Day 1: Arrive Mandalay
At the Mandalay International Airport, your tour guide will await your arrival. Upon arriving you will be taken to your hotel where you can freshen up. The tour will start with paying a visit to the famous Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay, which is one of the most sacred temples of Myanmar. This sacred pagoda is home to a four meter statue of Budhha, gilded by gold and decorated by numerous precious gems, stones and diamonds. You can also partake in the tradition of decorating the statue with gold leaf, which you can buy from the shops outside the pagoda. You will also be taken to the workshops for tapestry making, marble carving and gold leaf beating for a hands-on experience of local craftsmanship. The day will conclude with an overnight stay at Madalay
Day 2: Mandalay-Amarapura-Mandalay
The day will start with a hearty breakfast at your hotel, after which a private car will pick you to travel to Amarapura with your tour guide. Visit the Mahagandayon monastery and witness the beautiful ritual of monks gathering the food donation. Thereafter, you will be taken for a walk to the 200 year old U Bein Bridge made of teakwood. Enjoy the stunning scenery from the bridge before returning to your hotel.
Enjoy lunch at your hotel before heading to the majestic Mandalay hill to witness the spectacular view of setting sun leaving its glow over the city, touching the water of Irrawaddy River and illuminating the gilded gold stupas dotted all over the landscape. Visit the various temples and monasteries of the area and various relics telling the stories of the glorious past of the city as the erstwhile royal capital of Myanmar. The day will end with an overnight stay at the hotel in Mandalay
Day 3: Mandalay-Bagan by boat
Enjoy the breakfast at the hotel before setting out to the jetty where the private boat is waiting for you to take you to Bagan. The cruise will take the whole day. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery around you while cruising on the placid water. At Bagan, your travel guide will wait for you at the jetty to further guide you towards your hotel by a horse cart. Fall asleep in the plush room of the hotel to rest for the next day excursion.
Day 4: Bagan
After the breakfast at the hotel, the day will start by journeying to the famous Bagan, which is an archaeological wonder. There are more than 2000 pagodas in Bagan scattered across the landscape. It is Asia’s one of the most important archaeological sites. Here you will be taken to visit the Ananda temple, which is the most revered site of Bagan. The pagoda is peaceful in the morning before the arrival of the tourist buses. From there, the journey will continue to the Myinkaba Village to have a firsthand experience on the craftsmanship of the local villagers who are adept in lacquer ware and wood crafts.
Return to your hotel in the afternoon to escape the scorching heat of Bagan and spend some leisure time. In the late afternoon, the tour will resume to reach the Ayerwaddy River. You can watch local people playing the traditional Chinlone sport on the bank of Ayerwaddy River. Return back to your hotel to enjoy a sumptuous dinner and a relaxing night at the hotel in Bagan.
Day 5: Bagan
Start your day with delicious breakfast at hotel, before heading for the bicycle touring in the morning to visit the many pagodas and the Nyaung Oo local morning market. You will find the market bustling with activity in the morning as locals come there for shopping. It is a great time to observe the lifestyle of the traditional people. Avoid the intense afternoon by returning back to the hotel and spend the time at your leisure.
In the late afternoon, pay a visit to Thatbyinnyu Paya, the highest temple in Bagan. From there visit the Dhammayangyi Temple, before heading to the Shwesandaw Pagoda for a mesmerizing sunset view from a vantage point. Return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 6: Bagan – Kalaw
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Kalaw, a small hill station in the Shan State. Enjoy the changing scenery and observe the dry zone of the country on your way. Kalaw has a pleasantly cool weather and calm atmosphere. The area still has remnants of the colonial era. You can see surrounding pine forests, tea cultivation, Kalaw market where tribal people come to trade dry fruits and local liquor. You can also visit Thein Taung Paya and Hsu Taung Pye Paya. You can also visit the famous Nee Paya, believed to be wish granting. It has a lacquered and gilded image of Budhha. Conclude the day with an overnight stay at Kalaw.
Day 7: Kalaw – Pindaya – Inle lake
After breakfast at hotel, head towards the Pindaya caves. These limestone caves are well known to the world for housing countless images of Buddha in various sizes and materials, sanctified by the devotees from centuries. The caves are located at 45 minutes walk from the Pindaya town. On the way enjoy the beautiful and flourishing mustard and wheat fields over the hills. Visit the caves and feel mesmerized by the spiritual feeling echoing millions of prayers over centuries. The tour will continue to the Po O village where you can witness the traditional procedure of umbrella and paper making through the barks of mulberry trees. Head towards the Nyaung Shwe, which is the doorway to the beautiful and enchanting Inle Lake. This beautiful and placid lake is located nine hundred meters above the sea level. Surrounded by mountains, it exudes breathtaking beauty. A private motor boat will take you to the hotel at Inle Lake for check in. Meet the Innthar people (basically translated to the Lake Dwellers) and admire their beautiful floating gardens and unique leg-rowing fishing. The day will conclude with an overnight stay in the hotel at Inle Lake.
Day 8: Inle Lake
Start your day with the breakfast at the hotel after which you will be taken to sightseeing around the lake on a boat. Visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda and neighbouring monastery Nga Phe Kyaung and also the floating gardens. Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is one of the most sacred sites of Shan State. It houses five Buddha images covered in beaten gold leaves by the devotees. Every year, during the Phaung Daw Oo festival, four of these images are ferried on ceremonial boats throughout the lake. If there is ample time left, you will be taken to a short walk to a village to observe the lifestyle of traditional people more closely. The day ends with an overnight stay at Inle Lake.
Day 9: Indainn
After breakfast, you will be taken towards Indainn for an adventurous boat ride up on a creek running up the Inle Lake. The ride will take about half an hour. Upon reaching you will pay a visit to the beautiful pagodas of seventeenth century. Also see the craftsmen doing traditional silk weaving on hand looms and lotus strand weaving. After then, visit to the nearby Bamboo forest, where your chef will teach you the local cuisines of Myanmar and Shan State. Learn more about the exotic ingredients used in
Myanmar cuisine and learn to prepare the local dish with your chef and guide. Enjoy the delicious meal prepared by you at lunch. Return back to the lake for some sightseeing in the afternoon. Before the day ends, meet the local fishermen and let them display the ways in which they catch the fish. Head back to your hotel for an overnight stay at Inle Lake.
Day 10: Inle – Heho / Yangon
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transported to the domestic airport to catch a flight to reach Yangon. Yangon, previously known as Rangoon, is the commercial and spiritual centre of Myanmar. The tour will begin with sightseeing around the city and a visit to the Chauk Htat Gyi, famous for its reclining Buddha image. From there you will be taken to visit the Bodyoke Market which was formerly known as Scott Market. You can find a variety of beautiful and artistic handicrafts in this market which you can buy as a souvenir of your splendid journey. Before evening, reach the Shwedagon Pagoda, where our guide will take you to a vantage point from where you can see the enthralling sunset view with the glittering pagodas glowing like orange fire in the light of setting sun. You can also partake in the evening ritual of offering candles, flowers and waters. The day will end with an overnight stay at Yangon.
Day 11: Yangon Departure
The day will start with the breakfast at the hotel in Yangon. Since it is your departure day, you are free to roam around the city or spend leisure time in the hotel until you are transferred to the airport to catch a flight back to your home.