Arrival in Yangon and transfer to the hotel for check in.

Yangon lies in the fertile delta of southern Myanmar, on the wide Yangon River. The city is filled with tree-shaded boulevards, while shimmering stupas float above the treetops. The city became the capital only in 1885, when the British completed the conquest of Upper Myanmar

and Mandalay’s brief period as capital of the last Burmese kingdom ended.

Transfer to hotel and overnight in Yangon

Start to discover this exciting city by visiting the SULE PAGODA, a gleaming octagonal pagoda that stands squarely at the centre of the city. Afterwards, visit the NATIONAL MUSEUM to gain an insight into Myanmar’s history, art and culture, such as the eight meter high Sihasana Lion Throne, used by the last Burmese king, and other fascinating artifacts. Enjoy a break at BOGYOKE AUNG SAN (SCOTT) MARKET, a pleasant and lively market containing crafts, gems and fabrics from all corners of Myanmar.

In the afternoon, visit a few of the well known pagodas, including BOTATAUNG PAGODA, named after the 1000 military leaders who escorted relics of the Buddha from India over 2000 years ago, and NGADATKYI PAYA, with a giant seated Buddha image. Finally, continue to the SHWEDAGON PAGODA, the highlight of any visit to Yangon. Towering over the city, this pagoda is the most sacred spot in the country, built to house eight hair relics of the Buddha.

The Shwedagon and surrounding shrines are at their most beautiful during the sunset hour, as the golden stupa reflects the changing colors of twilight.

Overnight in Yangon

Take a flight from Yangon to Heho and from there on continue by vehicle to Pindaya. Discover the fascinating PINDAYA CAVES, ensconced in a limestone ridge overlooking the lake. Inside the cavern there are more than 8000 Buddha images arranged in such a way as to form a labyrinth throughout the various cave chambers. Near by the caves, just below the ridge visit SHWE U MIN PAYA, a cluster of low stupas.

Overnight in Pindaya

Take a trip by vehicle from Pindaya to the Inle Lake where one can enjoy a pleasant boat excursion.

The beautiful and calm lake, rimmed by high hills is located in Shan State and is dotted with idyllic patches of floating vegetation and fishing canoes. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and observe the skilled fisherman using their leg-rowing technique to propel themselves around the lake. Visit the floating gardens, a market and an Intha village around the lake. The day

sightseeing also includes a visit to the PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA, INN PAW KHON VILLAGE, known for their Lotus and silk weaving skills and the NGA PHE KYAUNG MONASTERY.

Overnight in Inle Lake

Today’s excursion by boat to the western shore of the lake, leads to a stairway to the hidden INDEIN temple complex. Located on the shore of the lake, this site consists of hundreds of small stupas overgrown by moss and greens. Continue by foot past rice fields to the village of SAE MA. Take the opportunity to explore the village and the local school and in the afternoon

meet the people of the villages on the lake. Before returning by boat to the hotel, visit one of the monasteries to observe the interesting monastic activities.

Overnight in Inle Lake

Journey up into the mountains through beautiful landscapes, passing to Pa O villages and the opportunity to visit a market on the way. Explore the magnificent KAKKU TEMPLE COMPLEX, a collection of over 2000 Buddhist stupas that date from the 12th and 13th centuries concentrated in the space of one square km. Several Buddha statues lie scattered around the ruins, overgrown with vegetation. Return to Nyaung Shwe by vehicle and transfer by boat to the hotel.

Overnight in Inle Lake

Take first a jetty back to the mainland and then a vehicle to Heho. From Heho take a flight to Mandalay.

Relax in the afternoon and overnight in Mandalay

While Yangon is the economic capital of the country, Mandalay is considered the cultural and religious capital of Myanmar, with a long history stretching back to religious time being also the last capital of royal Burma. In the morning, head to MAHAMUNI PAYA. The Mahamuni image enshrined here is perhaps the most venerated image in Myanmar, covered in over 15 cm

of gold leaf.

Worshippers flock daily to the shrine at four in the morning to observe the unique face-washing ceremony.

