Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park National Park

Address: Sagaing Region, Myanmar (approx. 23.6 N, 95.5333333 E)

Hours: Daylight hours for park access; specific zones may have seasonal closures

Admission: Entry fee may apply for park permits (varies)

Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park is a protected forest area in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, named for the Buddhist hermit Alaungdaw Kathapa. It combines natural forest and a religious shrine that is the focus of local pilgrimage.

The park contains forested hills, walking trails and the hilltop shrine that draws visitors during the cool-season pilgrimage period. Trails through mixed forest provide wildlife and birdwatching opportunities and access to the shrine area.

The area is best known as a long-standing local pilgrimage destination associated with the Alaungdaw Kathapa shrine, later incorporated within a protected landscape to conserve the surrounding forest. Management aims to balance religious visitation with conservation of forest habitats.

Located within Sagaing Region in northern-central Myanmar, the protected area sits in forested hill country rather than on a coastal plain. Access is by road from regional towns and via marked footpaths to the shrine.

• Pilgrimage season: The main pilgrimage season takes place in the cool months each year, when many visitors follow forest trails to the shrine.

What to See#

• Alaungdaw Kathapa shrine: A hilltop Buddhist shrine and associated trails that form the focal point for pilgrimages; the shrine sits within the forested protected area and is reached by seasonal footpaths.

Access is by road from nearby towns in Sagaing Region; the park’s headquarters can be reached by 4x4 vehicles and sometimes by small-group transport arranged in Mandalay or Sagaing. Arrange permits and local guides in advance.

• Permits are required for overnight treks - arrange through local park authorities or licensed guides.
• Use a local guide: the park spans remote forest and seasonal tracks that are difficult to navigate alone.
• Bring insect protection during the wet season; the park's jungles are biologically dense and humid.