The monks were joined by a similar number of onlookers in their biggest demonstration so far.
Many gathered initially at the country's holiest shrine, the Shwedagon pagoda, in Rangoon, which has served as a traditional gathering place for anti-government protests, including the failed 1988 democratic uprising.
This week's marches have breathed new life into a protest movement that began when the junta raised fuel prices last month.
The protests reflect the simmering discontent with the repressive regime and have become the biggest challenge to the junta since the student demonstrations of December 1996.
Fears of a crackdown against the monks have been growing but a government spokesman today insisted it had no plans to use force.
"The Myanmar government will not declare a state of emergency. You can see the government handles the situation peacefully," the information ministry spokesman Ye Htut said.
Almost 1,000 monks, joined by thousands of civilians, marched through Rangoon yesterday and staged a protest at the Shwedagon pagoda.
The authorities showed uncharacteristic restraint in leaving them alone. On August 19, when protesters first took to the streets, some 200 people were arrested.
Angry at being beaten on a protest two weeks ago, the monks began their marches after the regime failed to apologise.
The government has accused pro-democracy activists of trying to provoke the monks into an uprising similar to that of 1988.
"The international community should see their hidden agenda and stop hailing them as democracy activists," Mr Htut said.
The UN special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, told the security council in New York yesterday that he planned to visit the country, but had yet to decide a date.
"Undoubtedly, the developments over the last few weeks in Myanmar have raised serious concerns in the international community and once again underscore the urgency to step up our efforts to find solutions to the challenges facing the country," he told the council, according to an account of the closed session.
