Depart Yangon early this morning for a journey by road to Kyaikhtiyo, the Golden Rock.

Late morning, arrive at Kyaikhtiyo base camp (approximately 5 hrs). Travel by local, open-air truck along a winding road (45 minutes) where you will be dropped off a short 5 minutes walk from Golden Rock.  

A huge boulder covered by gold leaf and delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff, Golden Rock is one of Myanmar's main pilgrimage sites.  The pagoda here is said to hold a hair of the Buddha and Buddhists from across the country come here to pay homage. 

Overnight near Golden Rock

After breakfast, return to the base camp by open-air truck and begin the return journey to Yangon. En route, stop in Bago. Bago, also known as Pegu, was the capital of the Mon Kingdom in the 15th century and is a town steeped in legend.

The sites in Bago are spread out around the town and you’ll spend time exploring with your guide, learning about the history and myths of the city. Stops include the 55-metre long reclining Shwethalyaung Buddha, the four seated Buddhas at Kyaikpun and the old palace of Kambozathadi. The Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda is the most outstanding religious monument in Bago. This golden temple stands at 114 metres tall, higher than Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda, and can be seen from around 10 kilometres outside of the city.

While in Bago we’ll also take time to visit the city’s local sites, including the town market and a Mon neighborhood where the locals once produced woven textiles.

From Bago we’ll return to Yangon this afternoon. Before reaching the city limits, stop in Htaukkyan township to visit the Allied War Cemetery. This beautifully-landscaped, peaceful area is the final resting place for more than 27,000 Allied Soldiers who perished during the World War II campaign in Myanmar.