Hanoi to Yangon

You can get from Hanoi to Yangon either by plane or by taking an overland route, combining buses and taxis.

Direct flights from Hanoi to Yangon

There are plenty of direct flights between Hanoi and Yangon at very reasonable prices. If you plan your trip a few months ahead, you can catch flight deals at as low as VND1,600,000/USD70. A direct Hanoi-Yangon flight duration is under 2 hours.

Airline companies you can book a direct flight from Hanoi to Yangon with include Vietjet Air, Asia Airlines or Vietnam Airlines.

In Yangon, you will land in Mingaladon International Airport, located 15 km away from the city centre. The easiest way to reach Yangon is the taxi service, available at the arrival hall of each terminal. The fare for a drive to the city centre is approximately MMK10,000/USD8.

Tip All passengers entering Yangon airport must have a valid visa to Myanmar and produce the filled in Immigration Arrival Card and a Passenger’s Customs Declaration Form. Arrival Cards and Passenger’s Customs Declaration Forms are distributed by the airlines staff on board your flight or can be obtained at the airport upon arrival. Foreign visitors must apply for their visas before their trip in the Myanmar embassies from their countries of origin or online. Residents of particular countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos are given a 14 days visa exemption.

Connecting flights from Hanoi to Yangon

If a direct flight doesn't fit your travel agenda or you're simply curious to visit other cities during your journey, choose a flight with a layover. The travel time will then vary from 6 to more than 20 hours, depending on the schedule of the connecting flights. In general, connecting flights will cost you more than direct flights – expect to spend from VND3,000,000/USD150 to VND 6,000,000/USD 300.

Flights with a layover are an alternative if you want to include visiting another city to your itinerary or if you don't find a convenient direct flight that fits your travel schedule.

Flights from Hanoi to Yangon may include stops in several cities. The most cost- and time-effective are the flights connecting via one of the Bangkok’s airports, either Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang. It takes at least 6 hours to reach Yangon with a layover in Bangkok, and ticket prices start from VND3,600,000/160 USD if you book it a few days in advance.

Airline companies that operate between Hanoi and Bangkok include Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, VietJet Air or Thai AirAsia among others.

The three former operate from Suvarnabhumi airport, while the latter uses Don Mueang as their hub. Ticket prices vary and can be anywhere from THB1500/USD40 (Thai AirAsia) to THB6000/USD170 (Thai Airways).

Tip Try to plan connecting flights arriving to and departing from the same airport in Bangkok. Travel time between Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi is around one hour, though it can take slightly more during rush-hour periods. There is a free shuttle between the airports but you will need to show valid air tickets from the airport you are heading to in order to be taken on board the bus.

Note It is easy to get to Bangkok city centre from the both airports. It will normally take you between one and 1½ hour. The most convenient way to get to the centre from Suvarnabhumi airport is either by rail located in the basement level of the airport or by airport shuttle bus which offers several routes, including Khao San Road and BTS stations. There are airport shuttle buses from Don Mueang, too. Taxis are available – expect to pay around THB200/USD8.

Note Connecting via Bangkok technically means entering Thailand. Check visa requirements for your passport; though many nationalities get a free 30-day stamp while flying into Thailand, it always pays to check.

For travelling from Bangkok to Yangon you can rely on Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Airways, Myanmar National Airlines or Bangkok Airways among others. The two former low-cost carriers fly from Don Mueang airport, the rest operate from Suvarnabhumi. In general, air-fare for this leg with low-cost airlines start from THB1200/USD35 and goes up to THB6000/USD170 with plusher carriers.

From Hanoi to Yangon overland

To explore Asia in detail, you can reach Yangon from Hanoi overland, using buses and taxis. To get from Vietnam to Myanmar, you will cross Laos and Thailand territories. If travelling exclusively by buses, you will pay around USD120 for an overland trip between Hanoi and Yangon, and you should reserve 5-6 days for the whole journey, as you will also need to make overnight stops.

One of the suggested overland routes from Hanoi to Yangon is as follows:
Hanoi (Vietnam) – Vientiane (Laos) – Nong Khai (Thailand) – Mae Sot (Thailand) – Myawaddy (Myanmar) – Yangon

Take an overnight bus from Hanoi to Vientiane. The trip lasts over 20 hours, and the approximate ticket price is VND670,000/USD30. There are several companies serving the Hanoi-Vientiane route, including The Sinh Tourist and HTX Van Tai, both leaving Hanoi at 5pm.

From Vientiane, cross the border between Laos and Thailand to reach Nong Khai. There are international buses between the Morning market bus station in Vientiane to the bus station in Nong Khai (THB70). The bus takes you to the immigration office on the Lao side of the border, then crosses the bridge and waits for you while you get through the Thai immigration, heading to the bus station afterwards.

To get to Mae Sot from Nong Khai, you should rely on a combination of buses. The easiest way is to get from Nong Khai to Khon Kaen first (200 km; 3 hours) and then to change for a bus from Khon Kaen to Mae Sot operated by Phet Prasert. The trip to Mae Sot will last about nine hours, and there are two buses daily leaving at 7.30 pm and 20.45 pm. You will arrive to Mae Sot early the next morning. The bus ticket Khon Kaen–Mae Sot will take off your pocket THB 518/USD15.

You can also consider stops in Phitsanulok or Sukhothai – both have direct buses to Mae Sot, too.

Once you arrive in Mae Sot, walk for 1 km or take a taxi to Myawaddy border crossing point.

Tip At the Thai side, there is a special booth for foreigners. Prepare your passport and departure card to be stamped out of Thailand. On the Myanmar entry point, you will have to fill in the arrival form and have your photo taken. Unless your passport is among the ones exempted from this procedure, you need a visa before entering in Myanmar.

From Myawaddy highway bus station, you can take the direct bus to Yangon, leaving at 5.00 pm. The whole trip takes almost 12 hours with tickets costing MMK 16,500/USD12. The bus will drop you at Aung Mingalar Bus Station in Yangon.

Another option to reach Yangon from Myawaddy is via Hpa An. Bus or taxi trip to Hpa An will take you between 3½ hours and 5 hours, though the distance is 150 km only – imagine the poor road conditions! From Hpa An there are direct daily buses to Yangon, both in the morning at 8.00 am and in the evening at 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm. The trip lasts 6 hours and costs between MMK 8,000/USD 6 and MMK 11,000/USD8.

For a better planning of your journey, also read about alternative routes you can take in our ‘How to get from Yangon to Hanoi](/en/travel/yangon/hanoi) article.

Onward travel from Yangon

Yangon makes for an ideal starting point for further exploration of the country. The three main and most popular tourist destinations within Myanmar, all easily reachable from Yangon, are Mandalay (one of the former capitals), the temple heavyweight Bagan and Inle Lake, the whole region around the 22 km long lake inhabited by diverse ethnic groups. All the three can be reached by flights, trains or buses.

Flying to Mandalay takes only one hour, while a bus travel and train travel are both considerably longer (8 and 15 hours respectively). Expect to pay between MMK14,000/USD10 and MMK28,000/USD20 for a bus ticket and between MMK28,000/USD20 to MMK40,000/USD29 for a train ticket.

Travelling to Bagan by train takes even longer – up to 17 hours (MMK 27,000/USD19). You can get to Bagan faster by a direct bus – there are several leaving Yangon after 7pm. The trip lasts 10 hours, and you will pay for a ticket MMK 20,000/USD14. Flying to Bagan will set you back between USD120 and USD150.

Though it is possible to reach Inle Lake by train, too, the 24-hour journey is truly devastating. Consider buses (11 hours, MMK 23,000/USD17) or planes (USD100-USD150 instead).