15 Days Myanmar, including Kayah State

Day 01 YANGON / Arrival

Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport: welcome by our local tour guide and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day free at your own leisure. You will spend the night in Yangon.

Day 02 YANGON (B)

After breakfast, visit Sule Pagoda, which dates back more than 2,000 years, visit the Mahabandoola Park and its Independence Monument, take a walk through the city centre and roam the local markets. Broad streets, a well laid-out town and neglected public buildings revive memories of past British rule, whilst the busy roads and pagodas which glisten through the treetop leaves bear testimony to the local culture. In the afternoon, travel through rural areas on the City Circular Train, with the opportunity to see cigarette sellers, betel nut traders, fortune tellers and much more at the various stations. Afterwards, you will take a stroll through the Bahan market and then climb up the steps to the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda, which Somerset Maugham described as follows: “The Shwedagon rose superb, glistening with its gold, like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul of which the mystics write, glistening against the fog and smoke of the thriving city”. This massive, bell-shaped stupa rises 100 metres above its hilltop surroundings. Wander through this magnificent structure and its courtyards, stupas, bells, temples and Buddha images and observe religious and secular visitors from all over the world. Shwedagon has become the symbol of Myanmar. Enjoy the sunset over the pagoda. You will spend the night in Yangon.

Day 03 YANGON – LOIKAW (B, L, D)

Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Loikaw, the capital of the state of Kayah. Upon arrival, visit Thiri Mingalar Market, open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for on full moons. The market has a wide variety of local food items, vegetables, fruits and spices with wonderful contrasting colours and fragrances. Then drive to the village of Hta Nee La Leh and visit Kayhtoebo and the Hunting Shrine to learn about local beliefs and spiritual life. In addition, enjoy an ox cart ride that travels past the Lotus Pond to the scenic 7 Lakes, where you will enjoy a delicious Kayah barbecue and engage in cultural exchange. In the afternoon, drive to Daw Tamagyi, a typical Kayah village, where you still can see many old traditional houses and old women wearing traditional dress. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay in Loikaw.

Day 04 LOIKAW (B, L)

After breakfast, make the beautiful journey to Pha Yar Phyu by boat (approx. 1 hour), passing by the local farms on the banks of the Belu river. In the village, you can see the White Pagoda after which the village is named. Then travel back to Loikaw to try some traditional Kayah sausage. You’ll visit the home of one of two Loikaw Kayah sausage producers who are willing to offer international and national visitors a safe and unique cooking experience in the state of Kayah. You will discover and experience the process of making original Kayah sausages and taste the subtle mix of spices!
In the afternoon, visit the Weaving and Vocational Training Center, where a master trainer will take you on a one-hour tour of the weaving centre’s garden to discover and experience the process of natural dyeing. In the late afternoon, visit Taung Kwe Pagoda (Broken Mountain), Loikaw’s most famous religious landmark. The pagoda, which is called ‘Phaw Pye’ in Kayah, measures 380 feet in height and was built on top of nine natural hillocks. You can enjoy great views of Loikaw’s marvellous landscape from up above. You will stay overnight in Loikaw.

Day 05 LOIKAW – PEMSONG VILLAGE (easy trek of 1½ to 2 hours with moderately steep sections) – LOIKAW) (F, M)

After breakfast, drive to Pemsong village. On arrival, you will be welcomed into a local home where you will enjoy a hot drink and a simple, local snack. After this, you will head off on a short trek of 1.5 to 2 hours, led by a local community tour guide. Along the way, your local guides will stop and explain special cultural and natural sites which are important to the local people and their way of life. These include the village monument and pagoda. One highlight is a breathtaking 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Enjoy a pack lunch or special jungle picnic.
Following the short trek, you can also visit the hamlet of Salong Kana, meet a local Kayan artisan and enjoy a hands-on demonstration about how to make traditional Kayan bracelets. Guests can also have a go at making a bracelet themselves. Finally, the trip ends in the hamlet of Rang Ku, where you can visit small crafts shops, run by well-known Kayan people (popularly known as Long Neck Karen). Enjoy learning a few words in the Kayan language and interacting with these fun-loving and artistic people. There are opportunities to buy local handicrafts. Late afternoon return to Loikaw. Overnight stay in Loikaw.

Day 06 LOIKAW – PEKON – SAMKAR LAKE (B, L)

After breakfast, drive to Phe Khone (approx. 1.5 hours), a small town on the southwestern shore of Inle Lake. A three-hour boat ride will take you to the area of Sangha and Hmawbi, where you will have the opportunity to experience the traditional culture and authentic lifestyle of the Pa’O and Intha people. Upon arrival in Samkar, you’ll transfer to A Little Lodge in Samkar and check in. In the afternoon, you’ll have enough time to explore the old monasteries, wander among the village’s stone houses and mingle with the Pa’O residents. You will spend the night at A Little Lodge in Samkar.

Day 07 SAMKAR LAKE – INLE LAKE (B, L)

After breakfast drive by boat to the northern part of Inle Lake (approx. 2 ½ hours) On the way visit Kyauktaing, a small Shan village known for its pottery-making, and the village of Kyainkhan, where monks’ robes (made from thousands of lotus stems) are produced. In the afternoon explore Inle Lake (25 kilometres in length), which is known for its unique one-leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing and village life out on the water. Late in the afternoon take a canoe trip through the floating gardens. The floating flowerbeds are tied together in shallow water, which is mostly only around three metres deep, and produce abundant fruits which can be harvested several times a year. You will spend the night on Inle Lake.

