Travel advisory: The US government advises against all travel to Myanmar, and the UK advises against all but essential travel to Mandalay and against all travel to Sagaing and the area north of the city. Fighting, drone attacks, curfews and internet shutdowns continue, and many sites were damaged in the March 2025 earthquake. Check the US State Department and UK FCDO before making any plans.

Sightseeing in Mandalay

Mandalay’s sights have historically included its royal sites, its pagodas and a long teak bridge. None can be confirmed open, and several took documented damage in the March 2025 earthquake.

The main sights

• Mandalay Palace: a reconstruction of King Mindon’s royal compound within a moat. Walls, gates and a watchtower were damaged in the quake, and visitor access is unconfirmed.
• Kuthodaw Pagoda: 729 marble slabs of Buddhist scripture, each in its own small stupa. Surveyors reported serious structural damage.
• Shwenandaw Monastery: a teak monastery with detailed carving, originally part of the palace. Its condition is unreported.
• Mandalay Hill: a hill of more than 1,700 steps with temples along the way. Access is unconfirmed.
• U Bein Bridge: a teak footbridge of about 1.2 kilometres at Amarapura. Its current state is unconfirmed.

Visitors have been expected to dress modestly and remove shoes at religious sites.