Bagan weather

Sunset over Bagan plain.

Bagan is an ancient city and the UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located in the Eastern bank of Irrawaddy River. Bagan is always in must – see list of any traveler when visiting Myanmar. One of key factors to enjoy the trip is weather. Most of travelers often ask when the best time to visit Bagan is? This article will share some information about weather in Bagan, so you can plan your best trip to Bagan.

1. Overview

Bagan is located in middle of the dry zone, so its weather is generally hotter than other areas such as Yangon, Inle Lake or Ngapali. Like other parts in Myanmar, Bagan has no distinct winter. The annual average temperature is 26.9 °C. The highest temperatures drop in April, at around 40°C. The lowest average temperatures in the year occur in January, when it is around 21.7 °C.
Sheltered from the rain by the Rakhine Yoma mountain range in the west, Bagan receives less rainfalls than the coastal regions of the country. The least amount of rainfall occurs in January with precipitation of few mm. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in July, with an average of 279 mm
Bagan has some  humid months, and slightly dry months in the opposite season. The least humid month is March (52%), and the most humid months are July & August (approximate 80%).
Wind in Bagan is usually extremely calm. The windiest month is July, followed by June and May. July’s average wind speed is around 5.4 km/h.

Located in dry zone, Bagan has hotter weather than other parts of the country.

2. Bagan Weather by months

January

It is the coolest month in year. Most of days in month are sunny. The highest temperature is usually 32°C and the lowest temperature is about 8°C.

February

It is also dry but little bit hotter than January. The average temperature in the daytime is around 35°C and will drop to 16°C in the evening.
February is relatively dry with almost no rain. With few rainy days and comfortable temperatures, February is definitely the most suitable time for all kinds of outdoor activities.

March

Clear sky of Bagan in March

March in Bagan marks the beginning of the hot season. The weather is extremely hot and dry. The highest temperature can reach 40°C and the lowest temperature is 20°C.
Rain mostly does not appear. Average precipitation is 2.2 mm for just a day in month.

April

The highest temperature is around 41°C and the lowest is about 31°C. It is the hottest month for both daytime and night.
There are 27 sunny days and rainfall is about 26.8 mm.

May

The weather is still hot with an average temperature of 37°C in day time. By the end of the month, temperatures are slightly cooler, as breezes and rain showers come.
Rain falls for 12 days with precipitation of 138 mm. Rain tends to fall in the afternoon.

June

Average day and night temperatures are 37°C and 26°C.
Rainfall continues to increase, with total rainfall is 273mm and number of rainy days is 17.

July

July in Bagan is also cloudy, rainy, hot and humid. The average temperature is 35°C with an average daytime temperature of 37°C, making it hard to enjoy outdoor visits.
Average precipitation is practically the same as Jun – 278mm. Rain falls for 18 days.

Stunning view of Bagan from Aureum Palace Hotel

August

Temperatures are as high as in July, with average temperature of 34°C, and a peak of around 38°C.
Rainfall reaches 261mm within 19 days in month. The weather is hot and rainy all the time, making travel difficult.

Flying over Bagan temples by hot air balloons

September

The average temperature in September is 33°C, as hot as in August.
Rainfall drops to 221mm. Most days are cloudy and rainy, but you can expect some sunny days. Outdoor visits can be arranged according to the actual weather conditions.

October

October weather in Bagan is still rainy, hot and humid, as in September. Average temperatures hover around 32°C. The highest day temperature is 36°C and the lowest is 22°C.

November

November is undoubtedly a great time to visit Bagan, with pleasant temperatures and nice weather. It’s cooler both day and night time, with average daytime and nighttime temperatures of 33°C and 20°C.
Rainfall decreases considerably to only 49mm. Number of rainy days is 4.

December

December is one of the best months for travel in Bagan, with cool temperature and dry weather. Rain falls for just 1 day with precipitation of 9mm. The average temperatures for the days and nights are around 30°C and 15°C

3. Bagan Travel Advisory

Best time to visit

The period from October to April of the next year is the best time to explore this ancient town. Highlights of Bagan are ancient pagodas and temples where there are no air conditions. In addition, they are in far distance that requires you to spend significant time and effort to explore. Cool and dry weather of this period is ideal to visit pagodas and enjoy interesting activities which the town offers as cycling, hot air balloon flight, boat trips…

What to bring

– Clothing:

+ Comfortable long pants for pagoda visits: preferably not jeans. Material should be easy – breathing, anti-stick and dry quickly.
+ Water-/light jacket: it is necessary for some chill morning/late evening out.
+ Shorts: for active activities as cooking class, cycling, hot air balloon, flight…
+ Sarong: Very important, to cover yourself up when visiting temples. If you forget to bring yours, buy a longyi in Myanmar, it’s their own version of a sarong.

– Others:

+ Hat/umbrella
+ Sun glasses and sun cream
+ Insect repellent
+ When visiting the temples in Bagan, you ‘d better wear sandals instead of shoes.( Visitors are required to take shoes off for entry, so sandals are much more convenient)