Ancient Kingdom of Myanmar

Handcrafted Travel
Daily Departure

Overview

  • Day 1: Arrival Yangon
  • Day 2: Yangon City tour
  • Day 3: Yangon – Flight to Bagan
  • Day 4: Bagan Balloon Ride – Explore local Villages
  • Day 5: Bagan – Flight to Mandalay – Amarapura
  • Day 6: Mingun – Ava – Sagaing
  • Day 7: Mandalay – Flight to Yangon
  • Day 8: Yangon – Departure

Customizable itinerary

Discover the history of the ancient kingdom of Myanmar with this unforgettable tour. Explore Yangon with visits to its historical buildings, the famous Chauk-Htat- Kyi and the astonishing Karayouik Hall royal floating barge. Make unforgettable memories when flying high on the sky on Bagan with spectacular views from your balloon. Wander between the striking architectural masterpieces and local villages in Bagan and ride on a wooden boat to cruise down the Irrawaddy River to Shyouzigon Pagoda. Visit the cultural capital Mandalay with abundance of historic sites, including Golden Palace Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, the giant Mingun Bell, the magnificent Sagaing Hill and the ancient city of Ava.

After your arrival in Yangon, you will be collected by your private guide and then driven in a private van to your chosen hotel in downtown. The rest of the day you’ll be able to explore the city at leisure.

Overnight in Yangon


Morning
Enjoy the private tour and drive through downtown to explore the city centre and its fabulous mix of architecture and sites. The streets are filled with historical buildings, many of which have a faded colonial charm not seen elsewhere in Asia. You’ll start at the post office – a lovely historic building, passing by Strand Hotel, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument along the way. Then, visit the famous Chauk-Htat- Kyi, which houses one of the most revered reclining Buddha statues in the country. The Buddha statue is 66 metres (217 ft) long, and one of the largest in Burma. The feet of the statue, carved with traditional symbols, often have many locals gathering around them to pay homage and pray.

Afternoon
Continue to visit the stunning Karayouik Hall royal floating barge, a great photo stop. Nothing has quite prepared you for Shyoudagon Pagoda, with its glittering gold stupa. At the pagoda, observe local pilgrims and monks offering their devotions and enjoy the amazing sunset view at the picturesque Shyoudagon Pagoda.

Overnight in Yangon
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


Morning
Transfer to Yangon Airport to take a short flight to Bagan.

Upon arrival, you will be met by your private guide and driver. Then transfer to the city. You begin your exploration by visiting a busy local market and gaining an insight into Bagan’s bustling market atmosphere. You will spend the day exploring the architectural masterpieces of this amazing town with visits to a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples.

Late afternoon
You will climb to the top of the Temple for sunset views. Sit back, relax and be amazed by the beauty of Bagan as you watch the sun slowly set behind the ancient pagodas.

Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)



Optional: A sunrise flight over Bagan is a unique experience offering unforgettable views. Depart the hotel before sunrise and transfer to the departure point (depending on the wind). While sipping coffee/tea and having a croissant, observe how the crew inflates the balloons. A thorough safety briefing follows before you take off for a 45-minute to 1-hour flight. Upon landing, vehicles will be on hand to serve sparkling wine and refreshments before a transfer back to your hotel. The whole excursion door to door normally lasts between 2.30 – 3.00 hours.

More than just temples, your tour introduces you to and provides a great overview of Bagan’s history, culture and local lifestyles.

Morning
You will observe the authentic day-to-day lives of Myanmar people by visiting villages near Bagan to view the local lifestyle. Explore Bagan from a different perspective as you explore the area by pony cart. The cart can explore areas that cars are unable to enter offering a more authentic feel of Bagan.

Late afternoon
Transfer to a jetty where a private wooden river boat is waiting. Sitting under the shade or on the open-deck, you’ll be treated to fabulous views as you cruise down the Irrawaddy River to Shyouzigon Pagoda. A private riverboat tour during sunset will hopefully allow you to enjoy the most spectacular part of the day in serenity. Relax and enjoy the scenery.

Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)



Morning
Transfer to the airport for your flight to legendary Mandalay, a city of great cultural importance. This morning, visit the second most sacred image in Myanmar. Next to the Shyoudagon Pagoda is the Mahamuni Pagoda. Visit local artisan’s workshops of gold leaf making, woodcarving and marble carving.

