Introduction
Talking about roads in Myanmar (Burma) to outsiders is not always an easy task. Most foreigners live in rich countries where roads are in very good condition, and all the towns and villages are connected by full weathered roads in very good condition. Traveling a few hundreds kilometers takes only few hours of comfortable journey for those foreigners. Restaurants, food, toilets, convenient store are easily found on the way. Explaining something that does not exist in their country to the foreigners is a difficult task, until the time they actually come and visit Myanmar.
Figures
According to official figure in 2007 (we couldn’t get the official figure for 2008 yet), there are 11 Union Highways with a total of 2,452 miles running north to south. From these highways, other highways running east-west are added. Totally, there are 45 north-south highways of 5,692 miles and 35 east-west highways of 9,450 miles. This give a total of 80 highways with a total of 15,142 miles.
Major Highways
There are three main highways or corridors running north-south in Myanmar. In terms of importance and traffic they are:
- Yangon – Mandalay (Rangoon – Mandalay) Highway. The road passes through major cities in the central Burma such as Bago (Pegu), Taungoo, Pyinmana, new capital Naypyidaw amd Meikhtila (Meiktila). This raod is 695 km long.
- Yangon – Pyay (Rangoon – Prome) Road. This road was built by the aid of the Japanese Government, and considered the best highway in Myanmar. It runs west of the Pegu Range (Bago Yoma) and has a length of 288 km.
- Western Union Highway. This is part of a proposed Pathein – Monywa Highway, which connects towns and cities on the west of Irrawaddy River (Ayeyarwaddy). The road is still under construction and in most part, the condition and the quality of the road is very bad.
A number of important roads extend from these three main corridors. Some of these roads are very imoportant for the econimy of the country that they worth mentioning here.
- Mandalay – Lashio Road. This road starts from Mandalay and ends in Lashio, from which another road extends up to Muse, which is the border town with China. This road is the most important road in China-Burma border trade route. From Mandalay to Lashio, it is 262 km in length.
- Meikhtila – Taunggyi Road. This is an extention from Yangon – Mandalay Road. From Meikhtila (Meiktila), which is on the way from Yangon to Mandalay, the road extends to Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State. From Meikhtila (Meiktila) to Taunggyi, it is 205 km in lenght.
- Pyay – Magway Road (Prome – Magwe Road). This is actually a continuation of Yangon – Pyay Highway. It is running along the east bank of Irrawaddy and has a lenght of 202 km. From Magwe, the road continues to Bagan, passing through Yenanchaung, whihc is the major oil drilling town in central Burma. Another road connects Bagan (from Kyaukpandaung) and Meikhtila (Meikhtila), thus connecting the east and west corridors.
Reality
Now, enough with the facts and figures. Lets go to the real life situation. Highways in Myanmar can be classified into acceptable, poor, very poor and extremely poor based on the condition of the road. The only highway in Myanmar with acceptability quality is Yangon-Pyay (Rangoon – Prome) Highway. Built by the aid of the Japanese government, this road is considered the best in Myanmar. The road is smooth and even with very few bumps and holes. However, the road is quite small, only two lanes with the second lane added just a few years ago. Recently, due to poor maintenace, this road is starting to show some wear and tear, although it is still in good shape.
The second major highway in Myanmar, and the most important one is Yangon – Mandalay Highway. Until a few years ago, this road was between poor and very poor conditions depending on the stretch of the road. However, with the improvement added in recent years, the condition of the road has improved to acceptable to poor conditions. The road is two lane in most places, with four lanes in some areas near Yangon and Mandalay.
The third major highway, the so called Western Union Highway, is the worst highway in Myanmar. Built on the western bank of Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwaddy) River, its quality is between very poor to extremely poor. In many places, it is either a stoned road to dirt road. There are many stretches of the road where it is very difficult for cars and passenger buses to drive. Most of the time, this road is not normally used by the travelers, except for those who travel short distances between towns on the western bank of Irrawaddy.
Road from Mandalay to Lashio, and to Muse is acceptable in quality. Built by British and American as part of Burma Road, this road was extensively renovated in last ten years to handle the heavy traffic of Myanmar-China border trading. This road now serves as one of the most important trade rout in Myanmar.
