ESSENCE OF MYANMAR SIGHTSEEING TOUR – 8 DAYS

* BRIEF ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrival – Yangon Sightseeing Tour

Day 2: Yangon – Flight to Bagan – Bagan Sightseeing Tour

Day 3: Bagan Sightseeing Tour at Ancient Temples and Stupas for the whole day – Optional Balloon Riding

Day 4: Bagan – Flight to Mandalay – Mandalay Sightseeing Tour

Day 5: Mandalay Sightseeing Tour to the Former Capital Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing

Day 6: Mandalay – Flight to Heho – Inle Lake Sightseeing Tour

Day 7: Inle Lake Sightseeing Tour – Flight from Heho to Yangon

Day 8: Yangon – Departure

DAY 1: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: ARRIVAL – YANGON SIGHTSEEING TOURS

Arrive in Yangon and welcome by your assigned guide at the airport. Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is still a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes Yangon one of the most fascinating and authentic capitals of South East Asia. 

Then transfer to your hotel for check in (early check in depend on room availability) In the afternoon, a city tour includes Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda’s 70m long reclining Buddha, a tour of downtown Yangon with its grand colonial buildings before reaching Myanmar’s holiest monument, the Shwedagon Pagoda, for sunset with its golden stupa covered with 60 tons of pure gold leaf. 
Overnight in Yangon

DAY 2: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: YANGON – FLIGHT TO BAGAN IN NYAUNG U – BAGAN SIGHTSEEING TOURS AT SACRED TEMPLES AND STUPAS ( B/-/- )

After breakfast at the hotel transfer to Yangon’s Mingaladon Airport for the flight to Bagan (Nyaung Oo). 
Thousands of ancient stupas and temples in this area make Bagan, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Asia. From the 11th till 13th century, when Bagan was the capital of Myanmar, the rulers constructed huge stupas and temples, many of which are still standing today on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

On arrival, morning sightseeing features the Shwezigon Pagoda and its magnificent golden stupa, Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with exquisite jatakas murals paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. 
Check-in at your hotel and rest.

In the afternoon, visit Ananda, an architectural masterpiece of the early-style temple and Ananda Okkyaung is one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period. 
From Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan with 61 meters, depart for a horse and carriage tour among the temples passing through the traditional village of Taungbi, Sulamani Temple and the massive Dhammayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. 
Enjoy the sunset over the site from one of the open upper terraces in Bagan.
Overnight in Bagan

DAY 3: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: BAGAN SIGHTSEEING TOURS AT MARKETS AND MONUMENTS – OPTIONAL BALLOON RIDING TOURS  ( B/-/- )

OPTION: Balloons over Bagan. Hot-air balloon flight over the temples of Bagan. 45min-1 hr flight. Depart hotel at 6am. Pre-booking recommended for the high season. Flights from October to March only.   

After breakfast at the hotel, visit the colourful Nyaung Oo Market.Proceeding to Myinkaba village where we will stroll through the village to observe workshops producing traditional lacquer ware, a specialty of Bagan. We can also appreciate the monuments of Myinkaba village, Gubyaukkhi, an early period Pyu-style temple of Hindu influence with some of the oldest mural paintings in Bagan, as well as the Manuha and Nanpaya temples. 

Return to the hotel for a rest.Mid-afternoon, transfer to the riverside and embark on a local boat for a leisurely mini-cruise on the Ayeyarwady River in view of the Bagan temples like Lawkananda, Bupaya and Shwezigon while the sun slowly sets. 
Overnight in Bagan

DAY 4: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: BAGAN – FLIGHT TO MANDALAY – MANDALAY SIGHTSEEING TOURS AT PAGODAS AND MONASTERY – SUNSET ON MANDALAY HILL ( B /-/- )

After breakfast at the hotel transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport for the flight to Mandalay. On arrival, a sightseeing tour of Mandalay, Myanmar’s cultural capital starts with the Mahamuni Pagoda, famous for its venerable statue of Buddha covered with gold leaf. Mandalay has also long been known as a centre of skilled craftsmanship and in former times supplied the Royal courts. A tour of traditional workshops includes crafts such as woodcarving, marble masonry, Kalaga tapestry and gold leaf making. 
Check-in at your hotel and rest.

In the afternoon, visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures (known as the world’s biggest book) and Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite woodcarving. 
Enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill to end the day. 
Overnight in Mandalay. 

DAY 5: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: MANDALAY SIGHTSEEING AND HISTORY TOURS AT AMRAPURA – AVA – SAGAING – MANDALAY -SIGHTSEEING TOURS ( B/-/- )

After breakfast at the hotel depart for full day trip to the former capitals of Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing. 
We begin with a visit to the 18th century capital, Amarapura where we attend the daily meal of over thousand monks at the country’s largest monastery; Mahagandayon. Proceed to Ava, the capital from the 14th to the 18th century and visit by horse carriage the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and fort.

Afternoon cross the bridge over the Irrawaddy River and continue to Sagaing. Covered with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries, Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious centre of Myanmar and is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centres. 
Finish the day with a walk over the 200 year-old U Bein Bridge, constructed entirely from teak. 
Overnight in Mandalay

DAY 6: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: MANDALAY – FLIGHT TO HEHO HEHO – BOAT TRIP ON INLE LAKE FOR SIGHTSEEING TOURS   ( B/-/- )

In the morning transfer to Mandalay Airport for the flight to Heho. From Heho, enjoy a scenic drive to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar best-known sights. The Intha people, a tribe of Mon descent, mostly inhabit the lakeshores and floating villages.  On arrival at Nyaung Shwe village, transfer by boat to start a sightseeing tour of Inle Lake including a chance to see the leg-rowing fishermen and the floating gardens, built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. 

In the afternoon visit to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the weaving village of Inpawkhone and the jumping cats monastery. Check in at hotel in the afternoon. 
Overnight at Inle Lake. 

DAY 7: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: INLE LAKE SIGHTSEEING TOURS – FLIGHT FROM HEHO TO YANGON – YANGON SIGHTSEEING TOURS ( B/-/- )

After breakfast, visit the daily market on the lake, which rotates in a 5-day rhythm around villages on the lake itself and on the shores of the lake. After the market visit we return to the mainland and transfer to Heho Airport for the flight back to Yangon.

Rest of the afternoon free to explore the Bo Gyoke Market (former Scott Market) with its hundreds of stalls. (Open daily except public holidays, every Monday and full moon days)
Transfer to your hotel and check-in.
Overnight in Yangon

DAY 8: Myanmar Sightseeing Tour to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake: YANGON – DEPARTURE ( B/-/- )