Day 1 Arrival Yangon
—- Hours arrive at Yangon airport in the morning. Meet with your guide at Yangon international Arrival Hall after clearing immigration and custom formalities. He or she will welcome you or your group with welcome signboard. Then transfer to your hotel for check-in (if early check-in is available). If early check-in is not available then drive through the Colonial Style Buildings downtown, the Chinatown area and the Indian quarter. Enjoy your photo stop at Sule Pagoda and City Hall.
In the afternoon, drive around the Kandawgyi Park and pass through the Karaweik Royal Barge. Then visit to the reclining Buddha at Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, is almost as large as the enormous figure in Bago Shwethalyaung. Enjoy sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda, the ‘heart’ of Buddhist Myanmar. The Pagoda is believed to be 2,500 years old and there are always full with many people praying and making offerings at Shwedagon and especially on Full Mon days and religious days. Accommodation at Hotel, Yangon.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 2 Yangon – Kyaiktiyo
Breakfast at hotel. In this early morning, drive out of Yangon to the ancient capital of Bago (Pegu), about 2 hours drive north east of Yangon. From Bago, drive through seemingly endless paddy fields to the small town of Kyaikto and on to the ‘base camp’ of Kinpun.
In the afternoon, take a local truck/bus up a bumpy track about half way up the mountain. (Private trucks are available at extra costs – please ask your guide to arrange). From here, walk up the path which climbs steeply to the legendary ‘Golden Rock’. (The climb takes around 1 hour and those unwilling, or not fit enough to walk can hire four porters to carry them in a sedan chair). The climb offers magnificent views over the surrounding countryside and the opportunity to make friends with the many local people who make the pilgrimage to Kyaiktiyo. The incredible ‘Golden Rock’ sits precariously on top of the mountain, and is said to balance thanks to a precisely placed hair of Buddha. Weather permitting, sunset views from Mount Kyaiktiyo are amazing. Accommodation at Hotel, Kyaikhtiyo.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3 Kyaiktiyo – Bago – Yangon
Breakfast at hotel. Early risers may enjoy returning to the Golden Rock; about 10 minutes walk from the Kyaikto Hotel or 60 minutes from the Golden Rock Hotel, to watch the sunrise. After breakfast, walk down the mountain and return by truck to your car/minibus, or alternatively walk all the way down to the base camp at Kinpun. Drive back to Bago and visit Shwemawdaw Pagoda, which has a stupa inlaid with diamonds and is Bago’s golden landmark. See Shwethalyaung Buddha, which dates from 994 and is revered throughout Myanmar as the most beautiful Reclining Buddha.
Just outside Bago, visit Kyaikpun Pagoda with four 30-meter high Buddha figures seated back to back. An optional visit is included on the way back to Yangon at the British War Cemetery near Htauk Kyan. Arrive Yangon in the evening and transfer to your hotel. Accommodation at Hotel, Yangon.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4 Yangon – Mandalay
Breakfast at hotel. This morning transfer to Yangon Airport for your domestic flight from Yangon to Mandalay. From the airport, start your Mandalay sightseeing tour with a visit to Mahamuni Pagoda, built by King Bodawpaya in 1784, The centrepiece of the shrine is the highly venerated Mahamuni buddha image, which was transported to Mandalay from Mrauk-U (Rakhine) in 1784. Continue visit to Marble Curving workshops and Gold Leaf Beating workshops. Then check-in to your hotel.
In the afternoon, visit Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace Monastery), an ancient wooden monastery. The building is covered inside and out with carved panels and which was apartment of King Mindon. Then visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda (also known as the Maha Lawka Marazein Pagoda), the pagoda complex has been dubbed ‘the world’s biggest book’, for standing around the central stupa are 729 marble slabs on which are inscribed the entire Tripitaka. Each slab is housed in its own individual small stupa. Continue to Kyaukdawgyi Pagoda, it is chiefly interesting for the hug seated Buddha image carved from a single block of marble. Enjoy Sunset at Mandlay Hill. Accommodation at Hotel, Mandalay.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5 Mandalay – Mingun – Mandalay
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, transfer to Mandalay jetty and enjoy boat trip (approx 45 minutes) to Mingun. If you’re lucky you may even spot a pod of rare Irrawaddy dolphins along the river. Arrive Mingun and sightseeing by Bullock-carts. Visit Mingun Bell, weighing 55,555 viss (90) tonnes and the largest hung uncracked bell in the world. Then Visit to Mingun Pagoda, built in 1790 by Bodawpaya with thousands of slaves and prisoners of war laboured. Then continue to Hsinbyume Pagoda (Also known as Myatheindan Pagoda), built byKing Bagyidaw in 1816 and this stupa was construed in memory of his senior wife, the Hsinpyume Princess.
