On foot
Distances in the tourist areas are not large and, provided you take it easy, you can walk almost anywhere. The pavements can be very crowded though, particularly on Anwaratha Road, so expect to be constantly bumped into and to have to negotiate your way across vendors selling everything from hot samosas and curry to screwdrivers and TV remote controls to jeans. Also be aware that a lot of the footpaths and sidewalks have large holes, mismatched pavers, or missing/unstable covers over drains. Walking on the footpath after dark can be treacherous, so either carry a torch or, like most locals, walk on the edge of the roadway which normally in a marginally better state of repair.
By Trishaw
Trishaws are scarce in the city centre and not permitted before 10AM but more readily available in the surrounding townships. Negotiate fares in advance but 100-200 kyats for a short ten minute ride, while higher than what locals would pay, is appropriate.
By taxi
The easiest way to get around the city is by taxi and Yangon is the city where Toyota cars come to live out the rest of their days. Plenty of old white Toyota Corolla taxis ply the streets and will pull over if you stick your hand out. Be warned that almost all taxis are in an appaling condition, they're old, dirty and run down. Don't expect aircon or seat belts that work. Genuine taxis have red license plates, carry a laminated green slip and a large-print taxi driver identification card on the dashboard of the car but all taxis are reliable. Be warned though that around lunch time and late at night it may be hard to hail one. Taxis are always available outside the bigger hotels, on Sule Pagoda Road outside Cafe Aroma, and, during the day, outside the Southern entrance to the Shwedagon Pagoda. Away from the city centre, for example near the budget hotels in Pazundaung Township, you may have to wait a bit before a taxi shows up and it may be easier to ask your hotel to call one for you. If you're travelling in the wee hours for example, to catch a 4AM train or flight, arrange one with your hotel the previous evening. You will always, at all hours, find a taxi outside the Central Hotel on Bogoyoke Aung San Road.It is customary to negotiate prices prior to the trip but, other than tacking on an informal tourist surcharge, you'll very rarely be cheated. Approximate fares as of June 2012 are: city centre to airport 4000 kyats to 6000 kyats; city centre to Shwedagon Pagoda 2500-3000 kyats; city centre to Pazundaung Township 2500 kyats; city centre to Aung San Suu Kyi's house 3000 kyats; city centre to Kandawgyi Lake area 3000 kyats; city centre to Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal 5000-6000 kyats; city centre to Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal 4000 kyats. Expect to pay more, sometimes twice as much, when it rains and late at nights.Most taxis will be only too happy to negotiate an hourly 3000 kyats or daily US$20-30 or longer rate. Taxis will take you anywhere and you can, in theory, hail a taxi and negotiate a trip to Pathein or Bago or other destinations at a much lower price than through a travel agency. See the Get out section below for sample fares. Update: As of July 2012, most taxis seem to charge a minimum fare of 2000 Kyat even for short trips. It seems like meters are never used, even when present, however the majority of taxis have parts of a meeting, not many seem to have a fully working meter installed.Note: There was a plan in place to introduce meters in Yangon taxis in 2008 and of March 2010 these were implemented into a large portion of Taxis but are rarely used. By 2012 the majority of taxis have the frame and cover of the meters, however the electronics appear to be missing
By train
While Yangon's circular train is not particularly useful for getting to tourist sights, it is a 'sight' by itself. US$1 passport required. Buy your ticket in a little office on platform seven. Train leaves from platform 4 or 7 several times a day. You choose clockwise or anti clockwise. Probably best just to take the next train to depart. They seem to expect you to be looking for the circular train so just those words will have people pointing you in the right direction. Prepare for three hours on a hard wooden seat. You are the entertainment from some passengers: and they are yours. Watch cherry sellers step on and off a moving train with a bowl of cherries on the head. This is not a train where you lean out the window space to shop. The shop pops in and out of your carriage before moving on to the next. Take a seat by the door space: the windows are low so you get a better view near the door.
Other Means
Foreigners on tourist visas are not permitted to self-drive in Myanmar. Motorbikes and bicycles are not permitted within Yangon although they are permitted elsewhere in the country.
By ship
A ferry crosses the river to Dallah see the Get out section below from the Pansodan Street Jetty.