Myanmar Tours and Travel

Day 1

Arrive at your convenience into Yangon – the capital city of Myanmar. It is well connected to Asia and Europe.

Day 2

• Explore Yangon and its fabulous mix of architecture and sites. The streets are filled with historical buildings many of which have a faded colonial charm not seen elsewhere in Asia. Learn about the fascinating history of the city as well as get a taste for the more modern side of the city.
• Check out the stunning Kandawgyi Lake, Reclining Buddha, and Temples.

Afternoon

• Visit the Martyr’s Mausoleum, housing Aung San – father of modern Burma – and containing the remains of various people including the former Secretary-General U Thant.
• In the late afternoon, set off to see the sunset at the breathtaking Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most beautiful sacred sites in all of Myanmar. The exterior of the stupa is plated with 8,688 solid gold slabs, its tip set with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, sapphires and topaz. A huge emerald sits in the middle to catch the first and last rays of the sun.

Day 3

• Drive to Naypyidaw, (367km), which takes around 5 hours on the expressway. On the way, we’ll make some stop for refreshment.

Afternoon

• Naypyidaw is the capital city of Myanmar. It is 7,054 square kilometres in size, roughly four and a half times the size of London, but its population is only 924,608 people. With 20-lane highways and wide streets designed for a future of expansion, the city seems like a ghost town.
• Explore the city and see buildings such as the seat of the government of Myanmar, the Union Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Presidential Palace, and official residences of government ministries and military.
• Similar in size to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the 99-meter tall Uppātasanti Pagoda houses a Buddha tooth relic and was completed in 2009.

Day 4

• Drive to Bagan, which will take around 4 hours. On the way, we will make some stops for refreshment and photos opportunities.

Afternoon

• City tour of Bagan, an ancient city steeped in history and home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, and ruins in the world.
• From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom. More than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains at that time, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive. We’ll visit a selection of them.
• We’ll head to the river for sunset.

Day 5

• Transfer to hot air ballooning (optional) for one of the best sunrises in Myanmar.
• Continue exploring Bagan will continue today. We’ll start by visiting a busy local market in Bagan.
• More than just temples, our tour aims to provide you with a great overview of Bagan’s history, culture and local lifestyles. That’s why we’ll continue by visiting villages near Bagan to view the real way of life for most Myanmar people.

Afternoon

• Visit to the traditional lacquer ware workshop to observe the production of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts.
• Continue to Ananda Temple, a 900-year-old architectural masterpiece and one of Bagan’s most beautiful temples. We’ll enjoy an unforgettable sunset over the plains from one of the elevated viewpoints.

Day 6

• Drive from Bagan to Kalaw (268km about 4-5hrs drive) a former British colonial town. On the way, we’ll stop at some local villages and sightseeing. Kalaw’s hill is 1300-meter above sea level.

Afternoon

• On the way to Kalaw, the scenery is beautiful. See paddy filed, local flowers filed, and meet with ethnic tribe.
• Kalaw feels like a high-altitude holiday resort – the air is cool, the atmosphere is calm and the tree-lined streets still contain a smattering of colonial-era architecture.

Day 7

• Visit the heart of Kalaw, its market, where villagers from the surrounding hills come to sell their produce.
• Visit the Hnee pagoda, in which you will find a 500-year-old bamboo Buddha.

Afternoon

• Full tour by private boat in Inle Lake. Visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most holy religious site in southern Shan State, and also check the local handicrafts, silk weaving, wooden handlooms and traditional blacksmith methods along the way.
• Visiting Inle Lake is not just about being on the water but also about discovering the Shan and Intha villages on the banks of the river. Pass the endless floating gardens, houses, monasteries built on stilts on the lake.
• Stop at Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery then proceed to Nampan village and see local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made) and canoe carving.

Day 8

• The boat tour will begin with a visit to the market, which rotates locations every five days and where hill tribe people dressed in colourful, traditional outfits barter for goods and produce.
• We continue our sightseeing in Inle Lake, manoeuvering by boat though long, scenic channels. Visit the fascinating village of Indein, with its complex of ancient shrines and stupas and walk though exotic colonnades of stairways and shop stalls.

Afternoon

• Visit the “long neck” tribal women and weaving and craft villages perched on stilts.
• See the lake’s unique “leg rowers” – the Intha people row standing up with one leg wrapped around an oar. It is a feast for the senses and a photographer’s dream.

Day 9

• Drive back to Yangon. It is a 8-9 hours-long drive, but there is the opportunity to stop at local villages for refreshment and photo opportunities.
• Tour concludes