Myanmar Discovery

Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport, you will be met by your local guide holding a name-board in the arrivals area. After a brief introduction, you will be transferred to your hotel for assistance with check-in. This evening, visit the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda.

Take a morning excursion to a little village across the river for a look of life in a small Burmese village. See bamboo homes, fish markets, tea shops, with dusty roads amid the greenery. Afterwards, take the ferry back to Yangon and visit the Botataung Pagoda, the famed landmark on Yangon’s waterfront where one can see Buddha's hair relic and the Pandodan Jetty to see people coming and going from either side of the Yangon River. Continue to the Sule Pagoda, and the Maha Bandoola Park and Independence Monument, located in the heart of the city. Later, visit the Bogyok Aung San (Scott) Market, the city’s busiest & liveliest bazaar. In the afternoon, see the Chaukhtatkyi Reclining Buddha and the Karaweik Royal Barge on the Kandawgyi Royal Lake, and then visit Chinatown and take a stroll through the fruit market.

Meet at the hotel after your breakfast and transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Bagan. On arrival at Bagan’s Nyaung Oo Airport, meet your guide depart for a tour of Bagan including the colourful Nyaung Oo Local Market, the Shwezigon Pagoda, and the cave temple of Wetkyi-in Gubyaukkyi. Afterwards, drive with your guide to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano, which is known as the abode of Nats (Spirits). The steps and path climb steeply up Mount Popa - an energetic climb rewarded by fabulous views from the top. To reach the top, you need to climb the 777 steps to the summit. Afterwards, check-in and have the evening at your leisure. Stay one night at Mount Popa.

After breakfast at the hotel, drive back to Bagan en route stopping to see local villages. On arrival in Bagan, check-in to your hotel. In the afternoon, depart on an excursion to the elegant Htilominlo Temple, noted for its plaster carvings, and the Tharaba Gate. More explorations of Bagan in the afternoon include visits to Ananda, an architectural masterpiece, the Ananda Okkyaung, one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period, Thatbyinnyu, the highest in Bagan rising to 61 meters, and the Dhammayangyi Temple, noted for its remarkable brickwork. This evening, enjoy a sunset view from one of Bagan’s notable temples.

Depart your hotel after breakfast and visit Myinkaba village to observe the process of traditional lacquer-ware, one of the best-known Myanmar handicrafts and a specialty of Bagan, and then visit Myinkaba Gubyaukkyi, an early period Pyu-style temple of Hindu influence. Next, stop at the Manuha and Nanpaya temples, and in the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the countryside village of Minnanthu. A visit to some of the most interesting temples such as Payathonzu, Lemyethnar, Sinbyushin, Nandaminnya and Minnanthu monastery are included during your full day tour. This evening, enjoy a horse cart ride to explore the nearby villages and interact with the locals.

Meet at your hotel in the morning for transportation to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. On arrival, meet your guide and, on the way to the city, visit the Maha Gandayone monastery in Amarapura, home to more than 1000 monks, and the Mahamuni Pagoda, famous for its venerable statue of Buddha covered with gold leaf. In the afternoon, sightseeing includes the 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. Later, enjoy a panoramic view of Mandalay from Mandalay Hill.

After breakfast, take a guided rickshaw tour to explore the roadside eateries and popular local restaurants showcasing typical Burmese cuisine and the morning routine. Afterwards, head to the jetty and travel by boat up the Ayeyarwady River to Mingun. Today’s tour highlights include Pahto-taw-gyi, the unfinished Mingun Pagoda, Mingun Bell, considered the largest ringing bell in the world, the unusual architecture of Myantheintan Pagoda and the delightful views of the Ayeyarwady River and its environs. In the afternoon, drive to visit the Shwe Inn Bin monastery and the U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest Teakwood Bridge -1208 meters long, with stops at local workshops specializing in bronze casting, gold leaf, wood and marble carving.

In the morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Heho in Shan State. On arrival, meet and continue by car enjoying a scenic drive to the small quiet town of Pindaya, 48 km north of Kalaw, to visit Pindaya Lake, and the Pindaya Cave, well-known for its thousands of Buddha images. Enjoy the scenic beauty of the countryside along the road to Pindaya through picturesque landscapes, and visit a bamboo umbrella workshop. Afterwards, drive to Kalaw, a hill town, once popular during the British colonial rule, where you will check-in to your hotel.

Enjoy breakfast and then meet your guide and drive approximately 45 minutes to the Magwe elephant camp. On arrival at the camp, you will be welcomed by the camp team and given an introduction to the project. Take a walk to the river and help the elephants bathe, and take some time to feed them before further exploration of the forested area. You will have the opportunity to see butterflies, birds and orchids around the conservation area. Guests can also take a short elephant ride, dependant on the weather conditions. Lunch will be served at the main camp. Guests are also welcome to help with planting regional trees from the camp’s nursery to participate in forest recovery efforts. Return to the main camp and then drive to Inle Lake where you will check-in to your hotel.

Take a full day tour of Inle Lake by private boat to see villages, the unique leg-rowers fishermen and the floating gardens, built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud, and then anchored with bamboo poles. Stop to see a silversmith factory, a silk weaving village, and other select handicraft villages and cottage industries before heading to the intriguing jumping cat monastery, and the most famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, where Buddha images have been covered in so much gold that they look like balls of solid gold.

This morning, visit Indein village, the hidden treasure of Inle Lake. Stop at the Shwe Indaing pagoda complex, newly open to International travelers, where you can see stupa ruins from the 13th century. On the way, enjoy the natural beauty of Myanmar passing by vegetable gardens, novice monks playing in the water, and water buffaloes and people among the paddy fields. After a nice stroll around the pagoda complex, walk back along the bamboo forest to the jetty to take the boat back to Inle Lake. In the afternoon, transfer to the Nyaung Shwe jetty by private boat and enjoy a scenic drive to Heho Airport for your flight to Yangon. On arrival, meet and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Meet at the hotel at the appointed time and transfer to the airport for your departure flight.