Bagan is shutting down its temples, an ongoing process that began on January 2018 in order to protect them. Authorities are locking the ones with roofs and guarding with police the ones that were usually climbed from the outside.
Make sure to check the most recent comments by fellow travellers at the end of this article for the latest tips on where to see the best sunrises!
For info on how to get there, accommodation and places to sleep, check out this quick travel guide to Bagan.
Finding the perfect sunrise/sunset spot has become trickier, and a lot of information on travel blogs and maps applications is suddenly obsolete.
I am periodically updating this article with information about places across the Bagan plains that have good views and are still accessible, mostly from travelers who provide updates from their trips (check their comments for some extra info!). Thank you so much for sharing your tips!
Why are the temples being shut?
Basically, having tens of travellers climb old temples does them no good. Shutting them is the way to protect them and help their preservation.
Although many of the temples were restored in the 1990s, some others are centuries old.
Some temples have been recently rehabilitated to safely allow visitors on their terraces. Those are the places that travellers should go for ideally, instead of climbing temples illegally.
Also, climbing temples is dangerous. I personally witnessed a young traveller trying to climb an old temple and falling down on his back when a big block of bricks gave in to the weight (and felt on him).
Another opinion shared by some locals is that authorities want Bagan to be a destination for luxury travel only, and by preventing access to temples and castles they will keep backpackers away.
Finally, a seller told me that this was done to redistribute the flow of tourists; that the government plans to keep opening and closing different temples throughout the place every now and then. I am not sure about the logic behind this.
The free phone app
maps.me is an absolute must in Bagan. It is the best “map of Bagan” you will find, because previous travellers have shared info about their findings on it.
Good spots still accessible
Temples with rehabilitated terraces and other spots that are still accessible:
- Utrecht Temple and surrounding temples (21.149617,94.87082): very unique views from between the temples. A popular spot for youngsters.
- Near Utrecht, “Viewpoint” temple (21.14805, 94.871902) has stairs and is still accessible.
- Temple next to She Myet Hna (21.169197,94.857): on the northwest of Bagan, the views are interrupted by the road and town buildings. It is marked as “Sunset and sunrise temple” on Maps.me.
- Temple at 21.178849, 94.872101, open according to Matt in the comments.
- Templa at 21.159125, 94.860988, marked as “Accessible roof” on Maps.me; confirmed to be open as of December 2018.
- Rooftop place labeled as ‘360 rooftop views’ on Maps.me (21.085301, 94.521889), a bit further from the previous ‘Sunrise temple’. Travelers have commented it is still accessible as of December 2018, expect to find 20+ other visitors on it, since it is one of the spots that local guides now recommend.
- Thaung Guni Paya (21.158712, 94.871242).
- “Sunset and Sunrise Pagoda, 360 view” (21.16147, 94.867761) is still open, with a crowd of about 20 people. As Vincent commented below, the views are great for both sunrise and sunset. Still open as of January 2019.
- Sulegone Group (name on Maps.me) or Soo Lay Gon (Google Maps): great spot for balloon-watching at sunrise. It’s a small group of stupas and the balloons fly over your head. As it’s not marked on the printed maps, there are very few people around (less than 10), as commented by Rafaela.
- “Temple 360 view” (21.145138, 94.882221), locked in December 2018, although some travellers have been spotted on it, so it might be reopened from time to time.
- Temple 860 (21.145909,94.883118): very good views on all sides. I loved this place for sunset and post-sunset colors and fog. Expect a big crowd on it, as the list of other open places is getting shorter and shorter. As of February 2019, the temple was temporarily locked again, but some travellers were spotted on it.
- Temple at 21.149915, 94.861589, recommended by Katha on January 2019. Views are better for sunrise than sunset, because there are trees in front of it on the west side. It’s a small one near a bigger one that used to be a good lookout but is now closed.
- Temple at 21.159134, 94.860988: accessible as of March 2019. Came for sunset, but the view is not the best. Probably better for sunrises. Expect about 20 people.
- Temple at 21.183023, 94.876978: located in the northern side, largely unknown to many. Great views towards the south, with the temples in the picture.
- Temple marked as “great views Jan 19” (Maps.me) or “Sunset view Pagoda 669” (Google Maps): it has an open roof with safe inside stairs to get there. No temples in the sunrise direction, but great for viewing balloons.
- Thakyapone temple: a few meters away from Pagoda 669, similar good views. About a dozen travellers usually spotted on the terrace.
Mounds
Some artificial mounds have been built around the plains, and some of them (e.g. 21.1524462, 94.8903215) offer pretty good views.
As of now, they tend to be packed with tour-package travellers who arrive in dozens, but it seems like a great alternative to further discourage travellers from climbing temples.
