General Information
Tour Highlights
- An “Elephant Coach” ride in an antique Chevy bus touring the colonial architecture of Yangon
- A hot-air balloon ride over the Bagan temples
- A visit to the floating markets on Inle Lake
- A kickboxing lesson and lunch with local kickboxers
Tour Details
Duration: 10 days/ 9 nights
Start/ End: Yangon / Yangon
Tour Route: Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay – Inle Lake – Yangon
Date: No Fixed Departure – Anytime You Wish
Tour Customizable: Definitely! Tell us your interests in the inquiry form
Tour Guide: Private local guide (English speaking guide or other languages as you want)
Transportation: Private first-class air-conditioned vehicles
Brief Itinerary
Day 01: Yangon Arrival
Day 02: Yangon
Day 03: Bagan
Day 04: Bagan
Day 05: Mandalay
Day 06: Mandalay
Day 07: Inle Lake
Day 08: Inle Lake
Day 09: Inle Lake
Day 10: Yangon
Day 11: Departure
Full Itinerary
Day 01: Yangon Arrival
Upon arrival, you’ll be warmly greeted by Luxury Asia Trips’ private guide and driver. They then escort you to the hotel for check-in. As you’ve settled in the hotel, the rest of the day will be yours. Relax at leisure.
- Accommodation: BELMOND GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE or THE STRAND
Day 02: Yangon
Today, enjoy a tour of its contemporary art galleries. On this tour, you’ll visit the studio of one of Myanmar’s emerging artists, with the possibility of chatting with him about his work and the political ramifications of his work within the country. For lunch, you will dine with monks – a unique experience offered to few travelers. In the evening, set sail on a relaxing sunset cruise on the Yangon River, enjoying stunning views as the sun sinks beneath the horizon. Return to your luxury Yangon hotel tonight.
- Accommodation: BELMOND GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE or THE STRAND
Day 03: Bagan
You’ll travel to the old capital of Bagan today, with its countless gold spires rising above the tree line. Bagan has an intriguing history, and here you’ll see it unraveled in its architecture – sites such as Ananda Temple, Shwezigon Pagoda, and the Minnanthu village temples. Ananda Temple was built nearly a thousand years ago and features a spectacular gold spire and four standing Buddha statues. Shwezigon Pagoda was constructed for Theravada Buddhism, with its immense circular gold-leafed stupa, one of Bagan’s most compelling and iconic sights. After this fascinating tour through the old city, check into your hotel in Bagan – we recommend the Aureum Palace Hotel.
- Accommodation: AUREUM PALACE HOTEL
Day 04: Bagan
Get up early today for a sunrise hot-air balloon ride, available in peak season from October to April. This unforgettable experience allows you to appreciate the true extent of Bagan’s beauty, its thousands of temples and its serene countryside. Today you’ll also climb the 777 stairs to the top of volcanic Mt. Popa, where you’ll discover monasteries, shrines and gold stupas at its peak. For dinner, take a private cruise on the Irrawaddy, glimpsing village life on the riverbanks. Return to your hotel in Bagan for the night.
- Accommodation: AUREUM PALACE HOTEL
Day 05: Mandalay
Today you’ll travel to Mandalay to explore the city’s historic highlights. Start with the Mahamuni Paya and see the famed Buddha, covered in gold leaf by pilgrims every day. You can also visit the beautiful Shwenandaw Kyaung teak monastery, built entirely of teak wood and featuring intricately-carved depictions of the life of the Buddha. Enjoy lunch at a casual local Mandalay restaurant and settle into a hotel by the Red Canal. For dinner, you can relax in your hotel, or try out the authentic local cuisine at the Green Elephant restaurant, which offers Burmese and Shan cuisine, as well as Thai and Chinese dishes. We recommend both the Hotel Red Canal and the Mandalay Hill Resort while staying in Mandalay.
- Accommodation: MANDALAY HILL RESORT or RED CANAL
Day 06: Mandalay
Start your day with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda, one of Mandalay’s most striking locations. This 19th-century complex is home to the “world’s largest book”, comprising 729 white marble tablets engraved with Buddhist scriptures. The tablets are arranged in groups, each crowned by a white stupa, making for a remarkable sight. Today you can also stroll across U Bein’s Bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge at three-quarters of a mile long. Return to your hotel in Mandalay tonight.
- Accommodation: MANDALAY HILL RESORT or RED CANAL
Day 07: Inle Lake
Travel to the peaceful Inle Lake today – another must-see location in Myanmar. This is the site of floating farms and stilt-house villages where more than 70,000 people of different ethnicities call home. Get a feel for river life with a visit to the floating markets, then enjoy a unique Myanmar experience – a visit to a local vineyard. Here, you can enjoy a picnic and wine-tasting surrounded by beautiful countryside. Next up, you’ll visit the village of Indain on the west side of the lake, where you’ll see the crumbling remnants of 12th-century stupas, some overgrown with vines, others containing Buddha statues. Check into a traditional-style Inle resort tonight – we recommend Aureum Inle Resort and Spa and Inle Princess Resort, both beautiful properties located on the lakefront.
- Accommodation: INLE PRINCESS RESORT or AUREUM INLE RESORT & SPA
Day 08: Inle Lake
You’ll begin your day with a hike to the village of Pa-O, where traditional farming methods are still used to cultivate tobacco and mustard. In Pa-O, you can visit the local markets to observe village life and find out from the locals what it’s like to live so remotely. Today you’ll also have the unique opportunity to join a cooking class in an Inthar stilt house, cooking – and eating – authentic Myanmar dishes, and afterward visit Phaung Daw U Pagoda, located on the lake. Phaung Daw U Pagoda is one of three main shrines in the country, housing Buddha statues from the 12th century. This evening, return to your resort on Inle Lake.
- Accommodation: INLE PRINCESS RESORT or AUREUM INLE RESORT & SPA
Day 09: Inle Lake
Today you’ll get a private tour of the grand Inthar Heritage House – a stilt house sporting traditional architecture in the silk-weaving village of Inn Paw Khon. The most famous residents at Inthar Heritage House are its purebred Burmese cats, reintroduced to the country in a preservation program aiming to restore the breed as a national treasure. After touring the house, you’ll enjoy lunch with a local family in a floating village, using your private guide as an interpreter to learn more about life on the river. Return to your lakeside resort for the night.
- Accommodation: INLE PRINCESS RESORT or AUREUM INLE RESORT & SPA
Day 10: Yangon
Return to Yangon today where you’ll start off with a kickboxing lesson. Different from Muay Thai due to its lack of boxing gloves, the sport dates back to the 15th century. You can find out more about it when you take the kickboxing students at the gym out to lunch. Next, head to Shwe Phone Pint fortune-telling pagoda where more than 30 different vendors ply this ancient trade. Afterward, head to Ta Yoke Tan – Chinatown – where you can pick up local snacks, fresh fruits and some mementos of your journey before heading back to your hotel for the final night of the trip.
- Accommodation: BELMOND GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE or THE STRAND
Day 11: Departure
Farewell to you. Breakfast and morning at leisure until getting escorted to the airport for a flight coming home. The trip ends. Hope you enjoyed it. If you are going to get into other Asia luxury holiday packages, we can serve you once again.
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