Itinerary

Day 1: Rangoon

Your trip starts today with your arrival in Rangoon. No activities are planned so you may arrive at any time. There will be a pre-tour briefing in the foyer of the hotel in the evening, after which your tour guide will suggest a restaurant for dinner.

Day 2: Rangoon

Meals included: 1 breakfast

An orientation tour takes us around the busy streets of Rangoon (officially known as Yangon), a city that is full of character best exemplified by the many relics of British colonial architecture. Sule Pagoda marks the centre of the city, but Rangoon’s most famous structure is the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, which is resplendent with a golden spire that dominates the skyline. Our tour takes us around this venerable structure. As we walk along the concourse, we gain an understanding of the paramount importance of Buddhism in Burmese life. We have some free time to make our own discoveries around this leafy capital, such as visiting some of the other important temples and pagodas or shopping at the centrally located Bogyoke Market. In the evening we transfer to the central railway station for our train to Bagan.

Day 3-4: Bagan

Meals included: 1 breakfast

After an overnight train we arrive into Pagan (Bagan). This site was once the capital of a great civilisation dating from 849 AD to 1287, when it was believed to have been destroyed by Kublai Khan’s Mongol army. At it height, it was a mighty city, as is evidenced by the thousands of archaeological sites still remaining. Over 2,000 monuments dot the plains by the banks of the river and we spend a whole day here on bicycles, exploring these wonderful temples. Some still contain frescoes from historic times, whilst the spires of many of them form a dramatic skyline and provide excellent vantage points to view the other temples and pagodas. Nyaung U itself has one of the more interesting markets to be found in the country.

Day 5-7: Mandalay

Meals included: 3 breakfasts

An early start as we board our public ferry before dawn and cruise our way up the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River to Mandalay. The old Burmese capital of Mandalay is where the last king of Burma, Thibaw, held court, before the British exiled him to India in 1885. After arriving at our inner-city hotel, we have the chance to take an optional trip to Mandalay Hill, for a sunset view over town. Mandalay is still undergoing many changes, brought about by the influx of Chinese traders. We take an excursion by boat, on the Irrawaddy River, up to the village of Mingun, home to the world’s largest unfinished pagoda, as well as a gigantic bell. It is very pleasant to travel on the water and watch the local villagers go by with their everyday life. In your free time in Mandalay, you can visit some of the surrounding elaborate pagodas or temples around town, such as the Kyauktawgyi Paya, Kuthodaw Paya (home to the “world’s biggest book”) and Shwenandaw Kyaung, or take a half-day trip up to the hill town of Maymyo (PyinULwin).

Day 8: Kalaw

Meals included: 1 breakfast

En route to Inle Lake we stay in the chilled town of Kalaw. This town sits high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau and was once a popular hill station in British colonial days , it now has a real backpacker vibe with many of the locals speaking english. For those feeling energetic there are some amazing hikes in teh area but for thiose happy to chill there are a plebnty of "teashops" serving raksi ( nepali-style home made liquor).

Day 9-11: Inle Lake

Meals included: 3 breakfasts

We journey to the highlands of the Shan State and spend a couple of nights at the township of Nyaungshwe, situated by Inle Lake. Please note that the roads in this region are in extremely bad condition; so be prepared for some long and arduous travelling on this stretch. We cannot emphasize enough how bad these roads have become -you have been warned! A full-day lake tour, by long-boat, enables us to visit some of the local villages, explore unique temples and monasteries, and meet the famous local leg-rowing fishermen from the Intha tribe. In your free time, you can enjoy walks in the beautiful surrounding countryside or simply appreciate the cool climate, which offers a welcome respite from the heat of the plains

Day 12-13: Kyaikhtiyo-Bago

Meals included: 2 breakfasts

We transfer to Heho and join our flight to Rangoon. out of town to Kyaiktiyo, where we spent a night near the Golden Rock. It is approximately a five-hour drive to the base camp at Kinponsakan, where we transfer to an open truck and drive for 45 minutes up a steep hill to Rathedaung. There's a bit of trekking involved as we walk up a path following groups of Buddhist pilgrims. This is one of the holiest sites in Burma, where a rock has become a venerated shrine because it seems to hang precariously on the side of a rocky outcrop near the mountaintop. Legend has it that it is held together by a hair of Buddha. Please be warned that the accommodation standards here are quite basic - it is a place of pilgrimage rather than a resort! After our night on Kyaiktiyo, we return to the lowlands. Bago, formerly known as Pegu, is a small town with some of the most famous structures in the country . We visit the reclining 55 metre-high Shwethalyaung Buddha, before returning to Rangoon.

Day 14-15: Yangon

Meals included: 2 breakfasts

We have a free time to further explore the city. You may wish to find your own way to the monastery of the Reclining Buddha (Chaukhtatgyi Paya), visit the National Museum or do further shopping at Bogyoke Market. Your journey comes to an end after breakfast on Day 15.

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