Selvam's 10-day Myanmar Exploration

Schedule:

Upon your arrival at the Beijing airport, your local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. After the rest, you will visit the Shwedagon Pagoda before sunset for its breathtakingly stupas. Later there will be a tasty welcome dinner dance show for you. Overnight in Yangon.

Today's Highlights:

Shwedagon Pagoda

No Myanmar tour is complete without visiting this symbolic architecture. Standing 98m high on the Singuttara Hill, Shwedagon Pagoda is a huge complex of structures gilded with pure gold and sparkling jewels, which make it shines bright at night. It is also significant for enshrining the relics of four Buddhas.

Hotel:

Sedona Hotel

 

Schedule:

This morning you are free to explore this distinctive capital and take a closer look at the local life. Then you will see the Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, the golden Sule Pagoda and enjoy a walk around Mahabandoola Park to take in the colonial courthouse and city hall. Indian town & Chinatown are within your reach. After lunch, continue to visit the bustling Bogyoke Market. Have fun in this souvenir paradise. Overnight in Yangon.

Today's Highlights:

Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda

A short walk to the northeast of Shwedagon Pagoda will leads you to the gigantic reclining Buddha in Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda. The Buddha image is 230 feet long, housed in a large metal-roofed shed. Completed in 1966, the Kyaukhtatgyi Buddha doesn't play an important role in the history of Burmese Buddhism, yet its exquisite craftsmanship still attracts lots of tourists and reverent pilgrims.

Sule Pagoda

Another iconic pagoda with great significance in religion and politics, that is located in the centre of downtown Yangon. It is a great place to meet the fantastic Burmese Buddhist heritage while experiencing the city life, with various shops and the government buildings surrounding around.

Bogyoke Market

Bogyoke Market is unquestionably a popular tourist destination, renowned for amazing amounts of products and various exciting activities. Handicraft, clothing, food, old coins, even jewels can be easily found here. When stepping into this market, just feast your eyes and take out your best bargain skills.

Hotel:

Sedona Hotel

Schedule:

Take a flight to Bagan and you will have a full day to explore local culture and the pagodas. The Nyaung U Market, Shwezigon Pagoda and Htilominlo Temple will be included in your morning tour. In the afternoon, you will enjoy the ancient lacquering handicraft, the amazing mural paintings at Myingaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple, and the soothing sunset at Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight in Bagan.

Today's Highlights:

Nyaung U Market

Nyaung U Market is a local market in the village of Nyaung U, not far away from the famous Shwezigon Temple. A little different from the Bogyoke Market, it has a wet market. You can slow down your steps and chat with the local people, watch them how to conduct their daily lives and take your time to get some good photos. .

Shwezigon Pagoda

Shwezigon pagoda shares the fame as the Shwedagon Pagoda in Bagan for its long history and magnificence. The entire structure is plated with gold, sparkling and solemn, remaining its original shape which is the prototype for later Bagan pagoda. It is said that the precious tooth relics of Buddha and other treasured relics are enshrined inside, which make it a thriving place for local reverent Burmese.

Htilominlo Temple

Htilominlo Temple is the last Burma style temple as well as one of the largest temples in Bagan, built by the King Htilominlo in 1211. This red brick temple is composed by the main shrine and three-level receding square bases, best known for its elaborate plaster carvings.

Shwesandaw Pagoda

Bagan's most famous "Sunset Pagoda". It is a graceful white pyramid-like wooden pagoda, standing solemnly at the old town of Bagan. With four stairways leading to the top terrace, it offers travelers the best view of sunset in Bagan.

Hotel:

Tharabar Gate Hotel

Schedule:

After breakfast, you will visit a local village first. Then you will take an excursion to Mount Popa to discover the ‘Nat’ worship centre of Myanmar and get bird's eye view of the Myingyan Plain. Lunch will be served on the hill resort. Later on the way back to Bagan, you will visit the interesting palm sugar workshop. Overnight in Bagan.

Today's Highlights:

Mount Popa

Different from the dry plain of Bagan, this forest-clad peak would leave you a different impression. It is over 1,500 meters high, with abundant green plants and wild animals. On the mount top, there is the Popa Taungkalat Shrine, known as the home of 37 Mahagiri spirits.

Hotel:

Tharabar Gate Hotel

Schedule:

Today you will visit two former capitals in Mandalay: Amarapura and Sagaing. In Amarapura, you will witness the long procession of monks lining up for lunch and go to see the City Harbor Bridge. Then you will visit a special place where hundreds nuns live and study the Buddha scripture before continue to the temple-filled Sagaing Hill and end today's trip with a sunset boat excursion around the U Bein Bridge. Overnight in Mandalay.