Alternatives: unofficial local guides and the Viewing Tower
Previously, tourists did not pay any attention to locals who offer to take you to a good spot for some pocket money. Since pretty much everything was accessible, most travellers ignored them. Now, with the temples closing down, it might be a good idea to trust them; they are probably a more reliable source than travel blogs now that only a few places are left open.
Regarding the Bagan Viewing Tower, it’s still a very deserted place, rather far away from the rest of the temples, though it’s the highest point in the area. It is accessible for sunrise and sunsets (5AM to 7AM). It is inevitably becoming more and more popular due to tourists giving up on the temples that are being closed. As of February 2019, the entrance fee is 8000 MMK/5 USD. You can see the whole Bagan from the tower, and it’s safe for you and for the temples.
Off-the-beaten-track spots
It is 2018 and smartphones have been around for long, so don’t expect any temples you can find along the paths in Bagan to be out of the government’s radar. If you wish to find untouched temples and undiscovered sunrise views, you literally need to get off your bike and get away from the (beaten) tracks.
However, if you only wish to visit around temples from the outisde, most of those south of Anawratha Road are empty and quiet during the day. Outside of sunrise/sunrise hours, you will only pass by a few other foreign travellers on most dusty roads throughout.
Once popular spots that are now closed to the public
These were frequented by locals and travellers, and therefore appear on Maps.me as sunrise/sunset spots, but cannot be accessed anymore. Sometimes, they are temporarily reopened, as reported by some readers. These are:
- “Best view point of Bagan, gate is broken” (21.158819, 94.876733) is now locked shut as of January 2019 according to Kirstin and Stefan. They commented that it seems they are restoring the pagoda.
- Buledi (or Bhuleti)
- Law Ka Ou Shaung
- Lay Myet Hna Pagoda
- Meenyeingon Phaya
- “Roof climb” building (as marked on Maps.me): this temple’s roof is a flat platform. Lots of photographers used to come here as you can get a shot of the rising Sun and the balloons in between the temples.
- “Rooftop 360” (21.145187, 94.8817) was closed as of March 2019.
- Shwe Gu Gyi Phaya (21.170806,94.86243): big temple with southern views. Inaccessible as of June 2018, according to Anna.
- Shwe Leik Too (21.180897,94.882382): close to the Irrawaddy River. It is far from trees and temples, which are south from it. The stairs were locked as of December 2018.
- Shwe Nan Yin Taw Monastic Complex
- Sulamani Pahto’s surrounding temples
- “Sunset sunrise view point” next to temple 2000
- Tayoke Pyay Temple
- Temple 446
- Temple 697
- Temple at 21.176409,94.8866252 (used to be very little frequented and off the radar, a shame that it’s been finally shut).
- Temple at 21.158799,94.871151: saved as “sunrise/sunset views very good one” on Maps.me, it is surrounded by trees. The first line of temples is a bit far, so those looking for the perfect Bagan picture might want to go elsewhere. Sadly, it’s been closed!
- Temple 843 (21.1547353, 94.8807665) is open, and very crowded during sunset and sunrise. There are reports of a guy with some kind of official ID card showing up, asking everyone for their zone ticket and leaving afterwards. He didn’t seem to care that some people climbed the temple’s roof, though. Locked on September 2018.
- Temple opposite Law Ka Ou Shaung (21.162636,94.864083). As of June 2018, it’s locked.
- “The Real Best View Point Ever” as marked on Maps.me (21.148057,94.871913): featuring a very narrow staircase, this place is usually visited by 20-30 people on sunrises and sunsets. Trees and temples on all sides, awesome views! Finally locked as of September 2018.
- Thit Sa Wadi (great sunrise views with balloons sometimes passing very close above the temples) has finally been locked.
- Myauk Guni Phaya (21.159454, 94.87121) was locked and then unlocked. It is are guarded during sunset, but accessible during sunrise, expect 0-10 people. Locked again as of March 2019.
- Temple at 21.156784, 94.867959, as recommended by many in the comments. It is marked as ‘Sunrise temple’ on maps.me. It is located right below the trajectory of the baloons, so it is a great spot for sunrises. Crowds of 10-20 people. Confirmed to be closed as of March 2019.
If you want to know how to get to Bagan, and where to sleep and eat, check out this quick travel guide.
You can read here about my experience in Bagan, where I visited popular and lesser-known temples and monasteries for a few days, and witnessed incredibly beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
Want to share your experience in Bagan or recommend a spot? Write in the comments section below!
One update: Thit Sa Wadi was locked Feb 16 FYI.
This ist was a lifesaver during our trip! Thank you for putting it together.
Just edited the post, thank you. Glad it was of help!!
Hola Ferran,
Estoy ahora en Bagan. Sabes si North Guni sigue cerrado al publico?. Donde podria mirarlo?
Que recomendaciones tienes para Yangon, tengo medio dia alli.
Me encanto tu blog!
Hola Indira. Lo siento, no em encuentro en Bagan, desde que me fui actualizo el artículo con comentarios de otros viajeros. Personalmente, no conozco mucho de Yangon. Solo estuve allí un día, así que me fui a andar por los suburbios que se encuentran alrededor del río Pazudaung, sin ningún punto de interés en mente. Son barrios muy bonitos llenos de energía y sonrisas. Un saludo!
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know. The Temple 860, really crowded. We went there yesterday and i think there was around 100 people, so totally full. Be early if you want to have a good view.
860 fermé…
Hello:
Thanks for information sharing.
The sunrise spot “Rooftop 360” (21.145187, 94.8817) is still open, I saw very beautiful sunrise on Feb 10, 2019.
But it is a little crowd there, suggest to arrive on 6:00 to get good position 🙂
Thank you so much for this information! Without it my trip to Bagan would have definitely not have been the same!
I am happy it was useful to you! 🙂
Thanks so much for this! The fourth temple (21.176409,94.8866252) is officially closed.
“Roof climb” building (“roof climb viewpoint” on Maps.me, the one south of old Bagan on the sealed road to new Bagan) is closed (March 2018)
Thank you Julia and Sylvain, just updated the list. It’s really happening faster than I imagined…!
Update March 14th 2018
Temple 860 is closed, but one could climb the fence easily.
21.148057,94.871913 (real best Viewpoint) gets pretty crowded including kid hawkers. Some tourists will be brought here by locals (unofficial guides) but it’s open.
21.1547353, 94.8807665 is open, very crowded during sunset and sunrise (there was a wedding shooting during sunset!). There was a guy with some kind of ID card showing up, asking everyone for their zone ticket and after having checked all foreigners, he left. He didn’t seem to care that some people climbed the Temple’s roof, though.
Outside Htilominlo temple I found an official sign, stating that climbing the temples and pagodas is forbidden due to conservation. It’s quoting:
“Dear Tourists, You can enjoy to see the sunrise,sunset and panoramic view from third floor of Bagan Viewing Tower by free of charge. (no need to pay)
Morning (AM), Evening (PM) (5:00) To (6:30)”
So much for that.
Thanks for your efforts to list all those places!
Thank you so much, bere! I included your tips in the article. The Viewing Tower was not free when I visited, so I directly ruled it out! I wonder what the views are really like from there, since it was a bit far away from the denser temple areas.
You’re welcome! But you helped me more with the information provided 🙂
About the Viewing tower I’m pretty sure, the experience will be totally different and even though, I haven’t been there, I strongly recommend anyone not to go. Problems are, it’s so far in the east of the zone that you will only see the temples and pagodas to your west, all pretty far away what will cause a problem to everybody’s camera due to fog. Also, I am very scared of busloads of Asian group tours roaming there…
But as you’ve mentioned above, more and more likely the local touts offering sunset / sunrise spots will become a serious source. I believe, some of them will at some point cracking open some of the locks using bolt cutters.
Hi Ferran,
Thanks very much for your information, I had a short time in Bagan so I chose (21.148057,94.871913) to see sunrise and sunset. It was still open on 23 March 2018. There was one guy who came and checked visitors’ tickets but did nothing.
But the sunrise and sunset is not beautiful so much now because this time is the end of season. I hope that this place will be still open when I come back to Bagan in the next season.
Pls keep updating. Your list is very helpful for many visitors.
Thanks so much for this super helpful list. We went to temple 860 yesterday for sunset but a man was there saying it was closed and directed us to temple 843. Temple 843 was open, slightly crowded but nice still the less (we also got asked to show our entry cards). We went to Utrecht Temple and surrounding temples and the real best view point ever and both were open!! There was a man there that asked everyone to come down as soon as sunrise was over which was fair enough. Thanks once again!!
Such a shame Temple 860 is closed! I personally witnessed an accident of a man falling there, so I am not so surprised. It is still good to visit during the day, since the complex itself is great and sort of in the middle of the forest.
Hi Ferran,
Thanks for this info, we were in Bagan last week and, after searching long and hard, found a temple that’s open that I don’t think you have listed here.
It’s located at 21.156784, 94.867959 and I’ve marked it as ‘Sunrise temple’ on maps.me.
We saw it by chance after leaving another popular spot on the last ballooning day of the season. There were only 10-12 people there and the balloons went right over us. A really great spot!
–
Oh, also, ‘best view point of Bagan, gate is broken’ (21.158819, 94.876733) is now locked shut.
Thank you, Elliot! I’ll update the post with your inputs! 🙂
Thank you for this post! Really helped us navigate the temples on our recent trip.
‘Sunrise temple’ on maps.me. is open, some locals were going around showing tourists the way there so it was a little crowded, but only about 10-12 people.
The temple at 21.085301, 94.521889 labeled “temple (good for sunrise), is great for sunrise! and if you go just a bit further there is a perfect one with a 360 view that we discovered on the map too, labeled “360 rooftop views” (21.085301, 94.521889). we had it all to ourselves 🙂
Thanks for the tips!
Thank you so much, Christina! I added your tips with your name next to them, I hope this post continues to be useful for many other travelers 🙂
Hi,
I’m in Bagan right now. I’m going to check view points you mentioned tomorrow. I checked Shwe Gu Gyi Phaya (21.170806,94.86243) today. They closed it as well (not possible to go up anymore).
Thank you! I updated the article with your comment. I hope you can find a great place for your sunrises there, enjoy Bagan, Anna ;)!
As I promised, I checked most of mentioned spots.
Temple opposite Law Ka Ou Shaung (21.162636,94.864083) is closed as well. If you want, you can easily climb the fence.
Temple at 21.158799,94.871151: saved as “sunrise/sunset views very good one” on Maps.me – closed (june 2018).
Whaaaat, that is so unfortunate, I really liked the views from Law Ka Ou Shaung area! Thank you so much for the tips, Anna!!
21.178849, 94.872101
21.159125, 94.860988
Two other open places as of today.
This is amazing as going to Bagan in few days.
Is there lots of check points all over Bagan?
We will be staying 6 days (taking some time off from travelling 🙂 and I don’t want to pay again after 5 day ticket expired.
How strict are the check point people if you don’t have a ticket anymore??
Thanks again for all the info. It’s super helpful
I never paid for the entrance fee, as I didn’t even know I had to and nobody asked. One day I noticed one “checkpoint” near one of the big temples north of Anawrahta Road. Along the main and small roads and around the whole temple complex south of Anawrahta Road I was never asked for the ticket. You’ll definitely be fine with the 5-day ticket. If you wish to visit any of the big tourist areas north of Anawrahta Road (between the road and the river), just do that during the valid days.
Enjoy Bagan, Didi!
Starting from July 1st the 5 days ticket has become a 3 days ticket, but the price hasn’t changed.
Two 860 temples are open as of August 8, 2018. Will update you on the other temples we visit today. One is climbable from inside and the other has a gate around the steps outside by the gate is open.
THank you, kassie. Are the locals or tourists opening them by breaking in? Or are they open by the authorities?
We were in Bagan from 4th of september to 7th.
Sunrise temple: 21.156784, 94.867959 was still open (about 10 people at sunrise).
The Real Best View Point Ever is locked.
843 locked.
360 rooftop views is open.
Also, Myauk Guni Paya 21.159454, 94.87121 is open, there is a lock but it isn’t locked, same for Thaung Guni Paya 21.158712, 94.871242.
But watch out. They are amazing for sunrise (max 10 people, or zero), but at sunset there are locals threatening to call the police if you climb up.
Thanks, Anika! I was out of internet reach and couldn’t reply sooner; just updated the article with your info!!
Hi Anika, we went there this morning but the ones with the locks are now “locked” for sure. Guess you were quite lucky 🙂
Hello,
We were in Bagan from 4th to 6th October.
Here’s our small update:
– the “Rooftop 360 view” (21.145138, 94.882221) is open to climb. There were at least 15/20 people on it at sunset
– the roof of 860 (21.145909, 94.883118) is open but very crowdy, 30 people min.
The ticket is only for 3 days now (it changed on 1st july) and they check it at famous pagodas and at some rooftop for sunset / sunrise.
Hi
Law Ka Ou Shaung or bulheti it open for sun rise?
Hello i want to know now
Do you have a good spot to see sun ries in Nov18
Law Ka Ou Shaung it stil open?
thanks
Sorry Zen, I am no longer there to give you an answer. I hope you could enjoy some nice sunrises! Regarding your other comment, Bullehti is most likely still closed to climbing…
Hi Ferran,
Do you have a KML file from Maps.me that you can export and make available?
Sorry Sunny, I don’t! But most of the places mentioned in the post are tagged in the public Maps.me.
Hello
We were in Bagan from 9 to 11 November and watched sunset at the hill close to the Sulamani temple. This was very crowded and temples are rather far away, but nice view.
Then we watched sunrise at the Utrecht temples, nice view from this area for sunrise, but temples are still rather far away in my opinion. Also climbing these temples is not very easy as walking a stairway.
