Day 1: Yangon Arrival, Airport Pick-up
Greetings from Yangon! Upon your arrival, our guide and the driver will greet you at the airport and escort you to the well-selected hotel. The charming city boasts rich colonial-era buildings and a sacred Buddhist culture, where it is common to see red-robed monks and pink-clad nuns on alms-seeking walks on the streets.
After a brief rest, your guide will accompany you to savor authentic Myanmar cuisine at Karaweik Palace, a beautiful barge-shaped restaurant supported by two huge mythological birds on the Royal Lake. During the meal, appreciate traditional dances and a puppet show, an essence of Myanmar folk art. Puppeteers manipulate puppets with strings to perform myths, court scenes, and Buddhist stories, accompanied by traditional instruments and singing. After that, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.
► Insider Tips:
1. Myanmar faces serious electricity shortages nationwide, even in large cities like Yangon, so bring a power bank.
2. When visiting a Buddhist site, wear clothes that cover your shoulders and legs, and take off your shoes and socks. It’s advisable to wear slippers and bring a bag to store your shoes.
3. Useful local apps include ride-hailing app Grab and payment app KBZPay, which may require registration with a local phone number. A local SIM card can be purchased at the airport in Yangon.
Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: Rose Garden Hotel Yangon (4 stars) or similar
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Day 2: Yangon: Sule Pagoda, Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple, China & India Towns, Shwedagon Pagoda
After breakfast, we’ll first admire the 2,600-year-old Sule Pagoda, located in the city center, which is adjacent to landmarks like the City Hall and the Independence Monument. Then, tour the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple, home to a distinctive reclining Buddha image featuring blue eye shadow, long curved eyebrows, and red lips and nails. In the afternoon, let’s stroll around the harmonious Indian Town and China Town. The Indian district is dotted with Hindu shrines, tea houses, and food stalls selling fried delicacies, while the Chinese neighborhood is filled with traditional Chinese medicine stores, dumpling restaurants, and ancient Guanyin temples. Additionally, the China Town has the city’s most vibrant night market, housing bars, barbecue stalls, fruit stands, and exotic food stalls serving fried insects. Afterward, admire the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is covered with over 7 tons of gold and embellished with thousands of precious stones! Dedicated to 8 strands of the Buddha's hair that were brought from India, this shrine is the most revered in Myanmar, and it is constantly crowded with believers. The surrounding prayer halls are often packed with monks delivering sermons and practitioners listening attentively. Even though most of the city is powerless at night, the sacred pagoda is always beautifully lit at night. Finally, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Rose Garden Hotel Yangon (4 stars) or similar
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Day 3: Fly to Heho, Inle Lake Cruise to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda & Nampan Village
Today, enjoy a private convoy to the airport to catch your flight to Heho. After landing, your local guide and the driver will greet you and escort you to the hotel in Inle Lake. After a brief rest, enjoy a boat tour on Inle Lake to experience the traditional life of the local Intha people. Their villages are linked by waterways, with signs of their names and distances at junctions. Take in the breathtaking views of the expansive lake, azure sky, thatched houses, stilt wooden walkways, and the unique sight of one-legged fishermen who fish with both hands while rowing a boat with one leg!
En route, we’ll visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most famous religious landmark housing five small Buddha statues, which have been coated in so many layers of gold foil that it’s almost impossible to discern their original form. If your visit falls around September or October, when the dragon boat festival is held, you may see a splendid golden boat carrying the five Buddhas sailing around for blessings. Afterward, tour the Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, which was famous for cute cats jumping through loops. Although the cat jumping performance no longer exists, as the training monk passed away, cats can be seen lounging throughout the monastery.
