Explore Mingun City by boat from Mandalay
In the last post, I mentioned many tour operators offer one day tours for Mingun, Saging, Innwa and U-Bein Bridge by car. Depending on your schedule, I recommend going to do Mingun City by boat on a different day if you don’t want to rush through the sites.
The boat departs 9am every morning from Mingun Jetty on the junction between 26th Street and Myo Patt Road. It takes approximately one hour upstream to get to Mingun City. The same boat will return from Mingun at 1pm and it takes 45mins downstream back to Mandalay. The ticket for the round trip was approx US$10. (Ticket prices vary depending on where you purchase from. We bought our tickets on the spot, 30 mins before it’s departure.) For more updated information, please click here.
The boat journey between Mingun and Mandalay was very relaxing. You might want to bring a jumper with you as the breeze over the river can be a bit chilling, especially if you are sitting in the shade.
How to get around in Mingun City?
You can pretty much walk through the city visiting the key landmarks.
What to see in Mingun City?
The top sights in Mingun are:
- Mingun Pahtodawgyi
- Lions of Stone
- Mingun Bell
- Hsinbyume Pagoda
They are located in the above order and you won’t miss them if you follow the main street in Mingun. My highlight in Mingun City was Hsinbyume Pagoda also known as Myatheindan Pagoda.
Hsinbyume Pagoda is one of the most impressive pagodas we saw in Myanmar. This pagoda was built in 1816 by Bagyidaw. The pagoda’s design is based on descriptions of the mythical Sulamani pagoda on Mount Meru, and the lower parts of the pagoda represent the mountains. Seven concentric terraces represent the seven mountain ranges going up to Mount Meru according to Buddhist Mythology.
There are a few cafes just outside Hsinbyume Pagoda entrance where we rested for a bit before catching the return boat to Mandalay after visiting the pagoda.
Next post: Half day city tour in Mandalay