Myanmar 9 Days Tour | Majestic Myanmar | Starting from 1399$/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 – Bagan & Sightseeing (by early flight)

You’ll arrive by an early flight to Bagan, so you can spend the morning visiting the Nyaung Oo market to see how rural people live

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.

Optional: Experience the magic of Bagan and a thousand years of history from the enchanting platform of a hot air balloon; for the first time ever, “Balloons Over Bagan” and “Oriental Ballooning” offers visitors exclusive sunrise champagne flights over the ancient pagodas of Bagan from October to March (requires pre-booking).

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.

Excursion to Mt. Popa – Bagan

After a delicious breakfast, we make a one hour drive through scenic Thanakhar plantations to Nga Thayauk village, stopping briefly to explore a hidden 11th-century cave. The village is home to many traditional industries, and we will experience first-hand the production of local goods and handicrafts.

After a scenic stop at stunning lake Myakanthar, we continue to the village of Sat Sat Yoe where we have the chance to interact with local children before driving a further 40 minutes to reach our lunch stop at a local restaurant overlooking Mount Popa.

After lunch, we commence our Mount Popa tour. A dormant volcano standing some 1,500 meters above sea level, Mount Popa is a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists and is dotted with charming temples and relic sites which we will explore with your expert guide. The cooler afternoon temperatures are perfect for climbing the 777 steps that lead to the summit, which affords the most wonderful views across the region as far as Bagan on a clear day. After your descent, you have time to relax during the 90-minute drive back to Bagan.

Optional: Experience the magic of Bagan and a thousand years of history from the enchanting platform of a hot air balloon; for the first time ever, “Balloons over Bagan” and “Oriental Ballooning” offers visitors exclusive sunrise champagne flights over the ancient pagodas of Bagan from October to March (requires pre-booking).

Bagan – Mandalay & Sightseeing (By morning flight)

Our classic 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 – Sagaing – Amarapura

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 – Heho – Inle Lake (By morning flight)

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Mandalay 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.

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

Inle Lake – Indein – Inle Sightseeing

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. We then return to our accommodation, where our Inle Lake boat tour will end

Inle – Heho – Yangon – Departure

You won’t be so willing to collect all your luggage early in the morning, but you’ll have to get ready for the transfer to Nyaung Shwe jetty by boat and then for the drive to the Heho airport to catch the Yangon flight.

Your Myanmar Tour has come to and end and you hope you had an amazing time in the Golden land during your stay in Myanmar!