Today's Highlights:

Amarapura

Amarapura means "City of Immortality", situated 11 km to the south of Mandalay. It is the former capital of Myanmar in 19th century, now a township noted for silk weaving and bronze casting. In this ancient town, it is not difficult to see its past glory from the palace ruins, the old building of British Embassy and many distinctive monasteries like Kyauktawgyi pagoda, Pahtodawgyi padoda and so on.

Mahagandaryon Monastery

Mahagandayon Monastery still keeps a tradition that you may not find in other monasteries. Around 10:30am, hundreds of monks line in silence to get their lunches, each holding a bowl in hand. Their arms are covered by kasaya, which is a way to show respects to the lunch contributors.

Sagaing Hill

Sagaing Hill lies peacefully on the river bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. It is the former capital of Shan Kingdom from 14th to 18th centuries. Now with more than 500 monasteries scattering all over the hill, it is an important centre of Buddhism.

U Bein's Bridge

In 1848 a clerk named U Bein got an idea of utilizing teak planks from the demolished Inwa Palace to build a bridge over the Taungthaman Lake to connect Amarapura and a village. Hence a 1.2 km bridge was built, named U Bein's Bridge. Now this bridge is still sturdy and has become a favorite spot for photographers. The best time to visit is at sunset when the sunshine makes everything look fabulous.

Hotel:

Rupar Mandalay Resort

Schedule:

In the fresh morning, you will cruise on the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River up to Mingun. Afterwards, return to Mandalay for its major landmarks, the holy Mahamuni Pagoda , Shwenandaw Monastery, and Kuthodaw Pagoda. With a sweet dinner at a smart garden restaurant, you can enjoy a commanding overview of the city from the Mandalay Hill. Overnight in Mandalay.

Today's Highlights:

Ayeyarwaddy River Cruise

Ayeyarwaddy River flows from north to south through Myanmar. It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Cruising on this mighty river in the morning is perhaps the most pleasure way to see the fantastic scenery and local people's lives on the river bank.

Mingun

Mingun is about 11km up the Ayeyarwaddy River from Mandalay. Here you won't see any sparkling pagodas as in other places. For the main attractions quite special here—ruined monuments of unfinished architectures, among which the Mingun Pahtodawgyi, the large bell and the Mya Theindan Pagoda are the most famous.

Mahamuni Pagoda

Mahamuni Pagoda is the holiest pilgrimage site in Mandalay. The Mahamuni Buddha is deified inside, which is referred as the most revered Buddha image in Mandalay. Every day male devotees will brush the Buddha and apply golden leaves on his face before streams of pilgrims come in to pay their veneration to the Buddha image.

Shwenandaw Monastery

Shwenandaw Monastery, as the sole remains of the royal Mandalay Palace is no doubt of great significance. Yet the charm of this wooden monastery is far more than that. Covered with delicate carving panels, the entire building best presents the fine art of traditional Burmese art and woodcraft.

Kuthodaw Pagoda

Kuthodaw Pagoda contains the world's largest book, which finely explains why people rush to visit it. Unlike usual books, the book in Kuthodaw pagoda is composed by hundreds of tablets, which are carved with inscriptions. Those tablets are housed in small white stupas, arranging around the sparkling chief stupa.

Hotel:

Rupar Mandalay Resort

Schedule:

The morning flight will take you to Heho. After hotel check in, you can stroll in the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, and enjoy the beautiful view around the lake. Lunch will be served at a lovely restaurant. Later you will move to a local village to witness the ancient way of making traditional silks. The rest of the day will be at your disposal. Overnight in Inle Lake.

Today's Highlights:

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is the largest and most significant pagoda at Inle Lake. There are five treasured Buddha statues enshrined inside, which are covered in by the golden leaves. On the annual Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, four of the Buddha will be sent to the nearby villages by a decorated royal barge, bringing Buddha's blessings to his people. At that time people will hold boat competition and other fun affairs to pay their respects and veneration.

Hotel:

Inle Resort

Schedule:

Just indulge yourself in the beauty of Inle Lake today. Enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the Inle Lake, see the distinct one-legged rowing style of the Intha fishermen and visit the noted flowing market and the Indaing village. After lunch, you can explore this beautiful place at your own leisure. Overnight in Inle Lake.

Today's Highlights:

Inle Lake

Inle Lake lies in the municipal area of Nyaungshwe, home of Intha people. It is a picturesque place with stunning natural beauty, noted for the floating market and unique one-leg rowing style. The best way to explore is taking a boat trip, following the maze of narrow streams to enjoy its fabulous scenery, to see the lives of local people, or drop by a village on your way to discover the various cottage industries, such as silk weaving, cheroot rolling, and silversmiths.

Hotel:

Inle Resort

Schedule:

Today your guide will escort you to the airport in Heho for your flight to Yangon. The rest of the day, you can discovery this city in your way. Overnight in Yangon.

Hotel:

Sedona Hotel

Schedule:

Free at leisure until your private transfer escorts you to the airport for your departure flight.It's time to say goodbye to Myanmar.