Kalaw is surrounded by stunning green hills on all sides which presents a spectacular view. The town itself is pretty small with a bustling city centre and market with the best food joints in the town. Ethnic groups from the surrounding hills participate in this market once every five days. On these days, the market transcends into a bustling place where fresh local produce is sold and purchased.

Aung Chan Tha Zedi Pagoda is located in the city centre, which gleams in the daylight as it is covered in gold and silver-coloured glass. A 20-minute walk will take you to a temple with a 500-year old bamboo image of Buddha. You can climb up to the Thein Taung Paya Monastery to enjoy a panoramic view of the entire town.

Kalaw is mostly used as a destination to enjoy treks through the Shan Hills. These routes vary in difficulty level and take from half-a-day to several days in length. The most common trek involves travelling to Inle Lake, which takes 3 days to complete. If you are not much of a trekker, you can hire a motorbike from the market and ride around the winding roads.