Mandalay to Yangon
This morning I was scheduled to fly from Mandalay to Yangon at 9:10am on Myanmar National Airlines. The flight is just less than one hour. Mandalay airport is about 40km south of the city from the center and even in early morning it takes about 45-60 minutes in a taxi.
Standard rate of MMK 12,000 apply to all taxis going to the airport from the city center, although these may vary depending on the time of the day. I had booked a taxi from my hotel at 7am to reach the airport an hour before my flight.
[Mandalay Airport (MDL)]
Yangon to Kinpun
Upon reaching the airport, I haggled with taxi drivers to go to Mingalar Bus Station, from where the buses to Kinpun go. Usual rates of the taxi start at MMK 10,000, but depending on your haggling skills, you may find something for as low as MMK 4,000! I settled for MMK 6,000 for a 30 minute ride to the bus station.
Buses from Mingalar bus station in Yangon to Kinpun run all morning, with the last bus leaving at about 4pm. The frequency is hourly, sometimes 30 minutes. These are luxury buses without any toilet facilities inside. The buses leave on schedule and arrive at Kinpun on time.
Important: If you are visiting the Golden Pagoda in Kinpun (also knows as Kinmum), make sure to take the bus to “Kinpun Sakhan” rather than Kyakito. A lot of buses go to Kyakito from where you will have to either take another bus or a taxi.
Buses take 4 hours to reach Kinpun Sakhan from Yangon’s Mingalar bus station.
[Bus from Yangon to Kinpun]
My bus left at noon and I reached Kinpun at around 4pm. My hotel was about 5-7 minutes walk before the main town entrance, so after checking in, I headed out for some coffee and a walk around town.
[Kinpun Sakhan town entrance]
[First view of Golden Pagoda from Kinpun town]
Back to the hotel after dark, I had dinner at the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the night.
Costs
Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = MMK 1,350 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult.
| What | Cost | Notes |
| Taxi to Mandalay (MDL) airport | $8.89 | MMK 12,000 per taxi, one way. |
| Taxi to Mingalar bus station | $4.44 | MMK 6,000 per taxi from Yangon Airport. |
| Bus to Kinpun | $5.18 | MMK 7,000 from Yangon. One way, per person. |
| Coffee | $0.44 | MMK 600. Two coffees at different times. |
| Snacks & Water | $3.41 | MMK 4,600. Lychee juice, chips, apple & water. |
| Dinner | $1.85 | MMK 2,500 at hotel in Kinpun. |
| Total Daily Costs | $24.21 | Per person |
| Overall Costs | $1,107.86 | Per person |
Day 10
Mandalay to Yangon to Kinpun
Travel from Mandalay to Yangon, onward to Kinpun.