If you’re feeling fit and up for a workout, climb up the hundreds of stairs and many levels of temples to get to the top of Mandalay Hill. (There’s also a car road that can drive you up the backside) Take off your shoes when you start climbing or when you get dropped off the top, because the whole area is sacred to the locals. Sunset at Mandalay Hill is one of the top things to do in Mandalay.
I enjoyed climbing the stairs up because you get great views, and different views, of Mandalay at each section. Although the temples are not as impressive, the views of the city are better here than at the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
There are many old temples, seemingly abandoned or under renovation, that you can wander through. Not many people chose the option to climb all the way up, even just before sunset, so it feels like you have this massive temple complex all to yourself!