Built during the British colonial times, the Yangon Circular Train (Yangon Circular Railway) is mostly used by locals. But it has since gained popularity among tourists as one of the best and cheapest ways to explore Yangon, Myanmar.
Yangon Circular Train/Yangon Circle Train
Departing from Yangon Central Station, the Yangon Circle train goes around 39 stations spanning 45 kilometers.
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Things to do for free in YANGON
The whole train ride from end to end is around 3 hours. The service runs for 20 times a day.
A ticket costs only 200 kyats! Passport is required for tourists.
Where to buy ticket: Platform 7
Get an insight of the everyday life of Burmese people in Yangon through this train ride.
No air conditioning and hard plastic seats.
You won’t get hungry along the ride because there will be many vendors boarding the train. And in our case, we were overwhelmed by the kindness of the Burmese, giving us free food!
It is common to see red spit from betel nut in corners, as well as elders smoking hand-rolled cheroots.
Be prepared for a slow and bumpy ride through the outskirts and suburbs of Yangon.
You’ll get to see endless views of rice paddies, neighborhoods, and mundane daily rituals.
At one point, we were prodded by train officers to sit at the edge. They opened the door and voila, better views than the windows. It got tiring though at one point so we went back to alternating between sitting and standing during the ride.
We were surprised to see more than two tracks. And at one part, the tracks seemed to be under construction.
Half of the trip, it was raining on and off. We took the trip middle of September, still monsoon season for Southeast Asia. The rain managed to cool us off a bit, but it made us nervous since we didn’t bring any umbrella. Luckily, it stopped when we were near our last stop.
This is where the trains go to die, me thinks.
You can get off at any stop. And continue to explore Yangon on foot or any mode of transportation you prefer.
Another epic train ride in Myanmar that you should add to your list:
Crossing the breathtaking GOKTEIK VIADUCT
Do you like train rides? What was your most memorable train ride?
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Adrenaline Romance
June 21, 2017 at 3:20 amThat’s pretty nice; the interior of the train looks like that of a long, large jeepney. And it’s not so crowded, which is really great.
We haven’t tried traveling long-distance by train. We hope we can try it even once in our lifetime (remembers a scene in Casino Royale where Bond meets Vesper)
Darlene
June 28, 2017 at 5:24 pmHaha yeah, one of the ultimate long distance train travel is the Trans-Siberian Railway. I hope to do it soon!
Vicki Louise
June 14, 2017 at 12:46 pmThis is a fascinating way to get a look into daily life in Yangon. It would be a great way to spend 3 hours and rally get a feel for the place. I’ll add it to my list for when I finally get to Myanmar!
Sara
June 14, 2017 at 9:42 amThis would be a great loop journey. With the train scheduled every 20 mins, would be a nice hop on and hop off too. Not sure I would be happy sitting right on the edge, brave woman!
Sandy N Vyjay
June 13, 2017 at 7:57 amThe train journey around Yangon looks fascinating. Always love trains, they have an unexplainable romantic aura around them. The train journey, I can see is a great way to experience a slice of the everyday life of the locals and get a ring view of the countryside.
Barb
June 12, 2017 at 10:30 pmI was in Yangon 6 years ago, but I dont remember this train. It seems like it is a great way to see the whole city.
Lois Alter Mark
June 11, 2017 at 6:33 amI love taking the train! I think you can learn so much about people and their culture on a train ride. It looks like a great way to get around Yangon.
Darlene
June 11, 2017 at 8:58 pmSo true. That’s why I love train rides too
Claudia
June 11, 2017 at 3:28 amIt seems like it was a long journey and the rain didnt help much but it stills seems like a good idea and much better than traveling by foot
Darlene
June 11, 2017 at 8:58 pmOh definitely! We walked a lot in Yangon so we were always tired upon going back to the hostel.
Peter Korchnak
June 11, 2017 at 2:03 amVery cool. I love to travel by train wherever and whenever possible. Adding Burma to the list!
Darlene
June 11, 2017 at 8:59 pmYou should check out the train passing by the Gokteik Viaduct in Myanmar as well. 😉
Danik
June 11, 2017 at 12:26 amTHis is really interesting to know. I havent been to Yangon yet but as I also work in the railway industry here in the UK, I would take a trip on this and check out all the different places it stops at. This does look like an interesting thing to do. 🙂
Anne
June 10, 2017 at 11:39 pmOMG how did I miss this? I visited Yangon and travelled everywhere by foot which is pretty exhuasting considering the heat. This would have been such a better idea.
Darlene
June 11, 2017 at 8:59 pmOh yeah! We walked a lot too while there and I can definitely relate that it was exhausting.