Hidden Charms of Myanmar 8 Days

Your Myanmar tour will start in Yangon! Once you arrive at the airport, you will be given a very warm welcome from your tour guide who takes the responsibility for transferring you to the hotel for check-in procedures( note: 14.00 is the required check in time. Early check in depends on availability).

Visiting Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, you will be impressed by the giant Buddha statue which has the size equal to that of a blue whale. After that, the tour continues with another spectacular place of interest- Chinatown; take a look at the dragons and the amazing structure of Khen Hock Keong Chinese temple.

Make an exploration to every vivid street stalls where a variety of goods are sold ranging from fresh fruits to clean vegetables,etc. or just simply wandering around and immersing yourself in the surreal ambience of little China in Yangon. Take a stop at the Royal Lake uptown which gains its popularity among local citizens, especially at dusk and dawn. Take a glimpse of Karaweik Hall, a replica of a royal barge and enjoy a truly magnificent sight the Golden Shwedagon Pagoda gives. A journey to Myanmar wouldn’t be completed without paying a visit to the renowned Shwedagon Pagoda.

Are you looking forward to an interesting expedition? The presence of delightful visual features makes this trip worthwhile. Catch the very moment of color transformation on the 100-meter chedi which have over 40 tons of gold leaf encircled. Starting at the eastern staircase, you have no difficulty in finding a bunch of shops located at the base of temple which sell a variety of religious objects such as monks robes, alms bowls, offerings, incense and other distinctive Buddhist items.

Your guide is always available to make it clear to you the use and principles of Myanmar’s Buddhist people. For Burmese, Shwedagon remains as the greatest religious site; most visitors claim that this journey is definitely unforgettable and still left a strong impression on them. 

Overnight stay at a hotel in Yangon

After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport in order to take a domestic flight to Bagan. Welcome to Bagan where is famous for being one of the most magnificent Asian architectural sites. In the past from 11th to 13 centuries to be specific, Bagan was the central city of Myanmar and it owned numerous giant stupas and pagodas to the monarchs, which the Irrawaddy River remains some of stores on the banks till these days. 

One of the most outstanding features of a Myanmar holiday are the splendor of Bagan together with 3000 red brick religious constructions on a plain equals to the size of Manhattan Island. This mixture of breathtaking view will attract the attention of every visitor.

You will have a chance to visit Ananda Temple which is known as one of the most hailed of Bagan temples. With a view to creating every possible opportunity for you to engross yourself in the majesty of the temple in the most tranquil atmosphere, we will assure you that our visit comes to this site before others.

The tour continues with your chance to pay a visit to other temples belonging to this campus which would definitely enable you to catch a view of a diversity of architectural styles in the area along with artistic masterpieces dated back 9th - 14th centuries. You are also able to get an insight into rural Bagan daily life while you wander around the temples because amongst the sites are the workplaces of farmers and families.

A next visit to two workshops making out the signature products of Bagan which are lacquer ware and wood crafts will enable you to experience the local culture. Your mind will be blown away as watching the professional craftsmen applying traditional techniques to produce these beautiful items.

OPTIONAL: $8 USD/PAX FOR SUNSET CRUISE

You will be transferred to the quay in the late afternoon and a private wooden boat is ready to bring you to another amazing trip. Breathtaking scenes are easy to spot as you travel on the legendary Irrawaddy River whether you sit under the shade or on the open- deck. You will be treated with other beautiful sceneries while cruising down the River such as small villages, fishermen, local boats and definitely the famous temples of Myanmar.

You stand an opportunity to open your eyes as what you see on the river bringing another unseen angle of Myanmar which you haven’t experienced through the tour on land. As the sun begins to go down slowly states that it’s time you will get off and be driven back to the hotel to relax. An ideal way to refresh yourself after a busy day making a journey is to go sightseeing in Bagan.

Spend a night at a hotel in Bagan

OPTIONAL: HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE OVER BAGAN (Only available from October through March)

Your day will begin with an amazing ride on a hot air balloon. It will definitely be an amazing viewpoint for you to admire the Bagan countryside below, especially the unique scenery of sunrise over the Irrawaddy River and many stupas in the area. Such opportunity rarely exists elsewhere in the world. (This ride is only at service from October/November to the following year’s March).

