Sagaing Hill, across the Irrawaddy River about 21 km southwest of Mandalay, is covered with more than 500 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries tucked into forested slopes and terraces. It is an extraordinary concentration of religious architecture spread across a hill perhaps 1.5 km wide — approaching from the river, it looks like a single giant complex, with white-and-gold spires emerging from the trees in every direction.
The most celebrated viewpoint is Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, looking back across the Shan Hills. Getting to Sagaing involves crossing the Sagaing Bridge over the Irrawaddy; most visitors combine it with Inwa and Amarapura (site of U Bein Bridge) in a half-day excursion. Hiring a driver or motorbike for the day is the most convenient approach.