Myanmar sampler

Min-ga-la-ba and welcome to the golden land of Myanmar—a country known for its thousands of golden temples, ethnically diverse population, and mysterious landscapes. Your tour begins in the cultural heart of the country, the poetic Mandalay. Our driver will bring you to your hotel for check-in before proceeding on a city tour to get acquainted with its most famous sites.

Start at the Royal Palace of Shwenandaw and its monastery, built almost exclusively with gorgeous teak wood. Continue on 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 late 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.

Head back to the hotel and enjoy a free evening.

Accommodation: Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort

Discover the ancient capitals of Mandalay today on a full day tour to Ava, Sagaing, and Amarapura.

In Ava, the capital of Myanmar from the 14th to 18th century, take a  horse-cart ride and admire the scattered ruins and pretty countryside at a slow and quiet pace,  stopping at Bagaya Kyaung, a teak monastery famous for its detailed wood carving and the formal royal monastery of Maha Aungmye Bonzan before heading on to the second place, Sagaing. 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 1.2 km long and the longest teak bridge in the entire world.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort

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, stop in the small village of Lekkapin and learn how to create the jute hat and observe the simple way of village life. 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. Transfer to your resort just in time to catch the sunset.

 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 Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort

After breakfast, get acquainted with the rich history of Myanmar’s jewel, Bagan. Built between the 11^th and 12^th 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 Shwezigon 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 your 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

Accommodation: Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort

Transfer to Nyaung U Airport for a 40-minute flight to Heho, a small town located in the Shan State. Drive to the gorgeous highland area of 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.

Take a boat tour and pass by villages inhabited by local people with houses built on stilts and floating gardens before reaching Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, well-known for not only its Shan-styled Buddha statues but also the resident cats who have been trained to do various tricks. Stop by Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main shrine, before visiting a cheroot workshop where Burmese cigars are rolled out by hand.

Check into the Inle Resort and Spa in the afternoon and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Villa Inle Resort & Spa

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. To learn more about village life, visit the morning market in Indein Village to get a first-hand look into daily life and work in the area.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Villa Inle Resort & Spa

Transfer to Heho airport this morning for the one-hour flight to Yangon. Although Yangon is no longer the capital, it is still the most influential city in the country.

Visit Sule Pagoda, dated at 2,600 years old and said to have been built during the Buddha’s lifetime, and

Kandawgyi Park, known to be one of the greenest spots in the entire city. There are excellent views to be had of the Karaweik Palace, a glittering replica of the Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge which was used by Burmese kings of old to travel around the kingdom. Enjoy the vast lake with views of Shwedagon Pagoda in the background. The tour’s final stop arrives just in time to catch the glorious sunset at the 2,000-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most significant religious sites in the entirety of Myanmar.”

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon

Your day is free to discover the city and snatch up those last-minute souvenirs before returning to Yangon Airport for onward booked travel arrangements.

Meals: Breakfast