Why go
Consider the river if watching the banks and approaching Bagan matter as much as the transfer itself. Small boats, riverside activity and shifting sandbanks can shape the view and passage, but none is a promised stop. Confirm that a suitable sailing operates, and check its route and timing before planning around it.
The full story
The Ayeyarwady links Mandalay with the plain around Bagan, so travelling by water changes the sense of distance between them. From the deck, the riverbanks become the main view: boats cross the channel, settlements and cultivated ground pass by, and the outline of Bagan's temples can mark the approach. Shallow stretches and shifting sandbanks can affect how a vessel navigates the route. This is an experience to choose for time on the river, not simply for reaching Bagan quickly. A river passage can occupy much of a day, but sailing times, stops and even service availability need checking for the date you travel. Check a current operator's route, departure point, arrival point and expected duration before committing a day. River conditions may change the plan, so leave the arrival day flexible and avoid tying it to a timed temple visit. If the boat does run, the payoff is the gradual transition from Mandalay's riverfront to Bagan's temple landscape.