Mawlamyaing is connected to Yangon by daily trains (around 7 hours on the overnight service, which arrives conveniently in the morning) and by frequent buses (5–6 hours on the express). The train is the more atmospheric option; the sleeper carriages are basic but functional. Buses depart from and arrive at Highway Bus Station near the northern edge of town.
There is no passenger airport serving the city at present. From Yangon, the drive south on the main highway takes around 4 hours; the road is good by Myanmar standards. A bridge across the Thanlwin connects to Kayin State for onward travel south toward Dawei, though that road gets rougher.