8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS - CLASSIC MYANMAR 

                              (YANGON - BAGAN - MANDALAY - SAGAING - AMARAPURA - MINGUN -                                                     HEHO - INLE LAKE -  PINDAYA - YANGON)

DAY 01 YANGON

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 archeological 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 - POPA - BAGAN
After breakfast drive to Mt.Popa and visit the great extinct volcano. Rising out of the shimmering heat, the solitary volcanic crag of Mt. Popa is home to Myanmar's most powerful "nats". Visit the Nat Museum with its life-sized statues of the 37 Nat Gods. Walk up the steps to the stupas and shrines that top the hill above the museum, seeing many pilgrims along the way. In the afternoon, drive back to Bagan (appr. 1 hr). On the way visit some villages and watch the collection of juice from the palm trees, and its conversion into palm sugar. Overnight in Bagan.

 

DAY 4: BAGAN - MANDALAY - SAGAING - AMARAPURA - MANDALAY
Take a flight to Mandalay. On arrival, drive to Sagaing, 21 km southwest of Mandalay. Visit Kaunghmudaw, an enormous dome shape Pagoda and after a short visit to the silversmith home industry proceed to Sagaing Hills, a retreat for Buddhist devotees with numerous Pagodas, monasteries and nunneries. In the afternoon, drive 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. Visit  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. Overnight in Mandalay.

 

DAY 5: MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY
After breakfast, 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". Then 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. In the afternoono continue to the Mahamuni Pagoda, with its spectacular Buddha image covered in thick layers of gold leaf. In the afternoon, drive to Kywezon 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. Then come back to Mandalay. Overnight in Mandalay.

 

DAY 6: MANDALAY - HEHO - INLE LAKE 
Take a morning flight to Heho. On arrival drive to Nyaung Shwe, a town at the north of Inle Lake. From there take Inthar Style outboard to have excursion in Inle Lake (25 km) famous for its unique one-leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing and village life and the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda housing five sacred and almost shapeless Buddha images, contorted because of the quantity of applied gold leaf, gifts from the believers. The Buddha images are reported to have come here in the 12th Century. In the afternoon, continue your journey to the silk weaving village of In Phaw Khon and visit Nga Phe Chaung (the biggest and oldest monastery around Inle Lake). Overnight in Inle Lake.

 

DAY 7: INLE LAKE - PINDAYA - HEHO - YANGON

In the morning, drive to Pindaya (appr. 2 1/2 hours drive), a charming village with its paper umbrella cottage industry. Visit the Pindaya cave, famous for its thousands of Buddha images and the paper umbrella cottage industry. Then transfer to Heho airport for your flight back to Yangon. Overnight in Yangon.

 

DAY 8: YANGON / DEPARTURE

After breakfast continue sightseeing of Yangon: 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.