In-Depth Myanmar Tour with Hiking Experience

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Yangon Highlights Tour

  Welcome to Yangon! Upon arrival, your guide will greet you and transfer you to the hotel. After freshening up, visit the 2,000-year-old Sule Pagoda to look at the local people going about their daily activities. Continue to Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple, a well-known Buddhist temple covered by an iron structure with corrugated iron sheets roof of six layers. Followed is a visit to Kandawgyi Lake by a royal floating barge.

  In the afternoon, you'll be transferred to the Shwedagon Pagoda which is covered with hundreds of golden plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds. You can enjoy the fabulous view of the sunset over the pagoda there.

  • Yangon

• Day 2: Yangon - Bago - Kinpun Village, Pagoda Sightseeing

  In the morning, leave for Bago, the ancient capital city of Pegu (1.5 hours' ride). You'll first take a leisure walk at a local market, and then admire the reclining Shwethalyaung Buddha, an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists who come here to pay homage to the Buddha. Next, visit the 1,000-year-old Shwemawdaw Pagoda. Followed is an exploration to Kyaikpun Pagoda which is best known for its four sitting Buddha statues facing the cardinal direction.

  In the afternoon, you'll head to Kinpun Village by car (about 3.5 hours) to get to the Kyaithiyo Pagoda (also called the Golden Rock), a small pagoda perched at a mountain summit and covered with gold leaves. It takes certain efforts to get to the top on foot only (4-5 km to walk), but it's worthwhile to walk all the way to have the breath-taking views of the surrounding mountain ranges and spectacular sunset sights.

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  • Golden Rock

• Day 3: The Golden Rock - Yangon

  In the morning, take some photos of the Golden Rock before driving to Yangon (about 5.5 hours). On the way, stop at the Taukkyan War Cemetery, over 6,374 Allied soldiers who died in Burma during World War II were buried here. Enjoy the rest of the day for leisure after arriving in Yangon.

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  • Yangon

• Day 4: Yangon - Heho - Pindaya, the Pindaya Caves

  In the morning, you'll take the flight to Heho and then head to Pindaya. The road to Pindaya winds over the rolling hills of the Shan plateau through colorful mustard and wheat field. Upon arrival, you'll visit the Pindaya Caves, an important Buddhist pilgrimage site that is crammed with thousands of Buddha images in all shapes and sizes. After that, have a glimpse of the process of Shan traditional paper making nearby.

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  • Pindaya

• Day 5: Pindaya - Kalaw, Magwe Elephant Camp

  In the morning, leave for Kalaw and then drive to Magwe Elephant Camp (about 45 minutes) for a unique experience with elephants. After a short break, walk to the river (about 5-7 minutes) where elephants take baths and you can have a great time feeding and bathing the elephants. Later, explore the forest area around the conservation area where you can find many species of butterflies, birds, and orchids. Planting regional trees is an optional activity recommended for you. After that, return to the camp for a beautiful view through a valley and then back to Kalaw.

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  • Kalaw

• Day 6: Kalaw Trekking

  Today, you'll start your 3-day trekking to learn about the traditions of the different ethnic minorities and enjoy continuously changing sceneries.

  During the trekking, you'll first get to Lu Pin, a village inhabited by the Danu tribe. Continue to Shar Pin Village (about 30 minutes) and proceed to Pann Lone Pagoda Hill (about 25 minutes) for a picnic lunch. Later, continue trekking to Linn Pan Village where the Pa O minority inhabits. After a short break, continue to reach NantThaleThe Village. Before passing through the villages, you'll visit Thein Taung Pagoda Monastery, Aung Chan Tha Pagoda, Sutaungpyae Pagoda, and the King Church.

  In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner and stay with the friendly monks in a monastery for the night. The accommodation can be very basic, but it offers a unique experience overall.

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  • Kalaw

• Day 7: Kalaw Trekking

  In the morning, you'll walk through several villages and old wooden monasteries (about 1.5 hours) of Shan State. After a short break at Htun Gone Village, for the next 3.5 hours, continue trekking through a stunning area, living many farmers and hill tribes, and proceed to HteeThaing Village where you can visit the beautiful wooden HteeTaing Monastery, which is also used as a school.

  Tonight you'll have dinner and overnight stay at the monastery or a local family.

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  • Kalaw

• Day 8: Kalaw - Inle Lake, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda

  After a three-hour trekking through different Pa O villages with a panoramic view over the Inle Lake, you'll take a break at Than Taung Village and have lunch at a monastery. Continue trekking to Inle Lake, the destination of the trekking. Upon arrival, take a motorboat to the hotel for check-in.

