One of the most adventurous and genuinely off-the-beaten-track journeys I’ve ever done was travelling through northern Burma from Myitkyina to Mandalay, using a patchwork of river boats, trains and buses. Even by Myanmar standards, this felt remote – slow travel through places that, at the time, had barely registered on the tourism map. As travel becomes increasingly streamlined and predictable, experiences like this are becoming rare. Northern Burma offered something that’s now almost extinct: the feeling of moving through a place on its own terms, rather than on a tourist conveyor belt.
When you include the breathtaking views of the mountains, the chance to see the real local villages along the mighty Irrawaddy River, and the old echoes of the former colonial past, this is a truly a truly Wow travel experience and one that can easily be combined with a 2 weeks itinerary for the highlights of Burma.
I’ve listed more detailed tips below, but three key ones:
1. Is it dangerous? The north, like many other parts of Burma, has seen continued trouble in the the form of various low-level uprisings through to full-blown sustained armed conflict in the three states you’ll be passing through (Kachin, Shan and Sagaing). The danger level varies depending on the latest with the state of the country. As of 2026, it isn’t safe to visit. But things can change quickly.
2. The route can change. The ferry ride from Bhamo and Katha to Mandalay is one that seems to be consistently fine, but the bus / ferry route from Myitkyina to Bhamo seems often to be closed off. Obviously you need to check into this before you set off (I asked locals even in Yangon who were able to answer me very quickly), but even if you get stuck when you arrive you have options of the train from Myitkyina to Katha and exclude Bhamo, or just simply to fly.
3. Enjoy while you can! This part of Burma is still largely untouched by the growing tourism wave that has hit the 4 key tourist destinations in the rest of the country (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake). Enjoy it while you can!
