Myanmar Highlight Tour

Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport, you will be welcomed by our travels representative and transferred to your hotel. Once you are refreshed we will take a sightseeing tour some of Yangon’s highlights, including the Reclining Buddha at Chauk Htat Gyi, still a popular place for Buddhist worshippers, and the National Museum, home too many interesting artefacts from Myanmar’s past.

Then visit in downtown Yangon bustling Streets, visiting some of the British colonial-era architectural gems that remain before visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most important religious structure in Myanmar and a point of pilgrimage for Buddhists across the globe.

Overnight in Yangon

After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Loikaw. Once you are refreshed we will take a sightseeing tour of Htee Se Khar water fall, which was the located in the north of Loikaw and the lush, green forest is surrounded the cold, clean stream that makes several refreshing waterfalls.

And then visit to the Haw Palace and Kayah Cultural Museum, where one could find out the history, cultural, and artifacts of the Kayah state and its people. Later we visit to Taungkwe Pagoda, which comprises a number of white and gold monuments sitting on top of limestone outcrops which jut dramatically from the surrounding plains.

Overnight in Loikaw

After breakfast, we will head by car to the beautiful and rugged mountains to the south of Loikaw, home to the famous Kayan ‘long-neck’ women, known for the brass rings they sport around their necks. In the Kayan village of Pan Pet, you will have the option of short or long treks and both will afford you the opportunity to experience village life in this remote and unique part of Myanmar, only recently opened to foreigners.

If the time permits, we will continue visit one of the tribal villages, Hta Nee La Lae village which is simple farming village with traditional kayah totem poles.

Overnight in Loikaw

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit to local market in Loikaw. Then transfer to Phekhon by car to catch the boat that will take us to Inle Lake.

Get off the beaten track and travel southward on the lake to visit the villages at Sagar and Thakong. We will also visit pottery industries at the Shan village of Kyauktaung

Overnight in Inle Lake.

Enjoy breakfast at hotel before we start our sightseeing by long tailed boat to Inn Paw Khone Village where you can see lotus and silk weaving industries. Next we visit Nanpan village to see the traditional boat making, cheroot (Burmese cigar) making factory.

And then continue our visit to the Phaung Daw Oo pagoda, which is the most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area. It houses five ancient images of the Buddha that are completely covered in golf leaf. Later we will visit to Thale Oo village, which is nothing more than an authentic agricultural village on the shore of the lake. Abundant rice fields and you can observe the difference in the vegetation.

Overnight in Inle Lake

Travel to Indein to observe a 17th century Pagoda complex and visit the small communities alongside the lake’s edge. On the way, we will see some of the lake’s famous floating gardens and visit a number of souvenir shops. And then drive to Kalaw, which sits on the western edge of the Shan Plateau and was a popular hill station during the British Empire days. Today it remains a peaceful and quiet town and is pleasant place to explore.

Overnight in Kalaw

In the morning, we will visit to Kalaw Local Market and the gold-lacquer-covered Buddha image at Nee Paya before drive to Pindaya. Upon arrival, drive to Pindaya cave which is noted for its extensive limestone caves filled with Buddha images. Driving there we will be passing through the PaO and Danu villages of Pwehla and Ji Chanzi and endless fields of dry cultivated mountain rice and potato. Inside the Pindaya Caves are nearly 8,000 Buddha images that have been placed there over the centuries as a form of merit making. Made of various materials and of different sizes, the statues are situated in every nook and cranny throughout the many cave chambers. In the afternoon we will drive back to Kalaw. Overnight in Kalaw

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. Arrival at Mandalay airport and we will explore to the ancient royal capital of Amarapura. Here we will visit the Mahagandayon Monastery, a school for young monks, and U Bein Bridge, a more than 200 year old structure and the longest teakwood bridge in the world. We will visit another former royal capital, Inwa, which was founded in 1364 and was the royal capital for nearly 400 years. Highlights here include the ‘leaning tower of Ava’, Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery, which was built by masonry as opposed to most other monasteries which are built with wood, and the elegant teakwood Bagaya Monastery. And then, we will go back to Mandalay. Overnight in Mandalay

After breakfast, we will go to Mandalay jetty where we take a short and pleasant ride upriver to Mingun, and the site of what would have been the world's largest pagoda had not finish because King Bodawpaya died in 1819 thus halting all further work. Later an earthquake in 1838 split the monument and reduced it to partial rubble. Nonetheless, the mammoth base of the unfinished pagoda is still a very impressive sight as we approach from the river. Nearby we can also visit the Mingun Bell, moved from the zedi after the earthquake and now hung in a new shrine building. It is said to be the largest hanging un-cracked bell in the world. In the afternoon, we visit Mandalay’s sights and explore the incredible choice of pagodas and monasteries in Myanmar’s cultural capital. Highlights in the town include the highly-revered Mahamuni Pagoda, the wood-carved Shwenandaw Monastery and the world’s largest book at Kuthodaw Pagoda. In the evening, enjoy yet another spectacular sunset from the top of Mandalay Hill. Overnight in Mandalay

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. We will enjoy a Bagan Archaeological Tour which takes in famous sites including Damayarzaka Pagoda, Shwegugyi and Thabyinnyu. Other highlights include the mural paintings at Gubyukggyi and Abeyadana Temple, which is famed for its mural paintings about Mahayana Buddhism.

Overnight in Bagan

After breakfast, we head southeast by minibus for a day trip to Mount Popa, where you will have the chance to ascend the 777 steps to the famous Popa Taunkalat Monastery. Located perilously on top of a volcanic plug on the slopes of the mountain and offers panoramic views of the region, the monastery is said to be home to 37 nats (ancient Burmese spirits that pre-date Buddhism, which are represented by statues at the base). On the way we will visit to Sinn Luu Village. Return to Bagan, stopping on the way to see the process of making htan ye (palm toddy), a mildly alcoholic drink fermented from the sap of the same palm trees used to make sugar. Arrive Bagan and visit to Shwezigone Pagoda, a prototype for many Myanmar stupas built later. We then visit the 13th century cave temples at Wetkyi-in-Gubyaukgyi, one of Bagan’s most famous sites the Ananda Pagoda. Overnight in Bagan

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Yangon. Arrive Yangon and connect with your departure onwards flight