As Myanmar just recently opened up to worldwide tourism after years of isolation and war, now is the right moment to visit this extraordinary land of pagodas. We start our journey in Yangon, Burma’s former capital city and travel on to the picturesque Inle Lake. In the ancient city Mandalay we visit the Inn Thein Pagoda complex before we reach out to Bagan. Over 10,000 Buddhist temples were constructed in the history of Bagan alone of which 2,200 still survived to the present day. The Majestic Myanmar Tour is for every traveler who wants to immerse in the authenticity and culture of this gem of South East Asia.

TOUR SUMMARY

Day 1: Yangon

Day 2: Yangon - Inle Lake

Day 3: Inle Lake

Day 4: Inle Lake - Mandalay

Day 5: Mandalay - Mingun

Day 6: Mandalay - Bagan

Day 7: Bagan

Day 8: Bagan - Yangon

DAY 1: YANGON

Upon arrival to the Yangon airport, you will be welcomed by your English speaking station guide and our journey begins with an afternoon tour through the colonial-style city center of Yangon. We visit the golden Sule Paya stupa – built over 2,000 years ago and the focal point of numerous historical events in the city – and the Chauk That Gyi pagoda to view its magnificent reclining Buddha, and the Karaweik Hall to marvel at the uniquely decorated “hamsa-bird-shaped” floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake. We complete the day with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the Swedagon 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 and a sight not to be missed.

Overnight in YANGON. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 2: YANGON - INLE LAKE

After breakfast we drive to the airport for our flight to Heho, a quiet transit town with one of the few airport links in the beautiful hills of Shan State. After arrival we will visit the bustling main Heho Market, the meeting point for different ethnic minority groups of the surrounding areas to trade handmade goods and locally grown products (on market days only). Enroute to Inle Lake, we stop at a local family work shop to learn how Shan umbrellas and paper are made by traditional methods using the fibers of the mulberry tree. Next, we take a 1-hour drive to Inle Lake that descends through the valley with views of the Shan mountains and rice paddy fields. After checking into the hotel, we embark on afternoon explorations of Inle Lake, populated with floating islands and gardens made from the naturally tangled roots of water hyacinth plants and reeds. Delight in the picturesque sights of fishermen who balance and row with one leg, a technique indigenous to the Inn Thar minority group doing this only on Inle Lake.  

Overnight in INLE LAKE. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 3: INLE LAKE

After breakfast, we go out for further explorations of Inle Lake and visit the Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, the home of some of the country’s most sacred Buddha statues covered in gold leaf by devout followers. We also make a visit to the Inpawkhon Weaving Village to learn how local silks, linens and lotus fabrics are handmade and crafted. As an extra treat, we stop at a house for Burmese Cats built over the lake, where we see the preservation efforts and reintroduction of this rare pure breed of felines to Myanmar. At Nampan Village, local craftsmen show us how Burmese cigars, or “cheroots,” are traditionally packed and rolled.

Overnight in INLE LAKE. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 4: INLE LAKE - MANDALAY

Today we journey out by boat, following the currents of a small river to reach the Inn Thein Pagoda Complex, a site that makes us feel as if we would have stepped through a forgotten portal in time. To access the complex, we walk through verdant bamboo groves that open up to a field covered with the ancient pagodas constructed over 1,000 years ago. Then we travel to Nyaung Shwe by boat. Near Inle Lake, we visit the Red Mountain Estate to tour of the lush vineyard situated on the side of mountains and taste some of Myanmar’s premiere wines, and observe the different aging methods completed in their cellar cave and drive to Heho airport for the domestic flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and we will bring you to your hotel. 

Overnight in MANDALAY. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 5: MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY

After breakfast at the hotel, we start for a day tour to the Ancient Kingdoms of Myanmar near Mandalay. We drive to the beautiful ancient capital, Amarapura, only 15 km from Mandalay to visit the Mahagandayon Monastery where more than a thousand monks live and study. Time permitting you will have the opportunity to observe the monks having their last meal of the day in total silence. We continue to the 200-year-old U Bein teak bridge, built in 1782 during the era when Amarapura was the royal capital. Already from the early days the city was known for its silk- and cotton weaving. We visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop before proceeding to Bagaya Monastery, a compound with a superb collection of Buddha statues.

