Tour & Activity Scams in Bagan, Myanmar
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities scams reported in Bagan — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Lombok, Palawan, and Mandalay.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
2
Tour & Activities Scams
8
Total in Bagan
How it works
Self-appointed guides approach tourists near Ananda Temple, Shwezigon Pagoda, and the Nyaung-U market area, offering free historical commentary or assistance finding hidden temples. These guides route visitors through lacquerware workshops, jade shops, and puppet workshops where they receive commission, and visitors feel obligated to purchase after a personal tour. Guides may insist that certain small temples require a guide by temple rules, which is false.
How it works
Several temples and purpose-built viewing mounds in the Bagan plain charge entry fees for sunset viewing that are either unofficial, significantly above the nominal amounts, or collected by individuals without any authority to charge them. Some locals position themselves at well-known sunset temples and collect "entry fees" that do not go to any official authority.
See all scams in Bagan
8 total warnings across all categories