YANGON HOLIDAYS & TOURS
Yangon (Rangoon) is a bustling former capital of Burma, but it remains its largest and most commercially important city. The city features a mix of colonial architecture and ancient pagodas and is home to around 5 million inhabitants.
Burma has had a turbulent past and with Rangoon being an ancient city, it has witnessed many of the turbulent times. The city that visitors see today with its colonial architecture, picturesque parks and beautiful lakes, is very much the city the British designed. The British rule left behind grand administration buildings including Rangoon University and Rangoon General Hospital, set amidst traditional Burmese wooden structures. The city prospered and developed affluent residential neighbourhoods.
After Burma’s independence in 1948, streets were renamed from British to Burmese names, but apart from growing in size, everything remains largely the same to this day.
One of the most magnificent sights in Rangoon is the Shwedagon Pagoda included on your visit. Not only is it an iconic symbol of the city, glistening in the sunlight by day and illuminated at night, it is also the most important pagoda in Burma, and attracts pilgrims from across the country. It’s location on the Singuttara hilltop, can be seen from all over the city centre, and is constantly buzzing with people.
Also worth a visit is the Bogyoke Market with its colonial architecture and cobblestone streets, where you can buy antiques, handicrafts, and jewellery or just spend some time people-watching.
YANGON AT A GLANCE
Time zone: GMT + 6.5 hours
Visa Required: Yes
Currency: Kyat
Tel Code: +95
Official Language: Burmese
Main Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Airlines: Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines
Things To See In Yangon
Myanmar Absolute Tours
A 7 day private holiday visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake with lots of local experience, tour start and end in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar
Myanmar Impression Tours
A 6 day itinerary that allow you to visit best of Burma (Myanmar), explore fascinating landscapes, ancient history and learn about the local culture with welcoming folks
Burma Irrawaddy Voyager
The Irrawaddy River is a 11 day cruise voyager to experience a side of the country that many have yet to explore from the comfort of an elegant cruise boat, sailing from Mandalay to Bagan.
Myanmar Luxury Tours
Travel to mysterious Myanmar on a Myanmar luxury tour which allow you to explore amazing sites and ancient attractions as well as an exciting balloon tour over the Bagan valley with amazing sunset cruise.
Yangon tours, day trips and excursions
Yangon, the former capital of Burma, still retains much of its colonial character in the grand buildings of the downtown area and the old mansions of the Diplomatic Quarter. In contrast to this, the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda is a vivid demonstration of Burmese faith, with a stream of devotees bringing offerings to the various shrines within the temple complex. The city has an eclectic mix of cultures and religions, with the golden spires of many ancient pagodas glistening alongside modern-day Hindu and Chinese temples, cathedrals and mosques.
The best idea for city tour of Yangon is to explore deep into bustling streets and narrow alleys of downtown Yangon capture the diversity of this intriguing city: tea houses thick with the smoke of cheroots, the markets of Chinatown bursting with an unfathomable array of goods and the aroma of freshly-milled spices carried on a breeze from the Indian Quarter. In the evening soak up the atmosphere of 19th Street, a lively thoroughfare lined with barbecue stalls and beer stations at which locals play cards and share conversation for hours. Well known for its shops and markets, and more recently its burgeoning art scene, it is worth seeking out Yangon’s Bogyoke Aung San Market (or Scott Market) and the galleries and antique shops in various parts of the city. With finite accommodation options here, early booking is an advantage.
Day return trips from Yangon
Looping around Yangon and its suburbs, the city’s circle train is a scenic introduction to the city and an opportunity to observe the everyday life of the Burmese people. If you want to explore further, we recommend a day trip to the nearby town of Twante. This involves a local ferry journey across the Yangon River, a colourful and memorable experience. You can combine a visit to Twante’s traditional pottery workshops with a visit to the Paya Ngoto School which, with help from our clients, Audley raised funds to rebuild after it was destroyed by a cyclone in 2008, and we continue to support. We also suggest walking through Htaukkyant, Yangon’s poignant World War II cemetery on the outskirts of the city, which can be combined with a visit to the pagodas around Bago (Pegu), where local worshippers pay homage to huge Buddha images. Bago can be visited as a day trip from Yangon by road or train, or as you travel further afield.
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