Then, let’s explore Nampan Village, which is surrounded by distinctive floating gardens. Residents cultivate crops, flowers, and vegetables in the gardens ingeniously made of water plants covered with lake mud and fixed by long wooden poles. Additionally, fishery is also engaged around the floating beds. When the harvest season comes, boats will be laden with crops and fish and set sail for markets throughout Myanmar. We’ll then visit some local workshops, such as silversmiths, silk weavers, and cigar makers. In the cigar workshop, women with Thanaka powder on their faces sit together, skillfully rolling dried tobacco leaves into cigars. Local ingredients like honey, tamarind, and cloves will also be added to enhance the flavor. After the visit, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min Hotel (4 stars) or similar
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Day 4: Inle Lake Boat Trip: Explore Five-Day Rotating Market, Indein Village and Shwe Indein Pagodas
★ Treasure Hunt at Bursting Five-Day Rotating Market!Today, let’s tick off the most vibrant market for the Intha natives, Shan people, and nearby Pa-O hill tribal villagers. Browse a wide range of goods, including fresh products from floating gardens, household items, and sugarcane obtained from the nearby forest. Additionally, wood carvings, lacquerware items, and Buddha statues prevail on the market due to the tourist boom, vividly showcasing the folk customs. Chat with the vendors, and you’ll find that due to its proximity to Inle Lake, sales of fish are much lower than those of fruits and vegetables. ► Note: As the market rotates in different villages every five days, the exact time and village to visit may vary. Then, let’s board a wooden boat and navigate via winding canals to visit Indein Village. Upon arrival, cross a bridge and walk through a lengthy corridor flanked by craft stalls until we reach the hilltop, where the Shwe Indein Pagodas stand. Tucked away in an abandoned forest, hundreds of white, golden, and red pagodas of different sizes and styles are densely packed, with the oldest dating back to 273-232 BC. Some lean to an unbelievable degree, some shimmer with golden light, while some are surrounded by moss and vines. At last, we’ll return to the port, where your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min Hotel (4 stars) or similar Nga Phe Chaung Monastery Boat Trip on Inle Lake
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Day 5: Visit Pindaya Caves, Fly to Bagan
After breakfast, your guide and the driver will accompany you to Pindaya Town. Pass through the vast Shan Plateau, and take in the broad view of tropical jungles, red soil, and emaciated cows grazing on lush meadows. We’ll visit some handicraft workshops along the way and learn about how the locals make paper and paper umbrellas from bark. Upon arrival at Pindaya, discover the hilltop Pindaya Caves, home to over 8,000 Buddha statues in all shapes and sizes! The locals are accustomed to donating statues bearing their names, making the dim winding paths thick with golden Buddhas, some of which can even be traced back to the Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885 AD), featuring distinctive eyes and attire, different from those of other eras. A series of statues at the cave entrance depict a romantic narrative about a prince who once used a bow and arrow to shoot a giant spider to save seven trapped princesses.
Afterward, your guide and the driver will escort you to Heho airport to catch the flight to Bagan. The city served as the capital of the Pagan Kingdom (11th-13th centuries), Myanmar’s first unified kingdom. Legend has it that the founding king killed his brother for the throne and later had a dream that he had to construct pagodas to atone for his sins. Since then, successive rulers have been keen on building pagodas, resulting in the thousands of spectacular Bagan pagodas. Upon arrival, your local guide and the driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel. Then, you can either rest or explore the surroundings by yourself.
► Recommended Activity (at your own expense)
Tonight, consider exploring the Bagan night market for local specialties like Myanmar curry rice, tea salad, and grilled meat skewers. You can get a full meal for around USD 5. It is also available to browse the street stalls with unique souvenirs and handicrafts.
Address: 5VVX+JGH, Thi Ri Pyitsaya 4 St, Nyaung-U, Bagan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort (4 stars) or similar
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Day 6: Bagan: Nyaung U Market, Shwezigon Paya, Shwesandaw Pagoda & Sunset Boat Tour
After breakfast, we’ll explore Nyaung U Market, the largest local market. Wander around the deep alley selling vegetables, fruits, daily necessities, and seasonings, as well as regional specialties like rugs, textiles, and wood sculptures, in the middle section. Take your chance to sample delectable fruits like papayas, mangoes, and dragon fruits on your own. Subsequently, let’s commence a temple tour with Shwezigon Paya, which houses the sacred relics of the Buddha’s bone and a tooth. It’s the first pagoda of the Pagan Kingdom and the prototype of later Bagan pagodas. It is said that during the consecration ceremony, the senior monk chanted scriptures while scattering gold powder, and the powder all flew onto the pagodas! Since then, believers have been constantly applying gold foil to it. Then, proceed to Htilominlo Temple, Bagan’s youngest Burmese-style temple. This is where Prince Htilominlo (r. 1211-1234 AD) was selected as the new king by a peculiar ritual: a large umbrella was placed upright with all princes standing around, and its tilt indicated the chosen heir. Next, admire Nat Taung Kyaung Monastery, a breathtaking teak structure with intricate Burmese-Indian wood carvings of flowers, birds, and mythical figures. Afterward, our temple tour ends with Shwesandaw Pagoda, which features a towering white spire atop five stunning layers of terraces. Finally, round up today with a sunset boat tour on the Irrawaddy River, appreciating the smooth river quietly bathed in a layer of orange glow, with ships reflected on the glittering water. After that, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort (4 stars) or similar