Apart from these major highways, most of the other highways in Myanmar are in either very poor to extremely poor condition, with an exception of a few roads which are of poor quality. Most roads are full of bumps and holes, even before the official opening of the road. Some roads turned into dirt roads within a few years or, in some cases, a few months of construction. Most roads have no or very few maintanance and suffer extensive degradation under poor construction, poor maintanance and poor weather. This make most roads in Myanmar unsutable for small cars.
For those who are looking for travelling or entering Myanmar (Burma) through land, please read Travelling to Burma by land.
dear all
we are planning to drive from india to myanmar and then to thailand by road ( self drive).
i would like to know what is the official road from which i can entre in myanmar from india? amd which route we can take to reach upto thailand entry point?
please help us getting this information please
regards
sachin
First, thanks for visiting our site. And more thanks for the comments.
The question you ask is a difficult one to answer. Myanmar (or Burma as it was known) is a different country. Although there are land routs between Myanmar and other countries, it does not mean that you can travel by land in and out of Myanmar. Normally, foreigners are allowed to visit the border towns in Myanmar with a day pass. That means, they cannot go beyond the border town and they cannot stay overnight. However, in rare occasions, a few foreigner could get a special permission to enter Myanmar by land route and travel into the country. However, these occasions are extremely rare and you will need a special permission from the ministry of interior (more correctly, the War Office).
In your case, if you have not get a special permission to enter Myanmar, you will be turnd back at the border check point, or at best, at the check point of the border town. If unlucky, you might be interrogated by police.
However, if you could get hold of a special permisson, they will set you an entrance route, a travel route and an exit route. You might need to report your travel activites to local authority, but I am not sure. The best thing is to enquire at the Myanamr embassy in India.
Now, suppose you are free to enter, the most convenient point of entrance would be from Moray-Tamu border check point. You will have to drive through Manipur State to Moray, crossed into Tamu, and travelled to Kalay. From Kalay, travelled through Kalay-Monywa-Sagaing-Mandalay road. From Mandalay, drive down the Mandalay-Rangoon main road Bago (Pegu) and drive east to Phaan (Karen State). Then drive through Phaan-Kawkareik-Myawaddy Road and crossed the Thai-Burma border at Myawaddy to Maisot.
dear sachin, did u make the trip, i am planning the same trip in march, pls reply
Hi there,I am planning to travel in Myanmar on this Dec,I am planning to land on yangoon in the morning first,then straight away to Mandalay,so I will need to know whether it is possible to buy the train or bus ticket for the same day(evening) or not?Or can I purchase the ticket through internet or agents?Hope you can provide me some information,thank you in at once.
Thanks for the comment. Usually, the bus tickets are sold out one to two days ahead especially during the tourist season. Train tickets are sold three days ahead but if any ticket left you can still buy on the same day (which is unlikely). Moreover, Yangon-Mandalay trains leave in the morning, not in the evening. The best way for you is to ask a travel agent to buy a ticket for you. If you are coming from Thailand, there are a number of travel agents who might be able to buy a ticket for you. However, these travel agents prefer to sell the package or sell plane tickets. As far as I know, there is no website that sells train or bus ticket in Myanmar.
I am planning to travel to Myanmar from India. What is easier for me? To Fly or else can I travel by bus from Manipur or Nagaland? Once entered into Myanmar, can I have the burmese currency in exchange with Indian Rupees?
Is it possible for me to travel by train from Yangoon to Taunggyi? What is the distance between these two cities?
You can enter Myanmar (Burma) from India through Manipur. However, you cannot travel beyond Tamu. If you intend to travel in Myanmar, your only option is by air. If you enter by land route, you cannot travel beyond certain towns or regions.
You can travel to Taunggyi from Yangon by train. However, the train will stop at Shwenyaung, a few miles below Taunggyi. From Shwenyaung, you have to use a bus to travel to Taunggyi. Alternatively, you can travel by bus from Yangon direct to Taunggyi. If you travel by air, you will land in Heho, from which you can travel by bus to Taunggyi.
