Pyin Oo Lwin is about 69 km northeast of Mandalay by road — a journey of around two hours by car or taxi. Shared taxis from Mandalay's central market run frequently and are cheap; they fill up and leave throughout the morning. Local buses also make the run but take longer and are less comfortable.
The road climbs from the hot Mandalay plains up into the Shan Hills through a series of switchbacks, with views opening up as the temperature drops. There is also a narrow-gauge rail line from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin, but the train is much slower and serves mainly as a novelty.