History and Background

Why should visit
Ananda Temple is the grandest temple in Bagan and a must-see. It looks different from the rest and has four giant Buddha statues inside, at four cardinal points. Each of these statues represents the four images of Buddha after attaining nirvana – Kakusandha Buddha in the north, Kassapa Buddha in the south, Konagamana Buddha in the east and Gautama Buddha in the west.
When
Bagan can be visited all year round.
HOW TO GET THERE
- Bagan is accessible by air from all the major cities of Myanmar. The airport in Bagan is called Nyaung U. The nearest international airports are in Yangon and Mandalay. The flight duration is 1 hour 20 minutes from Yangon and only 20 minutes from Mandalay.
- Bagan is well-connected by road with the rest of the country. Regular bus services are available from Mandalay, Yangon and other cities.
- Bagan can also be reached by train. Overnight trains run daily from Yangon, departing around 4:00 PM from Yangon and reaching Bagan at around 10:00 AM the next day. There is a train service between Mandalay and Bagan as well and takes around 7 hours to reach.
- There is a daily express ferry service from Mandalay to Bagan which leaves at 7:00 AM from Mandalay and takes around 8 hours to reach Bagan. This is one of the most scenic rides and highly recommended in case you have time to spare.