16 Days from Yangon via Loikaw to Bagan

Day 01 YANGON / Arrival

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

Day 02 YANGON (B)

On a walk through the city centre of Yangon and to the riverbank, you will see many notable sites from the colonial and religious past of this garden city. Old Rangoon was built based on designs by Dr William Montgomerie. He was a senior military physician who learnt about construction planning from Sir Stanford Raffles in Singapore. All culturally significant buildings in Yangon are listed as historic monuments. You’ll visit the Sule Pagoda, which dates back over 2000 years, pass by the town hall designed by U Tin in 1925, and then stroll through Maha Bandula Park, where you’ll see its independence monument before continuing onto the Supreme Court which was built in 1911 and is an extravagant red-brick architectural masterpiece designed by architect John Ransome. Next up on the tour is the red-brick Custom House which was built in 1902 for the Port Authority and is housed in a large building on the corner of Strand Road and Pansodan Street. You’ll then enjoy ‘high tea’ at the Strand Hotel which was built in 1896 and was formerly known as the ‘the finest hostelry East of Suez’, and late afternoon, 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 at Best Western Green Hill Hotel in Yangon.

Day 03 YANGON – BAGO – TAUNGOO (B)

After breakfast travel to Bago (approx. 1½ hours). In Bago, visit the Kyaik Pun Pagoda, with its four giant Buddha statues, the interesting market with its various types of vegetables, flowers and merchandise and the Kha Khat Wain monastery, where a long queue of monks forms every day before 11 am, as they wait patiently to receive their daily meal. Then continue to Taungoo (approx. 5 hours), 175 miles from Yangon. Along the way stop in some villages to get a glimpse of the everyday lives of the people in this rural area. Upon arrival in Taungoo, transfer to hotel and check-in. You will have the rest of the day free. Overnight stay at Royal Kaytumadi Hotel in Taungoo.

Day 04 TAUNGOO – LOIKAW (B, L)

After an early breakfast travel to Loikaw (approx. 6 hours). Closed for over half a century, recently opened to visitors, and finally accessible by air and road, Kayah is packed with diversity and potential for inspiring, off-the-beaten-track experiences. Kayah’s nine ethnic groups weave a colourful tapestry of beliefs, cuisines, dress and decorative arts, languages and livelihoods. Kayah’s tranquil capital, Loikaw, is usually the base for tourists. A short drive from the state capital, local villages offer many opportunities to experience local life, including a range of newly developed community-based cultural tours. In the afternoon take a leisurely walk, passing vegetable farms to a small forest and continue by car to a small Kayan village (popularly known as Long Neck Karen). Enjoy learning a few words of Kayan language and interacting with these fun-loving and artistic people. Late afternoon return to Loikaw and visit Taung Kwe Pagoda (Broken Mountain), the most famous religious landmark of Loikaw. The pagoda is 380 ft high and it was built on 9 natural hillocks. It is called ‘Phaw Pye’ in Kayah language. You can enjoy great views of the marvellous landscape of Loikaw from the top. You will stay overnight at Loikaw Lodge in Loikaw.

Day 05 LOIKAW (B, L)

After breakfast visit Thirimingalar Market, open every day from 6 AM to 5 PM, except full moon days. The market has a good variety of items local foods, vegetables, fruits and spices with wonderful contrasting colours and fragrances. Then drive to Hta Nee La Leh village and visit the Kayhtoebo site and Hunting Shrine, to learn about local beliefs and spiritual life. In addition, enjoy an Ox Cart ride, via the Lotus Pond to the scenic 7 Lakes and enjoy a delicious Kayah Barbecue with 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 their traditional dress. You will stay overnight at Loikaw Lodge 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. In the afternoon visit Samkar, a small and charming little village which is known for its ancient religious buildings. The charm of the village is the setting and scattering of the households amidst ruined stupas. Explore the old monasteries, wander among the village’s stone houses and mingle with the Pa’O residents. You will spend the night at Inle Sanctuary at Phayartaung.

Day 07 SAMKAR LAKE (B, L, D)

Explore the local village, trek to the hot springs and waterfalls, or peek into dramatic caves, or walk through the surrounding countryside where you can meet villagers from the different ethnic groups who live in the area. You can also try your hand at fishing from a traditional canoe! You will spend the night at Inle Sanctuary at Phayartaung.

Day 08 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 at Shwe Inn Tha Inle Resort at Inle Lake.

Day 09 INLE LAKE – KAUNG DINE – PINDAYA (F)

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. Then continue by boat to the village of Khaung Dine (approx. one hour) on the north-west bank of Inle Lake. This Intha village is well known for its production of soya cake and noodles. Take a walk through the area and see the people as they perform their home-based work. In the afternoon travel by car to Pindaya (approx. 2 hours), a charming village with its paper umbrella cottage industry. Overnight stay at Inle Inn in Pindaya.

Day 10 PINDAYA – MANDALAY (B)

After breakfast visit the Pindaya cave, famous for its thousands of Buddha images and the paper umbrella cottage industry. Then travel via Kyaukse to Mandalay (approx. 6 hours). Multi-colored fields, village live, orange orchards, bullock carts loaded with cabbages and rolling pine clad hills make it an interesting and pleasurable drive. You leave the Shan hills behind today and as you drop into the Ayeyarwady Basin you get some fantastic views from the hills. Upon arrival in Mandalay, transfer to Triumph Hotel for check-in and overnight.

Day 11 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. The clock tower next to the Zegyo Market was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1903. Afterwards, visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, which was originally built in 1784 by King Bodawpaya; 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 at Triumph Hotel in Mandalay.

Day 12 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 at Triumph Hotel in Mandalay.

Day 13 MANDALAY – PAKOKKU – BAGAN (B)

After breakfast travel to Pakokku (approx. 5 hours). En route stop in some villages to get a glimpse of the everyday lives of the people in this rural area. Upon arrival in Pakokku, a bustling tobacco trading centre, travel by private boat along the mighty Ayeyarwady River towards Bagan (approx. two hours). You will stay overnight at Bagan Umbra Hotel in Bagan.

Day 14 BAGAN (B)

Full day sightseeing tour of Bagan with a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples, such as Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; the Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, a temple with exquisite murals of Jataka scenes; the Ananda Temple, with four huge standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures in niches around the galleried interior and the Shwe Gu Gyi Temple, noted for its fine stucco carvings and panoramic views of the area’s many monuments. In the afternoon, travel by horse-drawn carriage to Myinkaba, which is located two kilometres south of Bagan. This village is known for its lacquerware and also has a number of interesting temples, such as the Nanphaya Temple, which is reputed to have been the residence of King Manuha at one time, and the Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, with its extremely beautiful interior frescos. From the top of one of the higher pagodas, you can round off the day by enjoying the sunset view of the pagoda fields and the Ayeyarwady River. You will stay overnight at Bagan Umbra Hotel in Bagan.

Day 15 BAGAN (B)

The village of Minnanthu lies a few kilometres south-east of Old Bagan. Take a short walk through the village and learn more about the everyday life of local families. Not far from the village of Pwasaw lies the impressive Dhammayazika Pagoda, which features an unusual pentagonal layout; and the Hsu Taung Pyi monastery, a further example of a brick monastery complex. Afternoon free at your own leisure. Overnight stay at Bagan Umbra Hotel in Bagan.

Day 16 BAGAN (B)

From Bagan you can continue your overland trip (please view our other tours), or you can fly to Thandwe and spend a few days at Ngapali Bach or fly back to Yangon.