Mystical Myanmar

AGTT 27 : 11 Days / 10 Nights
Yangon - Mandalay - Mingun - Mandalay - Amarapura - Ava - Sagaing - Mandalay - Bagan -
Mt. Popa - Kalaw - Inle Lake - Pindaya - Heho - Yangon

DAY 01 : Yangon / Arrival Yangon by afternoon flight. (D)
Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport welcome by our local tour guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Rest of the day free at your own leisure. Welcome dinner and overnight at Hotel.
 
DAY 02 : Yangon (B)
After breakfast take the City Circle Train for a 2 ½ hours ride through rural areas, stopping at numerous stations watching cigarette sellers, betelnut sellers, fortune tellers and and and…. Back in downtown visit 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. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon sightseeing starts with Chaukhtatkyi Pagoda (a huge reclining Buddha), Karaweik Hall, a Royal floating barge on the Royal Lake for a photo stop and 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. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Hotel.
 
DAY 03 : Yangon - Mandalay by morning flight. Sightseeing at Mingun - Mandalay (B)
Early morning flight to Mandalay, the city of the last Myanmar Kings. Upon arrival drive to Kywezon jetty (appr. 1 hour) 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. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon visit the Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite wood carvings, Atumashi Monastery, the "Incomparable Monastery", the Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as the world's Biggest Book for its stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures and sunset on Mandalay Hill, a vantage-point for panoramic view of the city. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Hotel.
 
DAY 04 : Mandalay - Amarapura - Ava - Sagaing - Mandalay (B)
After breakfast drive to Amarapura the “City of Immortals” and visit the 150 year old Mahagandayon monastery, and famous Buddhist learning center. It is home to a thousand monks, who will form a procession as they go to take their noon and final meal of the day. As it was the custom, most of the important wooden palaces and monasteries were taken down and transported to the new capital in Mandalay. Apart from Pagodas that have survived, the ancient art of silk and cotton weaving, using handlooms, is very much alive and visit U Bein wooden bridge, over 150 years old, which is still in use. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon drive to Ava, the capital of the Burmese Kingdom from 1364 for nearly 400 years, reached by a short boat trip. Explore by horse carts the small island between the Irawaddy and Myittha rivers. Climb the 27-meter high masonary watchtower, visit the Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastary and the Bagayar Monastery, famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts. Late afternoon drive over Ava bridge to Sagaing, 21 km southwest of Mandalay and visit the Sagaing Hills, a retreat for Buddhist devotees with numerous Pagodas, monasteries and nunneries and Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda built in 1312. The view of Sagaing from here is outstanding. Late afternoon come back to Mandalay. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Hotel.

DAY 05 : Mandalay - Bagan by express boat. (B)
Early morning transfer to Gaw Wein jetty to take the express boat to Bagan (Etd: 05:30 / Eta: 16:00). After a day river cruise on the mighty river of Ayeyarwaddy you reach Bagan. Thousands of decaying pagodas rises majestically from the plain to create a timeless scene, saluting a glorious past. On arrival at Bagan Jetty transfer to your hotel for check-in. Rest of the day free at your own leisure. Overnight in Bagan.
 
DAY 06 : Bagan (B)
Enjoy the whole day at the most extensive archeological site in Asia. Bagan has over 2000 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 scene and Ananda Temple with four huge standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures and niches around the galleried interior. Lunch at a local restaurant. 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 at Hotel.
 
DAY 07 : Bagan - Mt. Popa - Kalaw (B)
After breakfast drive to Mt. Popa (appr. 1½ hrs drive). On the way visit some villages and watch the collection of juice from the palm trees, and its conversion into palm sugar. 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. Then continue to Kalaw (appr. 7 hours), a beautiful pine-clad hill station. Dinner and overnight at Pine Hill Resort.
 
DAY 08 : Kalaw - Pindaya - Inle Lake (B)
After breakfast drive to Pindaya (appr. 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. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon continue to Nyaung Shwe (appr. 3 ½ hours) drive, a small town at the northern end of Inle Lake. From here take a boat for the transfer to Golden Island Cottage for check-in. Dinner and overnight at Golden Island Cottage.
 
DAY 09 : Inle Lake (B)
Full day excursion on 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 purported to have come here in the 12th Century. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon excursion to Indein (appr. 1 hour drive) to see the ancient Bagan + Shan style pagodas, built during Bagan Period, passing the beautiful scenery with tall grasses and little water steps. The ruin pagodas, hide in the bushes will give you an impression of you were in the 12th - 13th Centuries ago. Dinner and overnight at hotel in the lake.
 
DAY 10 : Inle Lake / Heho - Yangon (B)
After breakfast transfer to Heho airport for your flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival visit the Dragon glass factory, producing exquisite hand-blown glasses, the Mae La Mu Pagoda, popular for all of its Buddha images, and a much more "folk oriented" feeling than other Pagodas. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon continue sightseeing of Yangon: Sule Pagoda, dating back over 2000 years, the Mahabandoola Park with it's Independence Monument and walk around the downtown area and the sprawling Bogyoke Market. Wide streets, orderly town planning and neglected public buildings revive visions of British rule, while busy streets scenes and shimmering pagodas, bursting through a leafy canopy, hint at the rich local culture. Skyscrapers and glaring neon billboards have yet to overtake the capital. Farewell dinner with cultural show at Kandwgyi Palace Hotel and overnight at Hotel.
 
DAY 11 : Yangon / departure from Yangon. (B)
After breakfast at hotel, free at your own leisure till transfer to Yangon International airport for your departure flight.

TOUR PRICE QUOTED IN US DOLLARS NET PER PERSON

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