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Itinerary:
Day 1: Yangon
Day 2: Yangon – Bagan
Day 3: Bagan fullday
Day 4: Bagan - Mandalay - Ava - Sagaing Hill – Amarapura
Day 5: Mandalay - Mingun – Mandalay
Day 6: Mandalay – Heho – Inle Lake
Day 7: Inle Lake (Indein)
Day 8: Inle Lake - Yangon - Departure
Detailed program
Day 1: Yangon
Arrive in Yangon in the afternoon. Pick up by your local guide at Yangon International Airport and then transfer to hotel.
Check in at the hotel. Fresh up and head to Bogyoke Aung San market (Scott market) - this popular market in downtown area offers a good selection of gem stones, traditional fabric & costumes, handicrafts, arts & paintings, souvenirs, etc. Bargain …bargain…bargain before buying anything. Spend the afternoon at the market. And if you wish, can also visit Chinatown (in central Yangon) where you can find a colorful cacophony of restaurants, temples and markets.Continue to a local tea shop to experience a local's life and tea culture! Select from an array of snacks and enjoy a cup of tea as you sit amid friendly locals. Drive to the great Shwedagon Pagoda for sunset appreciation in the evening.Shwedagon Pagoda - this 98-meter gilded stupa is Myanmar's Holiest Buddhist Shrine that contains relics of the past four Buddhas. It used to be only 18 meters tall. From 1453 to 1472 it was raised to 40 meters. The stupa was rebuilt many times until it reached its current height of 98 meters in the 18th century. It is believed that if a person wants to avoid bad luck and misfortune, he must pour water at one’s planetary post and he will be ensure of peace of mind and all anxieties will end. Relax over dinner at local a restaurant. Transfer back to your hotel and overnight in Yangon.
Day 2 Yangon - Bagan
Bagan: As the capital of the first Myanmar Empire, Bagan is home to many archaeological sites. Filled with mass of 2,500 pagodas and stupas built between the 11th and 13th centuries, and surrounded by the Irrawaddy River, peanut and sesame fields, Bagan is one of the most best Buddhist archaeological sites in the world. Check out and head to Yangon domestic terminal to catch your super early morning flight to Nyaung U (Bagan).Your station guide will pick up at Nyaung U airport and take you to a local restaurant for breakfast.
After breakfast, visit Nyaung U market - some tourists find the morning market is more colorful and fun than the popular Scott market in Yangon. Majority of the market area is occupied by souvenirs and antiques shops. You can find bronze statues of the ancient ladies of Bagan, old lacquer ware, paintings copied from the original frescoes in the Bagan temple and hand woven clothes among others. (You'll see local lifestyles and experience)
After that, drive to hotel. Check in, freshen up and out for lunch at a restaurant. After lunch, sightseeing starts with horsecart ride among some of the most historic temples & pagodas. Manuha pagoda - built by the captive Mon King Manuha in 1067 & one of the oldest temples in Bagan. Inside, there are 3 seated Buddha statues face the front of the building, & in the back there's a huge reclining Buddha. All seem too huge for their enclosures, & their cramped, uncomfortable positions are said to represent the stress & lack of comfort the 'captive king' had to endure.
Thatbaynyu temple - built by King Alaung Sithu in A. D. 1144 & is the tallest structure in Bagan. There is a rhyme traditionally sung by the people of Bagan, which runs: "Massiveness that is Dhammayan Gyi, Loftiness that is Thatbyinnyu, Grace that is Ananda.
Ananda pagoda - one of the best-preserved & largest temples built by King Kyansittha in 1105 AD. It is the masterpiece of early style temple architecture.
Dammayangyi temple - built by King Narathu (1167-70), who was also known as Kalagya Min, who murdered his own king father to take over the throne and he built this massive structure. King Narathu oversaw the construction but he never completed the construction because he was assassinated before the completion.
In the evening, off to Myinkaba village to observe local lacquerware workshops and learn how this traditional piece of art is made.
Visit Minnathu village where villagers process the crops, feed the animals as well as weave fabrics. More into the daily lives of the local people. (If time permits)
Drive back to your hotel in the evening. Dinner and overnight in Bagan.
Day 3: Bagan (Full Day Sightseeing)
An early morning visit to Shwesandaw pagoda to capture breathtaking sunrise. Head back to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we will hit the main temples & pagoda highlights. Shwezigon pagoda, Gawdawpalin Temple, Htilominlo pagoda, Sulamuni temple, Bu Pagoda (Bu Paya), Shwegugyi Temple and Pyathatgyi temple.
Sulamani Temple - built in 1183A.D by King Narapatisithu. The entrance of this massive cave pagoda was decorated superb architectural works of art. There are also wall ink writings of later Innwa and Konbaung periods. Legend had it that the King spotted the place exuding ruby-like brilliance and was inspired to build a pagoda there but it happened to be a gorge so he had it filled with earth despite his mentor monk's entreaties. The monk was about to leave the kingdom when the king begged for forgivenes and sought advice to build the pagoda.
Htilominlo Temple - was built in 1211A.D by King Nadaungmya (Htilominlo), the youngest of the five sons of King Narapatisithu. The king put the royal umbrella at the centre of the five sons positioned in circle and took an oath for the umbrella to bend towards the one who should be King. The umbrella bent towards Zeya Thinkha. Thus he was known as Hitilominlo, meaning favoured by the Royal Umbrella as well as the king. When the prince became king; he built the pagoda at the venue of the Royal Umbrella. It was among the last-built of the great pagodas and temples of Bagan.
Gawdawpalin Temple - Gawdawpalin Temple was built in 1175 by King Narapatisithu. Legend has it that the King has committed a terrible crime against his ancestors and as punishment went blind. Brahmen astrologers advised the King to make amends by making idols of his ancestors and placing them on thrones. The King worshiped these idols and begged for forgiveness. Miraculously he eventually regained his sight.
Bu Pagoda (Bu Paya) - The name of this Bagan attraction already gives a perfect description of the place: Bu Paya means ‘a gourd-shaped pagoda.’ According to legend, Pyusawhti rid the area of 'bu,' which was a gourd-like climbing plant that infested the riverbanks. As a reward, he became the heir to the throne of Bagan and its third king.
Lunch break at a local restaurant.
Shwezigon Pagoda - Shwezigon is considered as Bagan's most significant shrine, 160 feet high and 160 feet wide at the base. It is said that the structure was built to enshrine one of the four replicas of the Buddha’s tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This pagoda inspires faith even today, bringing joy to the hearts of monks and laymen alike as they behold its brilliant golden color. The construction was started by King Anawrahta, but the project was not completed until the rule of King Kyanzittha.
Shwegugyi Temple - Shwegugyi means "the Golden Cave" in Myanmar language. It is located in front of the royal palace and therefore also known as the "Nandaw Oo Paya" meaning the "Pagoda in front of the palace". Built by King Alaungsithu in 1311A.D, this cave temple showcases a transition in architectural style from the dark and cloistered to the airy and light. The temple is also famous for its fine stucco and carved wooden doors in the interior.
Pyathatgyi temple - the last great construction of Bagan Dynasty. This double-cave type monument has
Indian influence. The place to end your day touring the temples and take in the incredible sunset. Drive back to Bagan. Dinner and overnight in Bagan hotel.
Day 4: Bagan - Mandalay - Ava - Sagaing Hill - Amarapura
Check out from hotel and take morning flight from Bagan to Mandalay. Your guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to hotel for check in.
Then, you will start exploring this city of ancient kings. Drive to Ava, visit the old wooden Bagayar Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and Fort. There are many small villages located amid Ava’s ruins and as you travel, you’ll get a glimpse of local life in the Myanmar countryside. Return toward the city and continue to Sagaing Hill. Discover the numerous Buddhist monasteries;
Uminthonze Pagoda and Sunooponnyashin Pagoda. Behold the panoramic view of Mandalay city.
Head to Amarapura to visit U Bein Bridge (200 year old world’s longest teak bridge. Stroll along and learn about the local way of living. Fishermen in the still waters, monks streaming crimson from one end to other, locals biking from shore to shore on their way home from work, etc). Appreciate the most beautiful sunset.
Then, visit silk-weaving workshops to observe how this piece of traditional fabric is made.
Back in Mandalay in the evening. Dinner and rest up for the night. Overnight in Mandalay.
Day 5: Mandalay - Mingun - Mandalay
After breakfast at hotel, proceed to Gawwein jetty for a short boat ride up river to reach Mingun which is located at the other side of the Ayeyarwaddy River. Along the way, we will be able to observe the beautiful scenery and local way of living.
Sightseeing will be covered going to Pathodawgyi - one of the famous monuments in the world. This world's largest unfinished pagoda in central Myanmar was built by King Bodawpaya around the place. The building of Mingun Pahtodawgyi started in 1791 which was intentionally left unfinished by the King. If the construction had been completed, it would have been the largest in the world at 150 meters, Next, visit Mingun Bell (Said to be one of the world's largest ringing bells dated A.D 2000.). After that, we will head back to Mandalay.Back in Mandalay and drop by at Mahamuni Pagoda (The holiest pagoda in Mandalay. Observe the art of stone sculpting nearby the pagoda.) In appreciation of arts and crafts, visit gold leave making workshops. Back to hotel and rest up for the night after dinner.
Day 6: Mandalay - Heho (Inle Lake)
After breakfast, check out from hotel and leave for airport. Take morning flight to Heho (Inle). Met up by your station guide at the airport upon arrival.Drive to Nyaung Shwe jetty and take your boat ride to the hotel. Enjoy the breathtaking lake view along the way.After hotel check in, your Inle sightseeing starts. First, visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda - one of the famous principal shrines and the important religious site in the Shan State. The pagoda houses five small golden Buddha images but they have been covered with so many gold leaves that it is impossible to see their original structure.Next, head to Ywama village, largest village on the lake – home to the skilled silversmiths & ceremonial silverwares. After lunch at a local restaurant on the lake, visit lotus & silk weaving villages & traditional handicraft workshops at Inpawkhon village as well as Shan cheroot making workshop at Nam Pan village. We will continue to observe floating gardens (observe how Inle locals grow vegetables & fruit in large gardens that float on the surface of the lake).
Back to hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Inle.
Day 7: Inle Lake (Indein)
After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will take you on a boat trip to visit Indein - a Pa-Oh tribe village located on the western banks of the lake and travel down a small canal covered in hundreds of ancient stupas & enjoy the mesmerizing view of the lake. Visit Pa-Oh villages to get to know and interact with the simple & friendly Pa-Oh tribes. You can leisurely go around for sightseeing around the ancient pagodas.After lunch, visit Shwe Indein pagoda, ancient and crumbling, ornate with stucco carvings of mythical animals. Take a boat ride back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: Inle Lake - Yangon - Departure
Fly back to Yangon by early morning flight. Upon arrival at the domestic terminal, transfer to international departure to fly back home by an afternoon flight departure
