Best of Myanmar - 10 days

Min ga la ba! Welcome to Myanmar. You will be met at the Yangon International Airport and transfer to your hotel.

The journey begins with an afternoon tour through the colonial-style city center of Yangon as you may visit some of Yangon’s highlights – the Chauk That Gyi pagoda, followed by Botathaung Pagoda and its magnificent reclining Buddha relics, located nearby Yangon River.

When night falls, you may enjoy the sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda, a gleaming bell dome structure that dominates the city’s skyline. Legends state that the sacred hairs of the Buddha are enshrined here. The Shwedagon is an iconic symbol of the country, a sight not to be missed.

Meals: Nil

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

After breakfast, you will head to the airport for a flight to Bagan, the first and most beautiful capital of the Burmese, founded in the eleventh century.

Your journey will start at Shwezigon Pagoda, a prototype of the Burma style of stupas. In the afternoon, you will visit Ananda Temple, a masterpiece of Mon architecture with four standing Buddha statues, and an adjacent brick monastery with well-preserved murals. Your next destination is Thatbyinnyu Temple, the tallest building in the complex, measuring 61m and Dhammayangyi Temple, the largest of all of Bagan’s many temples. Here, let’s climb up one of the monuments to enjoy sunset above Bagan plain and Ayeyarwady River.

For your crafty knowledge, you may take an en route to visit the traditional manufacture of unique Bagan lacquer ware and watch a local artist doing sand painting.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

In the morning, there will be spared time for a quick visit in and around Bagan villages as you may experience an authentic local lifestyle.

Then, you continue to explore Nyaung U and the neighboring villages, where you may further your understanding upon traditional livelihoods. Afterwards, you will stop by the colorful Nyaung U market and observe the daily busy life of local people. Perhaps you would like to pick up some gifts for those at home.

In the afternoon, you will head to Nyaung U Airport for the flight to Heho, reaching Inle Lake. Upon arrival, you will take a drive to Inle Lake descending through a valley with views of the Shan mountains and rice fields.

Then, let’s embark on an afternoon exploration in Inle Lake, whereas you may indulge in the picturesque sights of fishermen who balance and row with one leg, a technique unique to the Inn Thar minority group.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

During your journey, don’t forget to take a boat ride around the villages floating gardens to see In Tha fishermen doing their unique leg-rowing and fishing or visit Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, the main sanctuary by the lake, which houses 5 sacred Buddha images.

Besides from the floating life, you may get close to a variety of traditional handicraft workshops such as cheroot-making, blacksmithing, and silk-weaving from lotus stems.

Then, you will visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries on the lake, with dozens of ancient Buddha statues.
Nearby, the Red Mountain Estate is another great place to tour. Herein, the vineyard situated right on the side of mountain, where you cna taste some of Myanmar’s premiere wines and observe the different aging methods used in their cellar cave.

In the afternoon, you will embark on an exploration by boat around Inle Lake, with floating islands and gardens made from the tangled roots of water hyacinth plants and reeds.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

After breakfast, you will visit Nyaung Shwe, a lake town on Inle Lake and Nyaung Shwe “Mingalar” Market, the town’s permanent, daily market opening from morning to late afternoon. Thankfully, it remains authentic and traditional, a good place to bargain for all manner of goods.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Mandalay.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

Today, you will look around Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar and last capital of Myanmar Kings. A short drive will bring you to the temples and small pagodas of the former ancient capital Amarapura (Sanscrit for “Beautiful town“). Here, you can walk over the world’s longest teak wood bridge, U-Bein Bridge.

Next, head to Mandalay, visiting Mahamuni Pagoda, home to Mandalay’s holiest Buddha statue, whereas you can see the stone-carving and gold leaf being beaten into wafer thin pieces.

Later in the morning, you will check-in and rest at the hotel.

In the afternoon, your journey will continue at Shwenandaw Monastery, an ancient wooden building with intricate carvings. Then, you will see the ‘world’s largest book’, the Buddhist Scriptures inscribed on marble slabs, at Kuthodaw Pagoda.

Afterwards, let’s head to Kyaukdawgyi Pagoda to see a large Buddha statue carved out of a single block of local marble. You may wrap up your day by spectacular sunset views from Mandalay Hill, where the magnificent glass-studded lie.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

After breakfast, you will take a morning boat trip to Mingun, site of a brick pagoda towering 50 m above the Ayeyarwady River, and home to the world’s largest intact bell.

The boat trip may present you with all interesting types of wooden boats and bamboo rafts, carrying goods up and down the river. As you cross the Ava Bridge, built by British engineers, you may visit picturesque Sagaing Hill, which is perhaps the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. Hillsides are dotted with numerous pagodas and monasteries.

Then, the journey will continue at Kaunghmudaw Pagoda, with its huge egg-shaped dome. Later on, let’s take the local ferry to visit Innwa (Ava), located on an island between the Ayeyarwady and Myitnge Rivers. You will travel by horse cart and pass through the ancient city walls to visit a brick and stucco monastery called Maha Aungmye Bonzan (also known as Ok Kyaung).

As reaching Nanmyin Watch Tower, you should climb to the top and see its great views over the river. Also, you may visit the impressive wooden monastery of Bagaya Kyaung before heading back to Mandalay in the early evening.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

After breakfast, you will head to Mandalay Airport for a flight to Yangon.
From there, you then drive directly to Kyaikhto, where you may travel through the delta and over the Sittaung River to Mt. Kyaikhtiyo.

Upon arrival at Kyaikhtiyo, your vehicle will stop at Kinpun base camp as from here you can take a truck up the steep track toward “Yathae Hill”.

Then, let’s hike for around 1 hour to the summit, where the Golden Rock awaits. Those who are unable to travel on foot, or prefer not to walk, you are suggested to using porters and palanquins to reach the top.

The Golden Rock is a gilded boulder perched precariously on the edge of a hill over 3,615 feet above sea level. There are many legends about the pagoda, and Nat (Spirit Gods) shrines dot the path from the base to the peak. There is a popular belief that a person gains in wealth every time he climbs the hill.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

After breakfast, you can walk down Yathe hill and take the open truck back to Kinpun Base camp. From there, a private vehicle will be waiting and take you back to Yangon.

You may stop en route at Bago, the ancient Mon Capital, 80 km Northeastern to Yangon. Its famous Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda, at 114m tall, is even higher than Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and worth paying a visit. Also, it is Bago’s most outstanding religious monument.

You can also observe the Shwethalyaung Buddha and the four massive seated Buddha statues at Kyaikpun Pagoda. Your final destination may be the Allied War Cemetery in Taukkyan – the final resting place of thousands of Allied Soldiers who perished during the World War II campaign in Myanmar.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: There are 3 hotel ranges for your selection, please scroll down.

You will have breakfast in Yangon and enjoy some last-minute shopping before catching your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast