Highlights of Myanmar

Your tour will begin in the former capital city of Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon when the country was called Burma due to its recent British colonial history. Visit Sule Pagoda, Kandawgyi Park, Karaweik Palace, and sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda. One of the most significant religious sites in the entirety of Myanmar, there will be no doubt in your mind as to why Myanmar is referred to as “the golden land”.

Your guide can help you select dinner from many of the makeshift food markets that shoot up each evening around the pagoda before your transfer back to the hotel for a restful night’s sleep.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon

Rise and shine to your first full Burmese day! Enjoy a classic breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the busy streets of India Town in the downtown area of Yangon to take an excellent insight into everyday life in Myanmar’s most populated city.

Just a short distance from Little India is the Yangon Central Train Station, where we will board the famous circle line commuter train to experience a real-life look into the daily life of the inhabitants of Yangon. Though the roundtrip journey takes 3 hours, we will only be riding for 45 minutes to the district of Hledan, where we disembark and continue to Chaukhtatgyi Paya, home to a 70-meter-long reclining Buddha. Chaukhtatgyi Paya provides a great insight on local Buddhism with its many beautiful painted frescoes adorning the walls to illustrate the stories of Buddha.

Lunch at local restaurant before taking a 2-hour gentle walking tour the historic downtown, passing by the post office, Strand Hotel, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon

With a morning flight, the tour proceeds to Mandalay. Filled with Buddhist monasteries, exotic temples and glittering pagodas, it’s easy to see why Rudyard Kipling had so much to write about in his iconic poems.

The tour today will take you to visit the most famous sites within the city, such as the Royal Palace of Shwe Nan Daw and its monastery, built almost exclusively with gorgeous teak wood.

Following a short break to freshen up at the hotel and have lunch, the tour will proceed to the foot of Mandalay Hill to visit Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the world’s largest book, a set of Buddhist scriptures inscribed on huge stone tablets! The afternoon will be well-spent to wander freely amongst the many shimmering gold pagodas and temples on the hill before enjoying a stunning panoramic sunset.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: The Link 78 Mandalay Boutique Hotel

Rise and shine for a big breakfast before leaving the hotel to discover the ancient capitals of Myanmar on this full day tour.

Our first stop is Ava, the capital of Myanmar from the 14th to 18th century. Step into a horse-cart and admire the scattered ruins and pretty countryside at a slow and quiet pace. We will make stops at Bagaya Kyaung, a teak monastery famous for its detailed wood carving and the formal royal monastery of Maha Aungmye Bonzan before heading back to the car to continue our journey.

Sagaing is the second former capital we will visit today, and is situated across the Irrawaddy River. Known to many as the living center of Buddhism, the city contains 600 white-colored pagodas and monasteries, with over 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers. Listen to the chimes of bells as they echo across the town and stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Amarapura, the Immortal City, served as the capital of Myanmar twice, from 1783-1821 and then again from 1842-1859. The city is also well-known for its workshops that spin beautiful handmade silk weavings. Amarapura houses two very famous sites within the city, Mahagandayon Monastery, where over 1,000 monks currently study and live, and the iconic U-Bein Bridge.

Over 200 years old and fashioned entirely out of teak, the bridge measures a staggering 1.2 km long and is the longest bridge of its kind in the world. Enjoy a stroll across the bridge and observe the comings and goings of the local people, or perhaps sit yourself in a small rowboat to watch the glorious sunset from a different vantage point.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: The Link 78 Mandalay Boutique Hotel

Set sail for Bagan in the morning and enjoy a lovely day cruising the Irrawaddy River and observing local life and the surrounding countryside.

Along the way, there is opportunity to stop in the small village of Lekkapin. Here, the inhabitants survive on agriculture and traditional hat making. Join in and learn how to create the jute hat and observe the simple way of village life.

Dine on board with a hearty lunch as you sunbathe and watch the world pass by. In the afternoon, there is a demonstration to learn and try on the traditional longyi clothing and thanatkha make-up, a type of powder used by women to protect their skin from the sun.

The boat will arrive to Bagan around 5 pm, where it is possible to enjoy the incredible sunset views before your transfer to the hotel for the evening.

Please note the Irrawaddy Cruise is only available between November and March. For travel occurring between April to October, the transfer will occur by flight or car.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Bagan Thande Hotel

After breakfast, get acquainted with the rich history of Myanmar’s jewel, Bagan. Built between the 11th and 12th century, this ancient city is now a fantastic archaeological site which rivals that of even Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.

The tour will take you to visit many important sites of Bagan, from the ancient Buddhist Shwedagon Pagoda to Gu Byauk Gyi Pagoda with its beautiful mural paintings. Afterwards, continue to one of the most well-known temples in Bagan, Ananda Temple, to view its magnificent architecture and stunning wall paintings. After a visit to Tharabar Gate, enjoy a local restaurant lunch before returning to the hotel to beat the midday heat.

After a refreshing rest, in the late afternoon we will visit Manuha and Dhammayangyi Temple to learn about the interesting part these temples played in Myanmar’s history before concluding our tour at Shwesandaw Pagoda for awe-inspiring sunset views.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Bagan Thande Hotel

Depart from the hotel this morning after breakfast and travel 1.5 hours south to the legendary Mount Popa, a monastery located at the top of an extinct volcano and revered by locals as the home to 37 spirits.

Along the way, make a short stop at a local lacquerware workshop to watch artists create the famous Bagan artwork.

Upon arrival to Mount Popa, options include climbing the 777 stairs to the top of the hill to explore the monastery, complete with its beautiful flowers, plants, and butterflies, or admiring the view from another vantage point easily accessible by car. Enjoy an early lunch with a view before heading back to Bagan, where your afternoon is free for leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Bagan Thande Hotel

Transfer to Nyaung U Airport for a 40-minute flight to Heho, a small town located in the Shan State. Upon arrival at Heho, your transport will drive just over one hour to the accommodation where we will be staying the next 3 nights.

Our tour today will take us out on to Inle Lake where it’s still possible to view the powerful image of fisherman gliding along the water with their unusual rowing techniques, casting glittering nets to find food.

Pass by villages inhabited by local people with the houses built on stilts and floating gardens before reaching Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, well-known for not only its shan style Buddha statues but also the resident cats who have been trained to do various tricks.

We will also stop by Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main shrine, before visiting a cheroot workshop where Burmese cigars are rolled out by hand.

Rest at a floating restaurant for lunch before returning to the hotel for an afternoon free for your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Amata Garden Resort

Wake up to a refreshing morning on Inle Lake and fill up on the delicious breakfast before taking the half day tour to Indein Village, home to the Pa O minority tribe and also one of five villages who host the weekly morning market.

Take a gentle walk through the village, following an old path that leads to a 13th-century monastery and ancient set of ruins peeking out throughout the jungle.

Stop by a workshop creating the ubiquitous Shan parasols, a favorite image often captured by photographers visiting the country, before heading to a local restaurant for lunch.

Return to hotel for an afternoon free for your leisure and relaxation.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Amata Garden Resort

Enjoy your last day in Inle Lake with a day free for leisure. Popular day-trips include visiting Nyaung Shwe, a sleepy little village filled with charming nunneries, local temples, and farming lands, and the Red Mountain Estate, one of the finest vineyards in all of Myanmar.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Amata Garden Resort

Transfer to Heho airport for a one-hour flight to Yangon. Your day is free to discover the city and snatch up those last-minute souvenirs before transferring to Yangon airport for onward travel.

Meals: Breakfast