Sagaing Hill Place guide

Sagaing is one of Myanmar's beautiful, ancient capitals that was propelled to fame because of the many white, silver and gold-colored pagodas and monasteries that are gently sprinkled along he lush, green hills, and all of this is found just along the western banks of the Irrawaddy River, 21km southwest of Mandalay. If you're interested in picturesque views and getting in touch with yourself and being at peace with your soul, Trip Guru recommends that you give Sagaing Hill a visit.

If you'd like the best place to breathe and appreciate the stunning landscape views, your best bet would be to go to Sagaing Hill. You can also spend the rest of your day exploring the various pagodas, temples and even caves that surround the entire hill, as each pagoda and temple has something unique to offer each time you visit one. You can even explore the mysteries of the back streets, and be sure to stop by one of their most famous shrines, named the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, built in 1312.

If you prefer, you can also visit Sagaing Hill restaurant, that serves a wide range of food native to Myanmar and different kinds of food served all across Asia, as well. This restaurant is located up in the hills, in the Parami Quarter. If you can plan your visit in advance, if you visit around November, you may get to attend the Kaunghmudaw Pagoda Festival. Included are special marionette shows that catch the attention of the locals and villagers from different parts of the country side.

To get to Sagaing, there are buses leaving from Yangon to Saging at 5:00pm, 7:00pm and 9:00pm. If you choose to take this route, you can end up in Sagaing by 6:00am, 7:00am and 10:00am respectively. From there, you can get a rental car to take you to Sagaing Hill from Sagaing, by heading west towards Mandalay - Shwebo Rd/Route 7, then turning right onto Mandalay - Shwebo Rd/Route 7. Make sure that you have enough money to pay for entrance fees and other expenses. When visiting the temples, do remember to take off your shoes and socks before entering, leave any umbrellas outside and make sure to dress modestly: dressing in short-sleeved shirts, short pants or skirts is considered inappropriate attire.