Shwedagon Pagoda

Pagoda Yangon, Yangon Region, Myanmar

What to expect

The Shwedagon Pagoda, located in Yangon, Myanmar, is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in the country. It is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa, including eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama Buddha. The pagoda is 99 meters tall and is covered in gold, with a crowning umbrella encrusted with diamonds and other jewels. The pagoda is situated on Singuttara Hill, which is 51 meters high, and is surrounded by four covered monumental stairways leading from the four cardinal directions. The pagoda is an important religious site and a popular tourist destination, with a rich history dating back over 2,500 years. Visitors can circumambulate the hill and the pagoda in a clockwise direction, beginning at the eastern directional shrine, and explore the various pavilions, shrines, and decorative features related to Hindu-Buddhist iconography

Plan your family visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda with these blog insights 👇

THE ASIA INTERVIEWS – Visiting Yangon with kids

This family's experience:

Activities: We visited the Shwedagon Pagoda just before dusk and saw the sun setting on the gilded stupa cover in gold

Highlights: The golden hour was perfect timing for photos and the weather cooled slightly after the sun set ✨

We've fallen in love with the City of Yangon

This family's experience:

Activities: We visited the Shwedagon Pagoda, and the girls loved pouring water on their birth-day-of-the-week animal and making a wish

Highlights: The girls loved the tradition and superstition, and we were all amazed by the 100m golden pagoda ✨