Mandalay in 7 days

Myanmar's last royal capital: teak monasteries, hilltop sunsets and the U Bein bridge at golden hour. Best time to visit: November-February. Average daily budget: $25 to $60 USD.

Day 1, Land & wander

Base: City centre (around the Palace moat), The grid around the walled palace, with hotels, markets and Mandalay Hill to the north.

Morning: Mahamuni Buddha Temple. The city's most sacred image, thickened over centuries by devotees pressing on gold leaf.

Afternoon: Explore City centre (around the Palace moat), The grid around the walled palace, with hotels, markets and Mandalay Hill to the north.

Evening: U Bein bridge at sunset. 1.2km of 200-year-old teak posts across Taungthaman Lake, best from a rowing boat.

Eat: Mohinga: fish-and-noodle breakfast soup, the national dish

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Amarapura, The former capital south of town, home to U Bein bridge and Mahagandayon monastery.

Morning: Shwenandaw Monastery. The only surviving building of the wooden royal palace, carved head to foot in teak.

Afternoon: Explore Amarapura, The former capital south of town, home to U Bein bridge and Mahagandayon monastery.

Evening: Mandalay Hill at dusk. Barefoot up covered stairways to a mirrored temple with the whole plain below.

Eat: Shan noodles with pickled greens at a street stall

Day 3, Food & markets

Base: Sagaing, Across the river: hundreds of white-and-gold stupas scattered across meditation hills.

Morning: Kuthodaw Pagoda, 'the world's largest book': 729 marble slabs of Buddhist scripture in white shrines.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Sagaing, Across the river: hundreds of white-and-gold stupas scattered across meditation hills.

Evening: The gold-leaf pounders' workshops off 36th Street, where sheets are beaten by hand for hours.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Burmese curry with a spread of free side dishes and soup

Day 4, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Inwa (Ava), A ruined island capital of teak monasteries and leaning brick towers, reached by ferry.

Morning: Marble-carving row on the road to Amarapura, thick with white dust and half-finished Buddhas.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Inwa (Ava), A ruined island capital of teak monasteries and leaning brick towers, reached by ferry.

Evening: Morning alms at Mahagandayon monastery, where a thousand monks file in silence.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Lahpet thoke: fermented tea-leaf salad with crunchy beans and nuts

Day 5, Day trip

Base: Mingun, An hour upriver, with the world's largest unfinished stupa and a giant bell.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Mingun, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Mingun, An hour upriver, with the world's largest unfinished stupa and a giant bell.

Evening: Dinner at Mohinga: fish-and-noodle breakfast soup, the national dish, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Mingun.

Eat: Mohinga: fish-and-noodle breakfast soup, the national dish

Day 6, Hidden gems

Base: City centre (around the Palace moat), The grid around the walled palace, with hotels, markets and Mandalay Hill to the north.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in City centre (around the Palace moat), then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore City centre (around the Palace moat), The grid around the walled palace, with hotels, markets and Mandalay Hill to the north.

Evening: Dinner at Shan noodles with pickled greens at a street stall, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in City centre (around the Palace moat).

Eat: Shan noodles with pickled greens at a street stall

Day 7, Slow finish

Base: Amarapura, The former capital south of town, home to U Bein bridge and Mahagandayon monastery.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Amarapura, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Amarapura, The former capital south of town, home to U Bein bridge and Mahagandayon monastery.

Evening: Dinner at Burmese curry with a spread of free side dishes and soup, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Amarapura.

Eat: Burmese curry with a spread of free side dishes and soup

Hidden gems

Kuthodaw Pagoda, 'the world's largest book': 729 marble slabs of Buddhist scripture in white shrines.
The gold-leaf pounders' workshops off 36th Street, where sheets are beaten by hand for hours.
Marble-carving row on the road to Amarapura, thick with white dust and half-finished Buddhas.
Morning alms at Mahagandayon monastery, where a thousand monks file in silence.

Getting around

Mandalay International Airport is 35km south, about an hour by shared taxi. In the city, hired motorbike taxis and drivers by the day are the norm and very cheap; a full ancient-cities day with a driver costs little. Inwa is reached by short ferry then horse cart, Mingun by riverboat. Note that Myanmar's travel situation changes; check your government's advice and current entry rules before booking.

Safety

Check your government's current travel advice for Myanmar before planning, as the situation and accessible areas change. Where travel is permitted, Mandalay itself is welcoming and petty crime is low. Card payments and ATMs can be unreliable, so carry clean US dollars in cash. Remove shoes and socks at all pagodas, dress with knees and shoulders covered, and avoid political conversations in public.

Mandalay in 3 days | Mandalay in 5 days | Full Mandalay guide