Bagan is a truly magical place. It is the kind of place that can inspire genuine awe, such as watching the sunset from the top of one of its ancient crumbling temples. Bagan, and the whole country of Myanmar, are changing quickly though. It wasn’t long ago that you could have the marvelous sea of temples to yourself. The secret of Bagan’s majesty is now well known and those days are likely long gone but it still has much to offer the adventurous spirit. Just make sure to go soon, before it changes even more. Every year tourism grows exponentially in Myanmar and it’s only a matter of time before it starts to resemble a tourist playground like its neighbor, Thailand.

You can explore the temples of Bagan several different ways and all are fun. You can rent a bicycle for the day and visit them all at your own pace, take a hot air balloon ride to get a bird’s eye view, or ride in the back of an ox drawn cart. Yes, it is pulled by actual oxen! However you choose to explore the temples, we recommend you take a couple of days and try at least two methods. You only need a few days at Bagan but getting there will take more time. You could combine it with Rangoon and maybe one other spot in Myanmar to create a fantastic one week trip.