The town of Nyaungshwe comprises 8 wards, namely Kantha, Thasi, Nandawun, Myole, Win, Nangpang, Mingala, and Maineli.

The main street has numerous shops, several restaurants, a few stupas, travel agencies and a market (located behind the storefronts).

The town serves as a marina for the numerous long boats carrying tourists into the lake.

Nyaungshwe can be reached by bus, car, or by plane via the airport in Heho, located about a one-hour drive away.

Nearby in Shwenyaung there is a train station with services to the mainline at Thazi, where connections to Yangon and Mandalay exist.