Yangon in 5 days

Golden Shwedagon rising over a crumbling colonial downtown, teahouses and Southeast Asia's most atmospheric city. Best time to visit: November-February. Average daily budget: $30 to $80 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Downtown (the colonial grid), Faded British-era buildings, Sule Pagoda, street markets and teahouses.

Morning: Colonial downtown heritage walk. The Secretariat, Strand Road and Pansodan Street's grand, decaying architecture.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown (the colonial grid), Faded British-era buildings, Sule Pagoda, street markets and teahouses.

Evening: Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset. A 99-metre gilded stupa surrounded by shrines, best as the lights come on and monks chant.

Eat: Mohinga, the catfish noodle soup Myanmar eats for breakfast

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Shwedagon & Dagon, The hilltop around the great pagoda, with leafy embassy streets below.

Morning: Ride the circular train. Three hours on a rattling loop through markets, paddy fields and suburban life.

Afternoon: Explore Shwedagon & Dagon, The hilltop around the great pagoda, with leafy embassy streets below.

Evening: Eat on 19th Street, Chinatown. Grilled skewers, beer stations and the city's most sociable evening.

Eat: Tea leaf salad (lahpet thoke), tangy, crunchy and unlike anything else

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Kandawgyi & Inya Lake, Lakeside parks, the Karaweik barge and the city's calmest walking.

Morning: Chaukhtatgyi's 66-metre reclining Buddha with painted glass eyes.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Kandawgyi & Inya Lake, Lakeside parks, the Karaweik barge and the city's calmest walking.

Evening: Bogyoke Aung San Market's back lanes for lacquerware, jade and longyi cloth.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Shan noodles with pickled greens

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Chinatown (Latha), Nineteenth Street's grilled-skewer alley and the busiest night eating.

Morning: The Secretariat, where Aung San was assassinated, now open for guided visits.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Chinatown (Latha), Nineteenth Street's grilled-skewer alley and the busiest night eating.

Evening: Sunrise tea and mohinga at a downtown teahouse with plastic stools and endless refills.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Sweet milky laphet ye tea in a teahouse, the national ritual

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Bahan, Residential streets of monasteries, cafes and quieter guesthouses.

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

Afternoon: Explore Bahan, Residential streets of monasteries, cafes and quieter guesthouses.

Evening: Dinner at Mohinga, the catfish noodle soup Myanmar eats for breakfast, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Bahan.

Eat: Mohinga, the catfish noodle soup Myanmar eats for breakfast

Hidden gems

Chaukhtatgyi's 66-metre reclining Buddha with painted glass eyes.
Bogyoke Aung San Market's back lanes for lacquerware, jade and longyi cloth.
The Secretariat, where Aung San was assassinated, now open for guided visits.
Sunrise tea and mohinga at a downtown teahouse with plastic stools and endless refills.

Getting around

Yangon International Airport is 15 km north, 30 to 60 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. There are no motorbike taxis in the city, so use metered-ish taxis agreed in advance or ride-hailing apps where available. Downtown is walkable in the cooler hours, and the circular train is a sight in itself. Bring cash: card acceptance and ATMs are unreliable.

Safety

Check your government's current travel advisory before booking, as Myanmar's political situation remains volatile and some regions are off-limits, with insurance and consular support limited. In Yangon itself, street crime against visitors is rare, but avoid political gatherings and don't photograph military or police. Bring clean US dollars in cash, dress modestly, and always remove shoes and socks at pagodas. Power cuts and internet restrictions are common.

Yangon in 3 days | Yangon in 7 days | Full Yangon guide