After enjoying your breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up by your tour guide and driver to start exploring Bagan. It begins with a visit to the energetic NyaungOo Market, where welcomes the local inhabitants to trade fresh products and other daily items.

From this point, you will take a look around the Old Bagan beginning with a visit to the famous Shwezigon Pagoda which owned its construction as a religious monument to King Anawrahta in the early 11th century. Travel through the tracks filled with dust and shady roads cross temples and monasteries to a small village. At one of these sites, you will stand a great opportunity of taking part in a distinguished traditional Buddhhist ceremony.

Then you will travel on horse cart for an expedition that crosses many breathtaking sites namely Thatbyinnyu- the highest temple in Bagan, giant Dhammayangyi Temple which is known for its famous brickwork, and finally Sulamani Temple. Wallowing yourself in the glorious sunset picture from the upper terrace of one of the temples in the area.

Spend a night at a hotel in Bagan

You will take a short flight to Mandalay this morning! Mandalay - the city which comes to second relating to its size compared to others in Myanmar.

Additionally, it is known as one of the antique royal centers which often appeared in literature through perception and description by symbolizing the overall features of Asia as being the most traditional, attractive and eternal by all visitors who have experienced a booming and colorful city positioned on the shores of the legendary Irrawaddy River.

However, together with spreading the energetic vibe and owning a prosperous business, the city still successfully preserves the richness of culture and tradition of arts such as drama, music, dance… It will take you about 1 hour to be transferred to Mandalay city. Across the Irrawaddy River, you will meet Sagaing. Sagaing Hill is famous for being a huge spiritual hub of Myanmar which consists of 600 pagodas and monasteries colored by ivory, and also being the habitats of about 3000 monks and 100 meditation shrines. You will have great chances to pay a visit to other pagodas namely Swan OoPonNya Shin, U Min ThoneSae and Shin Pin Nan Gyaing.

Continually, you will come to a less popular place which is the local market of Sagaing. We will come to a famous destination- pottery village which is distinguished for its producing popular water pots. Here you will stand an opportunity to catch a view of how the tradesmen make use of traditional skills to manufacture their items
The next tourist attraction is the reigning capital from the 14th throughout the 18th centuries- Ava. A ferry will be used to help us cross the small river and the old- time horse and carriage will take us to the wooden Bagaya Monastery which is widely known for its amazing elaboration in woodcarvings. You have to surely visit Nanmyint Watch Tower which is hailed as” the leaning tower of Ava”.

This place was used to be a part of the antique palace and Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery. Making a return back past the river and we will drive to Amarapura, the penultimate royal centre of Myanmar. “City of Immortality” is the meaning under the name of Amarapura, despite the fact that the lasting period of its being the capital city is relatively short. Starting from Mahagandayon monastery, claims residence for more than a thousand of monks and making its name for monastic study and stern religious regulations.

Travel on foot or by bus for a short distance and you will get to the great U bein Bridge, which was constructed in 1872 when all the attention was down to Amarapura. The length of this bridge is 1.2 km across the shallow Taungthaman Lake and it is recognized for being the longest teakwood bridge in the world. Take pleasure in the amazing picture of sunset shadows and set light on the local inhabitants coming back home. Majestic sunset scenery in U Bein Bridge.

Have a good night sleep at a hotel in Mandalay.

You will begin your day with a transfer to Mandalay jetty and take a private boat for a relaxed journey about 1 hour on the Irrawaddy River to Mingun.

Immersing yourself in the sounds and sights of Mingun, beginning with the Mingun Paya which would have been considered the world’s largest (if it’s not been for the death of King Bodawpaya before its completion).

There was a cease to the construction of this gigantic building of brick because of the prediction of the King’s death before finishing by a fortune-teller. In the 1800’s, the site was under the massive influence of an earthquake that it was nothing but a partial rubble which makes it possibly the largest pile of bricks on earth. You will catch a glimpse of the Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun village and the river from the thin top.