In the afternoon, we transfer to jetty for our 1-hour cruise across the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River (Irrawaddy) to the quaint village of Mingun, known for a massive unfinished pagoda dramatically cracked in half by an earthquake in the 1800s; another attraction is Mingun’s bronze bell, believed to be largest preserved one in the world. We will return to Mandalay by boat.

Overnight in MANDALAY. Hotel Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 6: MANDALAY - BAGAN

After breakfast, we bring you to the Mandalay airport for your domestic flight to Nyaung Oo, Bagan. Upon arrival, we begin our journey into the Ancient Kingdoms of Bagan. A visit to the Nyaung U Market, the largest market in the Bagan region, gives us a glimpse into the local life. We also see how cottage industries like brick making and are carried out with traditional methods. We continue to the gold gilded Swezigon Stupa, purported to contain a holy tooth relic of the Buddha. After that we see the Kyansitha Umin. Next, we visit Gubyaukgyi (Wet-Kyi-Inn), this 13th-century ‘cave temple’ has an Indian-style spire like the Mahabodhi Paya in Bagan. At the Htilominlo Temple we will learn how Burmese sand paintings are created. The day’s temple tour ends with a visit to the beautifully symmetric and majestic Ananda Temple with its four standing Buddha images that seem to gaze at the viewer with fixed serenity wherever the viewer stands. And then there is the Dhamayangyi Temple, the largest and widest temple all of the temples in Bagan and the Sulamani Temple. We proceed to Bupaya or Shwesandaw Pagoda to watch the sunset over the famous Ayeyarwaddy River.

Overnight in BAGAN. Hotel Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 7: BAGAN

After breakfast, we learn how Bagan’s famous lacquer ware crafts are produced in Myingaba Village and then we visit the Myazedi Temple not far from the stupa. Also the Myingaba Gubyaukgyi Temple is a sight to behold, housing Bagan’s best preserved mural paintings of the Buddha’s Jataka reincarnations. The Manuha Temple, built by the Mon king in the 1300s represents his time in captivity under the Bagan king. We visit on the way some traditional family lacquer ware ‘factories’ and bamboo roof producers, where the skills and trade have been passed on for generations. And then we visit the Dhamayazeka Zedi, providing panoramic views of the temple studded plains of Bagan. We continue to Minnanthu Village in this region are of a later period than those in the Central Bagan. The village is well worth a look around, bamboo and wood houses built during the hay days have been long gone. The Nanda-Man-Nya Temple is a single-chambered temple has very fine frescoes and a ruined, seated Buddha image. Tayok Pyi Paya is a large temple; it was built by Narathihapate (1256-1287) also known as the king who fled from the Mongolian invasion. This is the meaning of Tayok Pye in Myanmar.For sunset; a Bullock or Horse Cart Ride around the temples offers unparalleled photo opportunities of one of the richest archeological treasures in Southeast Asia as the sun dips behind the temple ruins (weather permitting).

Overnight on BAGAN. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 8: BAGAN - YANGON

After breakfast, we will bring you to Nyaung Oo/Bagan airport for your domestic flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival, car and guide are at disposal or visit to Bogyoke (Scotts) Market, where hundreds of gemstones, handicrafts, art, clothes and food stores are tucked in a maze of color. In the afternoon, we will bring you Yangon airport for your international departure flight. (Please note that the market is closed on Mondays and on public holidays)

We wish you a comfortable journey home and we are sure you will take some wonderful memories of Myanmar with you. When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (Day 8) is not included.

* Hotel check-out times are midday. Late check-out is not included.

PRIVATE TOUR

*Accommodation & Transportation is subject to availability at booking moment & Tour price is subject to seasonal fluctuations

Included:

• Private tours and transfers with air conditioned vehicles as specified in our itinerary.
• 2 bottles of water & 2 refreshing towels per passenger per day
• All entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary
• English speaking station guide (different guide in each region)
• Boat rental in Inle Lake & Mingun
• Breakfast only for the whole trip
• Luggage handling fees at airports
• Domestic Airfare (Yangon - Heho - Mandalay - Bagan - Yangon)

Excluded:

• International air fares (always mentioned separately)
• Meals or any other item not described in the itinerary
• Early check-in, late check-out. Normal check out time from hotels in Myanmar is 11am or 12 o’clock noon
• Expenses of personal nature
• Drinks during meals, hotel extras and personal spending
• Travel insurance & Tips & gratuities
• Balloon ride in bagan (separate)
• Compulsory Xmas and New Year Eve dinner