Experience many of the most famous sights of Myanmar (formerly Burma) on this guided journey. Your trip starts from the British administration-constructed capital city of Yangon (formerly Rangoon) where we visit the magnificent gold plate and gemstone decorated Swedagon pagoda and take a stroll through quaint old quarter of Yangon enjoying the sights and sounds of this bustling city. Our journey continues northbound 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). Bagan was, during its heyday, one the greatest kingdoms in the world and is truly a magical destination to visit. From Bagan we continue to Mandalay to explore the ancient capitals of Myanmar, all situated near the current Mandalay City. We visit the last remaining palace building, a centuries old teak wood monastery, and the sacred Mahamuni Buddha’s temple. We also learn about traditional gold leaf pounding, carving, tapestry and weaving in local workshops. We explore the ruins of the Ava kingdom by horse carriage and enjoy a spectacular sunset from the Ubein teak bridge (weather permitting). From Mandalay we fly to Heho in Shan State, and explore the beautiful Inle Lake region inhabited by several minorities. Near Inle, we visit Myanmar’s premier vineyard, markets, floating gardens and cultural highlights on the lake and surrounding area. From Shan State we fly back to Yangon where we finish our Myanmar journey.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Yangon
Day 2: Bagan Highlights
Day 3: Mandalay City Impressions
Day 4: Royal Kingdoms of Ava (Inwa) – Sagaing – Amarapura – Ubein Bridge
Day 5: Inle Lake – Heho - Red Mountain Estate Vineyard
Day 6: Inle Lake – Inn Thein
Day 7: Inle Lake – Yangon
Day 8: Depart Yangon

Day 1: Arrival Yangon
On arrival at Yangon airport you will be welcomed by your guide and driver and transferred to your hotel. Our journey begins with an afternoon 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 many 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 colour. 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.

Meals included:           Dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           Yangon hotel.

Day 2: Bagan Highlights
After breakfast you transfer to Yangon domestic airport for a 1-hour flight to Bagan. Since flights normally arrive to Bagan early morning you will enjoy first some sightseeing and check in to your hotel after lunch. your journey to the ancient Kingdom of Bagan starts with a visit to the magnificent gilded Shwezigon Stupa purported to contain a holy tooth relic of the Buddha and built on a site chosen by a royal white elephant. You continue to Myingaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple housing the best preserved mural paintings in Bagan. your next stop is Nyaung Oo Market, the largest market in Bagan. Here your enjoy a cup of Myanmar tea with your guide in a teashop and get a feel for the local life in Bagan. Next you continue to a family-run cheroots (Myanmar cigars) workshop. The ladies will be happy to teach you how to roll one. On our way to Old Bagan you will make a stop at Thanaka House for a brief introduction to traditional make-up of Myanmar, the yellow paste that you will often see applied on the cheeks of ladies and children. In old Bagan you climb up to the terrace of Shwe Sandar temple, the highest in Bagan, and marvel at the fantastic panoramic view over temple-dotted plains of Bagan and the Ayeyarwaddy River. From here you continue to one of the most impressive temples of Bagan, the Dhammayangyi, known for its fine brick work and legends of the cruel king who constructed it. In the afternoon you journey to Myingaba village and learn how famous Bagan lacquer-ware crafts are produced and decorated using traditional methods. Next you will visit the beautiful Htilominlo temple. If you are lucky you might be able to see local artists making sand paintings here. You conclude the day’s sightseeing with a visit to beautifully symmetric Ananda Temple with its four standing Buddha images inside, continuing on by decorated bullock cart to witness a magical sunset behind the temples (weather permitting).  

