Pathein: See
1 Shwemokhtaw Pagoda. The main sight of Pathein is this Buddhist temple founded (according to local legend) by King Asoka of India in 305 BCE. Bagan's King Alaungsithu raised the height of the stupa to 11 m in 1115 CE, and King Samodogossa raised it to 40 m in 1263. The stupa is now 46.6 m tall, with the topmost layer made of 6.3 kg of solid gold, the middle tier of pure silver, and the third tier of bronze, with some 829 diamonds, 843 rubies and 1,588 semi-precious stones.
2 St. Peters Cathedral, Maxwell Rd. 06:00-18:00. The cathedral was built in 1872 and sits in a Catholic educational compound. Free.
3 Harbour. Go to the harbour and watch the hustle and bustle of stevedores loading ferries and passengers transiting from the ferry terminals. Many of the town's historic buildings are also located along the waterfront.
There are a number of small umbrella workshops, which have been operating for more than 200 years. The umbrellas are hand painted and are very cheap to buy (a few US dollars each). The waterproofing for the umbrellas must dry in the sun for several days, though, so there is little to see here during the rainy season, but they will show you the shop.
Cultural Museum of the Ayerwaddy Delta, Mahabandoola Road (On the lefthand side heading towards the waterfront). 10:00-16:30. The small museum houses and displays local handicrafts along with artefacts of the region. 2,000 kyat foreigners, 200 kyat if resident with FRC card.