Myanmar by Road, Rail, and River

Day 2

Explore Yangon

Packed with pagodas and crammed with colonial relics, Yangon is one of the most enchanting cities in Asia.

Meet View the River Gallery at The Strand Hotel, where afterwards you can enjoy a tea or coffee in the historic café. Return to your hotel to relax during the heat of the day.

In the late afternoon visit the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, the holiest stupa in the land. With its hundreds of small temples and prayer niches, and people from all over the country coming to pay their respects here, a wander around Shwedagon is an unforgettable experience.

STAY

Sule Shangri-La

Day 3

Fly to Heho & Kalaw in colourful Shan State

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Heho, from here journey across the beautiful landscape of the Shan Plateau to Kalaw. In town, explore the central market and visit some of the old colonial houses including the Anglican Church, built by the British in 1900s. Visit Pinmagon monastery which houses the famous Nee Paya (Bamboo Buddha Image) estimated to have been built during the Ava Period over 500 years ago, before transferring to the Kalaw Hill Lodge.

Kalaw offers some of the best trekking in the country. The surrounding mountains are home to numerous hill tribes and villages including Danu, Pa-O, Palaung and Taung Yoo ethnic groups. The villagers are mostly farmers growing tea, clementines, rice and a countless variety of fruits and vegetables. Your knowledgeable guide will introduce you to the local people and be able to explain many of the plants encountered on your trek, including several herbs used in local cooking and traditional medicine.

STAY

Kalaw Hill Lodge

Day 4

Explore region by foot & train ride to Sintaung.

After breakfast, visit a local Buddhist monastery and take a 15 minute walk to a Danu village. Visit the library and interact with locals over a cup of green tea. Continue to another 20  minutes to a Nepalese village, where you can taste rice and plum wine. From here transfer by vehicle to Kalaw station for the short rail journey to Sintaung, which takes around an hour. At 4425 feet above sea level, the village is predominately inhabited by a Nepalese community, descendants of Gurkha soldiers  brought to Myanmar by the British. Visit a 100 year old Nepalese temple and climb the hilltop Pagoda for stunning views of the valley below. Settle into a village house, your home for the night, and get to know your hosts. Dinner and overnight in the village house.

STAY

Village House

Day 5

Trek to Hinkha Gone & return to Kalaw

Today trek 1.5 hours along a ridge to Hinkha Gone village, located at 4767 feet. From here continue another hour north to the view point, perched at 4715 feet. Have lunch here and take some time to enjoy the view from the ridge before returning to the lodge by vehicle.

While at the lodge you can explore the organic gardens and experience working with buffalo, milking cows and feeding animals at local farm house within the grounds.

STAY

Kalaw Hill Lodge

Day 6

Train journey through Shan countryside to Inle Lake.

After breakfast visit Shwe U Min Pagoda (Shwe Oo Min Paya), a cave filled with golden Buddhas before boarding the train to Shwe Nyaung. At the station your driver will be waiting to transfer you to Nyaung Shwe at the north end of Inle Lake. Here board a long-tailed boat for the trip to your hotel on the eastern shore.

The lake sits in a valley between two mountain ranges and feels like a different world to the rest of Burma. Wooden houses are built high on stilts and fishermen steer their one-man boats with a unique rowing style, wrapping one leg around their oar. Rows of floating gardens produce delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers. Along with fishing and farming, traditional handicrafts are an important part of the local economy, especially silk weaving. As with all of Myanmar, religion plays a massive part in local life, and numerous pagodas and monasteries can be found on the lake and its shores. After a relaxing afternoon take a tour by canoe through the peaceful stilt villages bathed in the golden light of dusk.

STAY

Inle Heritage Inn

Day 7

Cooking class with family and visit atmospheric Indein by boat

After breakfast, you will visit a local house where you will take a cooking class- pick the ingredients from the hotels organic garden and  learn how to make traditional Shan dishes and enjoy the dishes you have prepared for lunch.

Travel by long-tailed boat to the western bank of the lake to the ancient temple site of Indein. Explore the crumbling and atmospheric groups of pagodas and carvings of mythical creatures, and climb the covered stairway leading up the hill to Shwe Inn Thein Paya for wonderful views across the lake.

Take a short walk along a river and lush bamboo forest. Farmers can be seen ploughing and harrowing with buffaloes either side, and these beasts can sometimes be seen wallowing off the banks.

STAY

Inle Heritage Inn

Day 8

Visit 5-day market & mingle with the region’s different communities

Travel by boat to the five day market. There may be a leisurely walk to the market site depending on where it is being held. The route will take you on local tracks through small farms. Your guide will explain the wide variety of crops, and what systems the farmers use. Villagers are very friendly and will often welcome you into their homes. The market attracts different ethnic groups from around the lake. You will soon be able to recognise each by their costume. It is also possible to visit the Red Mountain winery by, car, bicycle or on foot for wine tasting and fabulous views across the lake.

STAY

Inle Heritage Inn

Day 9

Fly to Bagan and visit golden Shwezigon pagoda

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the cultural heart of the Burma, Bagan.

On arrival visit the golden dome of Shwezigon pagoda. Your hotel is in the centre of Old Bagan surrounded by temple spires.

This evening climb onto a temple platform to watch the sun set behind the forest of stupas.

STAY

The Hotel at Tharabar Gate

Day 10

Optional hot air balloon ride and the Two Thousand Temple Plain

Rise early for your transfer to the launch site for hot drinks and briefing. Then take to the air for dramatic views over the unique and enchanting 11th century ruins as the sun rises from behind distant mountains.

After breakfast, start your tour of some of Bagan's beautiful temples on the ground. You will hear the story of King Anwaratha and his conversion to Buddhism and at Dhammayazika Pagoda see the terracotta tiles illustrating scenes from the Jataka.

After lunch return to your hotel to rest during the heat of the day. In the afternoon visit a lacquerware workshop to watch men and women produce these beautiful handicrafts.

STAY

The Hotel at Tharabar Gate

Day 11

Irrawaddy voyage to ancient, rustic Salay

After breakfast board a small private boat and cruise down the Irrawaddy river to Salay. Enjoy the scenery from the open-topped deck and relax with a cup of tea or coffee.

After a couple of hours and a delicious lunch on the boat, you will arrive in the historic town of Salay. This 12th century village is an active religious centre with many wooden monasteries and British colonial buildings. Walk through the sleepy town dotted with rustic temples often missed by tourists. At 130 years old Yokesone Kyaung is the oldest surviving teak monastery, built on 154 teak posts with beautiful carvings decorating the exterior walls.

This evening stay in Salay in a traditional house. Meet your hosts, spend time getting to know the family and see experience village life in Myanmar.

STAY 

Village Homestay

Day 12

Explore Salay to return for leisure time in Bagan

Enjoy a relaxing morning in Salay before returning to Bagan by road.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure in Bagan, you can hire bicycles to explore, relax by the pool or take a cookery class.

STAY

The Hotel at Tharabar Gate

Day 13

After a relaxing morning fly to back to Yangon

Enjoy a relaxing morning in Bagan.

In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Yangon. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure.

STAY

Sule Shangri-La

Day 14

Depart Yangon

Transfer to the international airport for your departure flight.