How to get from Yangon to Inle Lake

Last updated on August 7th, 2022 at 04:21 pm

Inle Lake is one of the most touristic places in Myanmar. Inle Lake is magical with colors and the fishermen. It’s a destination that you can’t miss in your trip to Myanmar. We will tell you in this blog post how to get from Yangon to Inle Lake  by bus and from Kalaw in a 3-day trekking plus other popular destinations. If you are traveling to Inle Lake read our Inle Lake travel guide and things to do.

You can read here our Yangon travel guide, how to get to Yangon from the airport and where to stay in Yangon.

Read here Myanmar itinerary and things to do in Bagan!

Click here to get your Myanmar SIM Card online and avoid the hassle!

Best time to visit Inle Lake

When you are visiting Myanmar, you should know about the weather. The weather is really hot in Myanmar. There are two seasons in Myanmar for the weather, dry and wet season. Dry season is from October to May, being November and December the coldest months in Myanmar.

And wet season from May to early October, being May and June the hottest months in Myanmar. It means the best time to visit Inle Lake is from October to February when the weather is nicer and not rainy.

Click here to know more about the weather in Inle Lake!

How to get from Yangon to Inle Lake

There are a few options to get to Inle Lake. You can go by bus local and VIP bus. You can hire a driver, you can go by train. The most common way to get to Inle Lake from Yangon is by bus. Let’s go in detail with all the options to get to Inle Lake.

How to get from Yangon to Inle Lake by Bus

If you want to get the bus from Yangon to Inle Lake. There are two options. The local bus cheaper and the VIP bus which takes less time since there are less stops and it’s more comfortable. Also VIP bus is more expensive than the local one.

The good thing with the VIP bus that you can plan your itinerary in advance check below the link. It will leave Yangon at 6 pm and it will get around 5 am to Inle Lake. So you will be ready for a sunrise boat tour if you wish. Click here to book online the bus Yangon to Inle Lake.

Travel Tip: Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online in Myanmar with 12Go Asia.

But if you are on a budget you can look for a Tour Agency in Yangon city center and ask for the prices. Expect to pay 15500 Kyats around $10 USD from Yangon to Inle Lake with the local bus leaving at 5 pm. And getting to Inle Lake around 7 am.

The trip from Yangon to Inle Lake will be 14 hours. It was so much fun for us since it stopped in a tiny small market to have dinner and we slept so comfortable. They provide water, blanket and even toothpaste and toothbrush with a wet towel to fresh up in the morning before getting to your destination.

Once you get to Nyaung Shwe in Inle Lake there are a few places to stay around the bus station. It’s 5 kilometers far from the lake but you will find the best deals in the town. To move around you can rent a bicycle or a motorbike.

We decided to stay around Inle Lake and it was more expensive but totally worth it. If you have the budget in our opinion you will love it! It costs around $50 USD a room for two people with breakfast included. You will have to ride a taxi from the bus station to your place and it can costs around $15-20 USD depending on how far you are going from Nyaung Shwe. And of course your negotiation skills as always with the taxi drivers in Myanmar.

If you get by bus from Yangon to Inle Lake. The bus will stop a few meters before the bus station to pay Inle Lake entrance fee 15000 Kyats which is $10 USD. You can pay in Euros, USD or Kyats. Only foreigners have to pay the fee and locals can go free of charge. Make sure you are bringing cash otherwise you will have to look for an ATM in Nyaung Shwe to pay the entrance fee.

Click here to get the best deals around Inle Lake with Agoda and Booking.

By Train from Yangon to Inle Lake

There is a slow train going from Yangon to Inle Lake. It will take 30 hours to reach there. Since there is a 5 hours stop in Kalaw. It’s not recommendable if you are on a tight schedule but it can be a great experience if you have enough time. If you are going to visit Kalaw before Inle Lake the experience going by train can be awesome!

How to get to Inle Lake from Kalaw

You can get Inle Lake from Kalaw in a 3-day trekking. You can hire a guide, prices are very cheap around $10-15 USD per day and it’s included accommodation and food. The trekking is easy to do it and you will have an amazing experience visiting little villages in Myanmar.

How to get to Inle Lake by plane

There are flights to get to Inle Lake to Heho Airport just 45 kilometers North from Inle Lake. You can get a flight from Mandalay, Bagan and Yangon. The flight tickect costs around $70-120 USD. And the taxi will take around one hour to reach Inle Lake from the airport.

How to get Inle Lake from Bagan by bus

If you want to get to Inle Lake from Bagan there are night buses leaving from the bus station in Bagan which is a few kilometers outside the city. It’s 20 minutes taxi ride from the bus station to Old Bagan and little bit less to New Bagan and Nyaung U.

Prices to go there by taxi are 9500 Kyats from Old Bagan. 8500 Kyats from New Bagan and 6000 Kyats if you are staying in Nyaung U where are the most of the hostels and cheap accommodation in Bagan. On the way back Bagan to Inle Lake if you want to get the night bus. There is a small bus driving you to the bus stop from hotel and hostels in Bagan. It’s included in your bus ticket both of them VIP or local bus!

The bus can take 10-12 hours and there are also mini vans going to Inle Lake. Prices are starting from 15000-30000 Kyats depending if you are traveling by minivan, local bus or VIP bus. You will get to Nyaung Shwe where most of the hotels are in Inle Lake. It’s just 5 kilometers distance to the lake. If you decide to stay as we did around the lake you will have to get a taxi and drive 15-20 minutes. We totally recommend you to stay around the lake since is so peaceful. It will be more expensive but it will not break your budget.

Read here full blog post how to get from Bagan to Inle Lake.

How to get Inle Lake from Mandalay

There are minivans going from Mandalay to Inle Lake everyday. Prices are starting from 15000-25000 Kyats= $10-15 USD. The trip will take around 8-10 hours. The travel time depends on the stops that the driver do on the way. You can expect to get to Nyaung Shwe around 5-6 am where you will find cheap hotels to stay around the area and book your sunrise boat tour to Inle Lake if you are tight in your schedule.

Read here how to get from Yangon to Mandalay

Going to Inle Lake by Private Car

If you wish more comfort you can always hire a private driver. It will be more expensive but you will save time! It can be great option if you are traveling a few people with luggage. It will make your trip more flexible!

Looking for Accommodation in Inle Lake?

We stayed at Serenity Inle Resort in the Lake 30 minutes by car from Nyaung U and we really loved it our staying. We spent 3 amazing days, peaceful place, nice staff and lovely sunsets! Check out pictures below of our staying in Serenity Inle Resort.