Sorry to tell you that Indian Rupee is not a favorite currency in Myanmar. You need to change to US dollar before you travel to Burma. You won’t be able to change your Indian Rupee in Myanmar. However, US dollar is readily acceptable and easily exchangeed through out Myanmar.
sir i am planning for overland trip by car from thiland to burma and then to india so is there any sort of way where i can enter to burma from thiland and there i will reach towards indian side and there legally or illegally i enter india also i had a car so i need to drive that could you guide me
ankitdashora@aol.in
Thailand to Burma by car? I am sorry to tell you that the farthest you can reach is the check point just outside the border town, either Myawaddy opposite Maesot or Tachileik opposite Maesai. Foreigners are not allowed to travel beyond the border town in Myanmar. If you really want to drive from Thailand to Burma to India, you will need a ‘very’ special permission from the Myanmar government. And that is as difficult as winning first prize in the lottary.
Hi, to whom it may concern,
Me and my wife Anna are planning a month travel around Burma October this year. We have already made a draft plan of our trip. We arrive from Bangkok to Yangon than we follow Myitkyina along river by boat to Bhamo. There is a question is it allow for Europeans to take a road track and ahead to Muse-Lashio – Hsipaw -Pyin-U Lwi -Mandalay without government permission. Or if this permission is need how to get?
Any remarks and opinions please,
email: miroslaw.pacek@me.com
From Mandalay – Pyinoolwin (Maymyo) – Hsipaw – Lasio, there is not problem. There are a few checkpoints along the way that will check your passport, and they will ask for the reason for your visit. Just say you were just travelling. Most of the time, they will let you go, except under certain unexplained circumstances. However, you cannot go beyond Lashio without special permission. You can enter Muse from China through border, but you cannot travel more than Lashio, without a visa. If you obtain a visa, you MIGHT be able to travel beyond Lashio to Mandalay, but it depends on local circumstances. Currently, Chinese nationals who obtain a visa can travel up to Mandalay but for European tourists, it depends. If you want a government permission, please ask your travel agent to arrange one for you. They might be able to get one (but it depends).
Hi thanks for help,
but I was asking if it is possible to reach Mandalay from Bhamo through Muse, Lasio, Hsipaw and Pyinoolwin and you informed me about the way quite opposite.
The reason is that travelling from Bhamo to Mandalay you can choose between boat or train and we want to make some stop over and travel by car or buy bus to meet people spend maybe one or two days in some nice place, even take a track tour if necessary. I read some articles that Europeans need visa and permission to reach some places. This is obvious we are planning to apply for a so-called “visa on arrival” and permission but the question is if it is reasonable and has a sense, having in mind that some roads are closed at all and asking for a permission has no sense because our application will be rejected at all. No tourist is allowed to travel to some regions. So how you think can Europeans reach Muse from Bhamo heading Lasio and be close to China border or we will be turn back to Bhamo when we will be trying to forward our travel.
Best Regards mirek,
I am sorry to tell you that Muse is usually (please read it mostly) off limit to foreigners travelling from mainland Burma. You can enter Muse from China, but not beyond that. In some cases, you might be able to travel up to Lashio. Baho to Muse road is also a rough one, and it passes along some areas that are partially under control of cease fire groups (such as Kachin Independence Army, KIA). Foreigners are not usually allowed to travel along this route. If you want to use this road, you need a special permission. When I say special permission, it really is a special permission. If you don’t have any connection in the government, you probably won’t get that special permission.
Also, please read the article Myanmar visa on arrival and update on Myanmar visa on arrival before you apply for the Myanmar arrival visa.
Hi Bamarlay,
At first, great site!! But of course I’ve got some questions about travelling. We are planning to drive from the Netherlands to Cambodia on motorbikes we almost covered the route only myanmar is an problem. As far as we know (told by the myanmar embassy in france) it’s not possible to enter myanmar by motorbike or car (private) but is it possible to transport the bikes and us through myanmar by truck towards laos? And if so where could we organise the transport in india or in myanmar? If it’s not possible then we’ll have to fly, but we’ll be missing a great opportunity to see myanmar.
