This tour is for all guests who want to explore the Land of Pagodas, Myanmar (old name: Burma). We will visit temples, caves and markets on our visits to the former capital city Yangon and the ancient city Bagan before we travel to the picturesque Inle Lake. The Essential Myanmar is recommended for every traveler who is interested in culture and history of a country and wants to get an insight into the authentic local life.

TOUR SUMMARY

Day 1: Yangon

Day 2: Yangon - Bagan

Day 3: Bagan

Day 4: Bagan - Heho - Inle Lake

Day 5: Inle Lake - Inn Thein

Day 6: Inle Lake - Yangon

Day 7: 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 a tour through the colonial-style city center of Yangon. We visit the golden Sule Paya stupa which was built over 2,000 years ago and the focal point of numerous historical events in the city. The next stop is 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. Later we visit the Bogyoke (Scotts) Market, where hundreds of gemstones, handicrafts, art, clothes and food stores are tucked in a maze of color. We complete the day with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the Shwedagon 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 on your Myanmar visit.  *Please note that the market is closed on Mondays and on public holidays.

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

DAY 2: YANGON - BAGAN

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to Yangon airport for the domestic flight to Nyaung U/ Bagan. Upon arrival, a visit to the Nyaung U Market, the largest market in the Bagan region, gives us a glimpse into local life. We will see how cottage industries like brick making is carried out with traditional methods. We continue to the gold gilded Swezigon Stupa, purported to contain a holy tooth relic of the Buddha. Afterwards we will go to see the Kyanzittha Umin cave built in the 13th century by the same-named King. Then we visit Gubyaukgyi (Wet-Kyi-Inn), this 13th-century ‘cave temple’ has an Indian-style spire like the Mahabodhi Paya in Bagan. In the Htilominlo Temple we learn to how Burmese sand paintings are created. The day’s tour ends with several temple visits, beginning with 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. After that we see 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. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 3: BAGAN

After breakfast, we learn how Bagan’s famous lacquer ware crafts are produced in the Myingaba Village, and then we visit the Myazedi Temple not far from the stupa. The Myingaba Gubyaukgyi Temple is also a sight to behold, housing Bagan’s best preserved mural paintings of the Buddha’s Jataka reincarnations. Next is the Manuha Temple, built by the Mon king in the 1300s to represent his time in captivity under the Bagan king. Then we visit the Dhamayazeka Zedi, providing panoramic views of the temple studded plains of Bagan. We continue to Minnanthu Village in this region. It is 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 that has very fine frescoes and a ruined, seated Buddha image. Tayok Pye Paya is a large temple; it was built by Narathihapate (1256-1287) also known as the king who fled from the Mongolian invasion.. 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 in BAGAN. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 4: BAGAN - HEHO - INLE LAKE

Enjoy your breakfast before we start off to the Bagan airport for the domestic flight to Heho, a quiet transit town with one of the few airport links in the beautiful hills of Shan State. 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 papers 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 who do this only on Inle Lake. And then we visit the Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, the home of some of the country’s most sacred Buddha statues covered in gold leaf by devout followers.

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

DAY 5: INLE LAKE - INN THEIN

After breakfast 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 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. We boat back to the lake and visit to the Inpawkhon Weaving Village to learn how local silks, linens and lotus fabrics are made 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. We end our day with magnificent sunset canoe ride with boatmen who gracefully navigate and row perched on one leg.

Inle Lake markets: The colorful and bustling morning market is one of the highlights of Inle Lake. Local ethnic minority groups come from near and far to trade their goods. This presents an opportunity to observe people in traditional costumes in an authentic market atmosphere. The market rotates five days a week, each day making its base in a different village (though closed on national holidays). Market visits can be included in any tour program if the market location falls within proximity of our travel itinerary.

Overnight in INN THEIN. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 6: INLE LAKE - YANGON

After breakfast, we transfer to Nyaung Shwe town by boat and drive 1 hour to Heho airport for the domestic flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival, we visit the quaint Yangon Old Quarter, built during the British colonial era. Many charming historical buildings are still located here. During our stroll through bustling market streets full of merchants and food stalls, we visit a local pharmacy and learn about Myanmar traditional medicine, stop for a tea and snack in the fashion of locals, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Yangon. We continue to one of Asia’s architectural landmarks, the elegant Strand Hotel built by the Sarkies brothers. Inside, we visit the River Art Gallery, where the works of some of the most famous and skilled Burmese artists are on display fitting of the grand surroundings. In the afternoon, we visit the Botataung Pagoda located beside the Yangon River and enjoy nice fresh air from the river. It also more peaceful and less crowded that the other pagodas in Yangon.

Overnight in YANGON. Accommodation is included in this package.

DAY 7: YANGON

After breakfast, you are free at leisure until we bring you back to Yangon airport for your international departure flight. We say goodbye and we are sure you will take some wonderful memories of Myanmar with you.

Please check if you need services such as additional transfers or hotel stays, after your tour ends, bearing in mind that the night of Day 7 is not included in the tour.

* 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)
• Breakfast only for the whole trip
• Horse cart ride in Bagan
• Boat rental in Inle Lake
• Airfare from (Yangon - Bagan - Heho - Yangon )
• Luggage handling fees at airports

Excluded:

• International air fares
• 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
• Compulsory Xmas and New Year Eve dinner