Best Places to Trek in Myanmar
Hike through hilltop villages and tip toe through tea plantations as you discover the epicness (yes, this is now a word!!) of Myanmar. Myanmar still known to many as Burma and is a stunning place to trek, genuinely one of my favourite in the world. So here is a quick overview of our absolute favourite treks in Myanmar and because we really love you, we have even put together photo with super specific details for doing each one too, just click on the link at the bottom of each one.
Kalaw to Inle lake
This is the most famous and for very good reason. The most popular way to get to Inle lake is to trek with a guide for 3 days and 2 nights. I say popular, but we didn’t see anyone else other than our group on the trek. Some claim it is better to trek it in reverse, personally I don’t think this works as well on a few levels; I’ve written an honest and informative post on which way round to trek between Inle Lake and Kalaw HERE. If you do one thing in Myanmar, make it this trek, we have put together a guide with packing list, tips, information on how to get the best deal and more HERE.
For those of you who have more time, you should check out Things to do Around Inle Lake, there’s probably a lot more to do there than you expect!
Mt. Zwegabin
This experience is what backpacking dreams are made of! The trek itself isn’t actually that long; you could even do it in a day. But PLEEEASE make time to do it as an overnight adventure! The views for sunrise and sunset are beyond spectacular, they’re pretty much emotional! If that isn’t enough in itself, how about staying with Monks in their little monastery at the top and feeding monkeys in the morning? Oh… and you trek through a Buddha forest to get to the base of the mountain! You really can’t make this stuff up and yet there is nothing commercial about it, it is just Myanmar being awesome. For more specifics, tips and photos of this epic experience, check out what we have written about Mt.Zwegabin HERE.
If you have more time in Hpa An you may just love our Guide to exploring Hpa An by Motorbike or you may want to check out Top Things to do in Hpa An HERE, it really is a gem that most people miss out.
Where are the Best Places to Trek in Myanmar
Hsipaw
Time Machine Time! I really can’t get enough of the villages in Myanmar, they are so quaint, quirky, beautiful and downright fascinating. The mysterious little hilltop village we stayed in during a trek in Hsipaw was truly magical. Because it was so recently a conflict zone, many don’t make it is far as Hsipaw and to be blunt are just majorily missing out. Not only are there rolling tea plantation, stunning waterfalls and friendly villages in the area, but the main town is surprisingly well set up for travelers. We have put together a Guide to Hsipaw HERE so you can get to grips with what there is to do, where to stay, what it costs and why it’s just plain awesome! Then, you MUST check out our blog for getting booked up and geared up for your own adventure, hope you like my photos on this one… Adventurous Trekking Around Hsipaw >>>
Where are the Best Places to Trek in Myanmar
For top tips and info on budgeting, visas, seasons, using money, accommodation, transport, food …. EVERYTHING you need to know before you go, Check out A Full Travel Guide to Myanmar >>>
aaaaand for more inspiration to get you REALLY excited about your trip to Myanmar, Check out out Top 10 Things to do in Myanmar >>>
ooo ooo, one more thing… THERE IS CHEAP ACCOMMODATION IN MYANMAR!! Check out THIS to get to grips with it >>>
4 Responses
Isabel Henia
Hello Emma, Thank you so much for posting this! Your blog is amazing. I am currently planning a trip to Myanmar but unfortunately only have about 6-8 nights depending on what I can move around, and was wondering how you think I should best go about Myanmar in this time. I was thinking of flying into Yangon and leaving from Mandalay, going to Bagan and Inle Lake. I’m just not sure how to do everything because of the short time, and I would appreciate any and all of your suggestions. Thank you so much!
Globemad Emma
In to Yangon and out of Mandalay sounds like a good plan! If you just spent one full day in Yangon, you could see the main temples, then get an overnight bus to Kalaw where you could do a 2 or 3 day trek depending on your time. (This should help https://www.globemad.com/best-budget-backpacker-guide-trekking-kalaw-to-inle-lake/) You can arrange an overnight bus from Inle lake to Bagan, go explore Bagan for a day and then head to Mandalay, where you can visit U-Bein-Bridge and maybe a few temples (https://www.globemad.com/things-to-see-and-do-around-mandalay-myanmar/) depending on your flight out. It will be a squeeze and a rush in someways, but I think you’ll love it and be glad you made it happen!
Kevin Norman
I find most blogs fairly boring but this one is brilliant, well written and well presented, well done. I am going in November for 3 weeks, flying in and out of Yangon. Do you have any tips or advice for a couple of very active travelers that don’t mind roughing it.
Globemad Emma
Hey Kevin, thanks, that means a lot! We really do spend ages trying to make them user friendly. YES, if you want to rough it in a memorable way, watch out for the monasteries, they will sometimes let you stay in them for free or a donation. You will most likely be sleeping on the floor and they often separate by gender, but totally worth checking out. We also wrote this https://www.globemad.com/best-budget-accommodation-in-myanmar-burma/ for cheap accommodation that you cant find anywhere else. If you have anything else in mind, let me know, always love to help out adventurous hardcore travellers 😉