Mandalay Hill In the old days you had to climb Mandalay Hill on foot, a long and grueling journey. Nowadays visitors can take a pick-up for a handfull of kyats and hang on to their dear lives (downhill is even scarier). The pick-ups leave every twenty minutes and bring you to the foot of the hill pagoda, where an entry fee of US$3 is collected and footwear is prohibited. The pagode offers nice views of Mandalay and the surrounding plains.

Religious sites

• Maha Myat Muni Paya (Burmese: ma-ha myah mu-ni pei-ya) [2] is Myanmar's second holiest pilgrimage site. It is a 4-metre high Buddha statue, made of gold and decorated with precious jewels. The image was brought from Rakhine State, southeast of Mandalay.

• Shwe Kyi Myin Paya (Burmese: shui ji myin pei-ya) was built in the 1st century, by Prince Min Shin Saw.

• Sandamuni Paya (Burmese: san-da-mu-ni pei-ya), located at the foot of Mandalay Hill, is similar to Kuthodaw Paya, an adjacent site. Sandamuni contains the world's largest iron Buddha image.

• Kuthodaw Paya (Burmese: ku-tho-dau pei-ya) is site of the world's largest book, located at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Built by King Mingdon in the 1800s, 729 white stupas within the complex contain the complete text of the Tripitaka, Theravada Buddhism's most sacred text. A very friendly half-German half-Burmese guide called Cherry, normally in the tea-house next door, can provide an informative and interesting tour.

• Mandalay Hill (Burmese: man-da-lei thaonh) is a 230-metre hill located near Mandalay. Along its path are several monasteries and temples. At its top are famous pagodas and temples.

Miscellaneous sites

• Royal Palace (Burmese: man-da-lei nan-dau) is a walled city within Mandalay. It was built in 1861 by King Mindon, to fulfill a prophecy. The palace, although destroyed in WWI, was renovated, and was renovated recently. It was renovated using forced labour, and locals may advise you not to visit the place. The palace contains several pavilions and chambers. Those who enter from the "foreigners-only gate" should expect to fill out an extensive and probing form. However, to avoid such a form, use the "locals-only gate" (myao-pao) and pay bribes to the army officials there.

By plane

Mandalay International Airport, a gleaming modern facility, serves the area with flights to most places in Myanmar and some international flights (Air Mandalay flies into, but not out of, Mandalay twice a week from Chiang Mai). There are also 3 flights weekly to and from Kunming on MU2029 for about RMB2000 one way. The airport is far from the city, 45km on a modern highway (with a few hiccups). Expect to pay US$8 to downtown Mandalay, US$6 from downtown Mandalay, and US$30 to/from Pyin U Lwin.

By train

From YangonThere are several trains daily from Yangon. While the tracks are old and, in some cases, the carriages may be old, the fifteen hour journey is quite pleasant. Note that in Fall of 2006 all trains were rescheduled to travel during the day (so that trains do not cross Pyinmana in the dark) but at least one train (the privately managed Dagon Mann Express) now runs overnight. Fares range from about US$15 (ordinary class/hard seat) to US$50 (Air Conditioned Sleeper on the Dagon Mann Express).

From Lashio, Hsipaw, and Pwin U Lwin There are two trains daily from Pyin U Lwin (US$4/$2) and one from Lashio via Hsipaw and Pwin U Lwin (US$9/3 from Hsipaw). These trains are slow, crowded, but fascinating. The Pyin U Lwin - Hsipaw section includes the famous Gokteik Viaduct, a feat of Raj ingenuity (and American construction!).

From Myitkyina This twenty-four hour journey is on old rolling stock and even older tracks so expect it to be bumpy!

Taxis are relatively inexpensive and are excellent for travelling around Mandalay.

Many sights are centred around Mandalay Hill, which makes foot-walking feasible in that area.

The best and cheapest way to see the city is by bicycle, as traffic isn't as heavy as in other Asian cities.

• Zegyo Market (Burmese: zei-gyo) is a collection of bazaar street markets located near the city centre.

• Shan cuisine is popular in Mandalay, because of a large Shan minority. Shan dishes usually include fermented pastes, vegetables, and meats.

• Muslim Chinese noodles (pronounced pan-THEI-kao-sweh) are famous in Mandalay and surrounding hills. Consisting of flat thin noodles mixed with an array of spices, chili, and chicken, they are delectable. Typically, noodle shops owned by Muslim Chinese (known locally as panthei, or "little flowers"), which are recognisable by bilingual Arabic and Chinese signs, sell this dish.

• Htou moun (pronounced to-moh) is a traditional Burmese dessert sold only in Mandalay. Two chains specialise in htou moun. Beware, it contains a lot of oil and is extremely sweet. It is gelatin-like in texture.
• Too Too Myanmar Cuisine, 28th. street, between 74th. street and 75th. street. Supposedly has the best Burmese food in whole Mandalay.  edit