Complete Myanmar Tour

Safely arrive at Yangon International airport and warmly welcomed by local tour guide with the welcome-board on which your name will be mentioned. Transfer to the hotel for refreshment and then walk on a heritage line of Yangon's bustling city center, observing the urban street networks with well-preserved old British colonial buildings where you will pass through the Sule Pagoda; 2500-year-old Burmese Stupa located in the heart of downtown Yangon, which is surrounded by colonial era buildings such as City Hall, High Court and Maha Bandula Park. Yangon city center is fascinating as of presenting of a church, a mosque, a synagogue and a temple all within walking distance of each other.

In the afternoon, visit Botataung Pagoda, (which means 1,000 military warriors, who escorted the delivery of the hair relic in 6th century B.C.), a famous landmark on Yangon’s waterfront, is the first temple in the world with the sacred hair relic of Buddha.

Every visit to Yangon should include a trip to Shwedagon Pagoda, the iconic symbol of the city, gleaming in gold and decorated with diamonds, is a spectacular work of architecture and proportional beauty.

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to the airport for flight to Inle Lake. On arrival at Heho airport and before heading to Inle Lake, your journey leads to another popular destination in Inle region “Pindaya”, famous for its Shwe U Min cave. The cave itself houses more than 8,000 Buddha images of various sizes carved out of a multitude of materials. Inside the cave, traverse a winding maze of small alleyways filled with Buddha images. Pindaya is also well known for its Shan Paper and umbrella workshops, where you can learn how paper is processed from Mulberry trees and made into a wide range of goods.

In the afternoon, continue to Inle Lake. Sightseeing in Inle Lake includes a chance to see the leg-rowing Inthars’ fishermen and the floating gardens that built up from strip of water and mud and anchored to the bottom poles where locals grow crops like squash and tomatoes. Arrive at the hotel in the afternoon.

After breakfast at the hotel, take a boat ride to the village of Indein (also spelt Inn Thein, and meaning "shallow lake") is the most famous for its crumbling and atmospheric groups of ancient pagodas, some of which are now being restored (sometimes in rather too pristine fashion). These include Nyaung Oak, immediately behind the village, with its carvings of mythical creatures, and Shwe Inn Thein Paya, which can be found at the top of a long and atmospheric covered walkway leading up the hill; the pagoda area features many hundreds of densely packed stupas to be explored. From Shwe Inthein Paya you can also see some wonderful views across the lake. Inndein village also has a vibrant market near the jetty.

Continue to Inle Heritage House to see the hidden gems of Inle Lake by guided tour such as Burmese cat village, vocational school, Aquarium and many other interesting places in one place. Your boat trip leads to Ywama village to pay a visit to ethnic hill tribes “Kayah women” who are known as “long-neck women”. Visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most holy place on the lake which is home to five statues of Buddha which are re-coated daily with fresh gold leaf and continue to Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, the biggest and oldest teak monastery on the lake which is known for a collection of 16th and 17th century Lacquer Buddha images from different areas that is worth-visiting for historical purposes and architecture.

In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour in a village nearby hotel to explore the ways of life of Inthar people and their ways of life.

Excursion to Samkar Lake will be set off today. Located at the south of Inle Lake, Samkar lake is connected through Belu Chaung creek. Samkar and Pekon lake was separated by Moe Bye Dam, which was built around 1970 to store water to supply two hydroelectric powers. The lake is a hidden gem in Inle Region and can be reached by a 3-hour scenic boat journey, where along the way, enjoy interesting villages and immerse in beautiful landscapes.

Samkar village is a ruined royal capital with ancient monasteries and pagodas.
The road leading to the village offers a stunning view of ancient stupas, which are now partly covered by vegetation. In the village, there is a pottery workshop and for those who love whiskey, there is a rice whiskey workshop, run by a local family, in one of the villages.  Continue to Takhaung Stupa Complex which was built in 15th century. It is located on the western bank of Samkar Lake and it has 236 Shan style stupas.

