Ancient Cities Tour Mandalay: Amarapura, Mingun, Sagaing, Innwa

Four ruined capitals tour: U Bein Bridge, Mingun bell, Sagaing temples, Innwa teak monastery in one day

A full-day tour from Mandalay visiting the ancient cities of Amarapura, Mingun, Sagaing and Innwa with hotel pickup and air-conditioned vehicle. The driver collects you at 9am and takes you through each site. At Innwa you rent a boat and horse-cart to move between attractions. Entrance fees, boat tickets and horse-cart rental are separate. The tour includes transport, fuel, parking and bottled water only.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit ancient cities around Mandalay

• Pick up from hotel at 09:00AM
• Visit Mahargandaryone Monastery in Amarapura
• Walk on U Bein Bridge at Amarapura
• See traditional weaving in Amarapura
• Explore Pathodawgyi Pagoda in Mingun
• Visit MyaTheinTan Pagoda in Mingun
• View Giant Lion statue in Mingun
• See Mingun Bell in Mingun
• Visit Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda in Sagaing
• Explore U Min Thonze Caves in Sagaing
• Take ferry boat to Innwa
• Visit Maha Aungmye Bonzan monastery in Innwa
• Climb Watch Tower in Innwa
• See Yadanar Semi in Innwa
• Visit Bagaya Monastery in Innwa by horse-cart

The experience

The day starts at your hotel at 9am and moves through four former capitals of Myanmar in sequence. Amarapura, now a township of Mandalay, holds the U Bein Bridge: a 1,300-yard teak footbridge that curves across TaungThaman Lake and is best visited at sunset. The township is also known for its silk and cotton weaving. You can watch weavers at work on over one hundred looms. Mahargandaryone Monastery, founded around 1914, is one of the largest teaching monasteries in the country and offers a quiet space to sit and observe.

Mingun sits 11 km upriver on the Ayeyarwady's west bank and contains several monuments. The Pathodawgyi Pagoda is an unfinished 240-foot cube on a 460-foot terrace, described as the world's largest pile of bricks. The MyaTheinTan Pagoda, painted white and modeled on Mount Meru from Buddhist mythology, stands on the northern side. The Mingun Bell, a bronze casting weighing 90 tons, is 13 feet high and over 16 feet across at the lip. A monumental uncompleted stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790 also stands in the town.

Sagaing, 20 km southwest of Mandalay across the Irrawaddy River, is an important religious center with pagodas and monasteries crowding the hills. The Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, a 97-foot gilded stupa originally conceived in 1312, sits at the southern crown of Sagaing Hill and is reached by covered staircases running up 240 meters. U Min Thounze, known as the 30 Caves, holds a crescent-shaped colonnade of 45 Buddha images.

At Innwa (Ava), the ancient capital abandoned after earthquakes in 1839, you rent a boat to cross to the site and a horse-cart to move between attractions. The Bagaya Monastery, built in 1834, is the most memorable structure: a teak monastery supported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60 feet high and 9 feet in circumference, creating a prayer hall that feels genuinely ancient. The Maha Aungmye Bonzan, a 1822 royal monastery built unusually of stucco-covered brick, is a rare survivor from the Ava era. The 90-foot leaning Watch Tower offers wide views from the top. Yadanar Semi brings together three sitting Buddhas and old brick stupas shaded by a giant flame tree.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup at 9am.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• fuel surcharge and parking fees.
• bottled water throughout the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Royal Gold Myanmar

Is this one for you?The 10-hour day means an early start and a late return, so book this if you want to see all four ancient cities in one trip rather than splitting them across multiple days. The tour is private, only your group participates, which lets you set the pace at each stop and linger where you choose, though entrance fees and boat or horse-cart rentals at Innwa are paid separately on the day.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the U Bein Bridge and why is sunset the best time to visit?

The U Bein Bridge is the world's largest teak footbridge, curving 1,300 yards across TaungThaman Lake in Amarapura. Sunset is when the light is best and the lake is most photogenic, making it the ideal hour to walk it.

What can I see and do in Amarapura besides the bridge?

Amarapura is known for traditional silk and cotton weaving. You can watch weavers working on over one hundred looms creating intricate patterns. Mahargandaryone Monastery, one of the largest teaching monasteries in Myanmar, founded around 1914, is also a stop on the tour.

What is the Bagaya Monastery and what makes it unusual?

The Bagaya Monastery at Innwa, built in 1834, is supported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60 feet high and 9 feet in circumference. This creates a prayer hall that is cool, dark and feels genuinely ancient. It is Innwa's most memorable attraction.

What are the separate costs I need to pay on top of the tour price?

Entrance fees vary by site: Mingun Zone costs 5,000 MMK per person. Innwa/Ava entrance is 10,000 MMK per person. At Innwa you also rent a boat (2,000 MMK per person) and a horse-cart (15,000 MMK for two people) to move between attractions.

How long is this tour and what time does it start?

The tour is 10 hours long. Hotel pickup is at 9am, so the day runs from morning through early evening, ending around 7pm.

Do I need to walk a lot, and what is the pace like?

The tour involves moderate walking at each site. Some sites have stairs and uneven ground, particularly climbing Sagaing Hill and exploring the ruins at Innwa. The pace is leisurely. You spend time at each location rather than rushing through.