  On the way, you'll visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the central sanctuary of the lake that contains five sacred Buddha images covered in gold leaf. Later, stop at a cheroot factory to explore local crafts and classic Myanmar cigars.

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  • Inle Lake

• Day 9: Inle Lake - Indein Village - Inle Lake

  In the morning, go to Indein Village on the west end of Inle Lake for sightseeing. Take a boat traveling through a long channel where you can watch farmers cultivate their products and floating villagers' daily life, all are so vivid and close than ever before. It is considered one of the most scenic boat tours on Inle Lake.

  In the afternoon, continue to explore a boat-making place, local blacksmiths workshops and incredible floating gardens in the village.

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  • Inle Lake

• Day 10: Inle Lake - Heho - Mandalay, Mandalay Highlights

  In the morning, head to Nyaung Shwe Jetty by a boat and then proceed to Heho for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you and take you to the hotel.

  In the afternoon, visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda which comprises of a gilded pagoda, hundreds of shrines housing inscribed marble slabs and several pavilions. Continue to Shwenandaw Monastery, the only major original teak wooden building left of the original Mandalay Royal Palace. Before ending the day, enjoy the spectacular sunset at Mandalay Hill.

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  • Mandalay

• Day 11: Mandalay, Monastery Highlights

  Start the day with a visit to the 18th-century capital city, Amarapura, and attend the daily meal of over a thousand monks at Mahagandayon Monastery, the country's largest monastery. Next, you'll head to Ava, the capital city from 14th to 18th centuries and visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery, the remains of the Royal Palace and fort, the Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery, and Htihlaing Shin Paya Pagoda.

  In the afternoon, you'll cross the bridge over the Irrawaddy River and take in the view from Sagaing Hill, the religious center covered with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries. The day ends with a walk at sunset over the 200-year-old U Bein Bridge, the longest teak bridge in the world, for an iconic sunset shot.

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  • Mandalay

• Day 12: Mandalay Palace & Fort, Mandalay - Bagan

  In the morning, explore the Mahamuni Buddha Temple, the most venerated image covered in over 15 cm thicknesses of gold leaf. Observe the laborious process of gold leaf beating on the route.

  In the afternoon, visit the Mandalay Palace and Fort where you can see what was the golden era of the Mandalay Kingdom was like. Later, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Bagan. Upon arrival, your guide will pick you up and take you to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

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  • Bagan

• Day 13: Bagan, Thousands of Temples Vista

  In the morning, stop at the bustling Nyaung Oo Market and go to the Shwezigon Pagoda for an introduction into Bagan's rich history. Later, visit Htilominlo Temple known for its plaster carvings and Thatbyinnyu Temple, the highest temple of Bagan. Continue to explore the Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece resembling a Greek Cross and one of Bagan's most beautiful temples.

  Drop by a lacquer-ware workshop in the afternoon. After that, admire Manuha Temple and Nanpaya Temple. Next, you'll explore the Gubyaukgyi Temple, a temple noted worthy for its mural paintings of Jataka scenes under the protection of UNESCO. Later, visit Dhammayangyi Temple, a massive temple with the finest brickwork, and watch the sunset at one of the viewing mounds.

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  • Bagan

• Day 14: Bagan Free Day

  Enjoy a free day in Bagon. You might want to go out for a short exploration on your own or just relax in the hotel.

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  • Bagan

• Day 15: Bagan - Yangon, Minnanthu Village

  Start your visit to the secluded Minnanthu Village. You'll discover the strangely-designed Payathonzu Temple, Lemyentha Temple, and Nandamannya Pahto Temple. Besides, explore the Nandamannya Cave Grotto (Kyat Kan Monastery) which is an extremely important place for meditation. In the afternoon, you'll take the flight back to Yangon.

  Optional: Riding a hot air balloon to have a bird's eye view of the world-famous archaeological site of Bagan's ancient kingdom on the plain in the morning is highly recommended (Seasonal activity available from October through March, on your own expense).

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  • Yangon

• Day 16: Yangon, Departure

  In the morning, walk leisurely around Bogyoke Aung San Market (formerly Scott's Market). The market is rich in a collection of Myanmar handicrafts, local goods and unique items for a good souvenir hunting. Later, your guide will accompany you to the airport for your return flight home.

  Note: Market is closed on Mondays and public holidays.

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