With kind regards,
JP
As I have mentioned in another post To Burma by Land, it is almost impossible to drive from India to Burma to Thailand/Laos. You cannot also get your car/bike to be transported across the country. The worst thing for you is that you cannot enter Burma from India! You might not even get to Burmese border due to security reason on the Indian side. Manipur state has an insurgents and foreigners are not usually allowed to travel to Burma border from Manipur state.
i would like to know how can i go to mruak u by
bus from yangoon direct . i will arrive yangoon on 17 november 2009. thank you
You can go to Sittwe (Sandaway) in Rakhine (Arakan) State by bus directly from Yangon. Buses to Rakhine leave at the Highway Bus Stations at either Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal in North Okkalapa or Dagon Ayeyar Highway Bus Terminal in Hlaing Tharyar Township. The bus will pass Mrauk U on the way, so you can drop there. You can also take a bus to Taung Goat which also passes Mrauk U. The name of the buses are Yoma Zarni, Yoma Swaninn, Toe Yadanar, King Star Express buses to Sittwe and Ann Yoma, Yoma Thitsar, Thukhitar, Ye Aunglan, Toe Yadanar, Dwarawaddy, Man Thitsar, Kyan Taing Aung, Aung Thitsar, Anauk Yoma, Yoma Zarni to Taung Goat.
i would like to know what time and day boat depart from taungot to sittwe. and the cost of boat. thank you
Dear Sir,
We are a small Tourism Based Cooperative society from Sikkim (INDIA), We have done a promotional campaign of our states tourism in 101 Days All India overland cross country expedition for 21000kms, Now we are looking forward for a trip from India-myanmar-vietnam- laos-cambodia-thailand-malasyia-Singapore to istanbul can you suggest us the better route with entry points and what do we need to cross the boarder and how hard would it be, also the kms from one place to the haltage place with name and time, Because we can drive for 9- 11 hours a day.I hope you can help us with these:
1. Which Place we Enter?
2. Which places do we have to make night halt?
3. How many kms is each haltage place? Because we can
drive only average 9 to 11hrs a day.
4. What are the hotel tariffs & Plan of the haltage
place?
5. We have a plan of covering full of South east asia from India to Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Istanbul if possible. Please help us regarding this information.
6. What are the helps we get from you on request for the entry points.
We are eagerly waiting for your quick response. I hope you like adventures you can also visit our website to see our last expedition. http://sikkimtourismco-op.com/ .
Warm Regards
Rikesh
Eagerly waiting for your prompt reply.
Thanks for the comment. The following are the answers to your questions.
Q. Which place to enter.
A. The best place to enter Burma from India is from Moray-Tamu border check point. Currently, it is not officially allowed to enter Burma by this route, either by car or in person. You will need a specia permission to enter from this and proceed to other parts of Burma. Merely getting a visa is not enough.
Q. Which places do we make night halts?
A. In case you get your permission to enter Myanmar, probably, you might also get your route in Myanmar, together with the halting places. You will need to stick to this plan. The best places to do night halts are at Kalay (for sight seeing purpose; it is only 2 – 3 hours drive from Tamu to Kalay), Monywa or Mandalay (from Kalay to Monywa/Mandalay is only one day trip). From Mandalay, halting places depend on which route you take to leave the country. If you are planning to leave through Myawaddy-Mae Sot route, halt at Pegu (Bago), and Pha-an (Karen State). The next day, leave for Myawaddy and exit through Myawaddy-Mae Sot check point.
If you are taking the Tachileik route, it might be more complicated. Probably, this route is not a safe choice. You might not get permission to use this route.
Q. How many km in each halting place.
A. In Myanmar, when you travel by car, don’t ask how many km or miles. Instead, ask how many hours drive. Most roads in Myanmar are in bad state, some are very bad. It might be only 50 km on the map, but might take you the whole day to drive. The above route I mention are all reachable in a single day in good weather. In bad weather, pray for God.
Q. Hotel tarrif
A. You can easily get a cheap hotel in all these places. The price of the hotel depend on what facility you want.
Q. We want to cover the whole of South East Asia.
A. You can easily travel by car in all South East Asian countries (except Myanmar). Unless you have a strong connection in Myanmar, you will never get the permisson to travel the above route I mentioned.
Q. What are the help we get from you….?
A. Unfortunately, all I can help is provide information. The information might be changing anytime, so the best thing is to contact the nearest Burmese Embassy in your country. Most probably, they will simply say NO.
Hope the above information is helpful to you.
Dear Sir thankyou for your time for righting to us, we are really happy to read your comments.I have some more questions and sorry to keep troubling you.