In the afternoon, visit the newly renovated Mandalay Palace, See the old palace walls, the city gates with their crowning wooden pavilions and the surrounding moat which are still present an impressive scene of the Mandalay Palace. Also, visit the Cultural Museum in which you will see some remains of the last Myanmar throne inside the palace ground. Accommodation at Hotel, Mandalay.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6 Mandalay – Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) – Mandalay
Breakfast at hotel. this morning, drive Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), a former British Hill Station. The British legacy can be seen in many well-preserved colonial building dotted around town. Arrive Pyin Oo Lwin and visit to National Kandawgyi Gardens, which were laid out by Sir Harcourt Butler, the former governor of Burma – flower beds are similar to those you would find in an English country garden! The garden has recently been renovated and is now called “Kandawgyi National Botanical Garden”. You have your own cart to drive around the huge garden. You can stop and go for short walks, for example you can do the “jungle” walk, which leads you on a wooden path through rain forest trees.
In the afternoon, visit Pwe Kauk Waterfall and enjoy the countryside. Continue to drive to Peik Chin Myaung Waterfall and Caves, filled with Buddha images. This is a popular attraction for Myanmar tourists. Return back to Mandalay. Accommodation at Hotel, Mandalay.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7 Mandalay – Monywa
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, drive to Monywa, 136km northwest of Mandalay and situated on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River. Arrive Monywa and check into your hotel.
In the afternoon, take a local ferry across the Chindwin River and then drive to visit a sandstone cave system in the Po Win Hills, named after a famous ‘zawgyi’ (alchemist) who once lived here. The caves of Po Win Daung, numbering more than one hundred, are full of Buddhist statues and murals. Most exhibit the Innwa style but some may date from the 14th Century. Nearby, visit Shwe Ba Daung which features unique pavilions cut from the surrounding sandstone and filled with Buddha images. Also visit a village which main business is the extraction of copper. Accommodation at Hotel, Monywa.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8 Monywa – Pakkoku – Private Boat to Bagan
Breakfast at hotel. Early morning visit to the local market. Then visit Thanboddhay Pagoda, which is about 20 kilometers from Monywa. The richly decorated central stupa has no less than 845 smaller stupas around it. Inside the patio, you will see thousands of Buddha images (reportedly over 500,000) decorating every wall, archway and niche. The buildings in the compound have interesting jataka reliefs and there is a huge Reclining Buddha nearby. Then drive to Pakkoku, an unspoilt small town famous as a tobacco trading centre and for its weaving shops.
In the afternoon, visit this quiet village with a stroll through the main street. Later in the afternoon, take a Private Boat on the Ayeyarwady River down to Bagan hopefully in time to see the sunset over the many pagodas. Accommodation at Hotel, Bagan.
Meals included; Breakfast
Day 9 Bagan
Breakfast at hotel. This morning start your full day Bagan sightseeing tour with a visit to Nyaung Local Market. Then visit to see the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda, where the 37 pre-Buddhist ‘nets’ were first officially endorsed by the Barmar monarchy. The 12th Century originals were spirited away by a collector and are now reportedly somewhere in Italy. Then visit to Gubyaukgyi Temple, Wetgyi-Inn Village between Bagan and Nyaung-U. It was built in early 13th century, on the model of Maha Bodhi Zedi. Next stop is Htilominlo situated close to the road between Nyaung U and Bagan, built by king Nantaungmya in 1218 and traces of old murals are also still visible. Take photo around the temples and check-In to your hotel.
