14 Days Tour Myanmar | Panoramic Myanmar | Starting from $1699/person

Arrival in Yangon & Sightseeing

Our Yangon city tour starts after breakfast with a visit to the stunning Sule Pagoda, which is thought to date back some 2,600 years to the time of Buddha. From here, we begin our walking tour of downtown Yangon, taking in key the key sights such as the beautiful Armenian Church, St Mary’s Church and the grand Secretariat building, as well as a number of other charming colonial buildings.

After a delicious local lunch, we proceed to the sprawling Bogyoke Market, known affectionately as Scotts Market, where you will have the chance to browse a fascinating selection of traditional handicrafts, jewellery and artwork at leisure. Our next stop is Yangon’s majestic Reclining Buddha proceeding the Royal Kandawgyi Lake.

Situated on the southeast corner of the lake, the gold-clad Karaweik Palace is designed to resemble the Pyigyimon royal barge and is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Having enjoyed a tour of this magnificent palace, we proceed to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda for sunset. Standing a full 99 meters tall and clad with a staggering array of gold and diamonds, a visit to this sacred Buddhist shrine is a highlight of their visit to Myanmar. Having witnessed the magical sunset from this fantastic viewpoint, we return to your accommodation where our Yangon city tour will conclude.

Yangon – Heho – Pindaya – Kalaw (by a.m. Flight)

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Yangon airport for your flight to Heho. A pleasant surprise awaits you here because the elevation of the Shan plateau is roughly 1000 meters above sea level and thus the weather is a bit cooler. So you’ll have enough energy for the 2-hour drive to Pindaya that will take you through the scenic countryside of the Shan Hills. Pindaya is a small beautiful town in the Southern Shan State and is home to the Danu, Taungyo, Palaung and Shan people.

We begin our Inle Lake tour in Heho, from where we start our drive through the stunning Shan landscape to the town of Pindaya. The scenery in this region is amongst the most incredible to be found in the country, with rolling hills, traditional farms and villages displaying a truly spectacular array of colours.

Life in the Shan state has remained largely unchanged for decades, and the local population still use traditional methods to cultivate their fertile lands, providing us with a wonderful insight into this untouched corner of Myanmar. One of our first stops is to explore the magnificent limestone caves of Pindaya, which are home to over 8,094 Buddha images and overlook a stunning lake.

Continuing our drive, we visit a traditional Shan paper and parasol factory, where goods are still made by hand using traditional methods. Further along our route, we have the opportunity to taste some delicious locally produced Honey at the Plan Bee Beekeeping Centre. A short drive from here takes us to the former British hill station of Kalaw, one of the areas fascinating colonial towns where we will enjoy a magnificent sunset view from amongst the historic bungalows that dot the landscape.

Kalaw to   Inle Lake Sightseeing

After a delicious breakfast, we begin our day with a visit to the local market where we see the incredible array of goods produced in the region and experience the local way of life..

From here, we make the short drive to the Shwe Oo Min Paya, a Buddhist temple that is home to dozens of gold Buddha statues. Continuing our journey towards Inle Lake, we soon reach the bustling town of Aungpan where we visit the famous ‘5-day market’. As its name suggests, this market operates on a 5-day schedule across local villages, although Aungpan is considered one of the best locations to witness this colourful and vibrant scene.

Next stop on our Inle Lake tour takes us to the small town of Ngwesaung, home to the impressive Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery. Constructed of solid teak and painted a beautiful shade of red, this small but beautiful monastery boasts a superb collection of wood carvings. Having toured the monastery and had the chance to meet the novice monks who live there, we continue to our accommodation at Inle Lake.

Inle Sightseeing (by private boat)

Start your After breakfast, we begin our Inle lake boat tour with a visit to the ‘5 Day Market’ for a fascinating insight into traditional life on Myanmar’s second largest lake.

From there, we continue by boat to a traditional silversmith, where we can see intricate items of jewellery being made by hand using traditional methods. The village of Paw Khon is our next stop and is famous locally for its fine silk weaving industry which we will experience first-hand.

As we continue our Inle Lake boat tour, we visit a number of other local industries including a boat making workshop and a traditional Cheroot factory, where this unique style of cigar is still hand rolled using tobacco and tamarind. The Jumping Cat Pagoda and Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery are our next stops, before proceeding to the sensational Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. A highlight if many people’s visit to Inle Lake, the pagoda houses 5 gold carvings of Buddha, upon which pilgrims apply small squares of gold leaf as a form of blessing.