En route to the pagoda, stop to observe the laborious process of gold-leaf beating, where gold is painstakingly hammered into tissue-thin squares. Before lunch, visit a CRAFT WORKSHOP specializing in one of the arts for which the city is famous: bronze-casting, marble-carving,

wood-carving, or puppetry. The afternoon’s tour includes some of the city’s most interesting temples and palaces. Begin at SHWENANDAW KYAUNG, also called the Golden Teak Monastery. Continue to KYAUKAWGYI PAYA, famous for its monumental seated Buddha, carved from a single block of marble, and the elegant SANDAMANI PAYA. Finally, visit KUTHODAW PAYA, known also as the world’s biggest book. Around the central stupa are miniature pavilions, housing altogether 729 slabs of marble inscribed with the entire Tripitkata, or Buddhist

scriptures.

Overnight in Mandalay

This day tour visits three former royal capitals, each with its own unique atmosphere. In the morning, drive to AMARAPURA, and visit MAHAGANDAYON MONASTERY, every day at mid-morning, monks and novices line up to receive their daily offering of alms and food from faithful Buddhists. Next, head to SAGAING, the spiritual centre of Myanmar. Hundreds of stupas, monasteries, temples and nunneries are to be found in Sagaing Hill, also known as a living Bagan. Stop at some of the most famous temples, such as TUPAYON PAYA and HSINMYASHIN PAYA, the Pagoda of Many Elephants. Cross the river by ferry to INWA, situated on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. Once a royal capital, Inwa is now a quiet rural oasis.

Enjoy a leisurely horse-cart ride around the peaceful countryside, briefly visiting BAGAYA KYAUNG, a beautiful teak wood monastery, MAHA AUNGME BOZAN KYANG, and NAN MYINT TOWER. On the way, stop and observe how local artisans make the famous alms bowls out of

iron. Finally, return to AMARAPURA, to end the day at U BEIN’S BRIDGE, a picturesque teak bridge which extends over one kilometre across Taungthaman Lake. At dusk, the bridge teems with monks and local people as they stroll home or linger to enjoy the colors of the sunset.

Overnight in Mandalay

Travel upriver by boat to MINGUN, enjoy the atmosphere of the river life - fishing villages, market boats, women attending to their washing, and children playing in the water. Explore the ruins of the vast MINGUN PAYA, a monument to human ambition. After visiting other nearby pagodas, return downstream by boat to Mandalay.

Back in Mandalay visit Zeigyo (Zay Cho) where just about everything made in Myanmar can be found, from everyday consumer goods to jewelery and fine fabrics.

Finish this exciting day in a relaxing atmosphere on Mandalay Hill at sunset.

Overnight in Mandalay

Journey northeast, across the plains, uphill twisting roads into the hills where one can enjoy a spectacular view. Discover the fascinating town PYIN OO LWIN, home to Nepalis and Indians due to its role as British hill station during the colonial era. It has a very pleasant climate because of the altitude and offers refreshing cool air even during the hot season. Visit the BOTANICAL GARDEN which was build up by Turkish prisoners during World War II. Admire the PURCELL TOWER, a clock tower near the town entrance which was a present from Queen Victoria. On the top of the hill at NAUNG KAN GYL PAYA enjoy a wonderful view on the idyllic town. Continue to the CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, a 100-year-old church featuring a large brick sanctuary, a bell tower with impressive vaulted wooden ceilings and a well appointed interior. Finally proceed to the PEIKCHIN CAVES. This large Hindu-Buddhist shrine cave was developed by local Nepalis and is adorned with modern Buddha images and models of Myanmar’s most famous pagodas.

Return and overnight in Mandalay

Take a trip by vehicle from Mandalay to Bagan. Bagan is a spectacular plain stretching away from the Irrawaddy River, dotted with thousands of 800-year old temple ruins. Although human habitation at Bagan dates back almost to the beginning of the Christian era, Bagan only entered its golden period with the conquest of Thaton in 1057 AD.

Overnight in Bagan

Start a day of sightseeing by visiting SHWEZIGON PAYA, a pagoda partly build by King Anawrahta to enshrine relicts of Buddha. The stupa’s graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all later stupas over Myanmar. Proceed to GUBYAUKHYI TEMPLE at Wetkyi-Inn.

This Temple with its distinguished architecture was built in the early 13th century and has great colorful painting about the previous life of Buddha. Continue to ANANDA PAHTO, one of the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples.

Continue to GUBYAUKGYI TEMPLE at Myinkaba. This temple is famous for its well-preserved Stuccos from the 12th century on the outside walls and has magnificent paintings considered to be among the oldest ones in Bagan. Thereafter, visit the MANUHA TEMPLE which enshrines the unusual combination of 3 seated and one reclining image Buddha.