Transfer to the Nyaung Shwe jetty for the drive to Heho airport.  On the way visit Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery which is located just outside of Nyaung Shwe. It is a charming red painted teak monastery, built in the early 19th Century and well-known by photographers for its unique oval-shape windows which serve as eye-catching frames when novice monks stand to look out

Mandalay is the religious and cultural center of Myanmar. Its skyline is full of glittering pagodas and temples, with equally impressive whitewashed stupas. The city is much more conservative, spiritual, and slower paced than Yangon. Tour Highlights include the visit to Mahamuni Budda Image, a colossal image of Buddha cast in bronze and inlaid with gold in Myanmar is considered as one of the most venerable pagodas. In the afternoon, visit Shwe Kyaung (Golden Palace) Monastery; noted for its exquisite wood carving and the huge teak wooden pillars, Kuthodaw Pagoda also known as “the World’s Largest Book of Buddhism” which refers to the 729 marble tablets of the Buddhist scriptures in pagoda compound and enjoy the sunset at the Mandalay Hill; advantaged point for a panoramic view of the city.

After breakfast at the hotel, visit Mingun, a small town in central Myanmar, sits on the banks of the Irrawaddy River (Ayeyarwady River), northwest of Mandalay. Start the sightseeing by about 1 hour boat excursion to Mingun, located 11km up the Ayeyarwady River on the west bank from Mandalay which is the country's vital river and the most important commercial waterway. Mingun has a monumental uncompleted enormous stupa, “Mingun Pahtodawgyi” began by King Bodawpaya in 1790. King Bodawpaya also had a gigantic bell cast to go with his huge stupa, the Mingun Bell, weighting 90 tons and is today one of the largest ringing bells in the world. Just a couple of hundred yards from the great stupa and bell lays the beautiful white Mya Thein Dan Pagoda, also known as Hsinbyume Pagoda with a very distinctive architectural style.

>Back to Mandalay and after lunch, head to Sagaing. Visit Khaung Mu Daw Pagoda which is a giant solid dome-shaped Pagoda unlike any other pagodas in Myanmar. Continue to Sagaing Hill and pay a visit to U Min Thone Sae “30 Cave Pagodas” and Soon-Oo-Pone-Nya Shin Pagoda. Continue to “Tha-Kya-Thi-Dar” Buddhist institutions for nuns and to see the lacquer Buddha Image. After visit in Sagaing, head to Amarapura to explore silk weaving works and enjoy the spectacular sunset in Taungthaman lake by taking a canoe boat and which is set against 1.2km long U Bein wooden Bridge

After breakfast, enjoy the overland trip to Bagan (6 hours, 293km) via Popa exploring ways of life along countryside. Mount Popa volcano is located about fifty kilometres south-east of Bagan at the heart of the Mount Popa National Park. Enjoy the breathtaking view from the volcanic plug that was created by the volcano in the distant past known as Taung Kalat. The site of the volcano, named Taung Ma-gyi (Mother Hill) is about 3 kilometres away and rises high above the plains. The 777 steps of volcano plug is the spiritual home to Myanmar’s famous ‘37 Nats’ and the most popular location in the country for Nat worship.

On the way to Bagan, stop by one of the several toddy and jaggery (palm sugar) operations that are set up along the road. The operators will give you a basic demo of how the alcoholic drink and sweets are made from the sap of the toddy palm.

Sightseeing in Bagan includes the colorful Nyaung U market, gleaming Shwezigon Pagoda, the graceful bell-shaped stupa which is architecturally important because it became the prototype for many later Burmese stupas; Wet-Kyi-Inn Gubyaukkyi Temple, which has fine frescoes of Jataka scenes; and Htilominlo Temple, noted for its plaster carvings.  Continue to visit Ananda Temple displaying a mix of Mon and Indian architecture. It was originally built in 1105 AD and is one of only four temples that survives within Old Bagan; Manuha Temple, which main feature is three chambers that are filled with over-sized statues of the Buddha which are vastly out sized for their spaces; and Nanphaya Temple, a unique sandstone monument which inner walls were built of baked bricks whereas the outer walls were built of sandstone.

