Arrival at Yangon
On your arrival, our driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer to your hotel for check-in.
Yangon tour
After breakfast, you will start your exploration with the great reclining Buddha of Chauk Htat Gyi, right next to Shwedagon, which is also a very important worship point.
You will continue your visit to the National Museum of Myanmar (closed on Mondays and holidays), a small museum with many relics of the glorious past of the Burmese empires. Including the lion's throne, the witness of the last imperial dynasty of King Konbaung, the evolution of Burmese writing, a magnificent collection of images of Buddha or antique furniture incredibly carved on wood. In about an hour and a half, you will know much more about a good part of the heritage and history of Burma.
Then, visit downtown Yangon. You can walk around Pansodan Street with its beautiful colonial-era buildings. It is also interesting to observe small markets of all kinds on the sidewalks, especially the posts that sell books, materials, food or other.
You will then drive to Bogyoke Aung San Market (also Scott Market, closed on Mondays and holidays), a vast complex built in 1926 and famous for its wide variety of handicrafts and other typical items from all over the world. Myanmar; an excellent opportunity to succumb to a last buying fever.
Before sunset, you can visit Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most beautiful pagoda jewels in Asia and especially the most revered monument in the country.
Fly to Nyaung U and bike to Bagan
Today, transfer to Yangon airport for your flight to Nyaung U. Upon arrival, you can explore Bagan, one of the most impressive archeological sites in Asia with more than 2,200 pagodas that roam the plains all along the legendary Ayeyarwaddy River by bike.
Once there you will leave for a first archaeological contact, you will explore the oldest and most important temples of Bagan. For example, the Shwezigon, a prototype of the first stupas of Burma, the temple of Htilo Minlo and later, you can visit the Shwesandaw pagoda, an idyllic place for its panoramic views as well as the temple Wetkyi-in-Gubyaukgyi, a temple from the 13th century with fine murals.
In the afternoon, you can visit the Sulamani Temple, built by King Narapatisithu; then the temple Dhammayangyi Pahto, a temple of the last period with one of the most beautiful masonry of Bagan, then the pagoda of Shwesandaw, an idyllic place for its panoramic views.
Finally, enjoy the famous Bagan sunset on a hill chosen by our guide or our private driver to enjoy the best views.
Overnight in Bagan.
Drive to Mount Popa (by car) and back to Bagan (by bicycle)
Today, you will have driven to Mount Popa which is an extinct volcano known as the home of the Nats (The spirits gods). If you climb the 777 steps to the top, there is a small temple called Taung Kalat from which you will have a panoramic view of the area.
After visits, return to Bagan by bike. En route, you will stop at a local merchant of palm products, as well as the surrounding crops, including peanut, sesame and beans. You will have the opportunity to make a small appetizer very typical of the region before continuing the day.
Overnight in Bagan.
Transfer to Mandalay - Amarapura sunset
In the morning you will leave on the road for about 3 hours of travel to Bagan. This crossing will allow you to contemplate the surrounding vegetation, the numerous rice fields, the small typical villages and thus refuel in terms of landscape.
You can stop en route if you wish.
Finish the day with a beautiful sunset at the famous U-Bein Bridge (built around 1850), the longest in the world built in teak, stretches for 1.2 km on Lake Taungthaman.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Excursion of Inwa and Sagaing by bike
Today, you will begin your day of bike tours to Sagaing, which was the capital of Shan's independent empire (1315) until the fall of the Bagan empire. In the 18th century, Sagaing (1760-1764) was also the capital of the Burmese empire as part of the Konbaung dynasty. There remains, however, no witness ruin of these great empires.
The city is located slightly south of Mandalay and many stupas and monasteries are scattered on the legendary Sagaing Hill. You will have the opportunity to see a large number of sacred and legendary images of Myanmar's millennial Buddhism.
Then you will continue to Inwa which was founded in 1364 and was the imperial capital for 400 years (although with interruptions). Inwa is reachable by a short boat transfer, there are no cars on the island, so you travel by horse drawn carriage between the ruins and the great monuments, some of them are still half buried .
You can admire, among other ruins and religious monuments, the old walls of the palace; the leaning tower of Ava; the Maha Aungmye Bonzan which is an extraordinary monastery of brick and stucco; and the elegant Bagaya Kyaung monastery, one of the only teak monasteries in Burma where young apprentices are still studying today.
Finally, return to Mandalay.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Mandalay - Mingun (boat) and return to Mandalay by bike
You will drive to Mandalay Pier, where you will start a short and pleasant cruise to the unfinished Mingun Pagoda (11 km, 1 hour). Here is the site of what would have been the biggest stupa in the world if it had been completed. However, all work was stopped in 1819 after the death of King Bodipaya, then an earthquake followed in 1838, which greatly deteriorated the monument. Nevertheless, the base of this 50-meter stupa still remains very impressive when you approach it from the river by boat.
Nearby, you can also visit the Mingun Bell, which is believed to hang from the top of Mingun Pagoda, but now hangs in a new shrine. It is said that it is one of the largest hanging bells in the world. It remains in a very good state of conservation.
Back to Mandalay by bike and continue the visits to Mandalay. Visits to Mandalay's main points of interest include the venerated Mahamuni Pagoda and its Buddha covered with tons of gold and other ancient relics of Theravada Buddhism. There is a great Buddhist heritage in Mandalay, including some extraordinary monasteries often hidden or closed (unless our guide asks the monks to show it to you). Also, most famous, the fantastic teakwood monastery, Shwenandaw, where the extraordinary Kuthodaw pagoda, and its hundreds of stupas containing the world's largest open book, carved on marble.
If time permits, finish your stay enjoying the sunset on Mandalay Hill.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Flight to Heho and Inle Lake tour
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to your hotel for flight to Heho. When you arrive, you will start your day visiting Inle Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This abundant lake is 900 meters below sea level, spreading over 20 km long and 10 km wide. The trips on the lake are realized by traversing the various villages and floating gardens, you will be able to admire the ability of the locals with their banks as well as to understand their way of life.
Points of interest include Phaung Daw O Pagoda, the four revered Buddha images as well as the Ngaphe Chaung Monastery (surrounded by floating cultures) or the Nan Pan Village where you will witness the development of traditional-style boats. (Everything is handmade !). On the way your riverbank will make many stops and you will approach the charming floating gardens of Inle, also passing through small villages and more remote. The main objective is to avoid tourist catches, such as the Inle Lake souvenir markets (such as some "5-day" markets) or souvenir shops, (to be avoided unless requested).
There are interesting and unique craftspeople such as Inpawkhone where, among other things, you will visit traditional silk weaving workshops and attend the treatment of lotus flowers to make tissues. However, many stores in this area are dedicated to selling souvenirs.
To end your day, you will walk to Thaleoo, a small farming village on the lake where you can see real scenes of local life. Farmers grow a lot of different products depending on the season. It is surely one of the most charming villages on Inle Lake. The peasants are particularly smiling and kind to the walkers.
At sunset, the colors of the lake change as villagers return to their homes after a day of intense work. This is a particularly special moment to sail near the floating villages to make a last beautiful photo before returning to the hotel.
Night in Inle.
Cycling tours around Inle Lake
Today you can explore at your own pace by bicycle around Inle Lake.
Night in Inle.
Return to Yangon and departure
Transfer to Heho airport for flight to Yangon. On arrival, join the international flight. Thank you very much for your visit.