In the afternoon, then visit Nanpaya Temple, built in the Mon style with intricate stone carvings, and said once to have been Manuha’s residence. See the four Buddha images in Manuha Pagoda. Then stop at Myazedi Stupa to see Myanmar’s “Rosetta Stone”, bearing inscriptions written in four languages. Continue to the Myinkaba area and visit Gubyaukgyi Temple, this temple was built in 1113 by Kyansittha’s son Rajakumar, on his father’s death. The fine stuccowork on it exterior walls is in particularly good condition. Then visit to Lacquer Ware Factory to watch craftsmen skilfully making this most famous of Bagan handicrafts. In the afternoon, Enjoy Sunset at Shwe Sandaw Pagoda (or) Buu Pagoda. Accommodation at Hotel, Bagan.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10 Bagan
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, visit to Ananda Temple, a whitewashed masterpiece of Mon architecture with four standing Buddhas, and the adjacent brick monastery with beautiful, well-preserved 18th century murals. Then visit to Tharabar Gate, is part of the ancient 9th century wall. There are two niches containing images of the nats (protective spirits) or guardians of the gate, most of the locals stop here to present small offerings to prevent traffic accidents. Then visit to Shwegugyi Pagoda, was built by King Alaung Sithu during A.D 1141. This pagoda is located near the entrance of the Royal Palace therefore also known as Nan Oo Paya in Myanmar. Continue visit to Thatbyinnyu ‘Omniscient’ Temple, one of the highest in Bagan, rises to 61m and was built by Alaungsithu around the mid-12th Century. Then visit Dhammayangyi, a massive-looking temple dating from 1170, which is famous for its interlocking mortar-less brickwork. Then visit Sulamani, more sophisticate temple styles, with better internal lighting. Constructed circa 1181 by Narapatisithu and the temple features two storeys standing on broad terraces assembled to create a pyramid effect. Continue visit to Dhammayazika Temple, was built by King Narapati Sithu. The name of the pagoda, Dhammayazika or Dhammarajika in Pali means “Pertaining the King of Law. The structure of Dhammayazika Pagoda has pentagonal terraces instead of the usual Bagan pagodas, the square base.
In the afternoon, visit to Lemyethna Temple built in 1222, topped by and Indian-style spire like that on Ananda. Continue to Payathonzu (the name literally means Three Stupas) design is remarkably similar to Khmer Buddhist ruins in Thailand and two of the shrines contain vaguely Chinese or Tibetan-looking mural paintings that contain Bodhisattva figures. Visit Nandamannya Temple, dating from the mid-13th Century with fine frescoes and an unexpectedly erotic mural. Take a break from temples and wander through the village of Minnanthu to see how the local people live. Enjoy sunset at Pyathadar Temple, is a double-cave type monument. Accommodation at Hotel, Bagan.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 11 Bagan – Popa – Kalaw (Overland)
Enjoy your breakfast at hotel. Depart Bagan early morning for a full day’s drive to Nyaung Shwe. Although long and tiring, this is one of the most scenic drives in Myanmar. Not far from Bagan, visit Mount Popa, home to Myanmar’s intriguing ‘nats’ (spirits). The steps and path climb steeply up Mount Popa – an energetic climb rewarded by fabulous views from the top. From here onwards, the road to Kalaw is very bumpy but the scenery is interesting – endless paddy fields in the morning and rolling hills. Arrive at Kalaw and Check into your hotel. Accommodation at Hotel, Kalaw.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 12 Kalaw (Trekking) – Pindaya
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, enjoy you 3 hours trekking to “Pane-Ne-Pin” Palaung tribe Village. On the way you will see the landscape, Seasonal fruits and vegetables plantation, rice field and daily life of Tribes people. Then return back to Kalaw.
In the afternoon drive to Pindaya and check into your hotel. Accommodation at hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 13 Pindaya – Inle Lake
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, visit to Pindaya Caves, ensconced in limestone ridge overlooking the lake. Inside the cavern there are more than 8008 Buddha images – made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement.
In this afternoon, visit some Local Houses where families produce Shan Paper and Parasols. Then drive down into the valley to Nyaungshwe on the edge of Inle Lake and board your own local boat to take you to your hotel. Accommodation at Hotel, Inle Lake.
Meals include: Breakfast