Afternoon visit Min-Nan-Thu village and temple sites around village area which includes Latmyatna temple “Temple of Four Faces”, a beautiful example of a single-storied temple built in the late style; and Paya Thone Zu “Three Pagodas”, a complex of three interconnected shrines. Enjoy the beautiful sunset at Nanmyint Watch Tower, as well as an ideal viewpoint for visitors to Bagan to see the wonders of over 2000 ancient architectural temples and monuments of 11^th to 13^th century.

The tour begins with a 5 to 10 minute boat ride across the Ayeyarwaddy River to the banks of the East Kyun Thiri Island. An Ox-cart awaits you to take to the village and observe the seasonal vegetable plantations along the way. After half an hour ride through rural farmland to Kyun Thiri village, wander around the village and observe the ways of life, traditional agricultural style, and particularly the architecture of houses are distinct as they are built on stilts due to the reason that the village experiences seasonal flooding. There is one more must-see place - a beautiful old wooden monastery, where the head monk is only the third in 120 years since the monastery was built.  In the afternoon enjoy a home cooked lunch with local family. Afterwards return the way you came by ox-cart and then by local ferry boat towards the archaeological site of Bagan.

The rest of the day in Bagan is to explore Tharabar Gate, which is the only structure left of the old city built by King Pyinbya in 849 A.D; Thatbyinnyu Temple which is the tallest temple in Bagan, reaching 61 meters (201 feet) high and with a floor plan in the shape of an unsymmetrical cross with gilded spires rising up from the corners of the terraces; NaylyaungKyaung which means “Shrine confining Nats or Spirits, a reference to a purported time when King Anawratha tried to banish Nat worship in Bagan; Dhammayangyi Temple, the most massive structure in Bagan; and Sulamuni Temple (also known as crowning jewel) is an impressive and elegant temple which represents some of Bagan's finest ornamental work, carved stucco on moldings, pediments and pilasters. Enjoy the sunset at one of the viewing hills in Bagan.

Morning fly back to Yangon and drive to Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock) Pagoda which takes about 4 hours drive from Yangon. En-route stop at Shwe Nyaung Bin Nat Shrine, a famous shrine sheltered by a banyan tree with a gold-painted trunk bustles with activity day and night as drivers in vehicles of all kinds visit to pay their respects and pray for its protection. Honouring the Shwe Nyaungbin Bobogyi shrine is believed to be auspicious for business, as well as safe travel, and the endless processions of vehicles at the shrine include trucks and taxis, as well as private cars.

Continue to Golden Rock Pagoda. Journey to Golden Rock pagoda includes a ride of crowded open-top truck which would take about 1 hour from the base camp to the summit. When you reach the summit, you will be truly amazed. Golden Rock Pagoda can be qualified as one of the wonders of the world by virtue of the fact that it sits uniquely at the apex of a huge, almost egg shaped granitic boulder. This boulder is precariously perched on a projecting tabular rock. Visitors can have panoramic views of the surrounding mountains from the summit, especially at sunset and sunrise time.

Morning, take the truck car ride down to the base camp. From there, take the journey back to Yangon via Bago. There are rubber plantations near Kyaikhto and drop a visit to one of the farms to explore the traditional rubber plantation.

Bago was the capital of ancient Mon Dynasty and known as Pegu in colonial era. Tour Highlight includes Shwemawdaw Pagoda which was destroyed in 1930 by a massive earthquake and was rebuilt during 1952-1954; Shwetharlyaung Buddha, Length and height-55 meters tall and 15 meters long and the world’s most beautiful reclining Buddha Image, and Kyaikpun Budda Images, 4 giant Buddha Images sitting back to back.  Last visit of today is a visit to Htauk Kyant War Memorial Cemetary, which is located approximately 32km from Yangon and it is a memorial to Allied soldiers who lost their lives in Myanmar during the First and Second World Wars.

Before departure and if time permits, visit Scott Market (closed on every Monday and public holidays), where you will find stalls selling all types of souvenirs: gold-flecked bowls, puppets, beads, tapestry, clothes and many other local handicrafts which remind you of your time in Yangon. Spend a couple of hours here exploring the fabrics, some local snacks of sticky rice cakes and fresh fruits. On the way to Yangon International Airport for departure, visit Chaukhtetkyi Reclining Buddha Image, which is known for its 65 meters long and 16 meters high structure.