Myanmar travel guide: safety advice, visa, costs and seasons

A workable split is two days in Yangon, three in Bagan and two in Mandalay, flying between them; overland legs take most of a day and roads can close at short notice. The tourist e-visa allows 28 days on a single entry, so it does not limit a first trip. Build in spare days, because schedules change with little warning, and check that your travel insurance covers Myanmar before you book anything.

• Yangon: the Shwedagon Pagoda and the colonial downtown. It is outside the areas the UK warns against, though Australia reports explosions in the city.
• Bagan: the temple plain beside Nyaung-U airport (NYU), in Mandalay Region, where UK advice is against all but essential travel. The Bagan temple guide covers temples and viewpoints.
• Mandalay: the last royal capital, about 4-5 hours from Bagan by road. The UK advises against all travel to the townships north of the city.

Inle Lake, once a standard fourth stop, is in southern Shan State, also an all-but-essential area for the UK.

Basic guesthouses run about US$5-10 a night and mid-range hotels US$15-25; tea-shop meals cost US$1-2. Domestic flights and private drivers are the main extra costs, and a Bagan balloon flight is US$300 or more.

Bring clean US dollar notes: cards are rarely accepted and ATMs are unreliable outside the cities. Kyat rates vary, so check the rate you are actually offered. Full breakdown: Myanmar travel costs in the Southeast Asia cost guide.

March to May is the hot season, with Yangon averaging 38°C highs in April. The monsoon runs from May to October and peaks in July and August, when Yangon gets 500-550mm of rain a month; Bagan and Mandalay, in the central dry zone, get far less. Some areas become hard to reach, and the UK warns that roads may be impassable in the rainy season. Month by month: best time to visit Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

Apply on the official Myanmar e-Visa portal with a passport scan, photo and itinerary. Processing has taken about three business days, and your passport needs six months' validity. The fee and processing time were last confirmed in May 2026, so check them when you apply. No online arrival card was found for Myanmar, and some land borders, especially from Thailand, may be closed or carry extra requirements. Most ASEAN passports get 14 days visa-free. Details: visa requirements for Myanmar.

The reasons given include armed conflict, civil unrest, detention of foreigners, landmines and stretched medical care, and consular help may be very limited. Some areas are under martial law or curfew. The UK lists these scams and crimes:

• Gem and gold sellers offering stones from unlicensed sources.
• Job offers that look too good to be true, linked to cyber scam centres in Myawaddy and Tachileik where victims are trafficked.
• Bag snatching, pickpocketing and theft of unattended belongings.

Emergency numbers: police 199, ambulance 192, fire 191. Travel insurance can be invalidated if you travel against your government's advice.

Foreign SIMs do not work reliably. A phone can run on a local SIM for a 30-day grace period, which covers a 28-day tourist visa; for longer stays, register the handset's IMEI on the official CEIR portal or it will be blocked. Facebook and WhatsApp are blocked, so download offline maps and agree a backup way to stay in touch before you arrive.

The UK warns that road travel can be restricted at short notice by the military and opposition forces and that rail timetables are unreliable, and Australia advises against driving in the countryside at night. Confirm what is running a day or two ahead rather than relying on published schedules.

Yangon International Airport (RGN) is about 15km north of downtown, 30-60 minutes by taxi depending on traffic; see the Yangon guide for arrival details.