How to get to Myanmar

 

By plane:
There are 40 airports in Myanmar (72 if you count military/private airports) and the biggest are Mingaladon Airport (Yangon) and Annisaton Airport (Mandalay), with international and domestic flights. Also Heho Airport (near Inle Lake and Kalaw) for domestic flights. From July 2013, Myanmar’s government is planning to build the 2nd international airport, the Hantharwaddy airport, in Bago region.
Note: There is a 10$ fee when you’re leaving the country. Keep the receipt in case it’s required by your airline.

 

From/to China
China Airlines  links Yangon with Taipei. www.china-airlines.com/en
China Eastern Airlines  links Yangon with Kunming daily, and Mandalay with Kunming 3 times a week. flychinaeastern.com
China Southern Airlines  links Yangon with Guangzhou twice a week. www.flychinasouthern.com 

 

From/to India
Air India  Links Yangon with Kolkata and Gaya. www.airindia.com

 

From/to Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines-flies between Kuala Lumpur and Yangon 5 times a week. malaysiaairlines.com

 

From/to Singapore
Silk Air links Yangon with Singapore twice daily, with an additional third flight on Fridays and Sundays. silkair.com
Jetstar also connects Singapore and many other countries with Yangon at reasonable prices. jetstar.com

 

From/to Qatar
Qatar Airways (5 stars airline)- Direct flights Doha-Yangon 3 times a week. qatarairways.com

 

From/to South Korea
Asiana Airlines Connects Yangon with South Korea. www.flyasiana.com

 

From/to Thailand
Air Asia- Usually has the cheapest flights connecting Bangkok (Don Mueang airport) and Kuala Lumpur to Yangon and Mandalay. 2-3 flights/day www.airasia.com  
Air Bagan- Flies from Yangon to Bangkok and Chiang Mai. They usually have promotions for Myanmar citizens, but it’ s still a bit pricey. www.airbagan.com
Bangkok Airways has one daily flight from Bangkok to Yangon and one daily return flight, from 3500 baht. www.bangkokair.com
Thai Airways International  flies Bangkok to Yangon and back 2-3 times daily from 3500 baht one-way. www.thaiairways.com

 

From/to Vietnam
Vietnam Airlines  links Yangon with Hanoi every day. www.vietnamairlines.com

 

From/to different destinations in Asia-Oceania
Air Asia- Usually has the cheapest flights connecting Bangkok (Don Mueang airport) and Kuala Lumpur to Yangon and Mandalay. 2-3 flights/day www.airasia.com
Jetstar  For flights coming from east Asia and Australia. Links Yangon with Singapore 4 times a week. jetstar.com
Myanmar Airways International flies from Yangon to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Phnom-Penh, Guangzhou and Singapore. www.maiair.com

 

Domestic airlines
Cheapest domestic flights with Air KBZ.
Air KBZ- Budget domestic flights. www.airkbz.com
Air Mandalay- Domestic flights. Flights from 62 $/return  www.airmandalay.com

Asian Wings-It’ s a domestic airline that flies to all the airports in Myanmar. www.asianwingsair.com
Yangon Air- Prices start from 29 $/ one way. Promotions for locals from 21,000 kyats. yangonair.com
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By land
The Burmese government restricts travel to most border areas by land and only allow foreigners a day trip pass. There are a limited number of legal crossing points, but these could close without notice. Entry fees are usually 10$. Car and motorcycles are forbidden to cross the border. There are no bus or train connections from Myanmar to other countries.
Warning: Keep in mind that if you’ re coming to Myanmar for a Visa run and going back to Thailand by land, you will have 15 days (Not 30 days) visa left when you go back to Thailand.

From Thailand><Myanmar
There are 4 border posts opened for foreign travellers from Thailand but only one permits crossing to Myanmar for only 1 day (12 hours):

Mae Sai (northern Thailand border)>< Tachileik (Shan State, Myanmar)- If the post is opened for tourists at that time, you will be issued a 14-day travel permit for 500 bahts (even if you have a valid tourist visa). In Tachileik tourist only are allowed to travel in a restricted area around this city. Travel onwards is only possible by flying from Tachileik or the northern airport of Kengtung, that flies to Heho airport (Near Inle Lake), Yangon and Mandalay.

Sangkhlaburi><Payathonzu- Only onward entry travel into Myanmar. Entry/exit stamps are not available in this post. Fee $10/500 baht. It’ s possible to get to the border from Sangkhlaburi if you get a green pickup that departs every hour from the bus station (30 bahts. Around 35 minutes trip)

KawThaung (Burma Tanintharyi)><Ranong (southern Thailand border) Thai people can cross into Burma through Kawthaung with their Thai passport. Other foreigners must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and pay a 10$ fee for 3 day visa. It’s not possible to cross Myanmar from here but it’s possible to take a flight from KawThaung airport and fly to Yangon, Dawei or Myeik. Many tourists staying in places like Phuket or Ko Tao do their visa renewal in this border post.

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From China><Myanmar
Muse (Burma Shan State)><Ruili (China border) It could close the border without notice. If you want to cross from Muse to Ruli (China) it’ s compulsory to ask beforehand for an authorization via a local travel agency and hire a guide and a driver or a tour group to cross the country.
The  opposite way, from Ruili, there are two bus stations: the long-distance bus station in downtown and the north bus station at the top of Jiegang Lu.

From India><Myanmar
Moreh (India border)><Tamu (Burma Chin State). Contact the Myanmar Travel and Tours to require permission. It’ s very difficult to get permission to cross to/from India unless you have indian passport. www.myanmartravelsandtours.com/contactus.htm
The border could close without notice. Last 7th February 2013 was reported  the blew up of a bridge in Tamu by insurgents from the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). You may cross the India-Myanmar border for up to 1 week without passport if you are a legal resident of India or a Myanmar resident.

 

Basic information about transports in Myanmar

For long distance buses you have to pay in kyats for all Myanmar bus fares. Foreigners usually pay more than Myanmar locals for bus tickets. For long distance routes, many bus companies provide every passenger with a bottle of water, and sometimes a small snack.
For those planning to hire a motorcycle in Myanmar, bear in mind that Yangon is the only Myanmar´s city where motorcycles are not allowed. Actually Ministry of Tourism banned to hire motorcycle to tourists. Anyway, if you’re still thinking about it hiring one, you will do it at your own risk. In Mandalay you can check here: mandalaymotorbike.blogspot.com.
Myanmar cars used to drive on the left side, but they changed it in 1970. And now they drive on the right, but the majority of drivers still sit on the right.
Bear in mind that airports in most touristic cities, especially in Yangon, Mandalay and Inle Lake are usually located about 1 hour or more outside of the city and taxi rides can cost from 10-15$ to Yangon or 25$-30$ from Heho to Inle Lake.
Local buses are overcrowded but cheap and some tourist think is a good experience to try.
Travelling by (long distance) bus in Myanmar is cheap and usually comfortable. Routes connecting main touristic destinations are usually in well conditions, although some routes with many curves can be a hard trip (Bagan to Inle Lake, for example).
Trains are much more expensive than buses taking same routes. Check the type and number of train. Some trains doing the same route are in very good condition and others are crumbling and filthy.

Bear in mind that airports in most touristic cities, especially in Yangon, Mandalay and Inle Lake are usually located about 1 hour, or more, outside of the city and taxi rides can cost from 10-15$ to Yangon (or $25 from Heho to Inle Lake) so share with other travellers if you can.