Discover Burma Tour

Arrival

Upon arrival at the airport in Mandalay you will be met by a ‘See Asia Differently’ representative and transferred to your hotel. Mandalay is Myanmar’s second-biggest city. This traditional yet vibrant city will serve as your entry point to the Golden Land.

Overnight in Mandalay (Meals: _/_/_)

Mandalay Day Tour

After breakfast you will travel to Mingun, where you get to discover the massive ruined and uncompleted Mingun Pahtodawgyi, and the 90-ton Mingun Bell, one of the largest ringing bells in the world. A couple of hundred yards from there, there is Myatheindan Pagoda or the beautiful white Hsinbyume with a distinctive architectural style. Returning to Mandalay, you will visit the Maha Myatmuni Pagoda, home to Mandalay’s holiest Buddha statue. In the afternoon take a stroll over the longest teak bridge in the world before finishing off the day with a stunning sunset over the city from the top of Mandalay Hill.

Overnight in Mandalay (Meals: B/_/_)

Mandalay to Monywa | Drive: 2.5 hours

Located in the Chindwin Valley, today you journey out to Monywa, your destination for the day. Along the way, you will stop at the Mohnyin Thanboddhey Pagoda and Boditahtaung Pagoda. Once in Monywa, you will get to witness the local weaving industries, the sacred site of Shwe Ba Taung and the extraordinary Po Win Taung complex, that consists of 947 sandstone caves dug out of the hills and contains what is considered by archaeologists to be the richest collection of mural paintings and Buddhist statues in Asia.

Overnight in Monywa (Meals: B/_/_)

Monywa to Bagan

After breakfast you will travel 42km to Pakkoku, where you will board a local boat to Bagan. On your river cruise, you will stop off a few times along the way at various villages to experience the unique lifestyle of the locals in the area. Your river cruise to Bagan takes roughly 3 hours, so you have plenty of time to sit back and relax on the mighty Irrawaddy River.

Overnight in Bagan (Meals: B/_/_)

Bagan to Mindat | Drive: 4.5 hours

This morning you will cross the Irrawaddy River to Let Pan Che and from here you take a jeep ride on the scenic dirt road, passing through dry mounds, green, and velvet plain of rice fields, to Mount Pontaung. The area is famous for recently finding various fossils that are estimated to be between 34 and 50 million years old. After lunch, you continue onwards to Mindat, which is located 1,480 metres above the sea level.

Overnight in Mindat (Meals: B/L/_)

Trekking to Aye Sakan

Today you will hop back into your jeep and journey on to the nearby village of Che Chaung. There, you will be able to see the village of Aye Sakan that lies across the valley sitting at an elevation of 5700ft. From here you start trekking by crossing the valley to the Sin Settlement of villages, where the local women are famous for having their faces covered in tattoos, and their houses decorated with animal skulls. After spending some time to soak up this incredible area and its people you continue hiking through the valley and Aye Sakan village, where you will stay in a local homestay.

Overnight in Aye Sakan (Meals: B/_/_)

Trekking up Mount Victoria

This morning you will venture out to the bottom of Mount Victoria, where you will leave the jeep and take an enjoyable 2-hour hike up to the summit. Mount Victoria offers superb views of the surrounding area from the top. Birders may follow the rare species of birds, botanists may explore species of trees and plants, some of which may be only native to this region. If you are neither birder nor botanist, then simply enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the entire park from a hilltop. Then after a packed lunch you head back down and continue to Kanpetlet.

Overnight in Kanpetlet (Meals: B/L/_)

Kanpetlet to Bagan | Drive: 4 hours

Today after breakfast you will leave the Chin Hills behind you and travel to Bagan, which takes approximately 4 hours. About mid-way through you’ll stop for lunch before continuing down to the village of Kazuma, which is nestled in between the Chin highlands and flat lowland. Once you are back in Bagan you free to do as you wish, settle into your new surroundings and relax after the long journey.

Overnight in Bagan (Meals: B/_/_)

Bagan Full Day Tour

Enjoy the whole day exploring Bagan, which is one of the great sights in all of Asia. Pagoda after pagoda, large and small rise from the green delta plain, which forms the setting of a great deserted royal city; out of the 10,000 built only 2,200 have stood the test of time. Throughout the day, you will get to visit some of the most famous temples, have a horse cart tour, and finish the day watching the magnificent sunset from one of the open terraces of Bagan Temples.

Overnight in Bagan (Meals: B/_/_)

Bagan Day Two

Today you board a boat and cross the Irrawaddy river travelling to the island of Kyun Thiri to visit a local monastery, where orphan boys make their daily vows. Burmese tradition dictates that all Buddhist males must at some point in their lives become monks – if only for a few days. In the afternoon you board your boat again for a 2-hour cruise downstream to Kyauk Gu U Min, which is home to a cave filled with intricate sandstone carvings and a gigantic figure of Buddha.

Overnight in Bagan (Meals: B/_/_)

Bagan to Inle lake | Flight: 40 min

This morning you will catch the short flight from Bagan to Heho and then onwards to Kalaw, stopping briefly in Pindaya. Enjoy the great scenic beauty of the countryside on the road to Pindaya, where you will see Pindaya Lake and Pindaya Cave, which is very popular due to the countless Buddha images littered inside. Pay a visit to a bamboo- umbrella domestic workshop as well. You will then proceed to Kalaw, where you are free to spend the evening as you wish.

Overnight in Inle Lake (Meals: B/_/_)

Inle Lake Tour

Today you will spend the entire day exploring the vast water world that is Inle Lake. Throughout the day you will get to learn about the local way of life and witness the unique leg-rowing technique, which is very famous in this part of the world. Inle Lake is a feast on the eyes and you will get to explore many things as you boat around. Observe daily rotating markets, incredible floating gardens, where fruits and vegetables are grown, as well as several pagodas and minority villages.

Overnight in Inle Lake (Meals: B/_/_)

Inle Lake to Yangon | Flight: 50 min

This morning you will board your boat for the last time and skim across the lake to greet your driver, who will transfer you to Heho airport. From here you will catch a domestic flight to Yangon airport and then onwards to your Yangon city hotel. After taking some time to catch your breath you then get to explore this incredible city, visit some handicraft markets, as well as Botataung Pagoda, the 40-meter high golden pagoda enshrines a sacred hair relic of the Buddha, before enjoying a magical sunset at the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda.

Overnight in Yangon (Meals: B/_/_)

Departure

Today you are free before being transferred to the airport to catch your departing flight back home.

(Meals: B/_/_)