Shwemawdaw Paya
Shwemawdaw Paya
4
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles287 reviews
Excellent
105
Very good
140
Average
39
Poor
2
Terrible
1

Quick Stopover
Auckland, New Zealand83 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a spectacular pagoda! The gold leaf and Buddhas are spectacular. There are many beautiful side buildings with spectacular carving and decoration. I loved hearing the myriad of steeple bells tinkling in the wind.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yen K
San Francisco, CA42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2017 • Couples
Bago was worth every day trip while you're in Yangon for a few days. Go!!! It's only 1.5-2hr drive one way. The giant Buddhas everywhere is more fascinating than the pagodas in Yangon with a zoo-like tourist/locals-trapped atmosphere, not in Bago. This paya is huge with beautifully adorned gold reclining Buddha. Not a zoo either. Very local spot and it's indoor.
Written May 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kosoesoemdy
Mandalay, Myanmar3,454 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2016
Shwemawdaw Pagoda is the highest Stupa , 373 Feet 9 Inches ( Over 114 Meters ) that is higher than Great Shwedagon Pagoda. Even it was already damaged 5 times by terrible earthquakes , it's restored and reconstructed until present height. On the stairways , there has Bago Archaeological Zone Fee Ticket Counter & Bago Regional Government collecting 10000 Kyats per person for tourists. Bago ticket is only valid for 3 days from the date of issue. On the Pagoda Platform , there are some Persim Mon Trees ( Diospyros Burmanicha ) around it. At the moment , Pagoda is under Gold Gilding & it has been scaffolding.
Shwemawdaw Pagoda Festival is one of the most famous Pagoda festivals in Myanmar.
Enjoy
Written February 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TimSip81
Bangkok, Thailand560 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Solo
A big golden stupa in Bago; where faced earthquake which damaged the cylinder at the top; The owner temple itself preserved that damaged brick at one side of new reconstructed temple for visitor remernised. Photo shoot must pay a camera fee!!
Written June 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

angeladelmar
Baguio, Philippines274 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2012 • Family
Shwemawdaw paya is recognized internationally as one of the world's sacred sites. Buddha's hair and tooth relics are enshrined here.

The rains were very strong on our way to Bago from Yangon. We hired an airconditioned van through our taxi driver whom we met at the airport. His rate was US$70 for a round trip to Bago compared to our hotel's rate of US$80 for a smaller toyota sedan. We left at 10:45 am
and reached the pagoda around 12:15 noon. The drive to Bago took approximately one and a half hours.

It was still raining very hard by the time we got to Shwemawdaw, and we were greeted by two flashes of lightning and thunder as we left the van, but by the time we reached the main pagoda grounds, the rain had stopped completely. There were very few people around, and we were able to enjoy the serenity and the calm without the usual crowds like in Shwedagon.

Entry fee is US$10 per person which includes entry to the other tourist sites in Bago. There is a camera fee of US$3 per camera

Shwemawdaw, with its tallest pagoda in Asia, is like a smaller and less complex version of Shwedagon, but it is just as magnificent and awe-inspiring.
Written June 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lee Nallalingham
Downtown Core/Downtown Singapore, Singapore134 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
If I had gone here first before the pagoda in Yangon I would have been more impressed. It’s worth a visit, and it’s lovely and you have to ring the bell while there as part of a tradition. But it’s not as good as the one in Yangon.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stuffmatters
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia911 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Solo
I visited Bago on a day trip ex Yangon, an approximate 2 hr drive ex Yangon with midway stop at the very moving and beautifully maintained Commonwealth Grave cemetery at Taukkyan.

Shwemawdaw is a fun visit, significantly off the beaten tourist track compared to Shwedagon but with much of the majesty. Some of the adjacent shrines around the complex are worth visiting particularly the various wishing areas.

A must do particularly given the opportunity to combine with other highlights in Bago including Kyakhatwine Monastery for the monks lunch food preparation & procession plus visit the large covered Shwethalyaung 9th c Reclining Buddha 9th c, the Outdoor Mya Tha Lyaung Reclining Buddha and the 4 Sitting buddhas at Kyaik Pun Pagoda. There is also small Mingun style white pagoda in the country further north which is worth a visit!
Written March 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

129Chris
Norwich, UK3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Couples
Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda, the Kyaik Pun Buddhas, a rebuilt Royal Audience Hall and the biggest reclining Buddha you ever will see at Shwe Tha Lyaung, all together make Bago a thoroughly worthwhile half-day pause if you're on the way to Golden Rock. The town itself is unremarkable and the main attractions suffer a little in comparison to some other sites from over-restoration with concrete, coloured glass and acrylic paint. On the plus side, there are many pleasant restaurants and cafes to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

Top tip: we booked our trip from Yangon to Bago and Golden Rock with Driver/Guide Zaw Hein (zhein.365@gmail.com), who I am very happy to recommend to other Myanmar visitors. His fluent English, itinerary planning and comfortable car were ideal for our side-trip from the capital.
Written February 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Manualders
Phuket, Thailand48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2015 • Solo
When I visited the pagoda, it was under restauration, but is was still an impressive site. It is one of the main atractions in Bago.
Written December 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Master Echo
London, UK543 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
Our next stop was to the Shwemawdaw Pagoda. This is often referred to as the Golden God Temple. At 375 feet in height, the Shwemawdaw holds the record for the tallest pagoda in the country although the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is usually credited as the tallest pagoda in Myanmar at 98 metres. However this Myanmar Stupa dominates Bago Town, and it is said to be over 1000 years old. It has been repaired many times over the years, despite being damaged by a succession of earthquakes, until the one in 1930 completely levelled the Stupa. Reconstruction commenced in 1952 and was completed two years later, when it reached its present height. The glittering golden top of the Stupa supposedly reaches 14 metres higher than Shwedagon in Yangon. As in the latter, the Stupa here is reached by a covered walkway lined with stalls and “sales opportunities”. There is also a collection of faded paintings illustrating the terrible earthquake of 1930, and its subsequent rebuilding. Our day trip was all inclusive, covering entrance fees and camera charges, so we do not know whether or not the cost included the $US10 entrance fee. Other posters have said this can be avoided, by using the secondary entrances and not entering by the western gate, and to avoid passing by it when you're inside.
Written April 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Shwemawdaw Paya - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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