1. How many kms and hrs is from Moreh to Mandalya?
2. How is the security reasons of traffic there?
3. As you have mentioned so the best thing is to contact the nearest Burmese Embassy in your country. Most probably, they will simply say NO.( How can we do this trip?? your best suggestion/ Help required)
4.Do we need advance visas to enter Myanmar and other countries?
5. How is Loas and vietnam?
6. How far is Australia from Singapore?
7. Who is the right person or organisation to take help from to make our expedition sucessful?
8. Pls can you help us find our sucess to the expedition?
Thankyou all for taking your time and help us.
Regards
Good health.
Rikesh, Bamarlay has already pointed out the answers to your question. Its not possible to drive from Moreh to Mandalya. All the other answers just Google them you will find it.
I would like to go to Mrauk U, just don’t know if there is a Bus directly to Mrauk U or Sittwe, cause air ticket is a bit expensive for us. Thanks for the Information, best wishes, Hai Au
Hi, one question, I would like to visit Mrauk U from Ngapali Beach, is there any bus directly to Sittwe or Mrauk U cause air ticket is a bit expensive. Thanks for your information, best wishes, Sommer
For direct bus to Mrauk U from Yangon(Rangoon), please see the article Mrauk U, the old capital of Rakhine
Hi I would like to travel to Burma to visit one of my friend
I am from Andhra pradesh
so I can travel to Calcutta by train and then how do i get into into burma either air /train or land
so do i need visa to get into the country wha tare the procedures
please let me know how long can i stay there minimum hotel tariff please,
hope to hear from you my friends
i need of some christian friends
Dear Rev,
You definitely need visa to travel to Burma. From India, you can travel to the border town Tamu, opposite Moray. However, you cannot stay overnight, nor travel beyond Tamu. If you intend to travel in Burma, you must get visa before arriving to Myanmar. For staying in a guest house, you can get a nice room in a guest house as low as US$ 5 per night. Eating is quite cheap in Myanmar.
Hi Bamarlay,
After reading the posts here, I would like to know that if it’s possible if I cycle to Yangon,Burma from Bangkok, Thailand.
I plan cycling from Yangon to Mandalay in Feb, is it safe on my own?
Thanks!
Chung yin
I hope you can find the answer to your question in the following post
To Burma by land
Hi, I would like to travel from India to Malaysia. I would like to choose road for my journey. Is there any travel agency to provide transport from India to Malaysia.
Thanks in Advance.
Regards,
Prasad
Hi prasad..i am indian born in malaysia,i have very intrest in malYsia to india by overland so any idea exchange is welcome plz mai to hazyimiz@yahoo.co.in
There was proposal to start bus service between Imphal (India) to Mandalay (Burma) has such service statred? if yes please le me know the details.
Thanking You
Sincerely yours
Is there any bus travel from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin , Bagan and Kyaikhtiyo?How much is the bus ticket?
There are regular buses from Mandalay to Bagan but they are usually crowded (usually small mini buses). Regular buses (pick up trucks) to Maymyo, but better option is to take a van (4 persons shared together). I do not know any bus service to Kyaikthiyo.
i want to travel from india to burma overland i have burma visa with me , from which place i can enter and which is cheap & best way to reach mandalay then yangon .
Regard
Prabhu
hi. we will come in myanmar in jan 2012. can you tell me how many hours we will do by car between yangoon and ngapali beach? thanks.
The best way to go to Ngapali beach from Yangon is by air. The road is very rough, unsafe and might stuck on the way if rainy. It will take at least 12 hours.
Hello Laura,
I am India citizen and planning to visit Myanmar in January 2012 for a week and looking for a companion to travel along. Please let me know if we could accompany each other in a foreign nation. Please also let me know if there is someone else traveling at that time, who could come along as my plans are pretty much final.
Regards,
Hassan Ashhar
please accept thanks for your commendable support to give us these valuable travel tips.
