Experience the most famous sights of Myanmar on this guided journey. Your trip starts from British administration constructed capital city, Yangon (formerly Rangoon); we visit the magnificent gold plate and gemstone decorated Swedagon pagoda; take a stroll through quaint Old Quarter of Yangon enjoying the sights and sounds of this bustling city. Our journey continues northward to the Ancient Kingdom of Bagan, the greatest archeological treasure of Myanmar with over 4000 pagodas and temple ruins located on the plains of Bagan, by the Ayeyarwaddy River (Irrawaddy). During its heyday, Bagan was one the greatest kingdoms in the world and is truly a magical destination to visit. From Bagan we continue to the more rural Shan State and the beautiful Inle Lake region inhabited by several minorities. Around Inle we visit markets, floating gardens and cultural highlights on the lake and surrounding area. From Shan State we fly back to Yangon and finish our tour in this thriving economic heart of the country.       

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Yangon

Day 2: Yangon – Bagan (by air)

Day 3: Bagan

Day 4: Bagan – Heho (by air) – Inle Lake

Day 5: Inle Lake – Yangon (by air)

Day 7: Departure Yangon   

Day 1: Arrive Yangon
On arrival at Yangon airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and transferred to your hotel. After check in at your hotel your journey begins with a tour through the colonial-style city center of Yangon. You visit the golden Sule Paya stupa built over 2,000 years ago and the focal point of numerous historical events in the city; Chauk That Gyi pagoda to view its magnificent reclining Buddha, and Karaweik Hall to marvel at the uniquely decorated “hamsa-bird-shaped” floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake. You visit Bogyoke (Scotts) Market, where hundreds of gemstone, handicrafts, art, clothes and food stores are tucked away in a maze of color. You 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 Swedagon is an iconic symbol of the country, a sight not to be missed. 

Overnight stay:          Yangon hotel.
Meals: None            

Day 2: Yangon – Bagan (by air)
After breakfast you will be transfer to Yangon domestic airport for a 1-hour flight to Nyaung U / Bagan where you start your journey to the Ancient Kingdoms of Bagan and a visit to Dhamayazeka Zedi for a panoramic view of the temple studded plains of Bagan. You continue to the Archeological Museum and the magnificent gilded Shwezigon Stupa purported to contain a holy tooth relic of the Buddha. You take ta look at the most well-preserved mural paintings in Bagan at Myingaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple and learn how Bagan’s famous sand paintings and lacquer ware crafts are produced during your visits to Htilominlo temple and Myingaba village. You conclude the day’s sightseeing with a visit to beautifully symmetric Ananda Temple with its four standing Buddha images inside and continue by horse or bullock cart to witness a magical sunset behind the temples (weather permitting).          

Meals:                        breakfast
Overnight stay:          Bagan Hotel

Day 3: Bagan markets, villages and sunset cruise.
You continue the exploration of Bagan with visits to the Manuha Temple with its Mon architectural lines, built by the captive Mon king in the 1300s. You continue to the Thanaka Museum to learn about the traditional uses of the fragrant sandalwood paste and visit the cigar workshop to see how the local “cheroots’ are made. You continue on with a visit to the Nyaung U market, the largest market in the Bagan region. You then take a stroll through a local village and learn how bricks are manufactured using traditional methods. In the late afternoon, you will be transfer to the Ayeyarwaddy River for a private sunset cruise where local cocktails can be enjoyed on board along with views of the temple silhouettes and life on the bustling shore.

Remember, our guides are flexible. All touring schedules and activities can be adjusted according to guests’ wishes.

Meals included:         breakfast
Overnight stay:          Bagan hotel   

Optional Tour: Hot air balloon flight over Bagan.
Imagine floating over thousand-year-old pagodas and the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River, as the sun sinks slowly behind distant mountains. The magic of Bagan has inspired visitors to Myanmar for centuries. One of the most remarkable sights in Asia, ancient temples dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. Now, Balloons over Bagan affords visitors a unique opportunity to see this ancient kingdom, as it never has been seen before. The sunrise and sunset champagne flights take off daily from October through to the end of March.       

Day 4: Bagan – Heho (by air) - Inle Lake
You enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then transfer to Bagan airport for a short flight to Heho, a quiet transit town with one of the few airport links in the beautiful hills of Shan State. You visit the bustling main Heho market, the meeting point for different ethnic minority groups from the surrounding areas to trade handmade goods and locally grown produce (on market days only). En route to Inle Lake, you stop at a local family workshop to learn how Shan umbrellas and paper are made by traditional methods using the fibres of the mulberry tree. Next, you 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, you 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 row while balanced on one leg, a technique indigenous to the Inn Thar minority group who do this only on Inle Lake.