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Day 7: Bagan: Thatbyinnyu, Ananda, and Manuha Temples, Myinkaba Village & Pyathetgyi Pagoda
Today, let’s continue exploring Bagan pagodas. First, visit Thatbyinnyu Temple, home to Bagan’s tallest pagoda, standing at 61 meters (200 feet). Then, head to Ananda Temple, regarded as Bagan's most stunning pagoda, with an intricately carved white square shape and towering golden Indian-style spires. Next, tour the Hindu Nanpaya Temple, where King Manuha of the Thanton Kingdom (4th to mid-11th centuries AD) was imprisoned for his refusal to introduce Theravada Buddhism to the Bagan Kingdom. We’ll also visit Manuha Temple built by the captured king, where the cramped halls are almost completely filled with enormous Buddha images, creating a distressful atmosphere. Then, the temple tour extends to Gubyaukgyi Temple, which boasts precious murals depicting the Buddha's cycle of rebirth. The temple is dimly lit, and you can bring a portable flashlight. Afterward, let’s make our way to Myinkaba Village, highly acclaimed for its traditional handcrafted lacquerware. Numerous family-run workshops offer an array of artworks and daily items like lacquer bowls and makeup cases, and we’ll just step into one of them to observe the production process. The production is astonishingly complex and time-consuming that even a tiny bowl or plate would take several months to finish. Later, complete our stroll at Pyathetgyi Pagoda, whose arched shrine houses a massive seated Buddha. Lastly, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. ► Recommended Activity (at your own expense) Bagan pagodas are no longer open for sunset and sunrise viewing for safety and artifact protection concerns. However, you can visit Bagan Nan Myint Tower by yourself to enjoy a panoramic view of the Irrawaddy River and the tower forest on the expansive plain. The tower also has air-conditioned restaurants on the 9th and 10th floors for a romantic sunset dinner. Entrance Fee per Person: MMK 10,000 (USD 5) Address: Min Nanthu Village, Nyaungu, Bagan Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort (4 stars) or similar
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Day 8: Irrawaddy River Cruise: Stop at Pakokku, Visit Local Factories and Shwe Ku Pagoda
★ Exclusive Invitation: 5-day Irrawaddy River CruiseFollow this Irrawaddy River cruise to travel between Bagan and Mandalay, the most glorious ancient cities in Myanmar's history. Along the way, explore local factories to see how locals make a living from traditional handicrafts, enjoy a nostalgic horse-cart ride through the Ancient City of Inwa, admire the massive Mingun Pagoda, and visit Buddhist landmarks and the U Bein Bridge sunrise in Mandalay.
Your guide and the driver will escort you to board a luxurious cruise around noon, which will first travel to Pakokku, a vital port about 30 kilometers (66 pounds) northeast of Bagan. Along the way, admire Pakokku Bridge, Myanmar’s longest bridge that spans the Irrawaddy River. Upon arrival at Pakokku, disembark to visit some local factories. In a cheroot-rolling factory, catch a glimpse of how Myanmar cigars are made from whole tobacco leaves. Then, visit a producer of Burmese slippers. The year-round heat has made slippers a daily necessity, plus Buddhists always wear slippers when entering temples, thus giving rise to a thriving slipper manufacturing business. Then, pass by a bustling local market, and stop at Shwe Ku Pagoda, a spiritual sanctuary featuring exquisite wood carvings and a golden Buddha standing on a lotus flower.
Finally, return to the cruise for a satisfying lunch. In the remaining hours, take your time unwinding on the deck while admiring stunning views of meandering streams naturally forming lush sandbanks, and feel free to enjoy the Myanmar trip sharing event and an open-air movie at night. Tonight, enjoy a fancy dream on the cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Anawrahta Cruise (5 stars) or similar
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Day 9: Irrawaddy River Cruise: Onshore Excursion to Yandabo Village
Today, rise early and attend a yoga class. Meanwhile, the cruise will head towards Yandabo Village, a pottery production hub, where various types of clay pots are drying on the shore. You’ll see craftsmen make clay pots using traditional manual techniques: one shapes the clay pot on a grinding disc, while another person rotates the disc with a simple wooden frame. Besides, marvel at the rural women’s incredible ability - they can walk with a large basket loaded with clay pots firmly on their heads! The village is also historically significant for commemorating the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826 AD), with a monument erected on the riverfront.
