Top 13 Most Famous Tourist Attractions in Myanmar

Shwedagon Golden Pagoda is the most famous tourist destination in Myanmar. It is one of the most beautiful Buddhist structures in the world and the ideal exploration point for tourists visiting Myanmar. This most sacred temple of the country sits atop Singuttara Hill, offering a view of the mysterious beauty of Yangon city. It houses four sacred relics for Buddhist devotees, including the staff of Gautama Buddha, the water filter of Konagamana Buddha, a piece of robe of Kassapa Buddha, and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama Buddha.

Shwedagon Golden Pagoda is the symbol of Myanmar. The central golden stupa stands at 99 meters tall and is the focal point of the temple. Initially, it was over 8 meters tall. When King Binnya U renovated it, it was raised to over 20 meters. Later, Queen Shin Sawbu raised the stupa to 40 meters high and covered the hillside and hilltop of the temple grounds with brick and stone pavements. Throughout history, the temple has been continuously constructed and expanded. By the 15th century, it reached a height of 98 meters under the reign of King Dhammazedi. By the 16th century, Shwedagon Golden Pagoda had become one of the most sacred and grand temples in Myanmar to this day.

Visitors to Shwedagon Golden Pagoda will marvel at the beauty of the golden spire. This golden spire is divided into three main parts: the base, the body, and the top. The base of the stupa is made of bricks, with thin gold plates on the outside. Each gold leaf, about 20 x 20 cm in size, is attached to the stupa body with rivets. The gold covering the stupa is thin gold leaf crafted by traditional craftsmen. The lower half of the spire is covered with 8,688 gold leaves, and the upper half has 13,153 such sheets. The pinnacle of the spire has a crown shape adorned with 5,448 diamonds, 2,317 rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones. Additionally, there are 1,056 gold bells with a peculiar sound. At the top of the stupa's umbrella, there is a 76-carat diamond. Therefore, whether it's during the day with bright sunlight or at night under bright lights, the entire temple complex, especially the Golden Tower, always radiates a majestic, splendid light. However, the best time to admire Shwedagon Golden Pagoda is undoubtedly at dusk when the whole temple shines gold against the deep blue sky, reflecting the last rays of the peaceful day's sunset. Isn't it wonderful, folks?

• Address: Ar Zar Ni, Road Pha Yar Gyi Ward, Yangon, Myanmar

Shwezigon Golden Pagoda is located on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River. Among a forest of temples and ancient stupas built from the 11th to the 13th century in Bagan. This famous temple is one of the most important and sacred religious architectural monuments of this Buddhist country. Its magnificent beauty deserves to be one of the most famous tourist destinations in Myanmar: magnificent, solemn, serene, yet so peaceful. Visitors are completely dazzled by the radiant golden hues against the blue sky of the temple or from here, enjoy the panoramic view of Bagan from a height of 40 meters under the twilight covering countless temples and pagodas.

Shwezigon Golden Pagoda is located in the center of a vast area in the town of Nyang U. This is the second largest gold-plated temple in Myanmar and was started to be built under the reign of King Anawrahta, the founder of the Bagan Kingdom. King Anawrahta built the temple to enshrine some Buddha relics, including some replicas of the sacred tooth relics in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The temple was completed in 1102 under the reign of King Kyansittha. This is also the prototype for later temples.

Shwezigon Golden Pagoda has a grand pagoda structure similar to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The main bell-shaped stupa of the temple is gold-plated and placed on a square base that looks very sturdy and symmetrical. Before entering the main temple, you will encounter a shrine of nats (spirits in traditional Myanmar culture) with various forms lying on the left side of Shwezigon. The four sides of the temple are 4 rows of stairs leading up to the main stupa, with 4 corners guarded by 4 majestic lion figures. At the top of the bell-shaped stupa, near the top of the stupa, there are circular rings with many bells hanging, emitting echoes with the wind. The temple also has a golden standing Buddha statue with compassionate eyes facing sentient beings.

• Address: Nyang U, Bagan, Myanmar

The Golden Rock rises 1,100 meters above sea level, located 200 kilometers from Yangon, perched precariously on another rock over 2,000 years of history. Legend has it that during a celestial descent, Lord Buddha gifted a strand of his hair to the hermit Teikthadharma Thiriraza. The hermit meticulously guarded this strand of hair. Before his passing, he entrusted the hair to his adopted son, King Tissa, who ruled Myanmar in the 11th century, with instructions to 'Keep this relic inside a rock shaped like a hermit's head.' Following his father's wishes, King Tissa, with the assistance of divine beings, found the rock atop Mount Kyaiktiyo and built a pagoda atop it to enshrine the Buddha's relic. He created a small cavity on the rock to place the relic. It is believed that, thanks to the Buddha's hair, this rock rests peacefully on a precarious perch, defying the harshness of nature.

