Vietnam and Myanmar Highlights

Activities: Fly to Hanoi, explore Old Quarter, and Hoan Kiem Lake, and enjoy a welcome dinner.

Upon your arrival, you will be met with a warm greeting from your guide and then transferred to your hotel for check-in. If time allows, take a short tour of the Old Quarter. Once a bustling area where merchants and artisans gathered to sell their products, Hanoi Old Quarter consists of many small, meandering streets with special names. Then, take a few walks to breathtaking Hoan Kiem Lake for beautiful views over the lake.

The evening is a great time for you to get your very first taste of Vietnam's unique cuisine. Your welcome dinner is at one of the finest local restaurants- cozy atmosphere, friendly and professional staff, and culinary experience which is for sure to bring absolute satisfaction to you.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Activities: Visit the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh complex (including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, HCM’s Stilt House, and One Pillar Pagoda), Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the city museums, and watch Water Puppet Show at Theatre.

After breakfast, set off your full-day city tour with the most highlighted sites of the capital including:

The Temple of Literature is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Visiting the Temple of Literature you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place.

Ho Chi Minh complex includes Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - where the famous President’s body is stored, HCM’s Stilt House, and One Pillar Pagoda- an ancient one built in 1049 under the Ly Dynasty.

Tran Quoc Pagoda - one of the largest pagodas in Hanoi and one of the museums in Hanoi (Museum of History, Museum of Ethnology, Museum of Fine Art, or Hoa Lo prison).

In the early evening, take in the cultural ambiance through a traditional Water Puppet Performance - a great way to finish your beautiful day.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Activities: Transfer to Halong Bay, board a ship for a cruise around Dinh Huong and Ga Choi, visit one of three caves Thien Cung, Dau Go, or Sung Sot, and stop at an island to dip in the water.

This morning, set off your amazing journey to another charming land- Halong Bay. One of the great natural wonders of Asia, Halong Bay is the single most popular trip from Hanoi. The beauty of the bay and its 3000 islands is so awesome that an excursion there should be considered an essential part of any visit to Northern Vietnam. After a 3.5-4 hour drive, you will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular and memorable sightseeing of your trip.

The boat trip will take you far from shore, and simply meander among the islands and inlets. When exploring the bay, you will have a feeling of relaxation in the peaceful atmosphere. And more interestingly, the limestone islands bearing strange shapes, and numerous caves with numerous magnificent stalactites will make you lost in the maze of fairyland.

Visiting this enchanting land, you will not only be fascinated by stunning views over the Bay but also be astounded by the fresh seafood served on an excellent menu.

In the afternoon, your cruise will stroll around some beautiful islands such as Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. En route, you have a chance to delve into one of the largest caves of Halong (Thien Cung, Dau Go, or Sung Sot). Make a stop at an island for a dip in the waters of the East Sea.

Activities: Enjoy a Tai Chi class, go to Soi Sim Beach or join a cooking demonstration, enjoy brunch on board, transfer to the airport, fly to Danang, and check in at the hotel in Hoian.

Try to wake up early this morning to enjoy the most beautiful moment on the Bay. Halong Bay is beautiful in every moment, especially at sunrise – the Bay is truly a masterpiece of nature. Nothing can portray the magical beauty as the first rays of morning sunshine down on the crystal-clear sea surface.

Take in the fresh moment at the very first sunrays with a Tai Chi class on the top deck. Then, there are 2 options for you to choose from: going to Soi Sim Beach for fresh swimming or joining a cooking demonstration for unique Vietnamese cuisine. Say goodbye to the beautiful land after a brunch on board for a flight to another breathtaking land- Hoian. Upon your arrival, transfer to Hoian for check-in hotel.

Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Activities: Visit Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky house, and the Japanese Bridge, and take a boat to visit a handicraft village.

Today, you will start your new day with a discovery around Hoian- the most ancient city in Vietnam. Hoian fascinates tourists with its own romantic beauty. Visiting Hoian you will have the opportunity to admire green moss roofs, shimmering lanterns in the night, or century-old wooden houses with intricate carvings.

Take a half-day walking tour along the streets of the town center. The highlights will be:

Chua Ong Pagoda. The Ong Pagoda like most other pagodas in the region is a place engaged not just as a place of worship and meditation, but also as a cultural hub, preserving the heritage of the land. The Ong Pagoda is also popularly called the Quan Cong Temple.

The Chinese Assembly Hall is located on Tran Phu Street, facing the Thu Bon River. Nowadays, even though not all of the halls stay the same, the five remaining ones (Fujian, Chaozhou, Hainan, Cantonese, and Chinese) become famous attractions in Hoi An.

The 200-year-old Tan Ky ancestral house and the famous Japanese Bridge. Japanese bridges long have had a reputation for their pure beauty of graceful curves and inspiration from the Zen spirit.