Afterward, return to the cruise for lunch and activities, including presentations of Myanmar’s history and culture, the natural cosmetic Thanaka, and the longyi, a traditional tubular skirt. Do you know that Myanmar is one of the few countries in the world where men wear skirts? However, men and women wear longyi in different ways: men’s longyi, known as "paso," is wrapped around the waist and fastened straight at the abdomen, while women's longyi is called "tamein," which is folded to the left, then rolled back to the middle, and tucked into the waist. You can also enjoy a free spa treatment before dinner and watch an outdoor movie at night if the weather permits.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Anawrahta Cruise (5 stars) or similar
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Day 10: Irrawaddy River Cruise to Mandalay: Visit the Ancient City of Inwa & U Bein Bridge
Today, let’s explore Inwa, formerly Ava, the ancient capital of the Ava Kingdom (1365-1555 AD)! Upon arrival, hop on a unique horse-drawn carriage through banana fields and towering, lush palm groves. You might even see villagers fighting cocks at the village entrance. We’ll first visit Bagaya Kyaung, a classic Burmese teak monastery with exquisite carvings of the legendary sunbird Garuda. Then, depending on time and your preference, admire one of the two: Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery, an imposing structure featuring a yellow exterior that gradually narrows upwards, or Nanmyint Watch Tower, the "Leaning Tower of Ava," which is the only surviving building from the former royal palace. Afterward, we’ll get back to the cruise and sail towards Mandalay. Along the way, appreciate the Sagaing Hill from afar, which is dotted with numerous monasteries and pagodas. After docking at Mandalay Pier, disembark to visit some workshops, including a silk-weaving manufacturer, the busy marble street, and a gold foil factory. You’ll learn that the gold foil business is inspired by the Myanmar people’s traditional practice of gilding Buddha statues and stupas, and discover how lotus stems are used to create silk textiles. Finally, take a rowing boat tour to admire the wooden U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest and oldest teak bridge, and take in a classic Irrawaddy River sunset. Finally, return to the cruise. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Anawrahta Cruise (5 stars) or similar
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Day 11: Explore Mandalay Highlights: Kuthodaw, Mahamuni Pagodas, and Mingun Ancient Ruins
Today, disembark to further explore Mandalay. Are you curious about the world's largest book? The Kuthodaw Pagoda will show you! It houses the "book" composed of 729 white marble slabs fully inscribed with the Buddha’s teaching, "Tiptaka." It’s said that if one reads it for 8 hours a day, it will take about 1.5 years to finish reading it all! Please proceed with caution when walking on the brick paths with cracks. Then, head to Mahamuni Pagoda, where the Mahamuni Buddha statue is enshrined. It is revered as the true body of the Buddha and has been covered with 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) thick gold foil! The custom here is that men are allowed to enter the inner chamber and apply gold foil to the Buddha, while female believers are sitting on the carpet outside, devoutly gazing at the live broadcast on TV. Then, visit Shwenandaw Monastery, a massive, exquisite masterpiece carved entirely from teak wood with gold leaf thickly adorning the inner walls. Afterward, delve into the ancient Mingun, the capital of the Konbaung Dynasty, Myanmar’s last feudal dynasty. Admire the Mingun Pagoda. The cracked ruin is actually just a foundation, as the entire pagoda was never completed due to the war. We’ll also view the Mingun Bell, measuring 8 m (26 ft) tall, placed in a nearby pavilion. Finally, get back to the cruise for some afternoon tea while sailing back to Mandalay. A farewell party commences after dinner, and wish you a great time! Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Anawrahta Cruise (5 stars) or similar
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Day 12: Mandalay Departure, Airport See-off
Today, say farewell to your 12 days Myanmar tour package. Once you disembark from the cruise, your guide and the driver will pick you up and escort you to Mandalay airport to catch your return flight. Have a pleasant journey home!
If you wish to explore more, such as visiting the renowned Angkor Wat in Cambodia, unwinding on Thai beaches, or touring China's magnificent Great Wall, feel free to contact us, and we'll customize a hassle-free itinerary for you!
Meal: Breakfast
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