I strongly feel to see and exchange ideas among people and travelling by road is the best
But the rule is different
looking forward for the days to come when this rule will follow the people and vice versa
thanks and regards
s. banerjee
Hi Hassan,
I am Vishal from Mumbai. I have few questions for ypo. Are you planning to visit Myanmar overland? Are you gonna take your own vehical to Myanmar? Can you please brief what steps and paperwork is required? Can you please email the information to me, my id is vishal.karve@gmail.com
Thanking in advance,
Vishal
Thats a wonderful website, i got the answers i have been looking for week. Thanks. one of my friend is planning to travel to india for finding good universities. please tell me,
1. how to get from bagan to tamu, how many hours will it take and from tamu to moreh?
2. how can she enter india if she has a valid passport and indian visa, will the authorities on both sides allow her to make an entry without keeping any documents held up until her return.
thank you
SAM
Began to Tamu is a long way. First, go to Mandalay. Then, take the bus to Kalay. From Kalay to Tamu another bus. Will take at least three days.
You are not allowed to cross the border as Moreh in India is not safe.
hi
i am planning a trip from myitkyina to china through sino myanmar friendship road what all documentation i require to do that?
and how is the road condition is it a gravel or black top road?
and how much long is it?
thanx
Currently, the area has frequent fighting between government troops and Kachin army. You would probably not be allowed even to enter the area. You will need permission from the war office to use that route.
Sir, I live in Kanpur(Uttar Pradesh)India. I want to go to yangoon by Road way. Kindly reply us some question.
1. Where can i get Visa, is it possiable to get on Arrival Visa at Broader & Where? & What is visa Fees.
2. Can we enter from Nagaland.
3. After enter to Burma can we get Bus or Train for Yangoon.
4. How much time takes from boarder to Yangoon.
Awaiting for your reply
Thanks
Tahir
I intend to travel the cheapest way from Kolkata to Burma to Thailand to Combodia to Philippines in coming July/August as a tourist. In each of Burma, Thailand and Combodia, I would be staying for about a week only, then fly to Philippines where I would be staying for about a month, and then back to Kolkata. I have no time limitation of traveling fast.
Kindly inform me about visa requirements of Burma, Thailand and Philippines and fees thereof. What would be my approx traveling fares from kolkata and back. An email reply would be highly appreciated.
Dear Sir,
Sir, I live in Kanpur(Uttar Pradesh)India. I want to go to yangoon by Road way. Kindly reply us some question.
1. Where can i get Visa, is it possiable to get on Arrival Visa at Broader & Where? & What is visa Fees.
2. Can we enter from Nagaland.
3. After enter to Burma can we get Bus or Train for Yangoon.
4. How much time takes from boarder to Yangoon.
Awaiting for your reply
Thanks
Tahir
Hi There,
I am writing a Uni paper on Myanmar eco-tourism and adding some infrastructure details. Can I use some of your information and do you have any other advice on Eco-tourism sites of Myanmar .
You are free to use any information from our website.
Dear Sirs,
I am planing a charity road trip from Europe’s westernmost capital (Lisbon – Portugal) to Singapore (Southeast Asia’s southernmost capital.
My driving (in Asia) will lead me through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and finally Singapore.
I hope that the new political circumstances in Myanmar now allow foreigners to drive their own cars in the country.
I am also in contact with the Indian embassy in order to get a special permit to cross the Indian eastern States.
Hence, these are the questions:
1 – Is it already possible to take and drive your foreign car in Myanmar?
2 – If yes, what permits are necessary and can you give me any internet sites to ask for them?
3 – Could you recomend a nice itinerary (from the Indian to the Thai border), maybe including 2 or 3 sightseing spots?
4 – I don’t have time restrictions, so that should’t be a problem.
5 – I am antecipating to arrive at the Myanmar border at the end of April 2013.
Any further comments or suggestions would be highly appreciated.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Yours sincerely,
Rodrigues Pereira
Hi I wish to enter myanmar by land from India … but i want to reach the capital city… so which u prefer
How is the road in MYANMAR? Is it good to start a factory of juice there? Because my boss wants to start a business of juice there. He is asking if its good to start and propose a business there. I have not idea yet about myanmar, so if you dont mind, can you please tell me more about myanmar? and what is the average of children and adults there.
This site is marvellous! I had planned on taking my motorcycle from Singapore and drive to Calcutta via Burma and Thailand. Seeing the rich information here and analysing the hurdles presented by your fine country’s bureaucracy, I think I will change my plans and my destination will now be Hanoi. Too bad!
Thank you.