The return part of our trip takes us through Inle Lake’s largest floating village at Ywama where we will explore the floating garden and learn more about the Inthar way of life.

After lunch, we enjoy some fresh air with a relaxing boat trip along the river as far as Indein, passing small settlements and numerous fishermen on the way. A small and peaceful village, Indein is known for its exceptional local market and magnificent array of pagodas, many of which date back as far as the 16th century. Such is the number and array of the pagodas that some have even compared them to a forest!

Inle – Taunggyi – Kakku – Inle lake

After breakfast, we begin our Kakku day tour with a short drive to Taunggyi where we will meet our local guide. Taunggyi is the capital city of the Shan state and is the beating heart of the unique Intha culture.

We spend some time exploring this dynamic city before visiting the fantastic Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda. Standing high on the edge of a mountain ridge, the pagoda offers spectacular views over both Taunggyi city as well as the nearby Inle Lake.

From Taunggyi, we drive a further 1.5 hours to the famous Kakku Pagoda, stopping to visit a traditional Paoh visit on the way. The Paoh people are the seventh largest ethnic group in Myanmar and are known for their traditional dress which often includes a colourful turban with dark clothing.

The complex at Kakku is home to over 2,500 individual stupas set into long rows in a square field, with the 40m high main stupa at its centre. Typically gold or white in colour, the condition of the stupas and their associated carvings is truly remarkable, with many retaining their ornate top elements. We spend the afternoon exploring this fascinating site before returning to your accommodation by car.

Inle – Heho – Mandalay (By a.m. Flight)

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Nyaung Shwe boat station and then to the Heho airport for the flight to Mandalay. Mandalay is Myanmar’s second largest city and its cultural and religious center. The city was Burms’s capital for a short period until the British occupied the country and forced King Thibaw and Queen Supayalatt into exile in India. For more than a thousand years, Buddha’s disciples considered Mandalay as a holy place and everyone was contented when King Mindon moved the capital there from nearby Amarapura in 1859.

Our Mandalay day tour begins after hotel check in with a visit to a traditional Gold Leaf factory where we observe the fine art of creating sheets of gold just a fraction of a millimetre thick. From here, we pay a visit to the giant seated Buddha at the Mahamuni pagoda, before visiting a famous stone carving street to witness local craftsmen at work. After a short stop at a local Jade market, we visit the monks of the grand Shwe In Bin monastery before enjoying a delicious lunch at a traditional restaurant.

In the afternoon, our guided tour of Mandalay continues with a trip to the Shwenandaw monastery. Dating back to 1878, the monastery is famed for its incredible teak carvings of Buddhist myths which line the walls and ceilings. Our next stop is the magnificent Khuthodaw Pagoda, home not only to a beautiful golden stupa but also to the world’s largest book. A short journey up Mandalay Hill takes us to our final stop of the day, from where we can enjoy magnificent views across the city and Ayeyarwady River before returning to your accommodation.

Mandalay – Mingun – Inwa – Amarapura – U Bein Bridge

We begin our Mingun day trip with a relaxing boat trip on the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River as far as the brilliant-white Pagoda of Hsinbyume Paya, designed to resemble the mythological Buddhist mountain, Mt Meru.

The nearby Mingun Paya Stupa is also unique in the region, in as far as it has never been completed. Having been commissioned by King Bodawpaya in 1790, construction was halted abruptly upon an astrologer’s prediction that the King would die should the Stupa be completed. We can still see, however, the 90-ton bell that was made for the stupa, which remains the largest in the world.

After lunch, we enjoy a short boat ride to the former Royal Capital of Inwa, where we will enjoy a traditional horse-drawn carriage tour of the ruins. Highlights of our visit include the Nanmyint Watch Tower, Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery and of course the beautiful Bargayar Monastery, constructed entirely of solid teak. Just to the north of Ava, we visit the expansive Tha Byae Tan Fortress which dates back to the late 1800’s before making our final stops will be at the Lay Htat Gyi and Yadana Sinme pagodas.

Continuing our tour, we visit the former capital of Myanmar, Amarapura, where we enjoy a traditional silk weaving demonstration. The comparatively modern monastery of Mahagandayon is famous throughout the country and offers us a fascinating insight into the lives of the hundreds of monks and novices who live here. Our final stop of the day is at U Bein Bridge where we enjoy the fabulous sunset view before returning to your hotel in Mandalay.

