Yangon – Heho – Pindaya – Inle Lake – Mandalay – Bagan – Yangon

DAY 1: YANGON 

Upon arrival at YANGON international airport, our uniformed guide will welcome and transfer to the assigned hotel.

Drive through downtown to the CENTRAL POST OFFICE from where to start your walking tour. Visit to the Asia’s architectural landmarks, and have a look at busy life of PANSODAN JETTY on Yangon River.

Walk up PANSODAN STREET, venture out for an exploration of historic downtown where famous for some of Yangon’s most impressive colonial buildings.

Pass faded colonial buildings such as the High Court, City Hall and former immigration offices. Reach the green Mahabandoola Park and Sule Pagoda, built over 2,000 years ago.And discovering the gold shops of SHWE BONTHA STREET. Go further on to KON ZAY DAN STREET and SHWEDAGON PAGODA ROAD before crossing through the animated INDIAN DISTRICT of ANAWRAHTA ROAD to reach the HINDU TEMPLE. Continue to 31st STREET well known for second hand book. Complete walking time is about 1 ½ hours, whereas transportation waits at pre-determined locations to pick up passengers that prefer to drive. In the late afternoon we will visit the CHINESE TEMPLE in Chinatown.

In the late afternoon extended visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, one of the wonders of the world the SHWEDAGON PAGODA.

Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 2: YANGON – HEHO – PINDAYA (TREKKING) ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast, transfer to airport for domestic flight to HEHO. Upon arrival drive to the village of Myegya , the starting point of the trekking journey.
After approximately 3 hours hiking through tea- and cheroot leaf plantations, reach Taung Myint Gyi village. Have a look around the Pao village, enjoy your lunch box and visit the beautiful monastery. Continue walking for another 3 hours through beautiful landscapes and small villages to Yasakyi village, a Palaung hill tribe village. The animist Palaung Tribe was amongst the earliest inhabitants in Myanmar and has kept to their tradition living with several families in ‘long-houses’, cultivating cash crops and tanapet for Burmese cheroot cigars. Simple dinner and overnight stop at the Palaung monastery or in a local house (very simple and basic).

DAY 3: PINDAYA (TREKKING) ( B/ L/ D)

Simple local breakfast. For the adventure at heart who want to do it all start early morning with the climb to Yasakyi peak (3 hours return). Hike to another settlement and small mountain villages in the region before descending to Pindaya. You have a choice between several trails taking 4 to 8 hours trekking to reach the valley. Picnic lunch on the way. Dinner overnight stay in Pindaya

DAY 4: PINDAYA – INLE LAKE ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast, visit and explore PINDAYA CAVES, a unique site housing over 8000 Buddha images made of wood, marble, lacquer, brick, stone and bronze placed there by pilgrims over the centuries.
Visit traditional paper and umbrella production and making process. Continue through the scenic drive to Nyaung Shwe (90km, 2 ½ hours) the gateway to Inle Lake. Along the way, stop at the wooden Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery with its red-painted teak building with unique oval shaped windows and features beautiful carvings.

After lunch at local restaurant, excursion to western shore of the lake of ruins and hidden INN THEIN PAGODA complex. Along the way, pass through the busy villages with its its tall houses on stilts and charming way of inhabitants of lake. Find the beginning of a stair path leading to the most amazing historical sights on the shore of the lake consisting of hundreds of small ruins and hidden stupas overgrown by moss and greens. Enjoy breathtaking views from the main stupa area on the top of the hills over surrounding and into the valley with the lake in the far distance.
Dinner and overnight stay on the Inle Lake or in Nyaung Shwe.

DAY 5: INLE LAKE – HEHO – MANDALAY ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast, visit one of the colorful and bustling morning market of Inle Lake region (on market days only). Enjoy excursion by private long-tailed boat on INLE LAKE and pass villages built on stilts over the lake, inhabited by the local Intha people, typical floating gardens, and observe local methods of the leg-rowing fishermen’s fishing, and the magnificent scenery. Observe and see their floating gardens built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Visit PHAUNGDAW OO PAGODA, the lake’s main sanctuary, which contains most five sacred Buddha images covered in gold leaf by devout pilgrimages. Visit the NGA PHE KYAUNG MONASTERY, to explore collection of Buddha statue and famous for its jumping cats trained by monks. Visit to the weaving village of INPAWKHON, famous for traditional silk-weaving, Se Gaung Village, famous for the blacksmith work and Nan Pan Village where to observe how Burmese cigars, or “cheroots,” are traditionally packed and rolled by hand. Lunch will be served at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, transfer by boat to Nyaung Shwe and drive to (32km – 1hour) to Heho for domestic flight to MANDALAY. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay in Mandalay.