Afternoon
Continue to visit Golden Palace Monastery famous for its intricate woodcarvings. Continue to the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which is known as the world largest book due to the Buddhist scripture carved on 729 marble slabs. Before sunset, visit a 200-year-old teak bridge, the most photographic site in Myanmar.

Overnight in Mandalay
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


Morning
After breakfast, you’ll board a private local boat for a trip up the Irrawaddy to Mingun (45 min each way). Visit the Mingun Bell which weighs more than 87 tons and is the world’s largest intact bronze bell and the unfinished MingunPaya (built with the intention of being the world’s biggest pagoda). Mingun’s other highlight is the Hisnbyume Pagoda, a white-washed temple built to resemble Mount Meru. Throughout Mingun there are small neighborhoods crafting traditional basketry and other artistic items.

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 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers. You will visit pagodas such as Swan OoPonNya Shin and U Min ThoneSae. You’ll also visit Sagaing’s local market, a typical Burmese market that few tourists have the opportunity to visit. Here you will find a range of items for sale including locally made pottery, silver and other handicrafts. You will also stop at a small pottery village to see the process of making the ubiquitous water pots found throughout Myanmar.

Afternoon
Continue to visit the city of Ava, the capital from 14th to 18th century, where a short ferry ride will take us across the river to where your horse and carriage are waiting. Visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and Fort. There are many small villages located amid Ava’s ruins and as you travel by horse and cart, you’ll get a glimpse of local life in the Burmese countryside.

Drive back to Mandalay and transfer to your hotel in the evening.

Overnight in Mandalay
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

Morning
Transfer to the airport for a short flight back to Yangon.

Upon returning to Yangon, you will enjoy a visit to Scott Market, a sprawling 75-year-old market. At the market, you will find a wide variety of interesting Burmese souvenirs, from lacquer ware to gems & jewelry – bargain at the stores to fully experience the Burmese market atmosphere!

Afternoon
Drive through the city and observe the influences of other cultures in the region. Interspersed throughout the tour are various religious sites such as St. Mary’s Cathedral, built in 1899, the Buddhist landmarks of SulePaya, and over 100-year-old beautiful Rangoon Synagogue. In there you will have the opportunity to meet with Trustee of the Synagogue to learn about Jewish Life in the Pagoda Land. Then, visit Little India and Chinatown – stop to greet the vendors and let them introduce you to their wares – some familiar, some exotic.

Overnight in Yangon
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


After breakfast, day at leisure until your private driver collect you from your hotel and transfer you back to Yangon airport for your International departure flight.

Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

Useful Information

This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services.

Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!

Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements, but may incur price changes

What’s Included?

[row]
[column md=”6″]

  • Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
  • Private Vehicles and Drivers
  • Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
  • Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)

[/column]
[column md=”6″]

  • Domestic flights within Myanmar
  • Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
  • Service Charge & Government Taxes

[/column]
[/row]

What’s Not Included?

[row]
[column md=”6″]

  • Your International Flights to and from Myanmar (Burma)
  • Myanmar entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
  • Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
  • Any bank fees or charges at your end

[/column]
[column md=”6″]

  • Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal Travel Insurance
  • Tips for guides and drivers

[/column]
[/row]

Request this tour

Free service. No credit card required

Reviews on Our Service

We are committed to giving our customers unforgettable experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and beyond, not just something staged for tourists. Read reviews written by our customers about their experiences in Indochina after they have returned home. These include the ratings and comments on attractions, guides, activities, hotels and food.

Excellent
4.9/5
5 97.66%
4 2.13%
3 0.21%
2 0%
1 0%

Vietnam Luxury Vacation Review: Sightseeing, Culture, 12-Day Travel

Asia Pioneer Travel was professional, provided prompt communication before and during our trip, and offered an itinerary custom to our wish list and timeline.