Mandalay – Bagan (By a.m. Flight)

In the morning you will be transferred to the Mandalay International Airport for your flight to Bagan where you’ll discover the richest archaeological site in Southeast Asia with over two thousand pagodas, temples and other religious monuments that make this place a center for Buddhist studies.

Bagan is one of Asia’s most celebrated archaeological sites, boasting over 2000 unique pagodas, temples and monuments and is, without doubt, a highlight if many people’s Myanmar tour. We start our day with a visit to Bagan’s thriving morning markets for a fascinating insight into daily life in Myanmar. From there, we proceed to our first monument of the day, the magnificent 900-year-old Shwe Zi Gon stupa. Having explored this marvellous gold-clad monument, we make the short journey to the famous Htilominlo temple. Constructed entirely of red brick and standing at over 150 feet tall, the Htilominlo temple is one of the most recognisable landmarks on the Bagan horizon, and is home to a number of spectacular plaster mouldings. From here, our next stop is the Shwesandaw Pagoda, consisting of five layered terraces and crowned with an intricately decorated stupa.

After a break for lunch, we visit a local workshop to experience first-hand some of Bagan’s famous lacquerware being produced by hand. Returning to the archaeological zone, we next visit the stunning Manuhar temple. One of the oldest temples in Bagan, main attraction of the Manuhar temple is the numerous enormous Buddhas to be found inside, including a unique reclining Buddha. The final stop of our Bagan day tour is at the Hindu temple of Nan Phaya where we can experience intricate carvings depicting the Hindu god Brahma, before experiencing a phenomenal sunset over Bagan from the pagoda.

Bagan Sightseeing

Our day starts at 8.30am when we make the short drive to the traditional markets at Nyaung Oo. Having had the chance to experience traditional village life, we proceed to the stunning, 900-year-old Shwe Zi Gon stupa. The central, golden stupa is surrounded by a number of smaller temples and is, in fact, the prototype for all Burmese stupas built since the 1100’s.

Our next stop is the Ananda Buddhist temple, which is one of only four surviving examples in the region and dates back to the reign of King Kyanzittha in 1105 AD. From here, a 25-minute drive will take us to a small jetty on the Irrawaddy River, from where we make the 10-minute crossing by small ferry. Having been met on the other side by a traditional Ox-drawn cart, we enjoy a half hour ride through rural farmland to KyunThiri village where we will spend time discovering Bagan local life.

An optional visit to a local school is a great chance to interact with the children from the Bagan villages before we enjoy a home-cooked lunch with a local family. Having made the return journey to Bagan via Ox cart, ferry and car, we head to one of the nearby stupas in time to enjoy a magical sunset over this unforgettable landscape.

Bagan – Salay – Bagan

An essential part of any Myanmar tours is the chance to experience the local culture and way of life, which has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Our Salay day tour begins with a visit to the nearby town of Chauk, where we will explore one of the largest markets in the region. With all manner of goods on sale, you will have the chance to explore at your own leisure and sample some of the local delicacies on offer.

Returning to Salay, we visit one of the most important of the town’s 50 active monasteries, Yoke Sone Kyaung. The oldest remaining wooden monastery in the region, this beautiful and unique building is now home to a wonderful museum hosting a range of artefacts from the Konbaung period. Having had the chance to explore this historic complex, we continue to the equally renowned Shin Pin Thar Long to visit a famous 13th-century lacquerware image of the Lord Buddha.

On our return journey, we have plenty of time to explore the historic British buildings that dominate much of the local landscape. As charming as they are beautiful, the colonial buildings evoke a sense of days gone by and tell the story of an important part of the region’s history. Before returning to our accommodation, we have the option of visiting a local plantation to witness palm sugar being produced using traditional techniques.

Bagan – Thandwe – Ngapali (By a.m. Flight)

After breakfast you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight to Ngapali Beach. Located in the west of the country this incredible place will make you fall in love with its green water and white sands.

Ngapali Beach

Full leisure day at the beach.

Ngapali Beach

Full leisure day at the beach.

Ngapali – Yangon – Departure (By a.m. Flight)

In the morning you’ll be transferred to the airport to catch the flight to Yangon. The connect with your onward flight home or extend your trip to Myanmar for a few more days!

Your Tour to  Myanmar trip has come to and end. We hope you enjoyed your Tour Myanmar!