In the evening we went to temple 860. We went very early there to have a good spot. I thought we were there at 16:30 and there were already people waiting. At the time the sun started to go down it was really crowded. The view was very good. And also 20/30 meters to the west of this temple is another temple open to watch sunset.
The last day of our stay we went to temple 21°10′36.49″N 94°52′53.23″E This temple we heard from a local. It was the best sunrise I have seen in Bagan. There are a few temples very close and sun is coming up between these temples. At this temple were 10-20 people and you can reach it with a stairway. Also balloons are close at this temple and I made to most beautiful pictures at this spot! Note: This spot is only nice for sunrise, not for sunset.
Also we discovered another small temple that was located on a very small path you can reach from the path on the south. 21°09′41.29″N 94°52′03.94″E is the coordinate. Maps.me says: sunrise and sunset 360 views. From this temple also a great view for sunrise. 2 giant temples are in front of you (temple Annika mentioned). Also a great view from this spot.
Hi there,
Thanks for making this amazing post for sunrise in Bagan, it’s particularly useful for my upcoming visit in Jan! Been reading and noting down all the temples as suggested by you and the replies. I’m just wondering, is the photo you took above taken when you were on the Temple 860? Again, thank you so much for your effort in listing everything above.
Hello Yan Kei, it’s definitely taken from the western side of Bagan, but I am not sure which temple exactly, sorry!
Hi there,
I was in Bagan the last couple of days. First of all, thank you for the info on this blog. It helped me to find my way around. I watched the sunset from 21°08′42.5″N 94°52′55.99″E and 21°09′41.57″N 94°52′03.98″E. The sunrise I watched from 21°10′36.49″N 94°52′53.23″E. All three are good locations for nice photos, you have to share the spot though with other people. Also, my ticket got controlled at every one of these temples.
There’s one thing I want to warn about, apparently it starts to happen more and more: While I was watching the sunrise, the battery of my e-bike was stolen. The owner of the scooter rental wanted 180.000 MMK from me. In the end I paid 13.000 (the rest of what I had in my wallet at this point) with the help of the hotel owner where I stayed and who had arranged the e-bike for me (the hotel was Golden Rose guesthouse). I’m not sure if this was a scam and the batteries get stolen by the rental guys themselves to get some more money out of the tourists. Either way, people should watch out and leave bikes where they can see them (mine was parked on the backside of the temple). I know stuff like this can happen everywhere, but after three weeks in Myanmar I was really disappointed because this is nothing I would have expected anywhere else in the country. I guess that’s what tourism eventually makes of people.
Thank you for your comments, JJ! Did the bike issue happen more than once? It’s the first one I hear about something like this! 🙁
As of today 2nd of December 2018:
Temple 860 is closed (fence around the stairs, probably possible to climb over though)
“360 rooftop views” is still open but lots of people now (guides bring people here)
North/South Guni are now locked but some people manage to climb over the door inside.
We went to “Sunset and Sunrise Pagoda, 360 view” (21.16147, 94.867761) and the view is really good for both. But can be crowded too, 20 people at least.
West of Dhammayazika Pagoda is 2 temples, “Temple 360 view” (21.145138, 94.882221) is locked now but “Rooftop 360” (21.145187, 94.8817) still open.
Also “Sunrise temple” (21.156784, 94.867959) is still opened and so is “Accessible roof” (21.159134, 94.860988) but that last one has a powerline going just in front of it so I’m not sure about the view for sunrise.
I updated the post with your tips, thank you so much for sharing the info. Such a loss that 860 is finally closed…!
Hey! Firstly, thanks for pulling together this list – was super helpful. We checked out every single one of them yesterday and today (3 and 4 December 2018) and unfortunately only 6 are still open. These are:
21°08′53.01″N 94°52′18.89″E
21°08′58.62″N 94°52′14.95″E
(but would not recommend – not safe, not v good views and not good for temples)
21°09′24.42″N 94°52′04.65″E
21°09′31.75″N 94°52′36.24″E
21°10′43.86″N 94°52′19.56″E
21°11′11.6″N 94°52′57.96″E
Hope that helps for a new update. Hopefully other travellers have found new open ones!
Thanks for this list! I checked Temple 860 and the Utrecht temples today. Utrecht is nice but not super easy to climb. There’s a nearby spot marked “Viewpoint” (21.14805, 94.871902) that has stairs. For Temple 860, they put thick branches with thorns in front of the gate to prevent visitors from climbing over it. It doesn’t seem possible to get through it without injury unless you have a heavy-duty coat, boots, and thick pants. Also, there was a group of locals hanging out by the gate at sunset discouraging anyone from trying. But “Temple 360 view” (21.145138, 94.882221) and “Rooftop 360” (21.145187, 94.8817) are nearby. For the first one, no stairs but there were some girls who scaled up the structure from the outside. Rooftop 360 is more accessible, it has stairs and then you can climb a bit higher along the outside. There were about 15 people when I visited at sunset.