To reach The Golden Rock, over 700 meters high, visitors travel by truck from the town of Kyaiktiyo, then hike up the mountain for the final leg of the journey. Though not far, the ascent is steep and requires considerable effort. If you enjoy mountaineering and travel, you will surely overcome the challenge, even if it means sweating profusely, to reach this magnificent tourist spot bestowed by nature's gift and the beauty at the foot of the mountain. The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda also features numerous Buddha statues placed throughout its nooks and crannies, especially some statues adorned with thousands of precious stones, hundreds of diamonds, and golden bells. At any time of day, the rock and the pagoda have their own mysterious beauty.

• Address: Mon, Kyaikto, Thaton, Myanmar

The Ananda Temple is also a sacred ancient temple in Bagan, built in the 11th - 12th centuries. This is evidence of the golden age of the Bagan kingdom under the reign of the great King Tilinman. The Ananda Temple has a grand scale and unique architecture unlike any other golden temple or pagoda in Bagan, offering travelers a wonderful experience at Myanmar's most famous tourist destination. Ananda is the perfect result of architectural art and is associated with legendary, mysterious stories. For the locals here, this temple is a symbol of the boundless wisdom of the Buddha and has profound humanitarian significance.

The Ananda Temple emerges under the early sun with the red brick color shining with the time's hues of the ancient city. Dubbed as the most beautiful temple in Bagan, the Ananda Temple has architectural styles from the Mon people and Northern India. The characteristic feature of the Ananda Temple is built with stone and has small worship rooms inside. The architecture is cross-shaped, with a cubic block in the center containing four large Buddha statues made of gold placed in four directions. Among them, the Buddha statue to the south (Gautama Buddha) is introduced that when approaching the Buddha to pray, always smile to find peace of mind. The four Buddhas erected in four directions are the Buddhas who have reached Nirvana.

The Ananda Temple is also the legendary white snow temple in Bagan. This white snow temple has a system of windows connecting corridors, so visitors entering the temple will feel extremely cool and abundant in light.

• Address: Nyaung-U, Myanmar

Ranked among the most famous tourist attractions in Myanmar, the Shwesandaw Temple is the ideal spot for tourists to take photos and admire the sunset every evening over the Irrawaddy River. From here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the legendary land of Bagan with thousands of temples, large and small, gradually sinking into the twilight, a scene that is incredibly impressive and mystical as the sun sets.

From a distance, the Shwesandaw Temple resembles an Egyptian pyramid with 4 sides, 5 tiers, and a stupa (bell-shaped tower) on top. It is said that this temple was built by King Anwrahta in 1057 to enshrine the Buddha's relic, one of the 8 hairs of the Buddha brought from India before the Common Era. The special feature of the Shwesandaw Temple is the presence of four brick staircases on all four sides, each staircase having 5 tiers. Tourists and pilgrims can climb up the high balconies relying on a series of sturdy tube rails on the right side of the staircase to make it easier for visitors to climb up because the staircase is very steep and narrow.

• Address: Taung Bi, Myanmar

Inwa Village is a charming little village nestled on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. This ancient village is among the top tourist destinations in Myanmar, boasting numerous precious heritage sites such as the Bagaya Kyaung monastery. This precious monastery is supported by 267 gigantic teakwood columns or the iconic leaning tower symbolizing wisdom for the village. Additionally, the 27-meter Nanmyin leaning tower is also a wonderful spot for tourists to take photos and admire. All of these structures bear ancient appearances, having undergone many ups and downs in history and holding significant meaning in the hearts of the people of Inwa.

Inwa Village attracts many tourists not only for its ancient architectural structures, beautiful landscapes, or delicious food, but also for the way of life of the villagers, which has been adhering to ancient customs for hundreds of years. The friendliness and hospitality of the villagers are what uniquely draw tourists. There are seemingly small, simple things in this village that captivate the hearts of travelers from afar: sitting on a bullock cart in the afternoon, admiring the rivers, fields, and drifting evening clouds. And somewhere, the laughter of children echoes... everything is peaceful and lovely beyond measure.

• Address: on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar