Day 1. Arrival at Yangon Airport.
Day 2. Have breakfast at your hotel. Enjoy a full day excursion in the colonial city of Yangon culminating in a visit to the breathtaking Shwedagon Pagoda.
Day 3. An early start today to transfer to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival check into your chosen hotel before continuing by car to the mighty Ayeyarwady River for the one hour boat ride to Mingun, home of the huge and famous unfinished Pagoda. Return to the city via Kuthodaw Pagoda, ‘the world’s largest book’ and enjoy the panoramic sunset views over the city from Mandalay Hill.
Day 4. Enjoy your breakfast then embark on a tour of the ancient cities area to the South of Mandalay. Continue in the afternoon onto Sagaing, the religious centre of Myanmar home to some 500 pagodas. Sunset photographs at the famous U Bein Bridge.
Day 5. After breakfast your car will pick you up for a full day visit to the Monywa area. The highlight of the days touring is the Hpo Win Daung Cave complex, 492 sandstone caves filled with murals and Buddhas dating back to the 14th Century. In the afternoon visit Thanboddhay Pagoda, home to an astonishing 582,000 Buddha images.
Day 6. Relax today and watch the rural heartland of the ‘Dry Zone’ of central Myanmar slowly drift by on the Ayeyarwady River boat journey to Bagan. We will pick you up and check you in to your hotel on arrival.
Day 7. Optional dawn champagne balloon ride over the pagodas of Bagan. After breakfast enjoy a full days exploration of the Bagan archaeological zone including highlights such as Shwesandaw and Gawdawpalin. Spend some time observing the work at a lacquer ware factory and watch the sunset from one of the tallest pagodas.
Day 8. A second full day to tour in and around the Bagan area. Visit 11th Century Shwezigon Pagoda, Htilominlo and the beautiful Ananda Pagoda amongst others. We can also include a visit to a rural village to interact with the local people and learn a little about their lives.
Day 9. After breakfast today your air-conditioned car will bring you out of Bagan to the less-visited monasteries of Salay. Continue on to Mt Popa, the ‘Nat’ worship centre of Myanmar; the shrine atop a volcanic tower.
Day 10. After your breakfast transfer to the airport for the short flight to Heho. On arrival your car will meet you for the scenic drive to Kalaw, the British-era colonial hill station. Spend the afternoon browsing the market and enjoying the cool hill breezes.
Day 11. Enjoy breakfast and meet your car for the drive past Danu and Pa O hill-tribe villages to Pindaya. Spend a few hours exploring the town and the famous caves on a ridge above Pone Ta Loke Lake. Continue in the afternoon onto Inle Lake and your chosen hotel.
Day 12. After breakfast set off for a full day’s exploration of the Inle Lake area. Photograph the Intha fishermen’s leg-rowing technique, meet the local tribal people and observe the fascinating local cottage industries. Visit the now famous ‘jumping cat’ monastery and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda with its five sacred gold-covered Buddha images.
Day 13. Breakfast at your hotel then meet your guide and car for the drive to the Pa O ethic village of Kyauktalone. We then continue though farms and hills to the areas main attraction, the 2,500 pagodas of Kakku. After exploring this lovely area drive to the market town of Taunggyi before returning to the Inle area.
Day 14. After breakfast board your boat for a trip across the lake to an ethnic 5-day market. Continue onto the ‘floating’ village and market of Ywama. Explore the stilted villages and floating gardens before crossing the lake to Nyaungshwe town. Drive to Heho for your afternoon flight to Yangon. Transfer on arrival to your chosen hotel.
Day 15. Depart from Yangon Airport.
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