From planes, trains and boats to Jeeps, horse carriages and hot air balloons, you’ll see incredible pagodas and stupas as well as floating villages and local people. This tour has it all and will provide you with a lifetime of memories.
Officially known as Myanmar but still often referred to as Burma, the country has seen a dramatic rise in popularity over the past five years, and rightly so. From tropical palm fringed beaches to ancient temples and so much more between, Myanmar is a hidden gem. Visitors on our tours will be greeted wherever they go with smiling faces and shouts of “Minglabar” from passers-by and our recommendation is get here before the crowds do.
From the golden domes of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, formally the colonial capital of Rangooon to watching the sunset over the U Bein’s bridge in Amarapura, the country throws up a myriad of surprises and wonders at every turn. Our advice is to experience this country through one of our private tours to see its natural beauty before it changes forever.
TOUR DETAILS
- 21 nights
- From £4,500pp, excluding flights
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Shwedagon Pagoda
- Kyaukhtatgi Pagoda
- Golden Rock
- Shwemawdaw Pagoda in Bago
- Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan
- Watching the sun set over the Bagan plains
- Hot air balloon ride over Bagan
- Cookery lesson
- Climb Mount Popa
- Boat cruise to Pakokku
- Sandstone caves at Po Win Taung
- Boat cruise up Ayeyarwady River
- Sagaing Hill
- Train journey over Gokteik Viaduct
- Inle Lake
ITINERARY IN BRIEF
- Singapore x 1 night
- Yangon x 3 nights
- Golden Rock x 1 night
- Yangon x 2 nights
- Bagan x 4 nights
- Monywa x 1 night
- Mandalay x 2 nights
- Maymyo x 1 night
- Mandalay x 2 nights
- Inle Lake x 4 nights
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
DAY THREE
DAY FOUR
DAY FIVE
DAY SIX
DAY SEVEN
DAY EIGHT
DAY NINE
DAY TEN
DAY ELEVEN
DAY TWELVE
DAY THIRTEEN
DAY FOURTEEN
DAY FIFTEEN
DAY SIXTEEN
DAY SEVENTEEN
DAY EIGHTEEN
DAY NINETEEN
DAY TWENTY
DAY TWENTY ONE
DAY TWENTY TWO
DAY TWENTY THREE
DAY TWENTY FOUR
DAY ONE
day one
Depart UK for flight to Yangon via Singapore
Depart UK for flight to Yangon via Singapore.DAY TWO
day TWO
Arrive Singapore and evening at leisure
Arrive Singapore, clear customs and immigration then check in to hotel, conveniently attached to the airport. Your evening is at leisure to explore the city and enjoy dinner.DAY THREE
day THREE
Depart Singapore for Yangon
Depart Singapore first thing in the morning for Yangon. On arrival, you will be met by one of our representatives and transferred into the heart of Yangon where your hotel is located. The remainder of your day is at leisure for you to relax and explore.DAY FOUR
day FOUR
At leisure in Yangon
Today you have the day at leisure to relax, explore and familiarise yourself with Yangon. Formerly known as Rangoon, Yangon still retains much of its colonial character. We strongly recommend a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda, a vivid demonstration of how seriously the Burmese take their Buddhist faith. The bustling streets and narrow alleyways of downtown Yangon capture the diversity of this intriguing city, which is known for its shops and markets.DAY FIVE
day FiVE
Escorted sightseeing morning tour in Yangon
Morning half day tour to immerse you into the everyday life of Yangon. Board a local ‘circle train’ which runs from Yangon’s main railway station in a circle around various neighbourhoods in town and the outskirts. Disembark in Insein township and browse one of the city’s best fresh markets. Visit Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, home to a 70m long reclining buddha. Continue to a local tea shop for a chance to experience an integral part of life – drinking tea! Return to your hotel later in the afternoon for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.DAY SIX
day SIX
Depart Yangon for Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)
Depart Yangon early in the morning for a road journey to Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock), which takes approximately five hours. Then travel by an open-air truck for approximately 45 minutes along a winding road which ends at Golden Rock, a huge boulder covered by gold leaf and delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff, and one of Myanmar’s main pilgrimage sites.DAY SEVEN
day SEVEN
Leave Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock) for Yangon via escorted tour in Bago
After breakfast, return to base camp via open-air truck and begin return journey to Yangon. Enroute, stop in Bago (also known a Pegu), a town steeped in legend which used to be the capital of the Mon Kingdom in the 15th century. Spend time exploring the sites around Bago with your guide, learning about the history and myths of the city. The Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda is higher than Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda and can be seen from around 10km away. Return to Yangon in the afternoon, stopping on the outskirts to visit the Allied War Cemetery, home to more than 27,000 Allied soldiers who perished during WWII.DAY EIGHT
day EIGHT
At leisure in Yangon
This is your final day of leisure in Yangon and we highly recommend taking the ferry over the Dala, a sleepy township with dusty roads and deserted pagodas.DAY NINE
day NINE
Leave Yangon for flight to Bagan then sightseeing in Bagan
After breakfast at the hotel, leave Yangon and transfer to the airport for your flight to Bagan. On arrival, transfer to your hotel and freshen up for a couple of hours. Your afternoon tour begins with a visit to an elevated temple which offers panoramic views of the magnificent plains of Bagan. Then visit the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda, a cave temple with mural paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple which is noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. Visit a lacquer workshop and Ananda Temple. Then travel by horse cart passing a selection of temples including the highest temple in Bagan, from which you can watch the sunset before returning to your hotel.DAY TEN
day TEN
Morning hot air balloon ride over Bagan followed by cookery course
Start the day with a sunrise hot air balloon ride over Bagan. Following this visit a local market with your guide to select ingredients to cook. Return to a local restaurant to meet the chef and, under tuition, begin preparing and using traditional cooking techniques. Enjoy the fruits of your labour for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure in Bagan.DAY ELEVEN
day ELEVEN
Sightseeing tour to Mount Popa
Following breakfast, embark on a drive through the planes to Mount Popa with your guide. Belived by the Burmese to house the spirits of thirty seven ancient spirits, this place is of great importance. Climb the 900 steps to the summit to be rewarded with impressive views. On the way back to Bagan stop at a local village which produces palm toddy. Enjoy lunch in the village then drive back to Bagan.DAY TWELVE
day TWELVE
At leisure in Bagan with driver and guide
A day for you to explore Bagan with your guide and driver.DAY THIRTEEN
day THIRTEEN
At leisure in Bagan with driver and guide
A day at leisure in Bagan with your driver and guide.DAY FOURTEEN
day FOURTEEN
Boat cruise to Pakoku, Shwe Ba Taung and Po Win Taung
After breakfast board a private local boat for a two-hour cruise upriver to Pakoku then transfer to Shwe Ba Taung in time for lunch. In the afternoon explore the monasteries and temples carved out of narrow rocky cliffs at Shwe Ba Taung. After a one hour drive reach Po Win Taung, an extraordinary complex of 947 sandstone caves dug out of the hills and containing what is considered by archaeologists to be the richest collection of mural paintings and buddhist statues in southeast Asia. Travel on to Monywa for your hotel.DAY FIFTEEN
day FIFTEEN
Sightseeing around Monywa then transfer to Mandalay.
In the morning visit Thanboddhay Pagoda and Boditahtaung Pagoda, the latter housing the largest reclining buddha image in Myanmar at over 100m in length. Nearby is the largest standing one. Depart for the three-hour drive to Mandalay.DAY SIXTEEN
day SIXTEEN
River cruise from Mandalay then visit Sagaing and Amarapura
After breakfast embark on a river boat cruise on the Ayeyarwady River to the riverside village of Mingun, where you will see the Mingun Bell (weighing more than 87 tons and more than 3.7m tall!) and the Mingun Pagoda. Lunch will be served onboard on the boat’s return to Mandalay. Continue to Sagaing which is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditiation centres, together with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries. On your return to Mandalay stop at Amarapura and visit U Bein bridge, the world’s longest teak span bridge.DAY SEVENTEEN
day SEVENTEEN
Depart Mandalay to hill station of Maymyo then carriage ride
Depart Mandalay on a scenic two-hour drive to the former British hill station of Maymyo, now officially known as Pyin Oo Lwin. In the afternoon take a horse and carriage ride through the town to see the historical houses, dropping you off at the 175-hectare botanical gardens for a walk.DAY EIGHTEEN
day EIGHTEEN
Leave Maymyo on a train journey to Naung Pain station for lunch then on to Mandalay
After breakfast, transfer to the Pyin Oo Lwin railway station for a wonderful journey which crosses the famous Gokteik Viaduct, which offers spectacular views. Arrive in Naung Pain station late morning and stop for lunch before returning to Mandalay.DAY NINETEEN
day NINETEEN
Depart Mandalay for Ava visits to monasteries and pagodas
After breakfast, visit Ava then take a ferry ride across the river for a horse and cart ride to visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the royal palace and fort. Continue on to the Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay and visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda, whose 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures have earned it the title ‘World’s Biggest Book’. Finish your day by visiting the Shwenandaw Monastery.DAY TWENTY
day TWENTY
Depart Mandalay and fly to Heho to visit Inle Lake
Transfer to Mandalay airport for flight to Heho then transfer to Nyaung She, the gateway to Inle Lake. Visit a monastery and detour to visit the Pindaya Caves, if you wish. Have and stroll in Nyaung Shwe followed by lunch. In the afternoon board a private motoboat to head out to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar’s most spectacular sights including floating gardens and the lake’s main sanctuary, home to five sacred Buddha images covered in gold leaf. Explore local crafts at a weaving village and a cheroot factory.DAY TWENTY ONE
day TWENTY ONE
Visit Inle Lake market and village of In Dein
Visit Inle Lake’s morning market where your guide will explain the local produce and goods for sale. Visit the village of In Dein and explore the area on foot, enjoying the magnificent views.DAY TWENTY TWO
day TWENTY TWO
At leisure on Inle Lake
Enjoy a day of leisure on Inle Lake. A guide can be hired for trips to local villages or you could enjoy the fantastic spa and facilities at your hotel.DAY TWENTY THREE
day TWENTY THREE
At leisure in Inle Lake
Enjoy a day at leisure in Inle Lake. Once again you could hire a guide to visit local villages, take a boat trip on the lake or relax at your hotel.DAY TWENTY FOUR
day TWENTY FOUR
Leave Inle Lake, transfer to Heho airport, fly to Yangon then fly home to UK
This morning transfer to Heho airport for your domestic flight to Yangon. Upon arrival, your guide and car will be at your disposal along with the use of a hotel room at a local property so that you can freshen up before your journey back to the UK. In the afternoon transfer to Yangon airport for your flight to the UK, via Singapore.Itinerary
Flight information
Depart UK and fly to Yangon via Singapore international airport