Yangon to Bagan

Yangon is the major city of Myanmar while Bagan is famous for its ancient pagodas.. Bagan is about 630 Kilometres from Yangon and reachable with bus, plane and train. Read further to know all about how to reach Bagan from Yangon in Myanmar.

It was my first trip to Myanmar, and I didn’t know what to expect from there. Myanmar, which was previously known as Burma, was isolated from the rest of the world for about 60 years. Interestingly, we Bangladeshis share land borders with Myanmar. Unfortunately, those borders are closed for international tourists. Besides, there has always been tension between Bangladesh and Myanmar due to political and Rohinga issues.

So, when I decided to travel to Myanmar, my family said “NO!”. I listened to them, bought the ticket, and was in Yangon, the major city of Myanmar, in an hour. In many Bengali books and movies, Yangon is known as Rengun. I became nostalgic as soon as I came out of the airport.

I will tell you my story of Yangon some other day. Let me focus on the topic now: how I reached Bagan by bus.

Bagan is a place that must be on your bucket list. It was an enchanting experience for me to traverse the temples of Bagan.

Bagan is about 630 kilometers (390 miles) from Yangon, where your flight will most likely land. The easiest way was to take a plane to get there. But I wanted to save some money.

Avail your visa prior to arriving in Myanmar from the official site

Yangon to Bagan by Bus

How to Book

The easiest and best way to book the bus ticket is through 12go online.

Length of the Journey

10 hours

Cost

About US$ 18

Departure Point

Aung Min Galar Bus Station

Arrival Point

Bagan (Nyaung-U)

Story of the Journey

I was not sure how to get a ticket for that bus. After a bit of research, I bought the ticket using Oway, which is an online travel booking site based on Myanmar. I paid US$17.54 using my credit card and got a booking confirmation in my mail with the following details:

Departure Time	20:00
Arrival Time	06:00
Boarding Point	Aung Min Galar Bus Station
Dropping Point	Bagan (Nyaung-U)
Bus Name	Bagan Min Thar VIP Express Bus

Departure, Arrival time and point

I was not satisfied with this piece of information. How can I find the bus in “Aung Min Galar Bus Station”? So, I dropped Oway a mail asking for further information. The response was:

Bagan Min Thar Gate is Gate 1, Bagan Lane, Bagan Min Thar Bus Gate and you can ask anybody or your taxi driver.
More confusion?

I got more confused, but my taxi driver would know it, right? So, I asked my taxi driver to take me there. I didn’t know what he realized, but he was moving forward. I am familiar with the traffic of Dhaka, so I was not panicking. Or, Was I?

I have a bus to catch at 8:00 PM. Please let me go!

I was following the route of Google Maps, but the driver insisted on taking me via a shortcut. I found myself in the dark alleys and among the children on the street. I was trying to concentrate elsewhere – in the street but couldn’t stop watching the clock every 5 seconds.

We arrived at the bus stoppage at 17:53. There were a handful of buses there. I was looking for “Bagan Min Thar VIP Express Bus”. I couldn’t find any. The time was ticking. Suddenly, I saw a piece of paper pasted on the front panel of a bus – written in a mixture of English and Burmese language – I could pick the VIP! And oh yes! Bagan – Nyaung U!

I approached the counter and showed my voucher, which I got from Oway. A mistake now, and my bus would have been gone. I was correct this time; that was my bus! They asked me to hop on the bus. It was mostly foreigners inside, along with a few locals.

I went inside and found a spacious seat with blankets. There was a bottle of water, too. The bus started its journey at 20:10. It was mostly a smooth journey. The driver was driving at a moderate speed and stopped at a petrol station to take gasoline after 15 minutes.

At midway, we got a toilet/snack break. I took a nap. At 4:30 in the morning, we arrived at Nyaung-U which is the entry point of Bagan. From there I took a three-wheeler to reach the ruins of Bagan to enjoy the sunrise from the top of a temple.

book bus from yangon to Bagan online