Lashio Travel

Best time to visit

In Lashio, the summers are short, hot, and mostly cloudy and the winters are short, cool, dry, and mostly clear. 

Based on the tourism score, the best times of year to visit Lashio for warm-weather activities are from mid-February to mid-April and from late October to early December.

It is often best to avoid the wet season in Myanmar which runs from June to October as the weather can be unpredictable and areas can easily flood. 

Check the below table for the general idea of Lashio weather throughout the year.

Lashio's current weather and 7-day forecast

LASHIO WEATHER

Lashio may not be as popular as other cities in Myanmar, but don’t let that fool you. Lashio is a smaller but beautiful upcoming tourist destination that is worth a visit. You will be surprised by some of the unique things to do and places you can explore at this hidden destination.

Pagoda 

The pagoda on the top of the hill which supposed to be older then 2000 years? However it looks like a spot for young people and gives you opportunity to overview the area around.

Morning market

Strongly recommended! You will find people from all the villages and hilltribes around dressed typically selling foods or handicrafts. Plus you will see Indian, Burmese and Chinese people all around. You will be the only western on all the town.

Night market 

Business starts around 5PM until 8-9PM. Food stalls offer local delicacy - the pork sticks are really delicious. Shops sell various things from cosmetics to clothing. Lashio night market is so popular that in Yanong there is a night food court called lashio Night Market.

Buddhist pagodas 

North of Lashio, near the train station. One is called Bodhi Ni Tau (2000 Buddha Temple) with 2000 Buddhas in lines on the hillside. Also at this location is a large stack of rocks that are interesting to explore. Also Shwe Kyaut Gu is a Shan monastery built into a cave, which is between the golf course and the university.

Hotspring 

North of Lashio that is very popular with the locals in the evening. The large pool is not so clean, but you can rent small tile rooms for a couple people to have a private area to themselves, where the water flows in directly. For foreigners, the cost is 3000 MMK.
 

Lashio is not a particularly well-known tourist area in Myanmar but you will still find a decent range of accommodation here and it unlikely that many places will be fully booked.

As a general rule, you can expect to pay around USD 20-35 for a room in Lashio.

Some of the options include the Sann Shwin Hotel which is very simple but has single rooms for MMK 20,000 per night. They also have good value family rooms which can sleep four people that cost MMK 30,000 per night and there is Wi-Fi throughout the building. Also in the same price range is the Power Hotel which has double rooms for MMK 25,000 that come with hot water and air conditioning.

If you have a slightly larger budget then you can try the Palace Hotel which is around two kilometres outside the town centre and has rooms from USD30-50 per night. These come with cable television, Wi-Fi, and hot water and a basic breakfast is included. Another new hotel in a similar price range is the Hotel CS which has family rooms for USD 40 that come with Wi-Fi, hot water and breakfast.

Even though Lashio is not firmly on the tourist trail, you will still find a good range of places to eat here. Options include both Western food and local dishes and Shan state is known for its Shan Kauk Sway noodles and its curries.

Among some of the good options we can list is the Family Cafe where you will get a good selection of Chinese and Burmese dishes and you will also find free Wi-Fi here. If you want to try some Thai food, then head to the Wooden House which is close to the airport and has a comprehensive Thai menu that is a firm favourite with the locals.

If you are looking for some Western options, then you can try Sun Moon which has two bakeries in town and has a cafe area where you can get some delicious pastries as well as coffee, smoothies, and ice cream. Another Western option is the Pizza House which, as the name suggest, serves pizza and has free Wi-Fi.

Last but not least, you will find a large night market in downtown Lashio that sets up when the sun goes down and this is the best place to pick up some authentic Burmese street food.
 

Get in

By Bus

There is easy access to Lashio by bus from Mandalay or Yangon on Shwe Mandalar bus lines. 15,000 Kyat ($15 from Yangon). This bus is comfortable. You can upgrade to 22,000 Kyat ($22 from Yangon) for VIP class bus. 
Note that there are no buses to Tachileik at the present time which means that you can’t cross over into the border with Thailand from Lashio.

We recommend you check the latest bus schedule and price via rome2rio.com

By Train

You can get there from Hsipaw (locals pronounce: Thibaw) with the train which departs mid afternoon, and costs 600 Kyats per ticket. Bear in mind that the train supposed to arrive in Lashio at 7.30 or so but you will arrive at least at 10pm in a border town where few people speak English. You can do a full day train, but it is a long day from Mandalay all the way to Lashio. But there are good places to stop for a night or several nights along the train journey. Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) is known for its cool weather, beauty, and colonial era influences. The train goes from Pyin Oo Lwin over the Gokteik Viaduct bridge and a fitting stay for that night would be Kyaukme. There are a few trekking guides there who can take on day trips of hiking or motorbiking, or multi-day treks. Similarly, a few stops down the track is Hsipaw, which is similarly beautiful but has an overcrowded tourism industry. The next main stop past Hsipaw is Lashio, but the most beautiful part of the train journey, as you wind along the river, passing a couple beautiful waterfalls.

By Plane

You can fly to/from Mandalay, Tachileik, Yangon, Heho (Inle / Kalaw), or nearly anywhere in country. Lashio airport is an old military airstrip, as are almost all airports in Myanmar aside from Yangon and Mandalay. It is a typical small Myanmar airport, as it is just a concrete small building with a few wood benches in a middle of nowhere. No computer or internet or screen of departures or English signs or even a phone. There will be a few small shops selling some drinks and snacks. Someone will shout the name of the company you are flying with. Go there with your tickets printed or an email of your booking, and arrive at the airport earlier than you think.

Contact us for the latest flight schedule and price. Or you can check via some online platform such as SkyScanner.com or Kayak.com

Here you can find some tips to book the cheapest flight

By Private Taxi

At the bus stations or stops and at some travel agents or hotels, you can arrange a private taxi to Lashio. This allows flexibility to stop if you negotiate this into the price. This is more expensive than bus or train, but is also more comfortable and convenient. If you want to ensure that the taxi is all yours, you need to pay for all the seats, otherwise they will want to fill it with other people.

Get around

There are light trucks or 3 wheelers that can be hired for a negotiated price. A more expensive option would be to hire a taxi.

From downtown, by the market, there are line cars going North towards the airport, and up by the hospital they go towards the train station. The price for the line cars is about 200 MMK each way, which is very cheap.