Bago Region · Myanmar
Bago travel guide
Bago is a city in Bago Region, Myanmar, home to about 284,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- RGN62 km · Yangon International Airport
- Currency
- MMKkyat
- Time zone
- Asia/Yangon
- Language
- Burmese
About
About Bago
Bago formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located 91 kilometres (57 mi) north-east of Yangon.
Many visitors will want to leave this city as fast as possible, which is not quite justified. The sunset from the top of Mahazedi Pagoda provides for a stunning view with many pagodas sticking out of the green surrounding and a Buddha lying and relaxing in between. If you are in a rush, you can still visit the main attractions within 3-4 hr by hiring a motorcycle and then hop on your onward transportation.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Bago
See
An official government fee of 10,000 kyat is required to visit most of the sights in Bago. However, it is only strictly enforce at Shwethar Lyaung Pagoda, Shwe Mawdaw Pagoda and KanBawZaThadi.
- Mahazedi Pagoda
- Shwemawdaw Pagoda
- KanBawZaThadi / Golden Palace & National Museum
- Shwetharlyaung Temple
- Myatha Lyaung Buddha
- Laymyatnar Buddha
- Maha Kalyani Sima
- Kyaik Pun Pagoda
- Snake Pagoda & Shwetaungyoe Pagoda
- Hinthagon Pagoda
- Sein Thar Lyaung Pagoda
Do
Except for walking or driving around and visiting the numerous sights, not much more can be done in Bago.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Bago to stay in
For the hotels along the main road always ask for a room in the back, because this road is where all traffic from Yangon to the east goes through, also at night.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Bago
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Jade Garden Hotel | 4.8 km | |
| Kanbawza Hinthar Hotel | 5.0 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Bago
Bago has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; August is the wettest, with about 608 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Bago: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Yangon International Airport (RGN), about 62 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
The Highway Bus Station can easily be reached by foot. If you are planning to change buses in Bago beware that you are not necessarily dropped off there but at the Bus Stop close to San Francisco Hotel. This is especially true for buses from the south and also from Inle Lake in the north. There may be a someone selling bus tickets, and he will claim that Bago has no main bus station making him the only one selling you an onward ticket (at twice the price). This is not true, and you can easily walk or get transport to the main bus station where prices are more reasonable.
Getting around
All of the sights in Bago can be reached on foot and are within 2 km of each other. However, with the heat or rain that may not be the best way. As a solution, you could combine single shared tuk-tuk rides (200 kyat) with walking. Especially the sights at the western end of the city (around Shwethalyaung Buddha) are all in walking distance, even the Mahazedi Paya is just 5-10 min from the reclining Buddha. They can be rented at several places, ask your hotel or at San Fransisco Hotel, and are a good way to explore the city if the heat is not too bad. The price is between 1,000 and 2,000 kyat.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
RGN · Yangon International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Bago
Eat
Many small and local kitchens are spread all over town, serving soup, noodles and other typical Burmese food. They are reasonably clean if frequented well. Many dished go for under 1,000 kyat or even under 500 kyat.
Drink
On the east side of the train station and rail tracks a lot of typical (and sometimes dodgy) Myanmar beer pubs can be found. Otherwise, try the place nearby the clock tower described in the previous chapter.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Bago: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bago?
Bago has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; August is the wettest, with about 608 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Bago?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Yangon International Airport (RGN), about 62 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Bago?
kyat (MMK).
Nearby
Destinations near Bago
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.