Meals included:         breakfast
Overnight stay:          In a hotel built on stilts over the lake or on the shore     

Day 5: Inle Lake sacred sites, cottage industry and canoe ride
After breakfast you 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 you’ve stepped through a forgotten portal in time. To access the complex, you walk through verdant bamboo groves that open up to a field covered with the ancient pagodas constructed over 1,000 years ago. You boat back to the lake and visit 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 silk, linen and lotus fabrics are handmade and crafted. As an extra treat, you stop at a house for Burmese cats, built over the lake, where you 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. You end your day with magnificent sunset canoe ride with boatmen who gracefully navigate and row perched on one leg.

Meals included:         breakfast
Overnight stay:          In a hotel built on stilts over the lake or on the shore     

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, and 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 your travel itinerary.

Day 6: Inle Lake – Heho - Yangon
You have free time to explore around Inle lake in the morning, and after lunch at Nyaung Shwe, you drive for 1 hour to Heho airport for an afternoon flight back to Yangon. On arrival at Yangon you will be transfer to your hotel. The rest of the evening is free for you to relax or explore Yangon further.

Meals included:         breakfast
Overnight stay:          Yangon hotel

Optional Extra: Visit to the Red Mountain Estate Vineyard.
You can opt to visit the nearby Red Mountain Estate to take a tour of the lush vineyard situated on the side of mountain. Taste some of Myanmar’s premiere wines, and observe the different aging methods completed in their cave cellar.       

Day 7: Yangon departure
After breakfast at your hotel you have some free time until your transfer to Yangon airport for your onward flight.      

Meals included:         breakfast

Included
Domestic airfares
Private tours and transfers with air-conditioned vehicles as specified in our itinerary
All entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary
English speaking local guides (other language guides available with additional cost)
2 bottles of water and 2 refreshing towels per person on full day excursions
Lodging with breakfast as specified in the itinerary
Meals as specified in the itinerary
Luggage handling fees at Golden Rock

Excluded
Visa to Myanmar
International airfares
Meals or any other item not described in the itinerary
Early check-in, late check-out, services and non-mentioned meals in the itinerary
Drinks during meals, hotel extras and other expenditure of personal nature
Travel insurance
Tips

Important
Travelling in Myanmar is essentially adventure travel. Road conditions vary greatly, communication, electricity supply and standard of lodging and local services are often not up to western standards. Travel times and schedules are subject to changes without prior notice. Travel Loops reserves the right to amend touring schedules and itinerary if needed before and while on tour.  Due to fluctuations in the imported oil prices and with high demand for services many local service suppliers have started getting into a habit of increasing contract rates without prior notice and within contract periods. We inform soonest in such cases and latest 30 days prior to arrival. 

This tour is private and can be tailor-made to suit your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and shown on a per-person basis. The 'Price From' quoted above is for parties of 2, 4 and 6 people and for accommodation in 3 star hotels. The final price will be privately quoted, based on the number in your party, your preferred time of travel, grade of hotel and any additional services requested. Please click on the BOOK NOW button and fill in the booking form, after which one of our travel consultants will customize the best value holiday for you.

REMARKS:
We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina particularly, hotel price makes up most of the cost of your Cambodia cycling, Vietnam cycling, Laos cycling, Myanmar cyclingor Thailand cycling. All of our prices are calculated on a twin-shared basis. As a guide, Travel Loops defines hotel grades as follows:

>>Superior Level (3 star hotels in good locations): > 40 USD/room/night
>>Deluxe Level (4 star hotels):> 80 USD/room/night
>>Luxury Level (5 star hotels): > 180 USD/room/night

Price based on twin shared accommodation.
Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
More people means more discount. Please enquire for more details

If, after reviewing the details of this tour, you would like to receive a "Special Offer" tour price, just click on the "INQUIRY" button below. If you wish to “Tailor Make" your trip, simply click on the "CUSTOMIZE TRIP" and enter your contact details.

COST INCLUDED:

• Experienced English speaking guide
• Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in double/twin sharing rooms with daily breakfast
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Bottled drinking water for sightseeing
• All sightseeing entrance fee where required in the itinerary.
•  

COST EXCLUDED:

• International/domestic airfares & tax
• Travel Insurance. (We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance from home)
• Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)
• Tips for guide, driver, porters and project cost
• Beverage and alcoholic drinks
• Any other services not clearly mentioned on itinerary and trip inclusive portion.
   

The hotels listed below are just our suggestions offering the best value for this trip according to the hotel category chosen, but Travel Loops also offers more options to cater for different grades, personal taste, and budget. Please let us know if you have any specific choice of hotels, or personal preferences/requirements.

Note: Our choices for each level of accommodation have been highlighted in orange. As mentioned above our selection criteria are based on: prior client reviews, hotel management and staff training, facilities maintenance, location, business relationship and advantages given exclusively to our clients on price and service.