Myanmar People & Hertitage
Overview
Day 1: Arrival Yangon
Day 2: Yangon – Flight to Bagan
Day 3: Bagan - Day trip to Mt Popa
Day 4: Bagan – Flight to Mandalay
Day 5: Mandalay – Amarapura – Ava – Sagaing – Mandalay
Day 6: Mandalay – Flight to Heho – Pindaya – Inle Lake
Day 7: Inle Lake
Day 8: Inle Lake – In Dein – Heho – Flight to Yangon
Day 9: Depart Yangon
Customizable itinerary
Gain insight into the life of Myanmar people and their heritage on this 9-day journey. Fly from Yangon to Bagan, you will discover the expansive archeological site, see its most prominent temples with outstanding architectural structures and enjoy the spectacular landscape under the sunset on the mighty Irrawaddy River. Embark on a day-trip to Mount Papa – a place of great importance for the Burmese and learn about the local belief and worship. You will also join an excursion to explore the ancient capitals of Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing and watch the gorgeous sunset from U Bein Bridge. Discover life on Inle Lake – the most important lake in Myanmar before returning to Yangon. Here you will tour around the city with stops at its most sacred religious sites and the old colonial buildings.
Arrive in Yangon and meet your friendly local guide to welcome you and transfer to hotel.
Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is still a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes Yangon one of the most fascinating and authentic capitals of Southeast Asia.
Afternoon, enjoy a city tour which includes the National Museum, Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda’s 70m-long reclining Buddha. Visits continue to Myanmar’s holiest monument, the Shwedagon Pagoda with its golden stupa covered with 60 tons of pure gold leaf.
Local night market visit before transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Yangon


Early breakfast (takeaway box) at the hotel, transfer to Yangon’s Mingaladon Airport for the flight to Bagan (Nyaung Oo). Thousands of ancient stupas and temples in this area have made Bagan one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Asia. From the 11th till 13th century, when Bagan was the capital of Myanmar, the rulers constructed huge stupas and temples, many of which are still standing today on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.
On arrival, take on a morning sightseeing which features the colourful Nyaung Oo Market, the Shwezigon Pagoda, and its magnificent golden stupa, Wetkyi–In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with exquisite jatakas murals paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations.
In the afternoon, visit Ananda, an architectural masterpiece of the early-style temple with two original standing Buddha images showing facial expression change, depending on the distance the statue is viewed from. The Ananda Okkyaung is one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period The next temple that you’ll visit, Thatbyinnyu, is the highest in Bagan, rising to 61 meters.
End the day with a horse and carriage tour among the temples passing by the traditional village of Taungbi, Sulamani Temple and the massive Dhammayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. Then you can enjoy the sunset on the mighty Irrawaddy River by slow private cruise.
Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


After breakfast at the hotel, drive through the plains to Mt Popa. Mt Popa is a place of great importance to the Burmese as they believe it is the home of 37 Nats, ancient Burmese animist spirits. The spirits predate the arrival of Buddhism in Myanmar. The shrine is located on a volcanic plug, Taung Kalat.
Upon arrival, we will climb 800 stairs to the top, learn about nats and nat worship while climbing past many shrines and seeing many local pilgrims. Your hard work will be rewarded with an impressive view over the Myingyan Plain from the top of the volcanic peak.
After returning to the base, you’ll wind our way back to Bagan. Stop en route to visit Shwe Hlaing village. The people here make their living by producing various items from toddy palm trees. Here you will experience a Burmese-style tea party hosted by a local family. Try some famous tea leaf salad with a cup of Burmese tea. Then stroll around the village and see how they climb the palm trees and how they use the sap to make palm sugar and fiery liquor.
Enjoy lunch under the shade of the toddy palm trees. A traditional Burmese lunch will be served in this local setting: a memorable meal and chance to experience local lifestyles.
This evening, transfer to Nanda puppet show. Enjoy dinner while watching beautiful puppets acting out ten traditional scenes. Accompanied by a live orchestra, the show is one of the best puppet performances in Myanmar.
Overnight in Bagan
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

After breakfast at the hotel, 8:00 am, take the private air-conditioned car to the Airport for the flight to Mandalay. On arrival, a sightseeing tour of Mandalay, Myanmar’s cultural capital, features Mahamuni Pagoda, famous for its venerable statue of Buddha covered with gold leaf. Mandalay has long been known as a centre of skilled craftsmanship and in former times supplied the Royal courts. A tour of traditional workshops includes crafts such as woodcarving, marble masonry, Kalaga tapestry, and gold leaf making.
After lunch, visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures (known as the world’s biggest book) and Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite woodcarving. Enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill.
Overnight in Mandalay
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


After breakfast at the hotel, depart for a full-day trip to the former capitals of Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing. The day will begin with a visit to the 18th-century capital, Amarapura. Attend the daily meal of over thousand monks at the country’s largest monastery; Mahagandayon. Visit a silk weaving workshop, the craft speciality of Amarapura. Then proceed to Ava, the capital from 14th to 18th centuries and visit the old wooden Bagaya Monastery by horse and carriage and the remains of the Royal Palace and fort.
In the afternoon, cross the bridge over the Irrawaddy River and continue to Sagaing. Covered with 600 white-painted pagodas and monasteries, Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the religious centre of Myanmar and is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centres. Finish the day with a walk at sunset over the 200 year–old U Bein bridge, constructed entirely from teak.
Overnight in Mandalay
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Transfer to the airport for domestic flight to Heho in Shan State. Continue by car and enjoy a scenic drive to Pindaya through the picturesque countryside of Shan State. Visit Pindaya’s limestone cave with its maze of chambers displaying more than 8,000 Buddha statues and local handicraft workshops producing Shan Paper made from mulberry bark and traditional umbrellas made from the same paper that is used by monks all around the country.
Continue the trip to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar’s best–known sights. The Intha people, a tribe of Mon descent, mostly inhabit the lakeshores and floating villages. On arrival at Nyaung Shwe Village, check in at the hotel (for a hotel with a lake location, transfer by boat).
Overnight in Inle Lake
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a scenic drive to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar best–known sights. The Intha people, a tribe of Mon descent, mostly inhabit the lakeshores and floating villages.
Start by visiting the famous floating market, five days rhythm by villages, except for full moon & moonless day. A sightseeing tour of Inle Lake including a chance to see the leg-rowing fishermen. Continue to see the floating gardens, built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles.
There are also floating villages like Ywama, the lake’s downtown, where a floating market is held every five days. In the afternoon continue visit to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the weaving village of Inpawkhon and the jumping cat monastery.
Overnight in Inle Lake
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)

After breakfast, visit In Dein in the south of the lake by motorboat. From the middle of the lake, continue down a small canal leading to the village of In Dein, a recently opened area in Shan State. After a walk around the village, passing a local school, we’ll take the covered stairway to the beautiful Alaung Sitthou area where ancient stupas are partly covered by vegetation. From here there is a magnificent view over the lake. In the afternoon, transfer to Heho Airport for the flight back to Yangon.
On arrival transfer to hotel.
Overnight in Yangon
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After breakfast finish the tour with a visit to downtown Yangon with its faded colonial atmosphere, Sule Pagoda, Mahabandoola Park, India town and bustling Chinatown. In the afternoon, there will be free time for shopping at Bogyoke Market, formerly Scott’s Market before transferring to Mingaladon Airport for onward 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.
What’s Included?
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- 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)
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- Domestic flights within Myanmar
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
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What’s Not Included?
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- Your International Flights to and from Myanmar
- 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
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- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
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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.