13Nights/14Days(Golden Rock)

Myanmar Highlight & Golden Rock

The detailed program(13 Nights/14 Days)

DAY (1)-Yangon Arrival & Sightseeing

Arrival Yangon by international flight.
Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to the hotel.
Visit China town market and photo stop around old colonial buildings.
Visit Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) closed on Every Monday and gazette holidays.
Evening visit Shwedagon Pagoda rises 326ft (99.3m) above its base. Erected more than 2500 years ago and enshrining eight hairs of Buddha placed in a treasure chamber deep under its base. It is the highest symbol of the people’s devotion to Buddha.
Overnight at hotel in Yangon.

DAY (2)-Yangon –Mandalay By Flight & Mandalay Sightseeing

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport and depart for Mandalay by scheduled flight.
Arrive Mandalay the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma.

Arrive Mandalay, check in to the hotel and visit Ku Tho Daw Pagoda also known as world’s largest book, surrounded by 729 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist scriptures. Proceed to Golden Palace Monastery, which was once part of the palace complex where King Mindon lived.

Evening panorama view from Mandalay Hill.
Overnight at Hotel in Mandalay.

DAY (3)-Mandalay-Mingun- Mandalay By Boat & Amarapura Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel.
Drive to jetty. Take a boat trip about 1 hr to Mingune, located on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady River.
Arrive at Mingune, visit huge unfinished Mingun Pagoda built between 1790 and 1797 which was split by earthquake in 1838. It is possibly the world’s largest pile of bricks.
World’s largest working bell of 87 tons cast in 1808 by Bodawpaya.
Mya Thein Tan pagoda an image of Sulamani Pagoda at the peak of Mount Meru in Tavatimsa plane of nats.
Back to Mandalay and visit Mahamyatmuni Buddha Image, bronze casting and marble stone cutting craftsmen quarters and gold leaf beaters.
Visit one of Myanmar famous marionette workshop where you can participate how to make performance.
Drive to Amarapura.
U Bein Bridge, 1.6km long wooden bridge said to be the longest teak bridge in the world, built over 150 years.
Back to hotel in Mandalay.

Overnight at Hotel in Mandalay

DAY (4)-Mandalay-Sagain-Pakokku-Bagan By Boat

Breakfast at hotel.
After breakfast, check out from the hotel. Dive to Sagaing.(24Km, 35 minutes driving)
Visit U Min Thonze (Hall of thirty Buddhas), Soon Oo Ponya Shin Pagoda, perched on the highest hill which offers panoramic views of the valleys and wide Ayeyarwady River, Kaunghmudaw Pagoda styled after the domed shape of the famous Mahacedi Pagoda in Sri Lanka.
Drive to Pakokku, a flourishing trading town on western banks of Ayeyarwaddy River.
Across the Ayeyarwaddy River by boat to Bagan.
Arrive at Bagan and the hotel check-in.

DAY (5)-Bagan Sightseeing

OPTIONAL-BALLOONS OVER BAGAN FLIGHT (USD-280/-per person):

Floating over thousand year old pagodas and the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River, allows passengers a serene and peaceful bird’s-eye view.

Around 05:30 hours the Balloon over Bagan shuttle bus will pick you up at your hotel (your guide will tell you the exact pick up time). You will drive to the departure ground of the Balloons. While the team makes the Balloon ready to go, you enjoy some refreshments, but you can also take great pictures of this event. Then, depending on the wind, you will over fly Bagan for about one hour, and enjoy spectacular views of the ancient Kingdom of Bagan in your hot air balloon! The tour ends…..where ever the wind has brought you. A glass of sparkling wine ends this fantastic event….and the shuttle bus then brings you back to your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.
BAGAN – on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River is home to the largest area of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world, many dating to the 11th and 12th century. The shape and construction of each building is highly significant in Buddhism with each component part taking on spiritual meaning.
Start for highlight sightseeing in Bagan.

Choice will be made out of the 2800 pagodas and temples to visit the most interesting ones like:

Eg>>>Visit Shwezigon Pagoda, prototype of later Myanmar stupa& of the famous pagoda of Myanmar.

In the evening, enjoy 1 hour horse cart or bike ride among the beautiful temple of old Bagan.
The day is always finished off by going to one of the larger temples to get an incredible sunset view of the entire area; a truly magical experience.
Overnight at hotel in Bagan.

DAY (6)-Bagan-Heho By Flight & Inle Lake Sightseeing

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport and depart for Heho by scheduled flight.
Arrival Heho you are now in the Shan State. Agreeable climate 800 meter above sea level.
Drive to Nyaung Shwe on the way photo stop of Shwe Yan Pyay old wooden monastery, pagoda.
Sightseeing by boat on the beautiful Inle Lake second largest lake in Myanmar stretches 11 miles (17.7 km) home to Inthar national race, many of whom live in stilted houses built over the water.
On the boat trip you will visit floating villages and floating gardens, lotus stems weaving.
You can also see Inthar technique of leg-rowing where one leg is wrapped around the paddle to drive the boat and also their traditional way of fishing.
Visit the famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda.
Overnight at Hotel in Inle Lake.

