6 Lesser-Known Places in Mandalay
Travel advisory: The US advises against all travel to Myanmar. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Mandalay, and against all travel to Sagaing and the area north of Mandalay city. Conflict, drone attacks, curfews and internet cut-offs persist, and the March 2025 earthquake left many of the area’s sites damaged. Check the US State Department and UK FCDO before making any plans.
Context before the list. Myanmar has been under military rule since the 2021 coup, with an ongoing civil war, and most governments currently advise against travel; check your own government’s current guidance first. Mandalay was also hit by a magnitude-7.7 earthquake on 28 March 2025, so verify any specific gem below is actually running before you build a plan around it, small independent venues especially. Favor small, locally run operators over anything junta-linked, if and when it’s safe to visit. Official advice currently recommends against travel.
Six things in Mandalay that go beyond the standard sightseeing list: the crafts trades, a market most visitors skip, and the quieter side of the city’s culture and food.
1. The gold-leaf and carving workshops
Mandalay is Myanmar’s crafts center, and the hand-pounded gold leaf that gilds the Mahamuni Buddha is beaten out here, sheet by sheet, in small workshops that were historically free to watch. Wood, stone, and marble carving trades run alongside it. Whether the workshops are operating is unconfirmed.
2. The 87th Street jade market
Raw jade is cut and assessed at the jade market around 87th Street, with a small viewing or handling fee reportedly around 2,500 kyat. It comes with a real ethical asterisk: Myanmar’s jade trade is heavily entangled with the military and has a grim record of deadly landslides at mining sites, so any serious jade or gem purchase raises ethical concerns. Whether the market is trading is unconfirmed.
3. An Irrawaddy sunset boat
Slow boats on the Irrawaddy at golden hour were a quieter alternative to the land-based sunset spots near a city that otherwise sits on flat, dry plain. No operator can currently be confirmed.
4. Tea-shop culture
Laphet yay, strong, sweet, milky tea, alongside snacks and unhurried conversation, is a Mandalay institution rather than a tourist performance.
5. The Moustache Brothers house-show, if it’s running
This political comedy and dance show became internationally known partly because its performers were previously imprisoned for their material. Given the climate since the 2021 coup, verify it’s still operating before counting on it, this is exactly the kind of small independent venue whose status changes fastest.
6. Pyin Oo Lwin
A colonial-era hill station about 67km east, noticeably cooler than Mandalay, with botanical gardens and a waterfall. It lies in the area where the UK advises against all travel, rocket attacks have hit the town, and the current condition and access of its sights are unconfirmed. More background is in the Mandalay day trips guide .
Official advice
See the US State Department and UK FCDO advisories on Myanmar before making any plans, and see the full Mandalay guide or things to do in Mandalay for the standard sights.