Located on the Irrawaddy River, Bagan is accessible via bus or flight (the airport is Nyaung U). The area offers a wide-range of accommodation from luxurious riverside hotels to affordable family run guesthouses. The monuments in Bagan are spread out over a vast amount of space, and it is impossible to visit them all in a short amount of time. Most tourists will spend two to three days in Bagan, exploring the stupas and pagodas and their interesting architectural details.

E-bikes are a popular way to get around the archeological zone, but one can also rent a horse and carriage, go on foot or by car. For an unrivaled view of Bagan, hot air balloons take visitors over the ancient kingdom in the soft light of dawn or dusk.

Bagan is also famous for its role as center of Myanmar’s thriving lacquerware industry. Visitors can watch skilled artisans as they work on the various stages of the painstaking six-month process. A few hours drive away from Bagan is Mount Popa, a monastery perched atop an extinct volcano– it is famous for being home to many nats (spirits). The view rewards those who make the climb up the 777 steps to the top.