In the afternoon, you have a chance to take in the local life at a ceramic village with a short boat trip to the nearby island. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoian

Activities: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, visit the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, Opera Theatre, the City Hall, and Ben Thanh Market.

After breakfast, transfer to Danang airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City - the most bustling and fast-growing city in the country. Upon arrival, visit The War Remnants Museum which was opened in September 1975 and focuses on exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War.

The Reunification Palace - a historical relic of an era that ended only 40 years ago. It is known as the famous historical witness which passed through the two fierce wars against the French and American colonists. The palace was built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City.

Notre Dame Cathedral - a cathedral located in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters. At the time it was built, Notre Dame was the most beautiful cathedral of this kind amongst all French colonies.

Saigon Central Post Office - one of the oldest buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. The Central Post Office was built around 1886 – 1891 based on Villedieu, a famous French architect.

Opera Theatre and the City Hall - are two interesting sites to admire the elegant architecture.

Ben Thanh Market - the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City. One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.

Spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Activities: Visit Cai Be market, and some local workshops, enjoy lunch at an ancient house, take a rowboat to venture deeper, visit a nursery garden, and transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Spend all day exploring the fertile land of the Mekong Delta. After breakfast, you will be transferred to Cai Be. Cai Be, one of the many well-known floating markets in the western region of southern Vietnam was formed in the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century.

The Cai Be Floating Market is always busy, bearing all the characteristics of the local's life in the western region. All the goods are transported to the market by rafts and boats. Make a visit to some local workshops before enjoying a fabulous lunch in the cool shade of An Binh Island’s orchards at an ancient house. Your afternoon sightseeing will start with a traditional rowboat for a deeper venture into the countryside.

You will be impressed with a unique experience while floating through narrow canals. Make a stop at a nursery garden to learn more about the production methods of famous fruits and vegetables throughout the country. The final stop on your cruise is in Vinh Long- where you will be taken back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Activities: Fly to Yangon, check in at the hotel, enjoy dinner and watch a cultural show.

After breakfast, spend time exploring the city on your own before being transferred to the airport for a flight to Yangon. Upon your arrival arrive at Yangon airport, your guide will meet and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

Yangon is a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes it one of the most fascinating cities in Southeast Asia. The city is an amalgamation of British, Burmese, Chinese, and Indian influences, and is known for its colonial architecture, which although decaying and beyond appreciation, remains an almost unique example of a 19th-century British colonial capital.

In the afternoon, take your time to relax or explore the city on your own.

In the evening, enjoy a fabulous dinner with Burmese food in Karaweik Palace overlooking the Royal Lake and Shwedagon Tower. Wrap your beautiful day with a unique cultural show.

Lunch on your own, Overnight at the hotel in Yangon.

Activities: Fly to Bagan, visit Nyang U Market, Shwezigon pagoda, Ananda temple, and other temples, visit a local lacquer wear workshop, and watch the sunset from Shwesandaw pagoda.

After your breakfast at the hotel, take a flight in the early morning to Bagan - the World Heritage Site. The thousands of temples that are spread across the plains of Bagan combine to form one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia and provide views quite unlike anywhere else on earth.

Start your journey with a visit to the bustling Nyang U Market in Old Bagan - where you can get a glimpse of the locals’ lives. Continue onto the impressive Shwezigon pagoda. The golden Shwezigon Paya in Bagan is one of the most significant religious buildings in Myanmar, for it served as a prototype for later stupas built throughout the country and marked an important development in the relationship between traditional Burmese religion and Theravada Buddhism.

The next destination on your trip is another famous temple- Ananda. Ananda temple is considered to be one of the most surviving masterpieces of Mon architecture. On the way, make a stop to visit some other surrounding temples.

In the afternoon, get to learn more about the local culture with a visit to the lacquerware workshop. Here, you will have a chance to learn more about the traditional techniques of craftsmen and admire unique and beautiful products. As the day comes to a close, transfer to Shwesandaw pagoda for a stunning sunset over the surroundings.

Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Activities: Drive to Mt Popa, admire statues, reach the top for beautiful views, learn the traditional palm work of the locals, and take a short cruise for sunset.

This morning, leave the temple field for a drive to Mt Popa. Mount Popa is an extinct volcano on the slopes of which can be found the sacred Popa Taungkalat monastery, perched dramatically atop a huge rocky outcrop. While reaching the mountain, take in the quaint statues. Upon reaching the mountain top, you will find a 360-degree panorama and a labyrinth of shrines to explore. You also have a chance to learn more about the local life through the introduction to the traditional palm work of the locals.

Drive back to Bagan then take a short cruise for a stunning sunset over the Irrawaddy River.

Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Activities: Fly to Mandalay, travel to Sagaing Hill, visit Budda cave, Uminthonze pagoda, and Sunooponnyashin pagoda, take a drive to Amarapura to visit Mahagandaryone Monastery, walk through Ubein Bridge, admire Mahamuni Image.

