Yagon Mandaley – Bagan – Popa – Inle Lake Discovery

Meet with our escort and driver at the airport and drive to your hotel when the hotel is available to check-in. Yangon (Rangoon) is a beautiful city with beautiful lakes and 187 colonial buildings in restored. On the way, you can see activities like; buses, trishaw, vendors, students, locals at the bus stop, etc…… and the beautiful sceneries of Garden City Yangon. After check-in and refreshing, start city tours, including Yangon City Hall, beside shining Sule Pagoda and the beautiful Bengali Sunni Jameh Mosque. On the other side, it is also Immanuel Baptist church. That represents freedom of religion in Myanmar, all the different religions respect one another and live peacefully together in Myanmar. Next to the Church is the Independent Monument, which stands gracefully in Mahabandoola Park (former Fytche Square from 1867), where Yangoners come together for festivals and events or relaxation. Next, to the park, you can see the eyes catching Victorian-style red building, the Supreme Court. Continue exploring the colonial area, and there are many huge buildings with impressive architecture like Render House, Economic Bank, the office of Inland Water Transport, the District Court of Western Yangon, Myanmar Port Authority and the Custom House, are remind the olden days of Yangon. The remarkable colonial buildings like the Strand Hotel and the General Post Office can be seen on Strand road. On a little bit too up north, the oldest Armenian Church survived in 1863. And then, you can continue the tours to see the Secretariat, one of the historical buildings in beautiful architecture. Another impressive one is St. Mary Cathedral of 1911. And then, shopping at Bogyoke Market ( Scott Market), a busy market built in 1926, has over 2000 shops selling fashion, jewelry, and souvenirs. In the late afternoon, head to the Shwedagon pagoda, it is just not to see the tradition, beliefs, and customs but to enjoy the real life of locals, like sellers of flowers, birds’ food, and fortune tellers for being a place for the public. It is gilded with tons of gold and 4,350 diamonds weighing 1800 carats and many precious stones. And then back to the hotel and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, to avoid the traffic of Yangon City, we took a car to the peaceful land, of Syriam(Thanlyin), before we picked up our bikes and started cycling to Kyauk Tan. On the way sightseeing the villages to see the ways of life of the local people and some cottage industries. After visit around the local market and Kyauk Tan Pagoda which is located on the island in the mid-river. There you can see locals are enjoying feeding the fish and drive back to Yangon by car and visit the Village of National Races, where you can see the typical style of houses, costumes, and copies of famous sites of different majorities like Kachin, Kayah, Mon, Rakhine, etc….. Enjoying the view of the surrounding from the watchtower. And then return to the hotel.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to the airport for a flight to Bagan to explore a well-known ancient city, Bagan. Meet with our guide at Nyaung -U airport and pick up our bike, and then ride along the archeological site of Bagan, enjoying the panoramic beauty of countless temples. And then continue to explore the Nyaung Oo Market, which is very active in the morning for the locals and tourists. After the market, continue to Shwezigon Pagoda, a prototype of the later Myanmar stupa by sandstone, and you can learn how the people of Bagan changed from Animist to Buddhist in 11th century. Then going to Wet-gyi-in village to see Gubyaukkyi Temple, with fine mural paintings of Jataka scenes. Check-in at your hotel and relax a few hours. Afternoon exploring by bike to a special place, Khaymeinga pagoda and surrounding. And then, visit the Ananda Temple, which is famous for the smile of the standing Buddha from the 11th century and its architectural masterpiece resembling a Greek Cross, and then go to a nice place for sunset. After sunset, return to the hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy another full day of cycling. We first head to New Bagan to explore some of the monuments and villages to study the locals’ ways of life. Then continues with visits to the lacquerware industry, where you can learn traditional Myanmar lacquerware making in detail by hand. In the afternoon, go to Manuha Temple to see gigantic Buddha images, a captive king’s impression of life in prison. And walking a short distance to Nanpaya, an Early-style temple with the finest stone carvings. Then, riding towards the excavation site of an old palace and continues riding to the original Tharabar Gate from 9th century and the place of the moat. Later, explore Taung Bi Village, chatting with friendly villagers and cycling along the Ayarwaddy river bank to enjoy the river view and nice breeze. After watching the sunset from Bupaya, back to the hotel in Bagan.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the airport for a flight to Mandalay. Meet with our escort on arrival and then proceed to the city center of Mandalay. ( Mandalay was the last capital for Burmese kings, it is still a famous capital for trading with China, and it is well known for its variety of handicrafts like stone carving, wood carving, bronze casting, embroidery, silk, and weaving.) Meet with our escort on arrival, and then proceed to U Bein’s bridge, it is the longest wooden bridge in the world. Then a short visit to Gold foil-making workshop. Later, transfer, check in at your hotel, and relax briefly. Afternoon sightseeing begins with visiting Shwenandaw Monastery, an original King’s palace building famous for exquisite wood carvings. Then, visit Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as the World’s Biggest Book for its stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures, then resume traveling to Mandalay Hill, going uphill by car/ truck and up by escalator /elevator to a vantage point for a panoramic view of the city and spectacular sunset view before Returning to the hotel and overnight in Mandalay.

After a very early breakfast, transfer to the Kywe Zun riverside to start bike to the Nan Daw Kyun jetty. Cross the Ayewawaddy River by private boat for 45 minutes upstream to Mingun, which is well known for the world’s most giant ringing bell, the Mingun bell, and the most significant unfinished pagoda, Pahtodawgyi pagoda from the 19th century. Mingun is a peaceful big town with friendly locals and some visitors riding ox-cart as a local taxi for fun. You can find art galleries and souvenir shops along the main road. Sightseeing around Mingun includes Mingun pagoda, known as the most extensive brick pile, the biggest ringing Mingun bell, and Myatheintan Pagoda, which is compared Taj Maha of India. Then bike towards Sagaingto see some cottages, industries, and Sagaing hill, almost covered by religious buildings facing the river. Then, proceed to Amarapura, and watch the sunset at U Bein’s Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in the world. Transfer to the hotel in Mandalay.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transfer to the airport for a flight to Heho. Meet with our guide on arrival to Heho airport. Upon arrival, excursion in Inle Lake visiting around Inle Lake by boat, it is located 875 meters above sea level and the only place you can see unique leg-rowers and floating gardens. You can visit the local market( if it is available by market days schedules), the scenic beauty and fishing canoes using unique methods for fishing and collecting seaweed, lakebed mud, etc to make the floating garden. Then visit Nga Pe Chaung monastery (Jumping Cat monastery ). Along the way, you can see many floating gardens. Afterward, go to Heyaywa ma village with some families of long-neck ladies and a famous floating market. After that, a visit to the Cheroot-making place and carpenter’s workshop to see how they built a boat, silk weaving, and making of Inle’s lotus fabric are worth seeing in Inpawkhone village. In the late afternoon, visit the most famous Paungdaw Oo Pagoda. Overnight on Inle Lake.

After breakfast at the hotel, a morning visit to Indein, the hidden treasure of Inle. You can enjoy the boat ride in a narrow canal to the Indian village, a peaceful place with a little bamboo forest, friendly villagers, a powerful weir, and over 1000 ruined pagodas. After your exploration, go to the jetty and transfer to Heho Airport for your flight to Yangon. Meet with your escort at the airport, transfer to the hotel, and overnight at Vintage Luxury Hotel (Deluxe without Balcony room) in Yangon

After breakfast at the hotel, free at leisure until your departure time and transfer to Yangon International Airport.