Day 08 INLE LAKE – HEHO – MANDALAY (B)

Morning boat excursion to Indein (approx. one-hour journey) through a beautiful countryside of tall grasses and little water steps, to view the historical Bagan- and Shan-style pagodas built during the Bagan period. The decaying pagodas, hidden in bushes, officially date back to the 12th-13th century. Afternoon transfer to Heho Airport for your flight to Mandalay, the last royal capital of Burma. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Day 09 MANDALAY (B)

After breakfast walk through the city centre and go for a stroll around the vast Zegyo Market, which was originally designed in 1903 by an Italian architect. The Zegyo Market is a trading centre that connects the cities of upper and lower Myanmar. Various local and imported goods (mostly from China and Thailand) are traded here. The old, Italian-style market was destroyed and rebuilt with a modern design. Visit the Mahamuni Pagoda - with its gilded Mahamuni Buddha, the oldest Buddhist statue in Myanmar--and some of the famous craft workshops (wood carvings, marble workshops or gold leaf production). In the afternoon, visit the Shwenandaw Monastery, which is famous for its exquisite wooden carvings, and the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which, owing to its stone tablets with Buddhist inscriptions, is famous for containing the world's largest book. Later on, enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill, a vantage point offering panoramic views of the city. You will spend the night in Mandalay. You will spend the night in Mandalay.

Day 10 MANDALAY – SAGAING – AMARAPURA – MANDALAY (B, L)

After breakfast cross the Ava Bridge towards Sagaing, located 21 kilometres south-west of Mandalay, and visit the Sagaing Hills, a place of refuge for devout Buddhists, with its various pagodas, monasteries and convents. Visit the village of Sagaing at the foot of Sagaing Hill, with its markets, shops and restaurants; the Tilawkaguru Cave Monastery, with its murals; the Umin Thounzeh cave complex, with its 45 Buddha statues; and the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, which was built in 1312. This location offers outstanding views of Sagaing. Lunch with the monks or nuns, who will provide you with a glimpse of everyday life within a monastery.
In the afternoon, travel to Amarapura: the ‘City of Immortality’. Along with the surviving pagodas, the ancient silk- and cotton-weaving tradition using handlooms is very much alive there. You will visit a mill where weaving is still performed using handlooms, take a rowing boat across Taungthaman Lake to the picturesque village of Taungthaman, and return at sunset to Amarapura via the U Bein bridge, which, at 1,200 metres in length, is one of the world’s longest teakwood bridges. You will spend the night in Mandalay.

Day 11 MANDALAY – MOUNT POPA (B)

After an early breakfast, you’ll drive to Mount Popa (approx. six-hour drive), a large extinct volcano. Rising out of the shimmering heat, the solitary volcanic crag of Mount Popa is home to Myanmar's most powerful ‘nats’. Visit the Nat Museum with its life-sized statues of the 37 Great Nats. Walk up the steps to the stupas and shrines that rest atop the hill, high above the museum and pass by the many pilgrims who come to the site. Stay overnight at Mount Popa.

Day 12 MOUNT POPA – BAGAN (B)

After breakfast, you’ll hike to the summit of Mount Popa (approx. 6.5 km/2 hours). On the way to the summit (1,518 m above sea level), you will see a pine forest, evergreen forest, birds and butterflies. Enjoy the spectacular view from the summit before returning back to the Popa Mountain Resort (approx. 1.5 hours). In the afternoon, continue to Bagan (approx. 1.5-hour drive). On the way, you’ll stop by some villages and watch sap be collected from the palm trees and then converted into palm sugar. Upon arrival in Bagan, transfer to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 13 BAGAN (B)

Explore Bagan by bike - a city whose foundations were laid in the 2nd century AD and which was the Burmese royal capital until the 14th century. Here you will find the greatest historical buildings and richest ruins in Southeast Asia, which many view as surpassing even the temples of Angkor in Cambodia in size and presence. Nowadays, Bagan is a village that exudes an endless sense of tranquillity. The local inhabitants mostly make their living from agriculture and the production of lacquerware. You will constantly have wonderful views of the Bagan plains; countless pagodas and temples line the riverbanks. Overnight stay in Bagan.

Day 14 BAGAN - YANGON (B)

After breakfast, you will have enough time to go for a stroll around the picturesque market at Nyaung Oo. Then take a boat ride up the Ayeyarwady and visit the Kyauk Gu U Min Temple, a so-called ‘rock cave tunnel’ with interesting stone reliefs. On the way back down the river, the boat stops off at the Bupaya Pagoda, which, due to its cylindrical shape, is considered to be one of Bagan’s oldest pagodas. From there, it is just a short walk to the Mahabodhi Temple. Late afternoon transfer to airport and return flight to Yangon. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Day 15 YANGON / Departure (B)

You will have the morning free. Explore the Burmese metropolis on your own! If you’re feeling in the mood and want to experience the Burmese culture up close, then just take a trip on the public ferry across the Yangon River to Dala or a leisurely stroll through the Bogyoke market (closed Mondays and public holidays) for some last-minute shopping. There is a wide range of items for sale, including: wooden carvings, bronze statues, lacquer, mother-of-pearl cutlery, longyis and much more. Afternoon transfer to airport for your return flight.