Meals included:           breakfast, dinner in a local restaurant with traditional marionette show

Overnight stay:           Bagan hotel

Day 3: Mandalay City Impressions
You have breakfast at the hotel and then transfer to Bagan airport for a morning flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival to Mandalay you drive 40km (1 hour) to Mandalay city and take a morning stroll through the lively Zegyo Market in the heart of the city to experience authentic local life in Mandalay. You continue to the Artisan Quarters, where some of the oldest craftsmanship is showcased dating back to last kingdom of Myanmar. You observe the process of pounding gold leaf, detailing teakwood carvings and embroidering Myanmar tapestry. You also see how bronze and marble Buddha statues are carved, cast and molded. Next, we proceed to the highlights of Mandalay; the sacred Mahamuni Pagoda, housing one of the most significant Buddha images in the country, covered in several tons of gold leaf and the crown prize in long past wars between competing Myanmar kingdoms; the Golden Palace monastery, the only surviving Royal Palace building in Mandalay, offering a glimpse of the original style and architecture of the Myanmar royals and finally, the Kathodaw Pagoda, a compound housing Buddha’s teachings carved in the sacred Pali script on stone slabs and regarded as the world’s largest book in terms of surface area. You end our day with sunset panoramic views over the city skyline from Mandalay Hill, the highest point of the city.               

Meals included:           breakfast, dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           Mandalay hotel

Day 4: Royal Kingdoms of Ava (Inwa) – Sagaing – Amarapura – Ubein Bridge
After breakfast at the hotel, you embark on a journey to the Ancient Kingdoms of Myanmar near Mandalay. You will be transfer 15km to Ava (Inwa), the ancient capital of the Shan and Burmese Kingdoms for over four centuries. You cross over the Myint Nge River by ferry and explore the small roads of Ava by horse cart. you visit the Bagaya Teak Monastery, over three hundred years old yet well preserved and still in use by local monks; the Nanmyin Watch Tower, the last standing structure of the Ava dynasty palace compound also known as the “Leaning Tower of Ava”; and the Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery building with its graceful curves and archways. You continue to the ancient kingdom of Sagaing, located across the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. From the Sagaing Hills, you enjoy magnificent views overlooking the river and hillside covered with countless pagodas. You visit a monastery in Sagaing to learn about the life of Buddhist devotees and continue to a well-known Silversmith village near Sagaing. You continue to another beautiful ancient capital city, Amarapura, famous for its weaving and textile industries. There, you visit a cottage industry workshop to learn how Myanmar longyi and traditional fabrics are constructed. You continue to the Ubein Bridge, a simple yet strong teak structure that spans 1.2km over Taungtaman Lake. The bridge silhouetted by the setting sun is one of the most magical experiences in Myanmar and a photographer’s dream. 

Meals included:           breakfast, dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           Mandalay hotel          

Day 5: Inle Lake – Heho - Red Mountain Estate Vineyard
Have breakfast at the hotel and then transfer to the airport for the flight to Heho, a quiet transit town with one of the few airport links to 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 a valley with views of the Shan mountains and rice paddy fields. Near Inle Lake, you visit the Red Mountain Estate to 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. You embark on an afternoon boat excursion of INLE LAKE, populated with floating islands and gardens made from the naturally tangled roots of water hyacinth plants and reeds. You visit Nga Phe Kyaung also known as the jumping cat’s monastery and delight in the picturesque sights of fishermen who balance and row standing on one leg, a technique indigenous to the Inn Thar minority group who do this only on Inle Lake.

Meals included:           breakfast, lunch in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           On shore or on Inle Lake hotel  

Day 6: Inle Lake – Inn Thein
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. You 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 our day with a magnificent sunset canoe ride with boatmen who gracefully navigate and row perched on one leg.

Meals included:           breakfast, lunch in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           On shore or on Inle Lake hotel

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 the proximity of your travel itinerary

Day 7: Inle Lake - Yangon
After breakfast at the hotel you will be transfer to Heho airport for the connecting flight back to Yangon. In Yangon you transfer to your hotel where the rest of your day is free for own explorations, shopping or relaxing.

Meals included:           breakfast, dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight stay:           Yangon hotel

Day 8: Depart Yangon
Free time until your transfer to Yangon airport for your onward flight.

Meals included:           breakfast

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.