Naypyidaw: Planetarium, Gardens and Culture

Naypyidaw offers different themes to consider when planning a trip: the planetarium explores planets, the Moon and Earth, while museums focus on the country’s history and culture. Gardens, fountains, wildlife and striking buildings round out the range of options. You can choose what to explore based on your interests, rather than treating the places as attractions of the same kind.

Planetarium, History and Culture

The planetarium in Nay Pyi Taw features exhibits about planets, the Moon and Earth, as well as audiovisual presentations. It offers several ways to explore the subject of space: the exhibits focus on specific celestial bodies, while the presentations add moving images and sound. When planning your trip, it offers a different theme from the historical focus of the museums.

The Defence Services Museum in Zeyathiri Township is devoted to Myanmar’s independence struggles and historic battles. The history of the armed forces since their founding in 1945 is also among its themes. If you are interested in this history, you will find a different focus here than at the planetarium: the emphasis is on national conflicts and the development of the armed forces, rather than planets and Earth.

The National Museum spans five buildings. These include a mini-theatre, VIP reception rooms, an exhibition room for gifts from the President, and other exhibition areas. At 54 metres tall, the Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda is a landmark you can visit in Naypyidaw. The museum and pagoda represent two different options: various kinds of exhibition spaces on the one hand, and a single striking building on the other.

Gardens, Fountains and Wildlife

The Water Fountain Garden features a distinctive combination of ponds and fountains: one main pond with three fountains, as well as eleven small ponds with 13 different types of fountains. The numbers describe different features of the grounds and give you a concrete picture of what makes the garden distinctive. Its focus is on the design of water features, not museum exhibits or history.

The National Landmark Garden displays scale models of well-known attractions from different parts of Myanmar. These include the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Ngapali Beach in Rakhine State and Inlay Lake in Shan State. The examples range from a pagoda to a beach and a lake. If you would like an overview of the country’s diverse landmarks, you can explore these models as a distinct kind of discovery.

White Elephants House is a park at the foot of Uppatasanti Pagoda. Local tradition holds that elephants bring good luck, peace and prosperity. This significance comes from local tradition; it differs from the exhibits and buildings that take centre stage elsewhere. Your travel options can therefore include a cultural connection to wildlife alongside architecture and history.

The Zoological Garden is located near the old Yangon-Mandalay Highway. It covers about 500 acres and is home to 430 animals from 81 species, including native and foreign animals such as penguins and kangaroos. Its size and the figures for animals and species convey a different scale from that of the individual gardens. When choosing a theme, you can clearly distinguish wildlife from the fountain gardens.

Choosing the Right Trip Idea

If you are travelling with children, choosing activities based on interests can make planning clearer: space, history, exhibitions, gardens and animals offer different themes to consider. This does not mean you need to follow a set order for your days; you can focus on the interests you want to shape your trip. When looking for a holiday apartment, this choice of theme is also a useful first step: it helps you refine your trip idea without turning the different places into a single sightseeing itinerary.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Begon, Thabyegon, Thayetkon, (Ainggye).

Back to the main travel overview: Naypyitaw Union Territory.