Things to Do in Mandalay: 9 Budget Picks
Travel advisory: Washington advises Americans not to travel to Myanmar for any reason, while the UK government advises against all but essential travel to Mandalay and against all travel to Sagaing Region and the townships north of the city. Armed conflict, drone strikes, curfews and communications blackouts are ongoing, and the March 2025 earthquake damaged many historic sites. Check the US State Department and UK FCDO before making any plans.
Two crises are in play here, so read this before planning. Myanmar has been under military rule since the 1 February 2021 coup, with a civil war still ongoing; most governments advise against travel, and Sagaing Region, across the river from Mandalay, is an active conflict zone (the city itself is not risk-free). Then a M7.7 earthquake struck the Sagaing-Mandalay area on 28 March 2025, damaging several of the sights below; recovery and access are uncertain into 2026, so verify before you rely on any of them. Check your government’s current advisory first. Some tourist spending here reaches the military, so favor small local operators if you go, and official advice currently recommends against travel. What follows describes these sights as they were, for if and when it is safe to visit.
Nine things Mandalay has been known for, most of which historically cost little or nothing. The city’s sights are religious and historical rather than adventure-based. The current condition and access of every sight below are unconfirmed since the 2025 earthquake, and none can be treated as open.
What Is Mandalay Known For?
Historically, visitors climbed Mandalay Hill for the sunset, walked the grounds of Kuthodaw and Shwenandaw, and watched gold-leaf workshops, for a modest entry fee or nothing at all. Mahamuni and the Palace were the paid sights, and both carry post-quake damage reports below.
- Mandalay Hill. Four covered stairways climb roughly 240m to Sutaungpyei Pagoda at the top, barefoot the whole way, lined with smaller pagodas and rest points. Sunset over the city and the Irrawaddy was the main draw. No damage has been reported, but access is unconfirmed since the quake.
- Mahamuni Pagoda. One of Myanmar’s most revered images, a 6.5-tonne bronze Buddha under roughly 15cm of accumulated gold leaf, with a daily face-washing ritual around 4:30 to 5am. The inner sanctum and gold-leafing area are men-only; women aren’t permitted inside that section, stated plainly rather than glossed over. The 2025 quake caused confirmed significant structural damage here, and its current access is unconfirmed.
- Kuthodaw Pagoda. Called “the world’s largest book”: 729 marble slabs of Buddhist scripture, each housed in its own small white stupa, spread across peaceful grounds. Surveyors reported serious structural damage after the 2025 quake, and access is unconfirmed.
- Shwenandaw Monastery. The one genuine surviving Konbaung-era royal building, in ornately carved teak, moved outside the palace walls in 1878 after the rest of the complex burned. Its condition and access are unconfirmed since the quake.
- Mandalay Palace. The last Burmese royal palace is almost entirely a 1990s concrete-and-metal reconstruction, since the original was destroyed in WWII; it also sits inside an active military zone, so access has been restricted even before 2025. The March 2025 quake damaged gates and walls. Current access is unconfirmed.
- Sandamuni and Kyauktawgyi Pagodas. Sandamuni’s stupas and Kyauktawgyi’s large marble Buddha are near Kuthodaw and Mandalay Hill. Their condition and access are unconfirmed since the quake.
- Zegyo Market. Mandalay’s main market for textiles, produce, and handicrafts; historically free to wander. Its trading status is unconfirmed.
- The crafts workshops. Mandalay is Myanmar’s living crafts center: hand-pounded gold-leaf beating, wood and stone and marble carving, kalaga tapestry, and bronze casting, most historically with free demos visible from the doorway. Whether they are operating is unconfirmed.
- The Irrawaddy riverfront. Short sunset boat rides were the closest thing to a nature outing in a city with no real hiking nearby. No operator can currently be confirmed.
Quick Reference
| Sight | Cost | 2025 quake status |
|---|---|---|
| Mandalay Hill | Free to climb | No damage reported, access unconfirmed |
| Mahamuni Pagoda | Modest entry fee | Confirmed significant structural damage |
| Kuthodaw Pagoda | Modest entry fee | Serious structural damage reported |
| Shwenandaw Monastery | Modest entry fee | Unreported, access unconfirmed |
| Mandalay Palace | Restricted military zone | Gates and walls damaged |
| Zegyo Market | Free to browse | Access unconfirmed |
| Crafts workshops | Usually free to watch | Operating status unconfirmed |
What About the Ancient Capitals?
Amarapura, Inwa, Sagaing, and Mingun are usually done as day trips rather than city sights, and all four took serious 2025 quake damage; see the Mandalay day trips guide for site-by-site notes. Sagaing and Mingun lie in Sagaing Region, where the UK advises against all travel.
For the wider guide, see the Mandalay travel guide .
For the advisory itself, the US State Department and UK FCDO pages are the two to check.