Where To Stay In Bagan

Looking for the best hotels in Bagan? We asked top travel writers for their recommendations. 

Bagan is synonymous with magic. This small community in Myanmar was once the capital of a mighty kingdom. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 pagodas, temples, and monasteries were built. Today, some 2,200 structures remain, the greatest concentration of religious sites in the world. It is an absolutely essential stop for all travelers in Myanmar and you'll never regret adding an extra day or two onto your Bagan itinerary. 

Since our visit in 2013, the travel industry has grown exponentially in Bagan, with hostels, hotels, and guesthouses springing up seemingly overnight. Eager for my readers to have the best possible experience in Bagan, I asked my fellow travel writers to weigh in. Here you'll find their reviews of different properties - from $20 to $200 + a night - to help you make the best possible decision based on your travel style. It's time to pack your bags!

Ostello Bello Hostel
The backpacker's favourite base.

"​Ostello Bello means unlimited coffee, free pasta, and loads of travel talks with fellow travel. I stayed in Ostello Bello, Bagan during my solo trip to Myanmar and loved every moment of my stay.

The staff was amazing, the place was amazing and, most of all, the ambiance was amazing. They have very good connections with local guides and other travel related service providers. They offer many tours to explore Bagan and some of them are even free. On my arrival, they tagged me with a guided tour to explore Bagan and also helped in arranging an e-bike for the same.  And,  when I wanted to cruise on Irrawaddy river during sunset, they arranged it with another group. By joining Ostello Bello’s tours, you get to meet other travelers and this is where the magic comes from.

I stayed in a four bed mixed room with an attached bathroom. The beds were more comfortable than I expected and everything seemed pretty clean and fresh. Wi-Fi was free and speed was good enough considering it was Myanmar. Bagan is not a big town and beyond the archaeological sites there is not much to do after sunsets and then Ostello Bello gets lively with fun filled games, trivia and much more.
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Travel tips: Do book in advance as there is usually heavy rush for this hostel. They have concierge to book your onward journey. If you have already booked your bus, do let them know, they will ask bus operator to pick you up."

BIO:
Himanshu is a 24x5 marketing communication professional and 24x7 traveler from India who also blogs at EverythingCandid. His travel blog is all about his traveling to places, mostly self drive road trips especially in Himalayas, capturing candid photographs of everything en route and relishing the food - Dhaba food or street food. 

Shwe Na Di Guesthouse
Easygoing, easy on the wallet too. 

"My partner and I tried to "wing it" for the better part of our three-week journey through Myanmar. While this is pretty out of character for both of us, I found most everything fell into place just how it should have. While booking our accommodation for Bagan, we stumbled upon Shwe Na Di Guesthouse. After browsing the rave reviews and scouting out the location, we decided upon it, and I couldn't have been happier with our choice. First off, we arrived to Bagan just after sunrise absolutely tired from the night bus. Although check-in wasn't for several hours, the staff at Shwe Na Di Guesthouse insisted we join in on the free breakfast. Who wouldn't turn down free samosas, fried bread, and fresh fruit?! 
 
Our room was equipped with a freezing air-con unit (perfect as the weather was in the late 40s), television and a comfortable bed. The hostel or the room itself isn't fancy, but it's located walking distance from the center of town and near some of Bagan's best restaurants and pagodas. Those wanting to explore the sites more can rent an electric scooter from Shwe Na Di Guesthouse for cheap; rentals last all day. We actually ended up meeting two of our travel buddies here, and they had a lovely time as well. The social scene of the hostel wasn't too happening, so I'm not sure I'd recommend it for solo travelers. There were plenty of couples, and even a family. I can't recommend Shwe Na Di Guesthouse enough!" 

BIO:
Laura Nalin is an American expat who has been living and working abroad since 2013. She's lived in South Korea, New Zealand and currently based in Saigon, Vietnam. She's a big fan of exploring new cultures and terrain, oolong tea, spicy food and will never turn down a slice of pizza. 

Eden Guesthouse III - Eden Motel. 
Budget friendly for "basic plus".

Guest house staff

Stefan on Buledi pagoda.

"When we visited Bagan in Myanmar, we stayed at the Eden Guesthouse III in Nyaung U as a our base to explore the famous temples. We loved the location of it – 20 minutes bicycle ride to the temples, and close to restaurants, local markets and shops.
 
The Eden Guesthouse III is part of the Eden Motel, which is budget accommodation spread over 3 buildings. Eden III is the better of the three, with the best rooms with flat screen TV, en suite bathroom and a basic breakfast included. We found it in Lonely Planet and on arrival were impressed by the really friendly staff, who were so welcoming.
 
This is basic accommodation, it’s not luxury. Service is excellent, but if you’re used to higher standards, we’d recommend looking for something more upscale. This is a good budget option if you want good service, and want to be at the heart of everything. We found it to be clean, very safe and possibly the worst internet we’ve ever experienced in our travels – however take that with a pinch of salt, as this is inherent throughout Myanmar. We paid $22 a night for a room at the Eden Guesthouse III, which included breakfast."
 
BIO
Stefan and Sebastien are a gay couple who have been travelling the world since they left their lives and jobs in London in 2014. They blog about each gay scene they encounter in each destination through travel guides and interviews with LGBTQ locals they meet. You can read more on their gay travel blog.

Thante Hotel
​Clean, quiet, accommodating

​"When we went to Bagan we stayed at the Thante Hotel in Nyaung Oo. We chose this hotel because it was relatively inexpensive, looked nice, included breakfast, and was not too far away from the airport.

