than to explore the local area. As always, the day must begin with coffee and so we made our way to ‘Parisian Cake & Coffee’ (map) as it was nearby. The coffee was good and they also had a wide selection of cakes and pastries which, in the end, were too hard to resist.

Yangon Street Food

We had spotted the street food vendors the previous evening so we were looking forward to trying some of the local food. It didn’t take long walking along the main ‘Maha Bandula’ street to find some.

At the street food stalls in Yangon, you are given a plate of rice and then you choose which dishes you wish to add. There are a number of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. I had a pork curry and a beansprout and tofu dish and complimentary okra soup. The food was delicious. The total cost for the two of us was just over £2.

Streets of Yangon

We continued our exploration of Yangon. The city ‘has the highest concentration of colonial buildings in the world’ (https://www.goingcolonial.com/top-10-colonial-buildings-yangon-myanmar/) and it is impossible not to be impressed by the stunning buildings that line every street, in various states of disrepair.

Yangon Market

We then took a turn onto the fresh market on 26th street (map). As well as the usual market happenings, we saw young monks asking for offerings from the local vendors.

As the market street is not closed to traffic, the traders make the most of the space by laying out goods on the road in such a way it doesn’t get crushed.

Bogyoke Aung San Market

The fresh market led us to ‘Bogyoke Aung San Market’ (map). It is very easy to get lost in the labyrinth of stalls selling clothes, jewellery, souvenirs, etc. We thought it was just the building on the main road but as we came out of the back exit, we discovered more buildings making up a complex of approximately 2000 shops. You could easily spend half a day getting lost in its cobbled streets.

Bogyoke Aung San Market Opening Times: 9 am – 5.30 pm, Tue – Sun.

Sule Pagoda

We left the market and headed towards the ‘Sule Pagoda’ (map). We didn’t bother going inside as we had read that, like a lot of temples and pagodas, it is much more impressive from the outside.

There are many impressive buildings in this area including Yangon City Hall, Immanuel Baptist Church and the Courthouse. There is also the Mahar Bandula park where locals hang out and relax around the Independence Monument.

Be careful when you’re in this area as it is known for being a spot where you are in danger of being pooped on by the many birds that fly above. In fact, I took an unfortunate package on my arm so I know first-hand this is not a rumour!

Rooftop Bar

In the evening, we decided to have a drink in the rooftop bar outside our room. There was only an American girl in but we quickly struck up conversation as we shared beers and enjoyed the view.

We were soon joined by other travellers from all over the globe and after a few more beers we all left to get food.

We ended up at a place called ‘Ko San Double Happiness Bar’ (map) where we drank incredibly cheap gin (1000 MMK) with locals and ate bar food that was better than I expected. It was nice to eat finger food rather than a meal as it gave everyone a chance to be more sociable. Good choice from our new American friend.

We ended up back at the rooftop bar where everyone got very drunk and played adult jenga which was a hoot! The evening ended around 5 am. Tomorrow was going to be a difficult day!

Yangon Coffee Shop

We decided we were going to do something productive with the day, despite the hangover, but first we needed a strong coffee. We found a place called ‘Easy Cafe & Gentleman Coffee Roasters’ (map) which, not only served delicious coffee but also had an interesting food menu. I spotted Bratwurst and triple-cooked chips with bolognese sauce and I couldn’t resist. It was perfect hangover food.

Yangon Abandoned Theme Park

We had decided to visit Kandawgyi Lake and to get there we would be walking through Yangon Zoological Garden. Google Maps showed us that there was an abandoned theme park in the zoo grounds that you could only access via a gap in the perimeter fencing. We found the gap and were just about to enter when all the locals nearby started shouting for us to stop. A young man asked if we were trying to get to the zoo. I told him we wanted to see the theme park. He explained that it had been closed for some time and then seemed confused when we said we knew.

One of the locals who had shouted for us to stop now seemed to be allowing us entry but wanted us to pay him. We’d had enough of this in Senur so we walked away. Anyone wanting to try their luck, the ‘entrance’ is here.

Yangon Zoological Garden

We paid admission to what we thought was a park with a zoo in it but it turned out the whole park was a zoo. This was a pleasant surprise. The zoo is the oldest and second-largest zoo in Myanmar. It certainly needs an upgrade. Normally, I love exploring run-down, old sites from another era, hence the desire to visit abandoned theme parks. But when there are animals involved, it loses its appeal. This is an old-fashioned zoo with a lot of the animals behind bars or in small enclosures. The animals just looked sad and uncared for and the whole thing was depressing. We could have spent much longer than we did in there but I had seen enough and wanted to get out. Map.