They helped us focus on highlights of areas which we would have spent considerable time researching and organizing without their help. Their attention to detail in information shared ahead of time, as well as step by step planning of transportation, meals, lodging, and sightseeing options offered a stress-free vacation- optimizing our time and energy on experiencing everything beautiful Vietnam has to offer!
The landscape, scenery, and customs of Vietnam are stunning and diverse. Each area we visited offered its own unique beauty. Absolutely amazing!!!
Show more Show less
Rachel Faust - USA
Mar 8, 2023
From: 5

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sightseeing, Rice Fields, Boat Rides, 18-Day Trip

We started searching for our tour for Vietnam / Cambodia back in October 2022 to start the tour in the first week of January 2023. We selected this travel agency, and contact name provided to us was Elly. She was extraordinary with her communication with us. Excellent English speaking language capability & excellent in communication on Whats app and email communication. We went back & forth few times to arrange the tour we wanted. She was very accommodating in arranging our schedule. We requested automobile tour for both countries, just for two of us.

We requested SUV FOR OUR COMFORT AND  WE GOT IT!
We requested to get the high end hotel in each city and she gave us choices and not only that but send videos of each hotel for each City and then waited for us to decide which hotel we select. All the Hotels turned out to be one of the best we would expect to be. M/s Elly, personally came to visit with us on the evening of our first day tour. Very respectful and asked if she could do anything for us.I had requested before in our communication, if she would arrange for power converter for us, since my camera chargers are all in 110. So brought two power converters for us! Something, not everyone will do this kind of service. So all the kiddos to her!

as to the drivers in each city were very courteous, very professional and very careful in how and where they have to do driving.

our Guides in each city were so friendly, courteous and knowledgeable in where ever we visited. How ever wish two guides in Hue An and Ho Chi Minh City spoke English more clearly.

We only wish we had one extra day in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, , however, there is so much to see in the world! Perhaps next time will visit Vietnam.

As to Cambodia, same thing to express about site seeing and our Guide and drivers. Guides and drivers really made our travel thro’ the countries where we do not speak that language, made it so comfortable and enjoyable.

Show more Show less
Sudhir D - USA
Mar 3, 2023

Outstanding!

Hi Lam…hope you don’t mind me contacting you directly. My wife Barb  & I (Paul) have just arrived home after completing a great tour of Vietnam which was organised through your company Asia Pioneer Travel.

We want to tell you personally how impressed were were with the level of service that we received…it was amazing and the best that we have experienced anywhere. After we made initial contact with you, you handed us over to Chloe to arrange the trip which she did in very quick time and the amount of detail that she went to was fantastic. From the moment that we walked out of Hanoi airport on arrival to see our guide waiting, we knew that we were in for a great trip. The drivers & guides were fantastic and Chloe was in contact by email constantly making sure that everything was going to plan & that we were happy. At one stage we need to vary the itinerary by extending accommodation & changing air tickets and Chloe did that without any fuss or bother.

We also met some wonderful Vietnamese people along the way and Ive got to say that they are our kind of people, very generous & friendly.

Enough of my ramblings, thanks for a great visit to Vietnam, and a special thank you to Chloe for looking after us in such a terrific manner…she is a very special caring lady.

Kind regards & I hope that we have the opportunity to use Asia Pioneer Travel again….Paul & Barb Little from Newcastle Australia

Show more Show less
Paul & Barb Little - Australia
Mar 2, 2023

Superbly organised and very flexible

We travelled to Vietnam for two weeks, booking the whole trip through Lizzie at Asia Pioneer, including hotels, excursions, trips, guides and internal flights. Lizzie was so helpful and flexible, accommodating changes to our schedule until the last minute, especially as we missed our connecting flight in Dubai and arrived a day later than planned (our fault). Nothing was too much trouble, including getting my wallet back to me after I left it in the car taking us to the airport.

We started in Hanoi in the North and worked our way south to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon), taking in Ha Long with its amazing sea stacks and sleeping on a boat, then to Sa Pa on the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi, with its wonderful countryside and rice terraces. Afterwards, we went to Hoi An for three days of relaxation. Hoi An probably my favourite place and three days are enough to cover it. Then onto Hue, the original capital, my least favourite place and then finally on to HMC, which was a real contrast to the North.

The 3-star hotels that Lizzie picked were very good and comfortable, and the guides were very knowledgeable. I would definitely use Asia Pioneer again for future Asia trips.

Show more Show less
Alex Miller - United Kingdom
Mar 1, 2023