Thank you, Amy! I updated the list with your comments :)!
Great list, thanks! At 1 pm today I went to Shwe Leik Too for the first time to see if I could climb it, but the two sets of stairs inside have locked gates a few steps up.
This morning (Dec 22 2018) I went to the temple at 721.14805, 94.87190 the small narrow staircase to the roof was open and led to a 360 view with a great shot of the sunrise and hotair balloons. I was asked for my ticket when I got there, I did not have it on me so I just said I bought one and left it at my hotel. I didn’t get to much trouble but was told next time I’d have to pay.
There were quite a few people, maybe 30 or so.
I could see people at 21.149851, 94.870982, maybe 10 or so. Went to check it out after. No staircase there so need to climb up the outside, seems steep so take that into consideration.
Thanks for this Bill! Did you manage to find other temples that were open to climbing? I am visiting in Jan so want to see what the latest is.. thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing! Was really helpful! Here is our experience from 2018 December, 24-27:
21.156784, 94.867959
Open, went for sunrise (nice to see Balloons), around 20 people
21.16147, 94.867761
Open, went for sunrise (nice to see Balloons) and sunset, around 25 to 30 people
21.145187, 94.8817
Open, went for sunset, sorrundend by many pagodas, but not many in the direction of sunset, around 15 people
21.158819, 94.876733
Locked (seems like they are restoring the pagoda)
update jan 19: the ones called sunrise temple and temple 360 view in maps.me are now closed. still open is Sunset and Sunrise Pagoda, 360 view, and 360 rooftop view (the lookout is much better from the second one and also you can walk around much more easily / have some space).
Open is (not on the list yet): 21.149915, 94.861589 , but the view is much better for sunrise than sunset, because there are trees in front of it on the west side. Its a small one nearby a big one that used to be a good lookout but is closed by now.
So Sunrise Temple (21.16147, 94.867761) was closed last week? I am going tomorrow morning and hoping to see the sunrise and balloons without too much of a crowd
Sunset and sunrise pagoda view 360 is still open (just tested this morning ?) as of today January 6 2019. A guy will check tickets but he keeps it pretty casual. There were about 20-30 people up there but nothing crazy and the view was stunning. The path to the temple is a little tricky to see so we ended up crossing an empty field but nothing unfeasible. A huge thanks to you Ferran and all the updaters ! We will test a new spot tonight …
Thank you Alicia, Katha, Kirstin and Stefan, just added your comments to the list! Happy travels!
Hey, thanks for sharing the article. It was really helpful during our trip.
I hope it is okay, if I link it to an article about my experience in Bagan 🙂
Hi! I went to the Viewing Tower in early February 2019 and the entrance fee was US$5 or 8000 kyat. Although it’s a little far away from where people usually watch the sunrise and sunset it’s by far the highest point in all the area, so you see everything, and it’s safe for you and for the temples. It’s open from 5 AM to 7 PM. They even sell drinks there.
Thank you, Julio, I added your piece of info for everyone to see!
Thank you for your information. I appreciated. Today I went to 21°09′41.29″N 94°52′03.94″E, it opened for the sunrise and offered a nice view, but it was closed for sunset, so I needed to go to the 21°09′32.88″N 94°51′39.56″E nearby. This rooftop was open for sunset (though maps.me says it was close). Crowd of 20 people there. Just to confirm.
This post is the best and really helped make our Bagan experience amazing! We jotted down the temples, with GPS coordinates, that were still open for climbing in November 2018, I think we might have a few not on your list. Check out our post here https://whirlwindtravellers.com/2018/12/07/climbing-temples-in-bagan-for-the-best-sunrise-and-sunset-views/, and thanks so much for doing this!
Thanks Ferran for the ecxellent and informative post! We got some aewsone Pictures from Sunrise and sunset (@pandoraontheroad on Instagram if you guys want to check). Here it goes some tips for all the readers:
* Sulegone Group (name on Maps me) or Soo Lay Gon (Googlemaps): great spot for Sunrise. Its a small group of stupas and the balloons fly over your head. Not to climb high, but for ballons watching. As its not marked on the maps, very few people around (in one day we were alone, and 4 people in the other).
* Temple with open roof – great views Jan 19 (Mapsme) or Sunset view Pagoda 669 (Googlemaps): Just came at Sunrise. Very easy climb with inside stairs. No view of temples in the Sunrise direction, but best View of ballons! Very close and high view. Just us that day. (There’s other climbable temple few meters away, but around 12 people there – Thakyapone temple).
