Things to do in Yangon: 9 places to visit

The best way to get around this city is on foot and by taxi. Taxis aren't expensive at all, but as in most Southeast Asian countries they don't use a meter, so you agree on the price in advance. That's why we recommend downloading the Grab app (Southeast Asia's Uber), either to order your taxi through the app or to see what the right price for the trip would be, so you can negotiate better.

If you prefer, you can book a private tour in Spanish to take you around the different parts of the city.

1. Shwedagon Pagoda

An essential stop in Yangon. The moment you set foot here, you can feel the spirituality and special energy of the place.

This pagoda is believed to be more than 2,500 years old. The story goes that two Burmese brothers traveled to India to meet Siddhartha, the Buddha. He pulled 8 hairs from his head and gave them to the brothers. When they got back to Burma, they handed the hairs to the king, who decided to build the pagoda and keep them in it along with other relics.

Over the centuries, the pagoda has been rebuilt and enlarged by various kings, until it reached its current height of 100 meters. The stupa is plated in gold and decorated with 3,154 gold bells, plus 79,569 diamonds and precious stones. All the gold was donated by the Burmese people.

Without a doubt, it's an impressive place. You could stay for hours taking in the stupas and the neighboring temples and watching Buddhist worshippers at one of their most sacred sites.

• The entrance fee is 10,000 kyats (US$7).

Both men and women have to go in barefoot, with their knees and shoulders covered. We also advise taking water, because it's usually very hot and there's nowhere to buy any once you're inside.

2. Botataung Pagoda

Another of Myanmar's oldest pagodas is Botataung Pagoda, built 2,500 years ago by the Mon dynasty, destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in 1948.

It's near the river and is one of the most revered pagodas in Myanmar.

The main stupa is 40 meters high and is unusual in that it's hollow and open to the public. It's also believed to enshrine a hair of Gautama Buddha inside. That's what impressed us most: being able to go inside the pagoda.

Following a walkway with glass mosaic walls, you pass several chambers with glass cases of ancient artifacts, including some very old Buddha images discovered in the stupa after it was destroyed in 1943. One chamber, its walls and ceiling covered in gold, holds the sacred relic of the Buddha, enshrined and displayed in an ivory shrine decorated with diamonds and precious jewels.

We went at sunset and got to see the pagoda lit up, and we loved it. As at every religious site in Myanmar, your shoulders and knees have to be covered. If they aren't, they'll lend you something at the entrance. You also have to go in barefoot.

• The entrance fee is 6,000 kyats (US$4).

3. Theingyi Market

Yangon's largest traditional local market, ideal for a stroll in the morning. Walking around here is an experience for all the senses. It's on 26th Street in Chinatown and consists of hundreds of street stalls selling fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and more. It's a beautiful chaos that will give you a glimpse of Burmese culture.

4. Chaukhtatgyi Paya, or the Reclining Buddha

Known for its incredible reclining Buddha, 65 meters long and 16 meters high. The soles of the feet have 108 red and gold segments showing images of the 108 lakshanas of Buddhism (the fundamental teachings).

• Entrance is free.

5. Ngahtatgyi Buddha Temple, or the Seated Buddha

Known for its enormous Seated Buddha, which is a very imposing sight. It's a very sacred and important Buddha for Burmese worshippers. You'll find it just a few meters from the Reclining Buddha.

• Entrance is free.

6. Sule Pagoda

This pagoda is in the city center, which is why it's one of the best known. We didn't go in, but we saw it from outside at night, lit up, and it looks very pretty. After visiting Shwedagon Pagoda and going inside Botataung Pagoda, we didn't think it was worth it.

• The entrance fee is 3,000 kyats (US$2).

7. Kandawgyi Park & Palace

A good place to get away from the chaos of the city. It has an artificial lake, created by the British colonists to supply Yangon with drinking water at the time. You can walk around the lake on its wooden bridges and see several of the park's gardens.

You'll also find the Kandawgyi Palace Restaurant, a palace turned restaurant, built to look like an enormous boat on the edge of the lake.

8. Colonial quarter

Yangon has an area where several buildings with colonial architecture still stand. It's east of Sule Pagoda, where you'll find Maha Bandula Park and the Independence Monument. Nearby are Yangon City Hall and the High Court.

9. Circular Train

A 3-hour trip by train around the whole city of Yangon that lets you see locals' day-to-day lives from a different angle.

We couldn't do it because Charo came down with food poisoning, so we stayed in and rested at the hostel, but we think it would have been a great experience for immersing ourselves a bit more in Burmese culture.

You can catch the train at platform 7 of Yangon Central Railway Station, from 6:10 to 17:10. It costs 200 kyats (US$0.15).