Myanmar Essence
Overview
Day 1: Arrival Mandalay – Visit Mandalay Hill
Day 2: Mandalay City tour
Day 3: Mandalay – Ayeyarwady River Cruise – Mingun
Day 4: River Cruise – Sagaing – Yandabo Village – Downstream to Sagaing
Day 5: Ayeyarwady River Cruise – Bagan
Day 6: Bagan – Chauk – Salay
Day 7: Bagan – Flight to Heho/ Nyaung Shwe – Transfer to Inle Lake
Day 8: Inle Lake – Indein
Day 9: Nyaung Shwe – Transfer to Heho – Flight to Yangon – Shwedagon Pagoda
Day 10: Yangon – Train Ride – Sule Pagoda – Colonial Walking Tour
Day 11: Yangon – Departure
Customizable itinerary
This ‘Myanmar Essence’ will show you the highlights of this wonderful country in 11 days. Starting from Mandalay, you will tour around the city to visit the most sacred pagodas and then hop on a river cruise to Bagan – the mecca of ancient temples. After exploring its major attractions, it’s time to travel to Inle Lake. You will go on a private boat trip around the lake for sightseeing and to the local villages to learn more about their life here. Fly to Yangon, where you will visit some of the most spectacular pagodas in Myanmar and enjoy a colonial walking tour to explore the charm of this city.
Upon your arrival in Mandalay, get welcomed by your tour guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. This evening, enjoy a commanding overview of the city from Mandalay Hill.
Overnight in Mandalay
Morning
Visit Mahamuni Pagoda, the second most sacred image in Myanmar next to the Shwedagon Pagoda. Continue to visit local artisan’s workshops of gold leaf making, woodcarving and marble carving. Next, visit Golden Palace Monastery famous for its intricate woodcarvings.
Afternoon
After lunch, 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 at the hotel, enjoy your day at leisure until transfer to the jetty. The embarkation time is at 12.00 hrs at Gawein jetty. Then, enjoy welcome cocktails in the saloon.
Upstream to Mingun
Afternoon
Lunch will be served at 13.00. The sailing time is about 2 hrs. Your English speaking manager (or your private guide) will assist the guests during the visit of the Mingun Pagoda Complex.
Moor Overnight at a sandbank mid-stream. After dinner, guests can enjoy a dance and drama performance by the Mandalay Arts School on the sundeck (if available).
Overnight on board
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Early in the morning, cruise downstream. During the 2 hour journey, passengers can admire the natural beauty of the river and the life on its banks while relaxing on the sundeck or just sitting outside their own cabin. Enjoy the sunrise over Sagaing Hill.
Morning
You will go ashore to visit Sagaing with the assistance of your Ship Manager or their own guide.
Downstream to Bagan. Cast off time is at 11.15 hrs and then lunch.
Afternoon
You will stop at Yandabo, a village specializing in pot-making and where the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war was signed on Feb. 24, 1826. Cruise all day and moor overnight near the river village of Shwe Nann Tint.
Overnight on board
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
Proceed downriver to Bagan early in the morning. After breakfast (if time permits) you will visit another typical river village.
Check-Out Time
Enjoy the sunrise near Bagan. Disembark at Aye Yar jetty around 10.15 hrs. Then your private guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel to check in. The rest of the day will be free at your leisure.
Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Morning
Begin with a drive south, parallel to the Irrawaddy River, en route to Salay. After one hour, you’ll make a stop in Chauk which has a colorful morning market to explore. Few tourists visit this market and it is a great place for local interaction and photos.
Continue to Salay (30 minutes) an important center of Buddhism in Myanmar with many active monasteries. Salay, many years ago, created its own unique style of Bagan-era architecture. While visiting Salay you will learn more about monastic life, Burmese Buddhism and this unique architectural style as you visit several sites including Yoke Sone Kyaung monastery, one of the oldest wooden halls in the area.
Afternoon
Wind our way back to Bagan. The remainder of the day will be free at your leisure.
Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
After breakfast, fly to Heho, a gateway to Inle Lake. From Heho drive to NyaungShwe where you board your boat & transfer to your hotel for check in. Enjoy the full-day tour by private boat in Inle lake. Visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State. Be amazed by the local handicrafts, silk weaving, wooden handlooms and traditional blacksmith methods along the way.
Visiting Inle Lake is not just about being on the water, but also about discovering the Shan and Intha villages on the banks of the river. Pass the endless floating gardens, houses, monasteries built on stilts on the lake. Proceed to the village of Nampan and see a local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made) and canoe carving.
Overnight in NyaungShwe
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Begin your day with a visit to a market. This market, which rotates locations every five days, is frequented by the hill tribe people dressed in colorful, traditional who come here to barter for goods and produce.
You will continue your sightseeing in Inle Lake, maneuvering by boat though long, scenic channels. You will visit the fascinating village of Indein, with its complex of ancient shrines and stupas and walk though exotic colonnades of stairways and shop stalls. You’ll also visit the “long neck” tribal women, and weaving and craft villages perched on stilts. See the lake’s unique “leg rowers” – the Intha people row standing up with one leg wrapped around an oar. It is a feast for the senses and a photographer’s dream.
Overnight in NyaungShwe
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Morning flight back to Yangon.
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel in downtown to check in.
After a short rest, you will enjoy a guided tour of this fascinating city. Visit the famous Chauk Htat Kyi, home to a 70-meter long reclining Buddha. The feet of the statue is carved with traditional symbols and often many locals gather here to pay homage and pray.
Next will be the photo stop at the Karaweik Hall royal floating barge. Nothing will prepare you for Shwedagon Pagoda with its glittering gold stupa. At the pagoda, observe local pilgrims and monks offering their devotions and enjoy the amazing sunset view at Shwedagon pagoda.
Overnight in Yangon
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Morning
After breakfast, drive to the train station for the train ride for about 1 hour. Enjoy the real lifestyle of locals and see the beautiful scenes. Then, enjoy a 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.
Afternoon
Continue with a walking tour of the colonial street. You’ll start at the post office – a lovely historic building, pass by the Strand Hotel, the Buddhist landmarks of Sule Paya, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument along the way.
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]
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.
Vietnam Luxury Vacation Review: Sightseeing, Culture, 12-Day Travel
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.
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
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.
You may also like...
Ancient Kingdom of Myanmar
Myanmar In Depth