* Utrecht Temple (21.149617,94.87082):we came on sunset, pretty nice views. Lot of people and different climbing levels; one very hard but other easier.
* Myauk Guni: couldn’t climb over the fence. Became obssessed with this one after some pictures i’ve seen on Instagram, with a Window in front of a big temple and the ballons passing by. But the space between the fence and the sealing is pretty narrow… we saw one couple doing it, so if you are a smaller person, worth to try!
* Acessible Roof closed january 2019 (Mapsme – 21.159134, 94.860988): its open. Came for sunset, but the view is not the best. Imagine that is much better for Sunrise. Around 20 people there. Easy climbing through inside stairs.
* No name (21.183023, 94.876978) – tip for a local. Oposit dirt road from big Htilominio temple. Didnt have time to come back at sunset, but seemed with good view, with other temples surrounding. And as is not marked on any map, should be very exclusive. Climbing easy through inside stairs.
Hope this will help other travelers chasing the best views on enchanted Bagan!!! Safe travels!!
21.156784, 94.867959 is now closed with a gate (a guy managed to squeeze through and climb up) and the stairway of 21.16147, 94.867761 was filled with prickly bushes. 21.14805, 94.871902 (near Utrecht) is still accessible. Plenty of people who climbed up the Utrecht temples, most on quite a small one which has some steps. You could climb on the bigger ones, but I don’t think it does the temples much good.
Yo! Temple at 21.156784, 94.867959
“Sunrise temple” was close this morning (23th February)
We managed to pass over the gate, but not too easily…
You’re telling people where to hop fences and sneak into temples that a country is trying g to protect. YOU are the problem with tourists today.
Rooftop 360” (21.145187, 94.8817) Is now closed !
Hey Ferran
Before arriving in Bagan I found it hard to believe that tourists were actually climbing the attractions they traveled so far to see and thereby destroying/wear down the temples. I did climb a temple myself and made a brick fall down by climbing. I felt so bad that for the rest of the trip that we didn’t climb anymore temples.
Ferran could you make a list of the mounds for the one of us that won’t wear down the Burmese old heritage?
We found a mound at 21.1524462, 94.8903215 that had a pretty decent sunset view.
Hello Anne! Thank you for your comment. It is great that there are now more mounds with good views. Did you find it crowded? I think it’s a great alternative. Climbing temples should definitely stop. However, I am not sure about those temples that have been restored recently and include a restored terrace with renovated stairs; they seem to have been a recent effort to host visitors in safe spots and discourage them from climbing old-looking ones. I might be completely wrong about this. I definitely appreciate your comment, which I included in the post.
I will definitely update it with more mound locations as soon as I can!
Thanks so much for this fantastic list. Can confirm that the first location listed, Utrecht Temple, is still accessible today (20th March 2019).
Awesome list-thank you mate.
April 2019:
Very close to one of the GPS coordinates you listed is a place called “Brick Monestary” on google maps.
Has stairs to climb which means little substantive damage will be done by tourists. a great rooftop, great views. 20+ people at sunrise. Someone puts some spikey thorns on the stairs (not sure why!) but someone removes them before sunrise (I think a local. We went twice.
Worth noting that the balloons on the first day came from the south and behind the temple. But the second day came from the north and in front of the temple and sunrise which was much better. Not sure If they alternate this daily (as they seemed to land where they had started the day before) or could be to do with the wind.
Anyway, thanks again for the list Ferran-legend
Thanks for the share. Unfortunately, all the temples are closed for climbing now (updated today, May 27th 2019) They shut it with the closing of the hot air baloon last April I think. So, sunrise and sunset seeker must now go to man-made hills the government provide, nyaunglapet hills, manmade sunset hill near sulamuni.
Seconded. Low season is now a fairly painful experience with very little to see. Also note that it’s no longer worth it to shell out to live in old Bagan as most of the most famous temples that are close are now all inaccessible. It’s almost better to just live in Nyan U or new Bagan where you have access to cheaper accommodations and restaurants and the out of way temples that are not as tall but not as fenced off.
2019-08-17: Regarding mounts – Nyaung Lat Phet Viewing Mound (Sunset Viewpoint) is very crowded and temples are far and scarce around. A better option nearby is Sulamuni Manmade Sunset Hill, with a view including the river.
At Thakyapone temple, the staircase is now shut off with a gate and a guard / vendor lingering on site (at least during the day).
A great informative site. I’m about to leave Bagan today and I wish I’d have seen this sooner!
I have used an image from your site on my blog as my sunrise pictures were very ordinary due to it not being the season. I have credited you and linked to your site. I hope this is ok. If not, let me know and I will remove the image. Many thanks in advance.
