Country guide

Myanmar

Bagan's temple plain, Inle Lake's leg-rowers and the golden Shwedagon, in a country whose openness comes and goes.

Currency

MMK

Language

Burmese

English

Limited

Payment

Cash only

Power

Type A / B / C / D / E / F / G / I

230 V, 50 Hz

Dialing

+95

Bring cash. Foreign cards and ATMs are unreliable to unusable here, so plan on carrying what the trip needs and changing money on arrival.

Destinations

Myanmar

Bagan

The densest field of medieval Buddhist architecture on earth, and you can still ride out into it alone.

✓ best Nov-Feb

Myanmar

Mandalay

The last seat of the Burmese kings, and the workshop of Burmese Buddhism - with four abandoned capitals within an afternoon's drive.

✓ best Nov-Feb

Myanmar

Yangon

Southeast Asia's most complete colonial streetscape, laid out at the foot of its greatest pagoda.

✓ best Nov-Feb

The sweet-spot windows

Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.

Where	When	Why it works	Watch out for
Myanmar	Nov	Post-monsoon glow, green landscapes, cool temps	Check travel advisories re political situation

Climate zones, month by month

Myanmar has 3 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.

Bagan →

Jan

30°

13°

4mm

1d rain

Feb

33°

15°

2mm

1d rain

Mar

37°

20°

5mm

1d rain

Apr

40°

25°

12mm

3d rain

May

38°

26°

106mm

7d rain

Jun

35°

26°

68mm

10d rain

Jul

35°

27°

39mm

8d rain

Aug

34°

26°

97mm

14d rain

Sep

34°

25°

144mm

9d rain

Oct

33°

24°

129mm

9d rain

Nov

32°

20°

26mm

2d rain

Dec

30°

15°

4mm

1d rain

✓ Best Nov-Feb · ✗ Avoid Apr-Sep

Conditions Jan Cool & dry · Feb Dry season · Mar Hot season · Apr Extreme heat · May Monsoon starts · Jun-Aug Monsoon · Sep Heavy rain · Oct Rains easing · Nov Cool & dry · Dec Best weather

Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Mar-Jul extreme heat risk

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Mandalay →

Jan

30°

14°

5mm

1d rain

Feb

33°

16°

3mm

1d rain

Mar

37°

21°

7mm

0d rain

Apr

39°

25°

42mm

2d rain

May

37°

26°

152mm

7d rain

Jun

36°

26°

91mm

8d rain

Jul

35°

26°

73mm

4d rain

Aug

34°

26°

160mm

5d rain

Sep

34°

26°

177mm

7d rain

Oct

33°

24°

143mm

4d rain

Nov

32°

20°

36mm

2d rain

Dec

29°

16°

6mm

2d rain

✓ Best Nov-Feb · ✗ Avoid Apr

Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Mar-Jul extreme heat risk

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Yangon →

Jan

33°

17°

5mm

1d rain

Feb

35°

18°

3mm

1d rain

Mar

37°

21°

15mm

1d rain

Apr

38°

24°

38mm

6d rain

May

35°

24°

334mm

13d rain

Jun

31°

23°

554mm

21d rain

Jul

31°

23°

625mm

23d rain

Aug

30°

23°

562mm

24d rain

Sep

31°

23°

427mm

22d rain

Oct

33°

23°

217mm

13d rain

Nov

34°

21°

53mm

4d rain

Dec

33°

18°

9mm

0d rain

July Wettest month: monsoon peak. 625mm · 23 rainy days

✓ Best Nov-Feb · ✗ Avoid Apr-Sep

Conditions Jan Cool & dry · Feb Dry season · Mar Hot season · Apr Extreme heat · May Monsoon starts · Jun Monsoon · Jul Monsoon peak · Aug Heavy rain · Sep Monsoon · Oct Rains easing · Nov Dry returns · Dec Cool & dry

Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Feb-Apr extreme heat risk · Apr-Jun, Oct-Dec cyclones & hurricanes risk · May-Sep monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions