Myanmar: A Journey Back in Time – 8Days & 7Nights
Your day of discovering Myanmar will start with a visit into the downtown area. The downtown area is a great cultural center for getting a great introduction with how the Burmese operate day to day.
Click here to download the PDF version of Myanmar: A Journey Back in Time brochure 
**This Tour and Discovery program is setup as a pre/post extension tour. Times will vary depending on pre/post tour option as well as flight arrival. If the program is a pre extension tour and you just arrived to Asia, then we will add 1 extra day for resting after your overseas flight, of course everything is adjustable to cater to your needs and desires.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN YANGON
Your day of discovering Myanmar will start with a visit into the downtown area. The downtown area is a great cultural center for getting a great introduction with how the Burmese operate day to day. In the downtown area we will visit famous City Hall, Pansodan Street, a street filled with all of the colonial buildings, Nanthida Jetty, and the ChaukHtutKyi Buddha Image. We will have lunch at one of Yangon’s great restaurants that highlight traditional Burmese food.
For sunset, we will continue to the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred pagoda for the Burmese. It is believed to have relics of the 4 past Buddhas. According to local legend the original structure was built 2600 years ago making it the oldest pagoda in Myanmar and the world! The central stupa is 99 meters tall and gilded with gold leaf and is surrounded by 64 smaller stupas. By the end of the day, you will start to understand how important is in the daily lives of the locals. For dinner, we will have a fantastic dinner with a cultural show performance. We will end today back at our hotel where you can contemplate life and everything you saw today over a great meal and with great company!
DAY 2: YANGON - BAGAN
We will start our day with a flight to Bagan (NyaungOo).From the 11th to 13th centuries over 10,000 pagodas, temples and monasteries were built, of which approximately 2200 still stand today on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.You will get to see how beautiful the vista is and the look of pointed mountains popping up out of the Bagan plains upon arrival. This is a great day for being able to compare and contrast the different styles and techniques of building the so many different varieties of temples and pagodas! Our exploration of Bagan will include stops at Nyaung U Market, Kyansittha U Min, Sulamani Temple.
We will also include a visit to Shwezigon Pagoda for abackground understanding of Bagan’s rich history. The pagoda is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of GautamaThen, visit to nearby Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with unparalleled mural paintings and the beautifularcheological site of Htilominlo Temple noted for its elaborate plaster carvings.
Discovery this afternoon will beginat a visit to a traditional lacquer ware workshop where you can see the 18 step process of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts.
The day will conclude with an unforgettable sunset over the plains from the upper terrace of Lawkananda Pagoda. Make sure to save some camera storage space left on your camera. You don’t want to miss this! Dinner will include a traditional Bagan feast and entertaining dinner show!
DAY 3: BAGAN
Today is a wonderful temple visit day! You will learn the different time periods, the people and other influences that shaped and created these magnificent marvels! Our day of discovery will start in the morning with a visit to Myinkaba village and take a short walking tour to explore the temples of Manuha&Nanphaya Temple, Nagayone Temple, Lawkananda, and Abeyatana Temple. We will have a traditional Burmese style lunch at one of the finest establishments the city has to offer. After a tantalizing lunch, take a rest at the hotel and rejuvenate for the afternoon!
This afternoon, we willvisit Shwegugyi Temple, Thatbyitnyu Temple, Ananda Temple, Dhamayangyi Temple, and Sunset at Shwesandaw Pagoda. Tonight for your dining and entertainment pleasures, we will experience a beautiful dinner with a traditional puppet show performance. You will head back to your hotel where you see the last temple of the day, your temple hotel room!
DAY 4: BAGAN - MANDALAY
This morning will start with a majestic, relaxing and scenic full day cruise up the Irrawaddy to Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. This is a perfect day to just sit back and take in the sites and relax and reflect. Lunch will be served onboard during the cruise! We will arrive to Mandalay in the evening.
This afternoon, we will continue the discovery of Mandalay with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda, whose 729 in scripted marble stone slabs of Buddhist writings have earned it the title ‘World’s Biggest Book’. We will continue to ShweKyaung, the Golden Monastery, the only remaining building from the 19th century Royal Palace known for its exquisite teak woodcarvings. A perfect dinner to end the perfect day will be served at a local traditional Mandalay restaurant.
DAY 5: MANDALAY - AMARAPURA - AVA - SAGAING - MANDALAY
Discovery starts with an excursion around Mandalay to explore the former capitals of Ava, Sagaing and Amarapura, an area known for its traditional handicrafts of silk weaving, cotton weaving and bronze casting.
We will cross a bridge over the Irrawaddy River to Sagaing. Covered with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries, Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar. It is home to thousands of monks and 100 meditation centers. We will also have the opportunity to visit the local artisans market where you will find a variety of goods for sale including pottery, silver and other handicrafts.
We will continue south of the city to Ava, the capital from 14th to 18th centuries. And visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and Fort. We will pass through the local villages and have start to develop a deeper understanding of typical Burmese countryside living.
Get your camera ready! After discovering this site, we will continue to U Bein Bridge which is believed to be the oldest and longest teak bridge on the planet!Construction includes 984 teak posts that were once part of the deserted Inwa Palace. Enjoy a sunset stroll along the bridge and the fabulous views of the surrounding farms and streams. We will head back to the hotel after a long day of enlightenment! Dinner will be in a beautiful setting back in Mandalay.
DAY 6: MANDALAY - HEHO - INLE LAKE
Our morning starts with a flight to Heho. From Heho, a picturesque one-hour drive leads to toInle Lake. Our discovery will stop in NyaungShwe for a short walk around town and visit to the local markets.
Upon arrival to Inle Lake, a lake that is 900 meters above sea level, we will embark onto a private motorboat to head out into the lake and see what is believed to be one of the most enchanting views in Myanmar. We will discover the stilled villages of the Intha people. We will see the fisherman that row with their feet and see their floating gardens. We will continue with a visit PhaungDawOo Pagoda, which has five sacred gold leafed Buddha images. We will discover the local weaving village of Inpawkhone and get the chance to visit a cheroot factory, home of the handmade Burmese cigars. The evening will conclude back at the hotel. Lunch and dinner will be included on this day, timings may vary.
DAY 7: INDEIN - INLE LAKE - HEHO - YANGON
Our day will begin with a drive to the Heho Airport for the flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival to Yangon we will visit the Bogyoke Market, famous for jewels, clothing, bags, souvenirs, and many other traditional local handicraft goods sold by local artisans. Spend the afternoon and evening on your own exploring Yangon. We have had an amazing journey in Myanmar, spend the rest of the evening getting a spa treatment at the hotel!
DAY 8: DEPARTURE YANGON
This is your departure day. We hope you have enjoyed your time and discovering of Myanmar. You have now had a chance to see how much life revolves around faith and religion and how even with all the modern technologies and advancements in the world, there are still places operating as they did 1000 years ago.
**Please note, In Myanmar a big concentration is on Temples – Places of worship dedicated to Gods, sacred heroes, and/or history respected personnel and Pagodas - Places of worship dedicated to Buddha. We know for many people temples are great to see but too many can make your trip less enjoyable. You just let us know your temple threshold and we will make sure we give you the best ones and adjust your program accordingly.
***Please not this is only a sample itinerary we have created which features the highlights of visiting Myanmar in an 8 day period. We have a completely customizable itinerary so depending on the amount of times you have and the amount of things you want to see, we will make adjustments accordingly! We have Vietnam as our main destination visit and the other countries as pre or post extension tours just to give you an idea of planning your trip. Of course our goal is to make your trip to Southeast Asia as great as possible so let’s work together and create what is best for you!