Yangon Zoological Garden Opening Times: 7 am – 5 pm, every day.
Yangon Zoological Garden Entrance Fee: 3000K.

Kandawgyi Lake

The exit to the zoo is opposite the entrance to ‘Kandawgyi Lake’ (map) which, on first impressions, looked very beautiful.

We started to walk around the perimeter of the lake which was very close to the main roads outside. It never felt like we were actually in a park until we had been walking for a long time.

We were a little underwhelmed by the lake until we reached ‘Utopia Tower’ (map). From here, for a small fee, you can get great views of the surrounding area.

We carried on walking into the park to see two more sights. First up were the elephant statues.

We then headed to what google maps calls ‘Beautiful View Bench’ (map). This is the best spot to look over the water at what we figured was a temple but found out later is actually a restaurant!

After resting here for a short while, we headed out of the park and took a Grab back to the hostel.

Fuji Sushi

We were planning a quiet night and didn’t want to go too far for food. Luckily for us, ‘Fuji Sushi’ (map) was located right opposite our hostel.

The restaurant was quite busy but there was plenty of room for us. We sat down and in minutes had placed our order.

Joanna started with ‘natto’ sushi. For those unfamiliar with natto, it is made of fermented soy beans. It looks like snot, smells like bins and tastes even worse. In short, it is disgusting. Joanna, who enjoyed stinky tofu, loves it.

For my starter, I had enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon. A much better choice.

We also ordered two platters: one sashimi and one mixed.

The sushi was delicious and great value; the platters only cost 20,000 MMK in total. Joanna, a big sushi lover, was one happy lady!

National Museum

The next day, after very little sleep, we headed to the ‘National Museum’ (map). Google Maps sent us to the wrong side of the building to the entrance. If you are planning a visit, the entrance is on the western side of the building. from Pyay Road. If you walk past the Russian Embassy, you’re going the wrong way.

The museum showcases Burmese culture and history over five floors in a rather run-down building. Expect to walk around in the dark as most of the lights don’t work!

There is an audio guide but we didn’t use it. There is little information in the museum itself so if you want to know more about the artifacts, the audio guide is probably a good option.

National Museum Opening Times: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm, Tue – Sun.
National Museum Entrance Fee: 5000K.

People’s Park

Our next stop was the ‘People’s Park’ (map). This was only a 10 minute or so walk from the National Museum, but unfortunately it coincided with a downpour.

We managed to get into the park and shelter before it really came down heavy. Expecting to find a standard park, we were surprised to discover roller-coasters, restaurants, live music and old planes!

Shwedagon Pagoda

Our time was cut short in the People’s Park due to the rain so instead we made our way to ‘Shwedagon Pagoda’ (map). This pagoda is visible from all over the city as it is located on top of a hill and is 99 metres tall. The entrance itself is very impressive.

Locals can visit the pagoda for free but there is a 10,000 MMK fee for foreigners. The pagoda is at the centre of a complex of much smaller pagodas and temples.

It is quite expensive but no trip to Yangon is complete without a visit.

Shwedagon Pagoda Opening Times: 4 am – 8 pm, every day.
Shwedagon Pagoda Entrance Fee: 10,000K.

Yangon Street Food

After moving hostels, we spent a day wandering around the Chinatown area before heading back to the first place we had tried street food. Once again, the food was delicious.

In the evening, we watched the sunset from the rooftop bar whilst enjoying a few beers.

7th Joint Bar & Grill

After a few beers, Joanna headed back to the room and I took a Grab to ‘7th Joint Bar & Grill’ (map), which is described as a reggae bar. There was some reggae playing but it was mostly mainstream rubbish. I had some food which was very average. It isn’t a place I would recommend.

Cafe KSS

The next morning, we had to check out of the hostel. They were happy to look after our bags as our bus to Bagan didn’t leave until 8 pm. We headed out for some food and, as it started raining, headed for the nearest place. This turned out to be ‘Cafe KSS’ (map). The menu in this restaurant is huge. It took forever to choose. I had a beef noodle dish which was decent but nothing amazing. The highlight was the owner who just seemed to lurch over all the staff and customers. Very odd.

We then went back to the hostel and sat in the rooftop bar for a few hours, blogging and keeping our devices charged for the 10 hour bus journey that awaited.

Is Yangon Worth Visiting?

We had a great time in Yangon. Some travellers surprised us when they said they were indifferent to the city; some didn’t like it at all. The buildings were a real highlight, as was the delicious street food. We also had some great evenings with fellow travellers. I would definitely recommend including it on your Myanmar itinerary.