Burma Discovery Tour

Fly to Yangon.

On arrival at Yangon airport, you will be met and transferred to hotel Kandawgyi Palace. Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon has been the capital city only since 1885 although some settlements in this site date back about 2,500 years. This colourful metropolis features an intriguing mix of the scenes from a bygone era and the modern tempo of bustling streets punctuated by serene temples and impressive colonial edifices.

After breakfast we start our city tour, seeing the old colonial styled city center, first stop is the Sule Paya, a Burmese stupa located in the heart of downtown. After that intermingle with residents in one of the colourful local markets before heading to the iconic Strand Hotel for a drink in the shadows of Rudyard Kipling, George Orwell and Somerset Maugham. Take a look at the enormous reclining Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha. In the afternoon hop on the famous circular train for a 30- to 45-minute ride. Enjoy the slow pace of this antique railway, used by locals, monks and vendors.

After breakfast, begin with a visit to Chaukhtatgyi Paya, inhabited by a giant reclining Buddha statue that although not ancient has become one of Myanmar’s most revered. Take a walk through Kandawgyi Park. Along the way the guide will share local stories and anecdotes. Pause for a tea break and people watching before heading to Shwedagon Paya. Inside the eastern entrance there is a very different type of local market, giving an idea of how significant Buddhism is in daily life. After enjoying the market climb the long, stair-filled corridor up to the Pagoda platform. Its magnificent golden dome rises an impressive 98 metres above its base and is said to be covered with tons and tons of pure gold, along with numerous precious stones. Humbling in its beauty, the Pagoda is the perfect spot in which to cap off a Yangon tour of tradition and culture.

Heading out of the town, we transfer to the jetty for a boat trip on the mighty Irrawaddy River. The lively waterfront with working buffaloes offers a spectacular backdrop as we cruise upriver towards Mingun, home to the unfinished huge pagoda, the world’s largest bell and the beautiful white Hsinbyume Pagoda. Upon leaving this site, we continue our boat trip down the river via the Ava Bridge to Sagaing. This ancient city is covered in 600 white painted pagodas and monasteries, and is therefore considered as the religious centre of Myanmar. After seeing Sagaing, we transfer to the ruin of Ava and embark on a horse and carriage to explore the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace.

Here is plenty to see, some of which are the Mahamuni Pagoda; the fabulous Kuthodaw Pagoda often called “ the world’s largest book “ and the wooden monastery of Shwenandaw Kyaung. This strcuture is still standing over centuries, despite of all vicissitudes of the city. A visit to Mandalay would be not complete without seeing some famous traditional handicraft workshops such as woodcarving, marble masonry, Kalaga tapestry and gold leaf making. The perfect way to round off the day is to climp us the Mandalay hill for sunset view over the surrounding areas

After breakfast we travel by road through the countryside to the town of Monywa on the banks of the Chindwin River. Visit a nearby temple covered with 500,000 Buddha images followed by a stop at a pagoda which is home to Burma’s largest reclining Buddha and one of the world’s tallest standing Buddhas. Then we check in at hotel Jade Royal.

After breakfast we explore the extraordinary cave temples of Hpo Win Daung where hundreds of caves house an incredible collection of statues and murals. Continue by road though traditional villages to Pakkoku and board a local boat for a leisurely 2 hour cruise downriver to Bagan. At Bagan you are transferred by road to your hotel Tharabargatae.

After breakfast, spend a full day to discover Bagan’s most outstanding pagodas including MinkabaGubyaukyi Temple, MyaZedi Pagoda, Manuha Temple, Nan PayaPadoga and ShweSandaw Pagoda – the highest pagoda in Bagan.

Take a drive to Mount Popa and enjoy the magnificent view of mountainous landscapes on top of this famous volcano. Enjoy the panoramic view of sunset while visiting PopaKalat Monastery and Popa National Park, before returning to Bagan.

After breakfast we fly to Heho and enjoy the beautiful views of the Shan Plateau’s rolling farmland and hills on the drive to Pindaya. Visit a nearby cave temple packed with thousands of Buddha statues before heading to Kalaw. Then we check in at Pine Hill Resort

After breakfast we visit the colourful morning market of this former British hill station before a light day trek through the lush hills, passing local farms and hill tribe villages. Lunch in a local village house or monastery

Drive to Inle Lake. Climb aboard a private motorboat and enjoy the fabulous scenery as you speed across the lake to visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, traditional stilted villages and the lake’s floating gardens. Evening check in at hotel Inle Princess Resort.

Today we head out of the town, driving south towards Kakku, a hidden streasure surrounded by undulating mountains and trees. There are more than 2,000 stupas, which have been constructed here in a very small area of just one square kilometer. Using the local track, we walk through the breathtaking mountain landscape to this complex of temples. This fasinating adventure will also gives us a chance to visit the Pa O ethnic minorities people, who are very poor but have an interesting culture and a colorful history. In the afternoon, we travel by roads to Inle Lake, a famous wander of Myanmar.

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