Myanmar Highlight & Cruise
The detailed program(11 Nights/12 Days)
DAY (1)-Mandalay Arrival & Sightseeing
- Arrive Mandalay the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma.
- Our driver/guide will welcome at the airport with your name board after cleaning immigration.
- Then, transfer to hotel and check in.
- In the evening, 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 (2)-Mandalay-Mingun-Mandalay-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.
- Drive to Amarapura.
- U Bein Bridge, 6km long wooden bridge said to be the longest teak bridge in the world, built over 150 years.
- 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.
- Back to Mandalay and overnight at hotel.
DAY (3)-Mandalay-Bagan By RV.Paukan Cruise
- The embarkation time is 10.00 hrs at Sagaing jetty and cast off after half an hour.
- Welcome Cocktail and briefing in the Saloon or Sundeck followed by Lunch.
Cruise all day long. - In the late afternoon we stop at Yandabo, a village specializing in Pot-Making, where the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war was signed on Feb. 24, 1826. We visit the Pot workshops and the monastery.
- Moor overnight near the village of Shwe Nann Tint.
- Early in the morning we continue downstream to Bagan.
DAY (4)-RV. Paukan-Bagan Sighseeing
- After breakfast (if time permits) we visit another typical river village.
- Enjoy the sunrise near Bagan. Passengers will disembark at Bagan Aye Yar jetty by9:30 hrs.
- Transfer to hotel and check in.
- After refreshment, 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 (5)-Bagan Sightseeing
Option Balloons over Bagan 280 USD– Floating over thousand year old pagodas and the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River, allows passengers a serene and peaceful bird’s-eye view. Around 0530 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 hotel.
- This morning, wander through the village of Minnanthu to see how the local people live.
- Visit Paya Thonzu worth for seeing its 13th century mural painting, Dhammayazika Pagoda, pentagonal pagoda similar to Shwezigon with lovely views from its highest terrace and Law Ka Nanda Pagoda with lots of benches for wide open view of the Ayeyarwady River.
- Afternoon, visit Dhamayangyi Temple, huge brick red temple built by King Narathu,
- Over night at hotel in Bagan
DAY (6)-Bagan-Mt.Popa-Kalaw Sightseeing
- Enjoy your breakfast at hotel.
- Depart Bagan early morning for a full day’s drive to Kalaw.
- Although long and tiring, this is one of the most scenic drives in Myanmar. Not far from Bagan, visit Mount Popa, home to Myanmar’s intriguing ‘nats’ (spirits).
- The steps and path climb steeply up Mount Popa – an energetic climb rewarded by fabulous views from the top.
- From here onwards, the road to Kalaw is very bumpy but the scenery is interesting – endless paddy fields in the morning and rolling hills in the afternoon, as the road climbs into the mountains of southern Shan State.
- Kalaw, formers British hills station town, cool, spring-like weather, pine forests, tea plantations and colorfully clad hill tribes make this town to a natural magnet for tourists.
- Overnight at hotel in Kalaw.
DAY (7)-Kalaw-Pindaya Cave-Inle Lake
- Breakfast at hotel.
- This morning, visit the Local Market and walking up the hill to see the Old Catholic Church, Kalaw Railway Station (built in 1918), the colonial buildings on East Circular Road, Nee Paya, woven with the bamboo strips and covered with cloth dipped in lacquer.
- Then, drive to Pindaya and visit to Pindaya Cave, believe d to contain more than 8000 Buddha Images of all sizes, and caved in wood, stone, marble and bronze thickly glided.
- In the afternoon, Shan papers production cottages are also interested to visit where handmade papers are produced from the pulp of mulberry bark dried in the sun.
- Other cottage industry interesting to visit is oiled paper umbrellas used by monks and nuns.
- Drive to Nyaung Shwe and take a short boat trip on Inle Lake to reach the hotel.
- Overnight at hotel in Inle Lake.
DAY (8)-Inle Lake Sightseeing
- Breakfast at hotel.
- This morning, 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.
- Back to hotel and relax.
Overnight at Hotel Inle Lake.
OPTION: EXOTIC BOAT LUNCH (Minimum 02pax – US$ 135 /- per pax )
- Lunch is served onboard on a restored rice carrier on Inle Lake.
- The boat has been tuned into an ephemeral restaurant fully equipped.
- This is a real exclusive experience for guest looking to be amazed and surprised.
- In the middle of the lake, 2 boats can accommodate from 4 to 16 passengers. This Burmese lunch is arranged with array different small special dishes.
- Cooking and catering are provided in another boat so customers are alone on board to enjoy this brief and unique moment. This lunch is provided by Viewpoint Restaurant.
DAY (9)-Inle Lake-Indein-Inle Lake Sightseeing
- Breakfast at hotel.
- After breakfast, 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 5th 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 a floating souvenir shop at Ywa ma Village. 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 17th and 18th centuries.
- Back to hotel.
- Overnight in hotel Inle Lake.
Optional Wine Tasting at Red Mountain Vineyard
Evening, visit Red Mountain Winery/Vineyards and Sunset over Shan Mountain ranges.
(We will transfer you by fantastic way of local transport – TOKE TOKE)
Enjoy fantastic experience of various local wines tasting at the restaurant during Sunset time.
DAY (10)-Inle Lake-Heho-Yangon By Flight & Sightseeing
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Transfer to the airport and depart for Yangon by scheduled flight.
- Arrive Yangon, transfer to hotel and check in.
- After refreshment at hotel, drive to Kandawgyi Park and take photo of Shwedagon Pagoda from Kandawgyi Park.
- Walking along the park.
- In the evening, visit Shwedagon Pagoda r ises 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 (11)-Yangon Sightseeing
- Breakfast at hotel.
- AM walk along Strand Road Yangon River to see the busy harbor area, from where ferries leave for Pathein in the Delta and for upcountry towns along the Ayeyarwady River.
- Photo stop around Mahabandoola Park, Sule Pagoda, Mayor’s Hall and old colonial districts of Yangon.
- Visit to Bogyoke (Scott) Market (closed on every Mondays & Public Holidays).
- Walk on the busy streets of downtown. In the evening the pavement turns into a night-market with a variety of goods on display. It is the opportunity to see “the real Yangon”.
- Overnight at hotel in Yangon.
OPTIONAL FAREWELL DINNER – 55 USD/PERSON
Le Planteur is situated in a more than 1 hectare of landscaped luxurious tropical garden. Its colonial era mansion is a unique blend of colonial design with charming Myanmar influences. The tall slender palms waving their fronds in the cool breeze, the relaxing music and diffuse lighting all serve to make the garden a little corner of paradise.
The restaurant offers excellent service & has received numerous awards.
DAY (12)-Yangon Departure
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Free relax and leisure till departure.
- Transfer to Yangon airport to board the international flight.