Best of Myanmar

Upon arrival in Yangon, you will be met in the arrivals area by your local guide holding a name-board. After a warm welcome and brief introduction, take a private airport transfer to your hotel for assistance with check-in. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

After breakfast and at the appointed time you will meet your local guide for your transfer to the Yangon Airport for your morning flight to Bagan. On arrival at Nyaung Oo Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel that you will stay at for two nights. Refresh at the hotel and then head out for your day of sightseeing. The day is spent exploring the town including colourful Nyaung Oo Local Market & Shwedagon Pagoda. Today’s tour also includes Wetkyi-in Gubyaukkyi, a cave temple with exquisite jatakas mural paintings; the elegant Htilominlo Temple, noted for its plaster carvings; and Tharaba Gate. In the afternoon, visit Ananda, an architectural masterpiece of an early-style temple, Ananda Okkyaung which is one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period, and Thatbyinnyu, the highest in Bagan rising to 61m as well as the Dhammayangyi Temple. Enjoy sunset at one of the most famous temples in Bagan.

After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano and which is the abode of Nats (Spirits). On top of the mountain, there are monasteries, pagodas and shrines in different styles. In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the countryside village of Minnanthu. Also today, visit some of the most interesting temples in the area such as Payathonzu, Lemyethnar, Sinbyushin, Nandaminnya and Minnanthu monastery. This evening, enjoy a horse cart ride to explore the nearby villages and interact with the locals.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport for your flight to Mandalay. On arrival, meet and transfer to the city for a city tour. Visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, famous for its venerable statue of Buddha covered with gold leaf, see local artisan workshops (woodcarving, marble masonry, tapestry, and gold leaf), and then visit the Shwe Inn Bin Monastery and the local market of Zegyo.

Enjoy a morning excursion to Amarapura and visit the Mahagandayone Monastery where more than one thousand monks live and study. Then, visit the U Bein Bridge across Taungthaman Lake (the world’s longest teakwood bridge). In the afternoon, visit the Golden Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite woodcarving, the Atumashi Monastery, and the Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures, known as the world’s biggest book. This evening, watch the sunset from Mandalay Hill.

This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Heho in Shan State. On arrival at Heho airport, meet and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Inle Lake is famous for its Inthas (native lake-dwellers) who have a unique way of rowing with their legs. Your tour by private boat includes a chance to see the leg-rowing fishermen, and the man-made floating gardens (hydroponic aquaculture) built up from the strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Also today, visit the traditional lotus and silk weaving village, the cheroot Burmese mild cigar cottage industry, the traditional boat making village, and the Nga Hpe Chaung monastery.

This morning visit a floating village at Ywama (the lake’s downtown) where a floating market is held every 5 days to observe local colorful tribes buying and selling. Continue to visit the traditional silversmith village, and the five Buddha images of Phaung Daw Oo Monastery, the holiest in Inle Lake where the Buddha images have been covered in so much gold they look like balls of solid gold. Afterwards, return to your hotel for the afternoon at your leisure.

In the morning transfer to Nyaung Shwe jetty by private boat and then enjoy a scenic drive to Heho Airport for your flight to Yangon. On arrival, transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon enjoy some time for shopping at Bogyok Aung San (Scott) Market, the city’s busiest and liveliest bazaar. Continue exploring Yangon as you visit the Botataung Pagoda, China town and the fruit market.

This morning visit the Chaukhtatkyi Reclining Buddha and have a photo stop to see the Karaweik Royal Barge on Kandawgyi Royal Lake. Afterwards, transfer to Yangon Airport for your departure flight.