See the bustling, crumbling colonial heart of Yangon! Explore Inle Lake by traditional longtail boat! Survey Bagan from the tranquility of a hot air balloon and sail up the mighty Irrawaddy to Mandalay, Myanmar's cultural capital all at once with us!
Got a question? Call us 1.888.212.6444
Relax in Myanmar's most stylish colonial property, in the peaceful Embassy District. The country was known as Burma during British rule and the country's colonial heritage is very much in evidence in its architecture, including The Governor's Residence.
Day 2: Yangon / Belmond Governor’s Residence
After breakfast, your guide will meet you for a comprehensive tour of the splendid city of Yangon. Highlights include a stroll around the crumbling colonial quarter, with a drink at The Strand perhaps, visits to the Botataung & Shwedagon Pagodas before ending at Scott Market, which is a wonderful warren of shops and stalls selling all manner of Myanmarese products and handicrafts, shipped in from all corners of the country.
Day 3: Bagan / Thiripyitsaya Resort
Fly to Bagan in the early morning and spend the day uncovering the endless landscape of over 4,000 temples alongside your private guide, who will help you decide what to see and make sense of it all. See any or all of the 12th Century Shwezigon Pagoda, the Cave Temple of Gubyauki Pagoda, the three storey high Htilominlo Temple and the brick-built Ananda Okkyaung, the best preserved masterpiece of Mon architecture. See too the 12th Century cross-shaped Thatbyinnyu Temple, the tallest in Bagan, and then the largest temple, the Dhammayangyi. Finish the day aboard a boat enjoying the sunset.
Day 4: Bagan / Thiripyitsaya Resort
Float over the site at dawn in a hot air balloon. When you are ready, spend the morning exploring Bagan by bike with your guide, which allows you to get to some of the more remote parts of the site. You can explore the Archaeological Museum, as well as Bu-Paya, believed to have been built by the third king of Bagan who ruled from 168 to 243 AD. You are also free to explore the less well-visited temples like Satu-Mukha and U-pali-thein. Relax in the afternoon by the banks of the Irrawaddy River prior to the next phase of your journey.
Day 5 – 6: Irrawaddy River Cruise
Explore the riverside communities of Myanmar with a cruise along the mighty Irrawaddy aboard a colonial-style river cruiser. Pause at riverside villages and moor up on sandbanks for the night, before arriving into the cultural capital, Mandalay.
Overnight at: RV Paukan 2012
Day 7: Mandalay
Disembark at the ancient capital of Sagaing, now a tranquil hillside community on the banks of the Irrawaddy where thousands of monks and nuns retreat to hundreds of stupas, monasteries, temples and nunneries for meditation and contemplation. Then head to Mandalay to explore the city. See the Maha-myat-muni Pagoda, the most revered Buddha image in the city, the Golden Teak Monastery and the ZeyCho Market - not to mention the iconic wooden U-Bein Bridge.
Overnight at: Rupar Mandalar
Day 8: Mandalay
In the morning, board a private boat and head up the Irrawaddy River to the village of Mingun, where you can see the huge and crumbling 'Unfinished Pagoda', the Mingun Bell (the largest ringing bell in the world), and the truly beautiful Sin Phyu Me Stupa. After lunch, explore the ancient capital of Ava by horse-drawn cart.
Overnight at: Rupar Mandalar
Day 9: Inle Lake
Fly to Heho and travel down to Inle Lake, where you board a longtail boat and head across the waters to your lakeside hotel. In the afternoon, head back out onto the lake to see Indein with its crumbling pagodas, as well as the amazing floating gardens.
Overnight at: Villa Inle Resort
Day 10: Inle Lake
Spend a second day with your guide and private longtail boat at your disposal, exploring the extremely photogenic Inle Lake. Perhaps head away from the crowds to the far south, which is less frequented by the many visitors, or catch a colourful five-day market, which teems with ethnic minorities in their traditional tribal dresses, who come down from the villages in the surrounding hills to sell their produce and meet friends.
Overnight at: Villa Inle Resort
Please contact Specialty Travel Advisor Ken Lewis at [email protected] for more details.