DAY (7)-Inle Lake-Indein-Inle Lake Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel.

Explore one of the local 5-day markets, as we easily called, are well-known visit around the lake. The markets are rotating among the villages in regular order – one village becomes the host of the market every 5^th day. By visiting 5-day markets, you will get insight into the life-style of the ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha inhabitants who came to these markets to sell their goods. The visit to such markets is thus subject to market day calendar and the location of the host village.
Visit to weaving factories where yellow robe for monks, shawl and etc. are produce with fibers lotus stems.
Take enjoyable boat ride through irrigation canals to Indein pagoda complex- an archaeological site worthy to visit hundreds of Shan style ruined pagoda standing on a slope of the hill.
Some of the pagodas dated back to 17^th and 18^th centuries.
Overnight in Inle Lake.

OPTIONAL-WINE TASTING AT RED MOUNTAIN (USD-10/-per person)

In the evening, enjoy ride Toke Toke. Visit Red Mountain Winery/Vineyards and Sunset over Shan Mountain ranges. Enjoy fantastic experience of various local wines tasting at the restaurant during Sunset time.

DAY (8)-Inle Lake-Heho-Yangon By Flight & Bago –Golden rock

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport and depart for Yangon by scheduled flight. (approx.: 1 hrs 10 mins flying).
Drive to Golden Rock via Bago (drive about 1 ½ hours) ancient capital of Mon Kingdom of 13^th to 16^th centuries, about 40 miles (65km) north of Yangon.
Before entering Bago visit Kyaikpun, four Buddhas Images sitting in back-to-back position.
Visit Bago local market street
Stop at pot making cottages to see their manufacturing stages.
Enjoy trip to Golden Rock (drive about 2½ hours).
Overnight at hotel.

DAY (9)-Golden Rock-Hpa Ann

Breakfast at hotel.

After breakfast, take an open truck at Kinpun Base Camp for ascending to TOP (drive about 1 hour) and from there walk about 10 minutes to Golden Rock pagoda platform.Golden Rock Pagoda is a small spire of 18ft (5.5m) believed to enshrine a hair relic of Buddha. It is set a top a huge boulder which in turn is balanced on the edge of a cliff.

Tour around the pagoda platform and surroundings, market place and other interesting sites.
Take an open truck again for descending back to Kinpun base camp.
Drive to Hpa‐An is capital of Kayin state. The real draw is it surroundings with wide lakes, lime stone cliffs and mountain ranges receding into the distance.

On the way, visit to Bayin Nyi Lime Stone Cave, with natural hot spring.

And then, visit Kaw Goon Cave, the interior wall of Kaw Goon Cave is covered with thousands of tiny clay Buddha images. Down at ground level are also Buddha statues of standing and reclining in various position.
Overnight at Hotel in Hpa-an.

DAY (10)-Hpa Ann Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel.
Photo stop at Mt.Zwegabin and Lumpani Park where contains 1000 Buddha statues seated under Banyan tree.
Next to Kyauk Kalap, Standing in the middle of a small lake.
And then, visit to the Sa Dan Cave. This cave has a length of 2260 feet with many stalactites / stalagmites and a natural lake at the end of the cave.

Overnight in Hpa An.

DAY (11)-Hpa Ann-Mawlamyaing Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel.
Check out from the hotel & drive back to the Mawlamyine.
Then continue drive to U Nar Auk Village, where you can observe the beautiful and ornate monastery (U Nar Auk Monastery) in Kaw Nhat village donated by U Nar Auk, a famous rich man in Mon State who competed in water transport against British businessmen in the colonial era.
Arrive at Mawlamyaing, hotel check in and relax.

In the evening, visit Kyaiktanlan Pagoda, the tallest in the city, and the nearby viewpoint to enjoy beautiful sunset views over the harbour and out across the River.

Overnight at hotel in Mawlamyine.

DAY (12)-Mawlamyine Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel.
In the morning, visit to Mawlamyine local market.
Then, Drive to Bilu Kyun, a big island to the west of Mawlamyine.
Mon natives on the island, such as those on the village of Ywa Loot are known for their skills in making very neat hand-made products.
For example, in the past, they made smoking pipes with excellent quality just like expensive Dunhill pipes.
Other home industries of the present day include making wood ballpoint pens, rubber bands, coconut-fibber ropes and other items of daily necessities.
You might come across a few small souvenir items to bring back home.

(Note: working schedules of those workshops depend on demand for their products, and therefore they may be closed without prior notice.)

Then back to Mawlamyine. In the afternoon, visit to Win Sein Mediation Center, famous for its huge reclining Buddha Image, more than 182.9 m long.
Visit the Yadana Bon Myint Monastery with beautiful woodcarvings showing the previous life of Buddha.
Overnight at Hotel in Mawlamyaing.

DAY (13)-Mawlamyine-Yangon by car & transfer to hotel

Breakfast at hotel.
This morning, drive back to Yangon (driving hour about 06 hrs).
On the way back from Mawlamyaing, you will be see paddy fields, rubber production cottage industry to see manufacturing stages, rice mill to see production stages.
Arrive at Yangon, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel in Yangon.