Welcome to Myanmar! Upon arrival at the airport in Yangon International Airport, clear Immigration and Customs and proceed into the arrivals area, where you will be greeted by your private guide and driver for your hotel transfer. When you reach your hotel, check in, get settled and freshen up before your excursion this afternoon. (This service is on a private basis.)

Heritage Walk

Yangon's downtown is unique, with much of its colonial-era architecture still standing. You will find one of Asia’s most impressive collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth- century building here, both religious and secular. This half day walking tour will take you through downtown Yangon, focusing on its old colonial buildings. Your expert guide will lead you through the back streets at a relaxed pace, as they explain to you the history of each building. Some of them sit empty, as others are getting restored and some are used for different purposes than when they were originally built. This walk along the streets of Yangon will, at least architecturally, take you a step back in time. Your journey will end a drink at Rangoon Tea House, a cozy restaurant on lower Pansodan street, a place where many of Yangon’s expatriates of today meet up for a drink or a meal. (This service is on a private basis.)

Yangon

Yangon, also known as Rangoon, is Myanmar’s largest city and most important commercial hub, located at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers. This former Burmese capital, creatively blends tradition, culture and modernity. It is home to the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda, which dates back more than 2,000 years. From pilgrimages and pagoda festivals, to ubiquitous tea shops and cosmopolitan avenues, you can find it all in Yangon. Often called the "Garden City of the East", nature lovers will enjoy the city’s pristine lakes, verdant tropical trees and spacious parks.

Spiritual Shwedagon Pagoda

Interested in discovering what is behind the golden facade of the Shwedagon Pagoda? During this interactive half day tour, you will be guided through the back door, to reveal what is usually hidden from travelers. Understand the full history of the pagoda, the daily life of the people living in the immediate surroundings, and gain a deeper insight in the Buddhist religion and how their spiritual belief is mixed with the belief in nats – the Myanmar spirits. This intriguing adventure will begin from the bottom of the hill, passing the workshops, markets and monasteries, which will be useful, or even essential, to have a true understanding of the country during the rest of your journey. This excursion includes a traditional Burmese breakfast, offerings to monks and the pagoda, a visit to a fortune teller and a Burmese lunch. (This service is on a private basis.)

Early this morning, you will be picked up at your hotel in Yangon and transferred to the airport in good time to board your domestic flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival in Mandalay, you will be greeted at the airport by your driver and guide for an exploration of the city. (This service is on a private basis.)

Amarapura & Mahamuni

Today's tour is the perfect introduction to Mandalay. You will start with a visit to the old capital of Amarapura, in a quiet village where you will hear the sound of the weaving machines. Continue walking through the famous Mahagandayon monastery complex wandering with hundreds of monks, visit a 100 year old weaving vocational training institution and walk over U-Bein Bridge, where you will taste a sip of Mandalay rum, which has been produced since 1886!

Next, your tour continues to the Mahamuni pagoda to have a look at this century’s old Buddha statue originating from Mrauk Oo. It is a very lively temple compound where men can stick gold leaves to the Buddha statue. The Mahamuni is also an excellent place to shop around for the perfect Buddha statue (bronze or wood). If you can’t find what you are looking for, there's no need to worry, as you will have time to find a marble statue at the next stop, which is the marble carving street, before heading back to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Mandalay

Mandalay, the last royal capital of Burma, lies in central Myanmar on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy river. The name "Mandalay" evokes visions of rich history and exotic cultures. However this relatively young royal city, considered by many to be the heart of Burmese culture, was built in 1857. Mandalayans are known for their generous and charitable nature primarily due to the fact that the area holds the world's largest number of monks to be found in any one place. A long procession of monks doing their alms-receiving-rounds in the mornings is a common sight in Mandalay.

Ayeyarwaddy River Cruise

The Ayeyarwaddy river, Burma’s longest, flows north to south from its source high in the Himalayas through the center of the country and empties into the Andaman Sea. It is navigable for about 1,400km (870 miles) from its mouth. Today, you will embark on a cruise down the river, visiting several highlights along the way.