The tour continues with a particular stupa - Hsinbyume Pagoda which has many stories behind it. It’s the replica of the Sulamani Paya which is based on the meaning of plan of the cosmos of the Buddhist, positions on top of the Mount Meru (the mountain that stays at the heart of the universe).

After that, visiting the Mingu Bell weighing 90 tons and known as the second largest hanging on the world, this unbreakable bell remains its capacity of ringing. Before heading to Mandalay by boat, you will spare enough time to make an exploration to the small neighborhoods that have tradition of manufacturing basketry and take a chance to get familiarized with the hospitable businessmen and craftsmen.

An expedition to Mandalay Hill which has the height of 240 meter above the whole city will start off your visit to Mandalay. On the top, you will have a chance to experience the extraordinary scenes ranging from the Great Mandalay Palace to the south, the legendary the Irrawaddy River to the west, the beautiful blue shape of the Shan Hills to the east.

Right from the south of Mandalay Hill positions the Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, being hailed as the Great Marble Image’s pagoda which built from a block of marble. It’s claimed that it took almost a fortnight for 10,000 men to transfer the massive marble block from the riverside to its current site. The tour goes on with a visit to” The World’s Biggest Book”- Kuthodaw Pagoda, this call comes from the fact that this pagoda contains up to 729 marble slabs etched to Buddhist texts.

Then the Shwenandaw Monastery, this golden site is the only remaining construction of the Royal Palace in the 19th century. The amazing woodcarving contributed to this magnificent structure. 

Spend a night at a hotel in Mandalay.

This morning, you will come back to the Mandalay airport to take a flight to the centre of the Shan State- Heho. After arriving at the Heho airport, you will pay a visit to NyaungShwe village.

On the way coming here, you will stand a good chance of going to rural workshops where to produce specialized products such as old- time Shan paper and special Handcrafted umbrellas. Additionally, make sure to take a stop at the teak monastery of Shweyanpyay to take a look at elaborate wood craving artwork and the monks’ craft skills there.

On heading off to Inle Lake, you will travel on a private motorboat. Inle Lake is one of the most magnificent and amazing sites of Myanmar. On its tranquil waters are the presence of fishing canoes which have a perfect backdrop like scenic hills and vegetation. You will cross many villages that are constructed on stilts over the lake which is home to the local Intha citizens.

Take a chance to watch the daily routines of the local fishermen with their floating gardens which are structured by strips of water hyacinth, earth and stitched to the bottom of the lake on the bamboo poles. Take a drive back to your hotel.

Lunch and Dinner are at your expense. Spend a night at the hotel on Inle Lake.

After enjoying breakfast, you will travel to the morning market by the lake (the market is always available except for dark moon and full moon on calendar days).

The morning market’s position varies among the lake’s villages in a 5 day routine and this place welcomes the lake’s habitants along with nearby natives who also come here to sell and trade their goods. After travelling for an hour on boat down to a small canal, you will get to the Pa-Oh village of Indein whose location is on the western banks of Inle Lake.

Wander around the village before coming to the stairway covered by moss to the peak of the hill. When you arrive on the summit, you will catch sight of a legendary Buddha image which sits right among hundreds of stupa ruins and old shrubbery. On the peak, you will have a chance to enjoy the amazing views of the surrounding places.

The Indein Pagoda definitely deserves its reputation for being the most magnificent monument around the lake’ bank and it contains hundreds of small stupas which are controlled by moss and greenery. Then start off trekking 45 minutes to Sae Ma village. On the go, you will experience the true beauty and amazing vistas of the area while being shaded by the bamboo groves in the site.

When arriving at the village, you will have an opportunity to overlook the daily life habits of the rural people. On your travelling back, if time allows, take a stop at the Inthar Heritage House to have a thorough insight into the history and culture of the local and sip a delicious coffee and cake (snack break not in inclusion).  Once the visit ends, make a return to your hotel and have some relaxation.

You will be served with breakfast at the hotel before heading off to the Heho Airport (1-1.5 hour) to take a short flight back to Yangon. When arriving at the Yangon airport, you will have to move to the International Airport for your international communication. (Neither guide nor car is of availability in Yangon).

This is the end of our tour.