DAY 6: MANDALAY (BIKING) ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast bike through the early morning Mandalay atmosphere outskirts until you reach the river side road. Pass several farms and villages before arriving in AMARAPURA (30km – 1 ½ hours). Pass through villages on the river bank, traditional farms and historical sights of Amarapura. Visit MAHAGANDAYON, a famous Buddhist monastery, where more than a thousand monks live and study. Continue to the 200-year-old U BEIN teak bridge, built in 1782 at the time when Amarapura was Royal capital. Push your bike across the bridge or bike along the shore of the lake to KYAUK TAW GYI PAGODA which contains one of the largest marble Buddha images of Myanmar.

Continue to the jetty near the former royal capital of AVA (INWA). Cross the river by ferry boat and visit Ava on bike or by horse carriage and pass through the ancient ruin city walls. Visit MAHA AUNGMYE BONZAN (also known as Ok Kyaung), built by a brick and stucco. Continue to visit the old wooden BAGAYA MONASTERY, famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts and still in use by local monks; After proceed to NANMYINT WATCH TOWER, the last remains of the Ava dynasty palace and also known as “the leaning tower of Ava.” In amid AVA, remains of many small villages are still seen . Travel through those villages by horse cart or bike will see local life in the Burmese countryside. Dinner and overnight stay in Mandalay.

DAY 7: MANDALAY (BIKING) – BAGAN ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast, bike along the Moat Road south of the former Royal Palace of Mandalay.
Ride to the heart of Mandalay city to ZAYCHO MARKET with hundreds of food and clothes stores and take a stroll to experience authentic local life.
Continue to bike until reaching Strand Road . Here explore the busy life along the Ayeyarwaddy River with its various ports and merchant activities.

After, bike through the north-western quarters of Mandalay to the northern Moat Road and visit the famous SHWE INBIN TEAK MONASTERY, over 100 years old and admire the beautiful wood curving.
The GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, is a superb ancient wooden building with intricate carvings, and KUTHODAW PAGODA, home to the world’s largest book made of 729 marble slabs, inscribed with Buddhist teachings. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon transfer to airport for a domestic flight to BAGAN. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay in Bagan.

DAY 8: BAGAN (BIKING) ( B/ L/ D)

After breakfast, begin a bike trip to OLD BAGAN through the ancient and historical roads shaded by magnificent trees. Start the visit to the most selected of significant pagodas and temples of Bagan; ANANDA TEMPLE, masterpiece of Mon architecture with four standing Buddha images. Visit next to THABYINNYU TEMPLE, the highest in Bagan area. Continue to bike to DHAMMAYANGYI TEMPLE, the widest temple in Bagan which was never completed. Continue cross country to DHAMAYAZEKA ZEDI where one can ascend the temple for a panoramic view of the temple studded plains of Bagan. Continue to the MANUHA TEMPLE, built by the Mon king in the 1300s to represent his time in captivity under the Bagan king; follow on to NANBAYA TEMPLE, a unique sandstone monument said to have been the place of king Manuha; KU BYAUK GYI, a temple with superb murals of Jataka scenes. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant.

As it gets very hot in Bagan at noon time during the summer and wet seasons we recommend returning to the hotel for a rest, however the choice is entirely up to guests’ preferences. Mid afternoon bike to MYINKABA VILLAGE where there is the possibility to visit one of the famous lacquer ware craftsmen’s workshop and experience the bustling activities of the village. Choose one of the more off the beaten track pagodas to climb on top and view the sunset over the plain of Bagan, dotted with more than 2,000 temples. Return to hotel by bike.

Dinner and overnight stay in Bagan.

DAY 9: BAGAN (BIKING) – YANGON ( B/ L/ -)

After breakfast, bike cross country through small lanes and walkways to MIN NAN THU village. The village is near the unusual sights of the TAYOKEPYAY TEMPLE, PHAYA THONE ZU and NANDAMANYA TEMPLES noted for exquisite murals of 13th century. You will have the opportunity to explore these temples unless you prefer biking through the country side off the beaten track temples and pagodas. See the KYAT KAN CAVE monastery, a famous meditation retreat in Bagan on the way. Lunch will be served at local restaurant.

In the afternoon transfer to airport for domestic flight to YANGON. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 10: YANGON -HOME ( B/ -/ -)

After breakfast, transfer to airport for international departure flight.

– END TOUR –

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