From the jetty in Mandalay, you will take a leisurely boat cruise for about 2 hours downstream to Sagaing passing the temple dotted hills where we stop and visit the Setkyar Thida nunnery. You will continue by boat to Ava, where a horse cart will be awaiting to take you around this magnificent site with various ancient temple ruins that used to be majestic buildings during the 400 years that Ava was the capital. Enjoy a hearty lunch in Ava before continuing to Amarapura by car. The old capital of Amarapura is a very quiet village nowadays where you only hear the sound of the weaving machines. You will have an opportunity to visit one of the small weaving factories and walk over U-Bein Bridge. An ideal excursion if you don’t take the boat from Mandalay to Bagan, since the most interesting part of the long boat ride is covered in this cruise. (This service is on a private basis.)

This morning, you will be picked up at your hotel in Mandalay and transferred to the airport in good time to board your domestic flight to Bagan. Upon arrival in Bagan, you will be greeted at the airport by your driver and guide to embark on an excursion of this majestic region. (This service is on a private basis.)

Full Day Orientation Tour

Upon arrrival, you will embark on a full day tour by car through Bagan. Your experienced guide will show you the best known temples of the area. Start the day climbing a pagoda, to reach a breathtaking view over the entire area. From here, you will explore other amazing temples that have been here for hundreds of years. Places like the Ananda, Dhammayangyi, Sulamani, and Thatbyinnyu will certainly impress you.

Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant and around 4:00 PM, you will continue the tour by horse cart to Pyathagyi pagoda. At the pagoda, you will have the opportunity to admire the sunset with some refreshing drinks! Oh, and of course the best part of this tour...whenever you pass by a temple that interests you, just ask your guide to stop to have a look at it! One of the many luxuries of private tours...the fact that you can cater it to your personal requests. After your excursion, you will be transferred back to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Bagan

Located on the eastern banks of the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar, Bagan is famous for its picturesque Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins. More than 2,000 of these extraordinary treasures cover an area of 16 square miles, many of which date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Bagan is the ultimate photographer's paradise. No matter if it's the colorful hour of dawn or the balmy late afternoons, the impressive pagodas that decorate the landscape, is truly picture perfect.

Enjoy sleeping in today, and beginning the morning at your own pace. Waking up in Bagan, will already make for a beautiful day. However, if you are interested in an optional early morning excursion, please click on the orange box below for an optional excursion to enhance your time in Myanmar.

Minnanthu Temple Tour & Picnic Lunch

Today, you will visit the Minnanthu temple. Considered the favorite temple among frequent Bagan visitors, it is a quiet, beautiful area that is often completely deserted. Your guide will take you by car to this forgotten part of Bagan and will spread out a blanket for a picture perfect picnic. You will enjoy a delicious picnic lunch, right in the midst of this historical setting. You will also have the opportunity to visit two or three other ancient temples ruins in the area. After your temple, visits you will be transferred back to your hotel for a short rest before your sunset tour. (This service is on a private basis.)

Sundowners On The Irrawaddy River

Essentially, it should be required to stay a minimum of two nights in Bagan. This is because one of the nights should be used to admire the sunset from the top of an ancient temple and the other night is left for taking a boat ride on the mighty Irrawaddy River. Of course, no scenic boat ride is complete without sundowners on a sandbank in the middle of the river...that is, if the river is not too high. This evening, you will enjoy a private boat tour on the calm waters during sunset. Ideally, you will have the chance to marvel at one of the most spectacular sunsets, as you sip on some cocktails and enjoy snacks. Cheers! (This service is on a private basis.)

Sadly, your Myanmar journey must come to an end today. However, you will be leaving with irreplaceable memories and experiences to cherish. Today, you will be picked up at your hotel in Bagan and transferred to the Yangon airport to check into your international flight onwards. We hope you had an incredible trip and we wish you safe and pleasant travels onward!