Hello Scott, no problem! I am glad you enjoyed Bagan 🙂
Update as of 9-Sep-2019. All temples closed. Sulamani man-made hill is the best place as of now to view the sunset. I arrived late and could find a place easily. The crowd must be of 50 people. Another beautiful spot for viewing the setting sun is 21.162100, 94.871400. You an altogether skip Nyaung Lat Phet mount as the view is not worth at all.
Hi Roy, what do you mean of all temples closed? Meaning all the temples indicated above are closed? Thanks.
Hi, thanks for maintaining this Seite. ive been on october 24th on pagoda 21.175805,94.894063 – other than indicated at maps.me the Stairs to the rooftop are locked. The rooftop is only accessable by climbig from the West side. Though the climb is Not difficult, nobody is there. Nice sunrise view.
Currently, the pagoda 316 is renovated and the pagoda is accessable via a ladder from the West side, but only temporarily. Ive been on a place called (no paintings) 21.139355,94.868893, the Walls of a dsstroyed pagoda are accessable and about 35 people werde sitting and taking pictures of the sunset.
Thanks for the tips it was really useful! Rooftop place labeled as ‘360 rooftop views’ on Maps.me (21.085301, 94.521889), a bit further from the previous ‘Sunrise temple’ is closed now. There is a lock that closed the inner stairs.
Did you find anything open?
Update as of November 2019. All the temples’ roof access seem to be closed. I tried a lot, getting off my bike and walking through the fields, and even they are locked. I’m sure there are a few left (and I’m sure the locals could take you to some where the locks have been cut), but overall the best bet seems to be the man made viewing mounds. I saw some temples that could be climbed from the outside but i was unwilling to do that due to the damage it might cause (and the danger!). They are crowded but the good news is during the daytime they are deserted and at least you can enjoy the views uninterrupted then.
December 2019 update: ALL TEMPLES CLOSED. There are more guards, it’s impossible to climb anything. I dare say the era of climbing temples in Bagan is officially over. Either the authorities open willingly one or tourist cannot climb. All locked, guarded and generally unsafe to climb 🙁 Sad but I guess fair to preserve the pagodas.
Hi,
The spots are definitely all closed. Their is only one way to climb up some pagodas for more views: you have to ask the local people. Some of the locals will tell you that they don’t want money for that, but they will sell you paintings later. Be aware about that, as they will charge you their paintings for 40000 kyats or more. Fix the price before you agree.
We’ve just came back from sunrise. We were told about a place to go to and found it yesterday ready to go today. It’s called Daditos sunrise temple ( possibly – 21.179944 94.876137) . It is open. We had no problems yesterday but today a warden turned up (just as the sun poked through) and demanded us to get down. In the end an artist turned up and said he would have a word and we were allowed up. After they asked for a tip to keep the warden happy. Great views of sunrise and of the hot air balloons. Possibly may need to pay the warden off though.
So today we went to Daditos Sunrise Temple and right after the sunrise guard came and told us to go down. There was no lock, just a tree branch. We went there a day before during a day and there was no one there. Today for the sunset we went to the place near the Shwesandaw pagoda. There is no lock and you can climb up fairly high ( it’s a lot taller than Daditos). It’s called “sunrise temple – stairs closed Jan 2019” on maps.me (21.156784, 94.867959)… well, now it’s open, so enjoy 🙂 a guard came after some time, but we asked him to stay up for 5 more minutes and he was very cool about it (not like other guards we met earlier that day). These were the only temples without locks we were able to find during our 3-day stay. Have fun guys 🙂
We checked out the temple near Shwesandow (sunrise temple – stairs closed jan 2019). Gate in the corner of the temple is open. This temple is safe to climb, you wont damage it, since these are actual stairs, we stayed on the platform, good view. Unfortunately a guard showed up just before sunrise. We bargained for another 5 minutes, but then we needed to go down. If you park your ebike a bit further away and keep silent, you might be able to stay on, since you cannot see from the ground if anyone is up there. But we had some other loud tourists on there 🙁
The guard said there was another temple open, but only pointed in a direction. We drove around a bit and found the temples marked as “brick monastery” on Google Maps. We could stand on a brick wall here without damaging anything and have a perfect view. We saw some locals on the pagodas, guided by some locals. No guard here. I do think there is some bribing going on here. Pagoda looked a bit unstable, so we didn’t climb.
I just came back from Bagan last week. All temples are now with guards and not easily accessible. Climbing is a no no, unless you know some locals that can get you in.
However, good news is that there’s some man-made hills that is designated for sunrise. The hotel gave me a map with some of the marked location. Some are crowded, some are less crowded. I don’t have the exact location, they are near to Dhammayangyi and Sulamani Pagoda.
If you wish to get a copy of the map, please email me.