To begin with this exciting trip, you must leave from the starting point of Mandalay at around 6 pm in the evening. Why so early? The reason why is to catch the train from Pyin Oo Lwin to Hsipaw which departs at around 8:25 am in the morning. Of course! You can ask the hotel to arrange the transportation for you and be picked up at your home or at the hotel, or there is also a station at the corner of the 35th and 80th Streets. It will only cost 6,500 Kyats per person with a van type car. The travel time from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin will take around 2 hours. When you get to the train station, you can buy your ticket and have some breakfast while waiting for the train.
The train will leave at around 8:25 am in the morning and it will cost only 1,600 Kyats to enjoy the amenities and comfort ride of the Upper Class. The route has 4 stops which includes the famous Go Teik viaduct and train bridge located between Naung Pain and Naung Cho. Go Teik provides the unforgettable and scenic photo opportunities for the countless selfies and landscape shots while on or off the train. The ride is actually very comfortable and you can also choose where and when you want to get off depending on your destination and overall itinerary. If Hsipaw is your ultimate destination, you will get there at around 3 pm in the afternoon. Another option would be if you get off at the Naung Pain stop and travel by car instead taking the train directly to Hsipaw. This option will save you one and a half hours off from the travel time which means you will get to Hsipaw by 1:30 pm in the afternoon.