Yangon Circle Train Place guide

If you're looking for a cheap and picturesque way to experience the city of Yangon, don't take a trishaw. Your best bet is to ride the local circle train for a half-day, for an experience unlike any other. You can see unique sights at your leisure in the true, old-fashioned style of travel: on a train. Trip Guru suggests that you jump in and enjoy the ride, especially when it comes to local interaction. It may be more worth your while than you think.

While it may be a bumpy ride, it's worth the experience for various vendors hopping on and off in between stations selling peanuts, fruits and other traditional snacks from Myanmar, however you will have to bring your own supply of water for the entire three-hour journey. While there is no air conditioning on the train, you won't be bored observing the different kinds of locals and tourists on the train. And if, for any time you desire to go on another adventure, you can exit at any stop because your ticket allows off-and-on again transport. You can stop and grab a taxi to your next destination or eat and relax in a cafe or restaurant before climbing on again.

The Yangon Circle train departs daily from Yangon Central Railway Station, and the train starts running at 6:10am with the last departure at 10:00pm, but the full-circle line usually stops at the 5:10 departure. If you plan to ride the train full circle, then to effectively maximize your time the best time to ride is as early as possible, as Yangon is alive and about just after dawn, well before the day's heat is ready to awaken.

Best place to board is at Yangon's downtown train station, just off of Pansodan and Bogyoke Aung San Roads. If you want to ride on the circle train, buy your tickets at platform 7. From there, enter using the east entrance and at the peak of Pansodan Bridge, head straight down the stairs, walk through the gate and safely get onto the platform. From there, a friendly train station manager waits inside his booth, waiting with instructions on how to board the train.