How to get to Inle Lake from…
Inle lake to/from Yangon
Many people ask how far Inle Lake is from Yangon, but this depends on what mode of transport you choose. It is approx. 650km from Yangon and would take around 7-9 hours in a private taxi. But it is a popular tourist route and there are many other options for how to go from Inle Lake to Yangon.
Inle lake to Yangon by train: the least recommended way to travel, the train journey is long, slow and uncomfortable. If you really want to have the ‘train experience’ its advisable to only do the Kalaw-Inle Lake section, as this is already a bumpy 5 hour ride.
Inle lake to Yangon by bus: The best way to travel. The VIP buses and budget friendly and comfortable. For approx. $18 you can travel overnight in a leather reclining seat with a blanket on the 10 hour journey from Yangon to Inle Lake. You can read more about this journey and the best bus I took in Myanmar here.
Inle lake to Yangon flight: There are daily flights between Yangon and Heho, the local airport for Inle Lake. Flight time is approx. 1hr and a half, however don’t forget to account for the time spent either side getting to the destination. In Yangons traffic it can take an hour to reach the city centre from the airport. On the other end, you will need to take a taxi or local bus from Heho to Inle Lake or Ngaung Shwe as it is quite far away. Flying is an expensive way to do this journey.
How far is Inle lake from Bagan?
Inle lake to Bagan is another trip that is firmly on the tourist route, it is approx. 350km. There is a local Inle Lake to Bagan bus, or increasingly more ‘tourist VIP buses’. Both take the same amount of time, around 8-10 hours and run daily and also overnight. If you are in a rush, take the overnight bus or it is also possible to catch a flight. The local airport to Inle Lake is Heho. For Bagan the local airport is Nyaung U.
Inle lake to Kalaw
You can trek over 2 or 3 days from Inle Lake to Kalaw (more info here). There is also a bus that takes a couple of hours or a slow train that takes approx. 5 hours.
More coming soon..
