5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS MYANMAR WITH MANDALAY 

(YANGON - BAGAN - MANDALAY - AMARAPURA - MINGUN - YANGON)

DAY 1: YANGON / ARRIVAL
Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport welcome by our local guide and transfer to your Hotel. In the afternoon drive to Mawtin Jetty and take a rickshaw for a short trip along the Yangon River. Then visit Chaukhtatkyi Pagoda (a huge reclining Buddha), Karaweik Hall, a Royal floating barge on the Royal Lake for a photo stop. Late in the afternoon, visit the Shwedagon Pagoda described by Somerset Maugham: "The Shwedagon rose superb, glistening with its gold, like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul of which the mystics write, glistening against the fog and smoke of the thriving city." This massive bell-shaped stupa rises nearly 100 meters above its hill-top surroundings. Wander through this magnificent structure and its courtyards, stupas, bells, Temples, and Buddha images, and see religious and secular visitors from all parts of the globe. Shwedagon has become the symbol of Myanmar. Enjoy the sunset over the Pagoda. Overnight in Yangon.

DAY 2: YANGON - BAGAN
Early morning flight to Bagan. Today enjoy the whole day at the most extensive archaeological site in Asia. Bagan has over 2,000 temples and pagodas of various sizes in varying states of repair and spread across the plain. Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; Gubyaukgyi, a temple with exquisite murals of Jataka scenes and Ananda Temple with four huge standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures and niches around the galleried interior. In the afternoon visit lacquer ware home industry; Manuha Temple built in Mon style from 1059 and Nanphaya Temple, said to have once been the residence of King Manuha; Gu Byauk Gyi Temple (Wet Kyi Inn), which has very nice frescoes inside. Enjoy sunset over terraces of the Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight in Bagan.

DAY 3: BAGAN - MANDALAY - AMARAPURA - MANDALAY
Take a flight to Mandalay. On arrival, proceeds to Amarapura the "City of Immortals". Amarapura was the capital of upper Burma until 1850. As was the custom, most of the important wooden palaces and monasteries were taken down and transported to the new capital in Mandalay. On the way, visit Bagayar monastery, in which variety of Buddha images from 16th to 20th century are displayed. You can also visit to a library, where they stored the old palm leaf books on which Buddha scriptures were written. Then also visit to a house of hand weaving looms, where, they produce silk and cotton textiles. Amarapura’s silk has a very unique pattern, sometimes; some patterns even take 3 months to finish a longyi. Then have a leisure walk at U Bein teak wood bridge, which is over 150 years old. Then proceed to Mahamuni Pagoda, with its spectacular Buddha image covered in thick layers of gold leaf. In the afternoon, visit the Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite wood carvings, Atumashi Monastery, the "Incomparable Monastery", and the Kuthodaw Pagoda known as the world's Biggest Book for its stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures. Finally drive up to Mandalay Hill, a vantage-point for panoramic view of the city. One famous song in Myanmar said "if you want to live long, you have to go Mandalay Hill". Overnight in Mandalay.

Day 4: MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY - YANGON

In the morning, drive to Mayan jetty to watch the busy riverside activity and take a local riverboat to the ancient capital of Mingun (appr. 1 hour per way). Visit the Settawya Pagoda, with a footprint of the Buddha, walk to the huge Mingun Bell, see the nearby unfinished Mingun Pagoda, built to be the world’s biggest pagoda and visit the Hsinbyume Pagoda, a reproduction of the mythological Mt. Meru. In the later afternoon transfer to the airport for your return flight to Yangon. Overnight in Yangon.

DAY 5: YANGON / DEPARTURE
After breakfast, visit the splendid National Museum, including the gem-studded royal regalia and the Lion Throne of King Mindon and King Thibaw, the last kings of the Myanmar Kingdom. In the afternoon you have enough time to wander around the sprawling Bogyoke Market through fascinating local neighborhoods. Transfer to the Yangon International Airport for the departure flight.