Afterwards visit SHWESANDAW PAYA, the first monument in Bagan, which features stairways leading up from the square bottom terraces to the round base of the Stupa. This Pagoda is ideal to watch Bagan’s magnificent sunsets. Last but not least take the opportunity to learn about the painstaking process of lacquerware making and decoration in one of the LACQUERWARE WORKSHOP by the villages around Bagan.

Overnight in Bagan

Today’s excursion includes a visit to MOUNT POPA and SALAY. MOUNT POPA is a curiously cylindrical hill rising sharply from the surrounding plain and is considered to be the home of the country’s most important nats (spirits). Visitors ascend up a winding covered staircase encircling the mountain, observed by the curious monkeys that populate the area. At the top is a monastery and temple complex, with shrines to the 37 nats and a spectacular view over the region. Descent from Mount Popa and explore the local life in the nearby unspoiled Burmese town SALAY. It is the oldest surviving wooden monastery with beautiful carvings of court life and scenes from the Ramayana. Wander around the town, visiting the market and the Thar Ta Na Yaung Chi monastery, which also serves as orphanage.

Overnight in Bagan

The last full day in Bagan is filled with sightseeing highlights. Start at the MAHABODHI TEMPLE, that was inspired by the Mahabodhi at Bodh Gaya in India and was build during the reign of King Nantaungmya in the 12th century. Temples of this nature only appeared during the Late Bagan period and the Mahabodhi is the only one of this style. Continue to visit the DHAMAYANGYI TEMPLE, said to have one of the finest brickwork in Bagan but it is still unclear by which King the construction was started. Lastly proceed to one of the tallest monuments in Bagan, the 61 meters high THATBYINNYU TEMPLE built also in the 12th century by King Alaungsithu.

Relax in the afternoon and overnight in Bagan

Take a flight from Bagan to Yangon and continue by vehicle west towards BAGO. Bago is a historic city originally founded in 573 AD by Thamala and Wimala, two Mon brothers of noble birth. Visit a typical local monastery to observe the daily lives of the monks, and then continue to the lifelike SHWETHALYAUNG RECLINING BUDDHA, the highly venerated SHWEMAWDAW

PAYA, housing hair relics of the Buddha for over 1000 years. Highlights also include the KYAIK PUN PAYA, with four giant Buddhas leaned back against a square pillar and the MAHA KALYANI SIMA, also called ‘Sacred Hall or Ordination’.

Afterwards, continue the journey to Kyaikhtiyo and overnight in Kyaikhtiyo

KYAIKHTIYO is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Myanmar, better know as the Golden Rock. The shrine at the top of Mount Kyaikto seems to defy gravity and local people believe the power of a Buddhist relic is what keeps the boulder in place.

Proceed southwards by vehicle from Kyaikhtiyo to Mawlamyine and on the way make a stop to visit BAYING NYI NAUNG GU, a natural limestone cave with hot springs reputed to have healing powers.

The springs are divided into three pools, one for monks, one for men and one for women. Afterwards, continue to HPA-AN, the capital of Kayin State and a busy commerce centre, inhabited mainly by Kayin people. Farmers from all around the region come to town in horse-carts or trishaws with baskets of products to trade at the market. Stroll through the market, visit SHWE YIN MYAW PAYA, and finish at the town hall for the best view over the distinctively

shaped MOUNT ZWEKABIN in the background.

Overnight in Mawlamyine

Travel by local ferry to BILU KYUN, also called ogre island. Continue to the local villages and visit home industries making pipes, ballpoint pens, rubber bands, coconut-fiber ropes and other items for everyday life.

Overnight in Mawlamyine

Today’s excursion by boat leads to GAUNGSE KYUN, better known as the shampoo island. This picturesque island off Mawlamyine’s north-western end, earned its name because during the Ava period the annual royal hair washing ceremony customarily used water taken from a spring on the island. Continue by vehicle from Mawlamyine to Yangon and on the way pass THATON.

Long before the rise of Bagan, Thaton was an important centre for the Mon kingdom that stretched from the Irrawaddy River delta to similar deltas in Thailand.

The town’s centre is a leafy place, along the highway are colonial mansions and thatched-roof homes and a few older stupas on hillsides surrounding the town.

Overnight in Yangon

Transfer to airport. End of the tour.