Overall, we were happy with our stay and feel like it met our expectations. Aside from the power going out around the city periodically and the neighbors burning weeds, we enjoyed ourselves. We had a large room with two twin beds and a large bathroom. They were running a special when we booked our room which made it only $36 a night instead of the $65 it normally would have been. Score!
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I would highly recommend Thante Hotel to anyone. It’s clean, safe, quiet, has lovely grounds, is not too far from the temples, is close to the airport, and they offer great services. We loved being able to rent bikes or scooters from the front desk and that they offered complimentary soup when we weren’t feeling well. The staff are very polite and accommodating and were more than happy to answer all our questions.
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We didn’t always get to see the full offering for breakfast since we’re very early risers and it usually wasn’t fully set up, but what we did see and taste was very good. The kitchen staff would offer a few things to take out with us, which we thought was very nice. When we ate dinner there, we told them my boyfriend is allergic to flour and they were really great at making sure we knew which meals would work for him."
 
BIO:
​Erin Tracy of Traveling Thru History is a history fanatic who loves anything ancient and wants to share that love with the world. You can check out her Myanmar Travel Guide for some great tips and information on Myanmar.

Thazin Garden
​Pagodas, gardens, traditions

The hotel showcases beautiful gardens.

"Bagan was on my wish list ever since I read about the Land of the Golden Pagoda in my school geography journals. When it was actually happening, I wanted the stay to be as authentic as possible with modern amenities of course. When Thazin Garden came up in the search results, I quite liked the fact that they had actual Pagodas in the hotel compound and there was so much greenery around!

And then when I entered the room I was quite taken aback with the opulence of the furniture. Antique gold beds with cute flower arrangements on the bed and handwritten notes left behind by the staff! Everything in the room had a traditional touch, from the waste bin to the vintage phone to the colourful umbrellas on the roof. The room had a balcony which opened up to the gardens and the views were totally worth it!
 
Food: The breakfast had a spread of western and traditional dishes but it could be better.
The dinner served in the gardens was a hit. Only wish they could light it up better.
 
Service: The staff is extremely courteous and I remember how the spa girls went out of their way to help me dress up in the traditional lyongi (Burmese attire).
 
Parting note: The WiFi is fairly decent. The spa is quite reasonable and so is their cab service. I’d recommend this hotel for its authentic Burmese touch and green surroundings! Do not miss their in house shop. Contrary to common belief that hotel shops are pricey, this one is easy on the pocket! The price of the garden facing room was about 100 USD per night including breakfast. "
 
 BIO
Divyakshi is a self confessed door lover and architecture buff. She is the author of www.quirkywanderer.com where she documents off beat travel stories! 

The Hotel@ Tharabar Gate
Restful and refined. 

"I love staying in luxury hotels around the world. When I visited Bagan, I had a few options but chose The Hotel@ Tharabar Gate due to its location. The hotel situated nearby the Irrawaddy River and in walking distance from many of the pagodas and temples that fill Old Bagan. Tharabar Gate is like an oasis in the middle of Old Bagan where the enchanting leafy estate and large garden villas is the perfect place to rest your feet. Situated in the middle of the property and among the appealing undergrowth is a large azure lap pool where I also enjoyed having bite to eat.

​Service is what you would expect from a luxe hotel - helpful, friendly and accommodating. There’s also a quaint spa on the property which is a wonderful addition. Dining at the Tharabar Restaurant is a calming experience, where I had the choice of either eating poolside or on the green lawn. The Hotel@ Tharabar Gate definitely exceeded my expectations, especially the isolation in the middle of a bustling city. It’s a special place to rest your head after a day of hot-air ballooning and sightseeing. The seclusion also makes it perfect for honeymooners and couples.

BIO:
Mar is a former telecoms strategy management consultant who decided there was more to life than 15h working days. She put her extensive travel experience into starting Once in a Lifetime Journey, a blog that focuses on luxury and out-of-the-ordinary destinations. While working full-time at Google Singapore, she also consults smaller companies on defining their social and digital marketing strategies.

Vanessa and Ryan's Pick: Amazing Bagan Resort

How can you NOT stay at a property that has the confidence to include the word "amazing" right in their name? In all seriousness, we chose the Amazing Bagan Resort because, when we visited in 2013, our outdated guidebook had limited offerings and we selected what looked like the most comfortable and serviced oriented property. We wanted something with a restaurant on site because we knew we'd be tired after traveling and unlikely to feel adventurous about seeking out a new restaurant. We wanted something that was well established and service focused because we knew we would need help with some errands-  like hiring a taxi to go to the Balloons Over Bagan office to make our hot air balloon ride deposit and helping us secure train tickets for the overnight train to Yangon. The Amazing Bagan Resort did all this and more.

We also loved their spa treatments, including traditional massage and foot reflexology (Ryan loved it so much he went two days in a row!). We were excited to have a bathtub in our room too. Their pool was absolutely beautiful and we also enjoyed borrowing (rather rickety) bikes to explore the nearby pagodas around their property and down the road. We even stopped in to check out the Bagan golf course! I would have absolutely no hesitation to recommend this property to another traveler.  But would I stay there myself a second time? Maybe. I really enjoyed our visit but after reading what all the other travel writers have to say about their properties, I'm reminded of just how much Bagan has to offer and I'm tempted to go back and explore even more!


Check out our other blog posts about Myanmar!

The BEST Travel Experience of my Life: Balloons Over Bagan
​The WORST Travel Experience of my Life: The Overnight Train from Bagan to Yangon
Where To Eat In Bagan
Min-Ga-La-Ba Myanmar! All About Mandalay Airport
Day 9 of our Round-The-World Trip: Mandalay
Besotted with Bagan: Day 10 &11 of Our Round The World Trip
At Long Last: Yangon. Day 12 &13 of Our Round The World Trip
​Guesthouse Review: Motherland Inn 2, Yangon