Today, take a flight to Mandalay- which retains a rich history and traditional culture. Continue to drive to Sagaing hill to learn about the different Buddhist education systems for monks and nuns. Make a visit to Buddha Cave, Uminthonze pagoda, and Sunooponnyashin pagoda to admire their beautiful Buddha images.

Your journey will be continued with a drive to Amarapura. Amarapura is known for the ancient Buddhist architecture bearing the stamp of the history of Myanmar. The Mahagandhayon Monastery is one of the largest and most famous monasteries in Myanmar. Coming to Mahagandhayon, visitors will experience the pure life of the monks and learn more about Buddhism.

Take a leisure walk through Ubein Wooden Bridge- a beautiful 1.2-kilometer structure built from teak planks and said to be the longest of its type in the world. Make your final stop at Mahamuni pagoda to admire its Buddha image, the most highly revered Buddha image in the country.

Accommodation: Hotel in Mandalay

Activities: Take a boat to Mingun, visit Pahtodawgyi Pagoda and Mingun Bell, visit Mandalay Palace, Shwenandaw Monastery, and Kuthodaw Pagoda, and watch the sunset at Mandalay Hill.

After breakfast, embark on a private boat downriver to Mingun - which is famous for its unique ruins. Start your tour with a visit to the massive brick Mingun Pagoda - an unfinished pagoda built at the end of the 18th century, and was the largest pagoda in the country. Continue onto the Mingun Bell. The bell is housed nearby the Paya in a Zayat, an intricate Burmese-style pavilion with a multi-tiered roof. The bell measuring almost 4 meters high is the largest working bell in the world.

In the afternoon, make your way to Mandalay palace - the first palace to be built in Mandalay, by King Mindon when he shifted his capital from Amarapura in 1861, to fulfill an old prophecy. Continue onto Shwenandaw Monastery. The monastery is the most significant of Mandalay’s historic buildings since this Golden Palace Monastery remains the sole major survivor of the former wooden Royal Palace built by King Mindon in the mid-nineteenth century.

Make a visit to the Kuthodaw pagoda which comprises a gilded pagoda, hundreds of shrines housing inscribed marble slabs, and several pavilions. The pagoda is also called “the world’s largest book”, named after the 729 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist teachings. Wrap your day with a stunning view at sunset on the top of Mandalay Hill.

Accommodation: Hotel in Mandalay.

Activities: Fly to Heho, take a boat to explore Inle Lake, visit Phaungdawoo Pagoda, Ngaphechaung monastery, cotton, and lotus weaving factory, cigar making houses.

This morning, take a flight to Heho for an exploration of the majestic Inle Lake. . Inle lake is the country's second-largest lake and features floating villages, gardens, various tribes nearby, and fishermen who row with their legs.

Upon your arrival, take a motorboat to travel around the lake. Your scenic boat tour will pass through villages with stilted houses and floating gardens built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles.

Make a stop at Phaungdawoo Pagoda - the most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area. It houses five ancient images of the Buddha that are completely covered in gold leaf. Don’t miss out on Ngaphechaung monastery - an attractive wooden monastery built on stilts over the lake at the end of the 1850s.

The monastery is also known for a collection of old Myanmar Buddha images from different areas that are worth seeing. Proceed to the village of Nam Pan to visit the cotton and lotus weaving factory, cigar making houses. Here you can see Innthar people using their traditional silk weaving techniques to create unique and high-quality products.

Accommodation: Hotel in Inle Lake

Activities: Visit the market, take a boat to visit the temple of Indein, walk along the corridor, and enjoy columns.

Fill up your new day with a visit to the bustling morning market- where the locals flock together to sell their fresh produce.

Your own lunch followed by a boat trip to Indein. Indein is one of the small villages of Inle Lake located on the western bank of the lake. Take a delightful walk and climb to the top of the Indein Pagoda complex to see great views over the lake and the hundreds of small stupas which dot the hill.

Accommodation: Hotel in Inle Lake

Activities: Transfer to Yangon, visit Sule Pagoda, Chaukhtayi Pagoda, and Kandawgyi Lake, discover Shwedagon Pagoda, and go shopping at Scott Market.

This morning, say goodbye to the majestic Inle Lake and depart for Yangon. Highlights in your Yangon exploration include Sule Pagoda- an excellent landmark that is said to be over 2.000 years old, Chaukhtayi Pagoda, and Kandawgyi Lake - surrounded by a green, tree-filled park. Your stunning journey will continue after lunch.

This afternoon, you will explore the impressive Shwedagon Pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda is a great cone-shaped Buddhist monument 99 meters high. This pagoda has enhanced the beauty of the lake and the garden manifold. Finish your wonderful day with a beautiful afternoon market.

Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon

Activities: Free until departing.

Today is at your leisure until being transferred to the airport for a departure flight.