Myanmar by bus · Myanmar by bus
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
Myanmar by bus
Myanmar by bus
Buses of all types ply the roads of Myanmar. Luxury (relatively speaking) buses do the Mandalay-Yangon run while lesser vehicles can get travellers to other places. Fares are reasonable and in Kyat and, for the budget traveller, there is no other option because of the high price of train tickets for foreign nationals. Many long distance buses assign seats so it is best to book seats at least a day in advance. Because the roads are bad, avoid the rear of the bus and try to sit as far up front as you can get. Long distance buses also have an extra jump seat that blocks the aisle and, because it is not well secured to the chassis, can be uncomfortable (which also means that there is no such thing as a side seat where taller travellers can thrust their legs). A window near the front of the bus is always the best option.
A scam about bus tickets seems to be popular in Yangon currently. While many travellers make a stopover in Bago, they are told at their guesthouse or at the bus station it's not possible to buy tickets up there in the direction to Mandalay. In a country where everything might be possible when it comes to transport, some people tend to believe is. Actually, this is not the case and tracking back to Yangon for a bus ticket up north is not necessary at all. Bago has a bus terminal with several bus offices. Buying your ticket at Bago might be slightly cheaper (of course depending upon your bargaining skills) and gives you more freedom for the rest of your journey.
The following table summarizes travel times and approximate fares between important tourist destinations in Myanmar (Note: most bus fares have gone up with the recent fuel price rises, the fares listed here are rough estimates):
Bus Travel times and fares between important destinations
| From |
To |
Time |
Fare
|
|---|
| Yangon |
Mandalay |
11 hrs |
K10400
|
| Yangon |
Kyaiktiyo |
6 hrs |
K6000
|
| Mandalay |
Pyin U Lwin |
2 hrs |
K1500
|
| Mandalay |
Hsipaw |
5.5 hrs |
K4500
|
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Myanmar
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Myanmar - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Myanmar hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Myanmar Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.