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If you are considering going on a Yangon food tour in Myanmar then this blog answers all of the questions you might have such as what foods you’ll try, the length of the tour, the cost, the best company to use and more!
Yangon Food Tour
Going on a food tour in Yangon is easily one of the most popular things to do in Yangon. The huge selection of markets, street food, traditional restaurants, and tasty dishes make it an exciting cultural experience in one of Myanmar’s most vibrant cities.
Dan and I recently went on a Yangon food tour for ourselves and had a great time. We honestly think it is something everyone must do while visiting Yangon.
But, Yangon food tours don’t necessarily come cheap (by Southeast Asian standards) and not all tours are created equal.
In this blog we reveal everything you need to know before booking a Yangon food tour including prices, what you can expect to try, times, the best company, and more!
What is a Yangon Food Tour exactly?
Well, that’s an easy one! A Yangon food tour is essentially a walking tour where a guide will allow you to try some of the very best food Yangon has to offer!
In Yangon specifically, expect to explore markets and try street food as well as head to Chinatown where some of the best local restaurants in the whole city are located!
Why go on a food tour?
Personally, I love going on food tours in most countries I visit as I find them to be a great cultural tour that is both exciting and interesting (ending a tour with a full stomach is also a plus!) Some specific reasons to sign up for a Yangon food tour are:
Know what you’re eating
You don’t want to accidentally eat something like a pig eyeball do you? Well, that’s where a food tour comes in super handy!
Many of the best local places only have a menu available in Burmese and the staff will not speak English either. This makes knowing what to order and how much it costs nearly impossible if you ae not on a tour.
On a Yangon food tour, your guide will be able to translate the menus, tell you what ingredients are and ask any questions that you may have. This ensures you only eat what you want to try don’t end up trying something more than you bargained for.
Don’t get sick!
In Myanmar and most Asian countries, you need to be careful where you eat in order to prevent getting sick! Some places do not properly refrigerate food, sanitize dishes properly, or use water that is safe to drink.
For locals whose bodies have grown accustomed to the germs and bugs in the area, this isn’t an issue. But for a traveler, eating at the wrong place could wind you up sick in bed for a day or two, or worse, in the hospital!
To me, it isn’t wort the risk and on a Yangon food tour your guide will only take you to try food made at places that will not cause any health concerns.
Get experimental
And now that you know you won’t get sick you might as well get experiemental! With your guide by your side you will be encouraged to try food that may seem “weird” to you but is a delicacy in Myanmar. On a food tour, it is the perfect time to get outside of your comfort zone and try a few new things!
Try the best of the best
Food tours are meant to show you the best food out there! Your tour guide is a local who knows the best chefs, restaurants, and food dishes to try and will use that knowledge to help you.
Likely, you will find a couple places you absolutely love on your food tour and you will want to return again on your own!
Learn about Burmese food
A food tour isn’t all about eating though, it is also about learning! Learning about what foods are common for the locals to eat, what fruits and vegetables grow locally, how much food costs, and traditions surrounding food.
A Yangon food tour is a cultural tour that will allow you learn about the lifestyle of the Burmese people as it’s related to their food!
What kind of food will you try on the tour?
Well, that depends on you! The tour guide will
On our food tour we tried a variety of different things but some of the standouts were:
Pork Sticks
Basically a pork skewer. The kicker with this is that there is every part of the pig available except for just the meat. Daniel got a bit adventurous with this one and tried the pork ear.
I couldn’t quite get that experimental and stuck to just having some of the pork soup or the broth from the meat.
Durian
This huge fruit is very popular in Myanmar. Although the smell and texture were odd, the fruit is quite tasty being sweet (but not too sweet as many fruits.) There are tons of interesting fruits to try and while exploring the markets in Yangon you can try them all if you want!
Sugar Can Juice
This is such a yummy and sweet drink. A machine is used that
Fish Balls
I tried fish balls in Hong Kong once before and disliked them. But in Myanmar, the fish balls were just yum! They are essentially fish meat coated in a batter and deep fried. The balls were much smaller than the ones I tried in hon gong and made for a nice bite sized snack!
BBQ
We went to this restaurant where they had a huge selection of different skewers available that you could get cooked fresh on the BBQ. Dan and I choose a selection of about 10 skewers to share so we could try a variety fo different things. Some of our favorite were the veggies, squid, goat meat, and sweet chicken!
Tea Leaf Salad
Tea Leaf Salad is a traditional Burmese dish is one people tend to either love or hate. It is a salad in the sense that it is uncooked typically and includes a mixture of peanuts, corn, beans, veggies, and tea leaf paste. It is unique but very popular among locals. I personally love it!
Noodles and Rice Dishes
Of course in Myanmar there are tons of different noodle and rice dishes available to try! For me, I stayed away from trying these on the food tour as they are dishes I almost always order on my own. Although if this is what you want to try I’m sure the food tour will show you some great suggestions!
Myanmar Beer
I’m not sure all food tours include beer, but ours did and I was happy about that! Myanmar produces one kind of beer and it is quite tasty (and cheap!) Since it was a Friday night, it seemed only fitting that our tour ended with some Myanmar beers on 19th street (one of Yangon’s most popular streets for nightlife!)
Where will you go on a Yangon Food Tour?
A Yangon food tour will have you exploring downtown Yangon. Ours started at the downtown night markets where there was tons of fruit and street food available and ended at Chinatown. Expect to go to a handful of different places and walk a couple of kilometers exploring the city along the way!
How long is a Yangon Food Tour?
Most Yangon food tours are half-day food tours that run for about 3 hours.
The particular food tour Dan and I did,
I also really enjoyed doing the tour in the evening as it allowed me to spend the day exploring on my own and do the food tour for dinner. It is also a lot less hot in the evenings in Yangon which makes walking around a lot less sweaty and more enjoyable!
How much does a food tour in Yangon cost?
Prices really depend on the time of year you’re travelling, how many other people have also booked the tour, and the company you book through.
However, in general, expect to pay between $30-$50 USD per person.
*Food tour prices also include all of your food! So besides the tour and the guide, you will be getting fed which makes the price that much better!
Our Recommended Yangon Food Tour Operator
The company I went on my food tour with was called Myanmar Tours. Booking was easy, the tour ran on time and smoothly, our guide was friendly and knowledgable, and we even had some beers at the end!
Dan and I really enjoyed our food tour and would recommend Myanmar Tours to anyone looking to book their own Yangon food tour!
Overall, going on a Yangon food tour was a fun experience that I would recommend to anybody!
If you have any questions that I didn’t already answer in this blog feel free to leave a comment below – I will get back to you!
-Bailey
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Don’t forget travel insurance!
Travel insurance has saved us thousands of dollars over the years. World Nomads is a great company to use because they are affordable and cover many adventure activities that other companies don’t!
Thao Nguyen
Tuesday 22nd of October 2019
I would love to explore street food when I travel to a new country. I will have a trip to Yangon next month. Take note that. Thanks a lot
Maggie and Richard
Tuesday 26th of March 2019
We love to safely try the local foods when we travel. In Myanmar Tea Lef Salad was my favourite too!
Destinationless Travel
Wednesday 27th of March 2019
The tea leaf salad is so unique and so good!!! Is there anything else you'd reccomend we try while we are in Myanmar?