Culture of Myanmar Tour

Myanmar Culture Tour (13 Days/12 Nights)

Upon arrival at Yangon airport. Check in your hotel. Your journey begins with an afternoon tour through Yangon’s colonial–style city. Visit Sule Pagoda,Not a very significant pagoda but it is at the centre of the town with Mahabandoola Garden on one side & the surrounding interesting historical buildings of government, law courts. Continue to visit the Botataung Pagoda with the sacred hair of Lord Buddha enshrined. Evening take a walk to China Town where can see the many vendors on the platform & can buy the variety of Myanmar products. Overnight stay at hotel in Yangon.

After breakfast at the hotel, leave Yangon for Bagan by domestic flight. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Visit through the colorful Nyaung U Market and continue the day with visits to the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan including Shwezigon Pagoda; the prototype for later Myanmar pagodas built by King Anawrahta, Kyansitha Umin; a tunnel with interesting paintings, Thatbyinnyu Temple; the highest building on the Bagan plain and Htilominlo Temple; noted for its plaster carvings and the largest temple of Bagan.

After lunch, visit to one of Myanmar most treasured handicrafts, a lacquer-ware workshop. Then continue to Manuha Temple; built in Mon style in 1059 and Nanpaya temple; a unique sandstone monument. Next you will explore the Myingaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple; a temple noted worthy for its mural paintings of Jataka scenes under the protection of UNESCO and go to watch the sunset over the Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight stay at the hotel in Bagan.

After Breakfast, driving excursion to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano with its shrines dedicated to animist spirits known as “Nats”.   For the energetic, time to climb up the 777 steps to the shrine at the top of the volcanic plug.   Then drive back to Bagan and continue for sightseeing to the rest of highlight Pagoda.  Overnight at the Hotel in Bagan.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Nyaun U airport for flight to Mandalay. Check in your hotel. The last capital of royal Myanmar, Mandalay is still one of the largest cities in Myanmar, and a cultural and spiritual center. In the morning, head to Mahamuni Pagoda, the image enshrined here is perhaps the most venerated image in Myanmar, covered in over 15 cm thickness of gold leaf. Worshippers flock daily to the shrine at four in the morning to observe the unique face-washing ceremony. En-route to the pagoda, stop to observe the laborious process of Gold-Leaf Beating, where gold is painstakingly hammered into tissue-thin squares.

The afternoon's tour includes some of the city's most interesting temples and palaces. Begin with Shwenandaw Kyaung (Shwe Kyaung), the Golden Teak Monastery. Built entirely of golden teak, this intricately carved wooden monastery was one part of the Mandalay Palace, used as private apartments by King Mindon and his chief queen. Then to Kuthodaw Pagoda, known also as the world’s biggest book. Around the central stupa are miniature pavilions, each housing a slab of marble. Numbering altogether 729, these slabs are inscribed with the entire Tripitkata, or Buddhist scriptures. Continue to Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, famous for its monumental seated Buddha, carved from a single block of marble. Finally, enjoy the spectacular sunset at Mandalay Hill, 230 metres in elevation, commands a magnificent view of the city and surrounding countryside. Overnight stay at the hotel in Mandalay.

After breakfast, excursion to Amarapura; 11 km from Mandalay to visit to Mahagandayon Monastery where more than a thousand monks live and study the Buddha scripture. If time permit you will have the opportunity to observe the monks having their last meal of the day in total silence. Continue to have a walk on 162 years old and 1.2 km long U BEIN teak bridge; noted for building without nails built in 1849 at the time when Amarapura was Royal capital. Then excursion to Inwa (Ava); a historical capital in 1364.  After crossing over the Myit Nge river, visit by horse-cart carriage to Nanmyint Watch Tower, Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery; built of brick and stucco and Bagayar Monastery; famous for its impressive woodcarvings and teak poles. Lunch at local restaurant.  Afternoon, continue to Saggaing Hill; a retreat for Buddhist devotees.  Drive back to Mandalay for overnight.

After breakfast excursion to Mingun, about 11 km far up-river from Mandalay by crossing the Ayeyarwaddy River nearly taking one hour.  Then, visit around Mingun especially for well-known Mingun Bell; 90 tons in weight, the largest ringing bell in the world, unfinished huge Mingun Pagoda, Settawya Pagoda and Hsinbyume Pagoda.  In the afternoon,  return to Mandalay and visit to the Craft Workshops specializing in one of the arts for which the city is famous for bronze-casting, marble-carving, wood-carving and puppetry.  Overnight at the hotel in Mandalay.

Overland Drive to Pyinoolwin (Maymyo), the British hill station with Victoria style houses. Visit to Local market and walk around the town to watch the old British style of houses that can not be seen even in Britain.  Visit to Pyin Oo Lwin market, then continue to National Botanical Garden to learn the different species of trees, plants and flowers. Proceed to Pwekauk waterfall and Peikchinmyaung natural cave nearby Pyin Oo Lwin.  Drive back to Mandalay and overnight.

After breakfast, transferred to the airport for the flight to Heho.  Then proceed to Pindaya by road, 65 km far with 1 ½ hrs drive and visit to Pindaya Cave; a unique site housing thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims over the centuries. Drive to Nyaung Shwe, 95 km far with 1½ hrs drive and transfer to hotel.  Overnight in Inle.

After the breakfast at the hotel, the whole day sightseeing to Inle Lake including Indaing village, the western end of the Lake.  The boat takes you through a long channel where you watch the farmers cultivate their products.  This ride is one of the most scenic boat tours on Lake Inle.  After lunch, visit to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, one of the famous principal shrines in Myanmar, this pagoda houses five small Buddha images.  Once a year, in end September or early October, there is its pagoda festival during which the four Buddha images are rowed around the Lake in a colourful barge. Then visit to the old Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, known as for the jumping cats’ monastery.  If time allows, stop to see silk weaving on wooden handlooms. And also visit to the local blacksmiths workshops.  Overnight at the hotel in Inle.

After breakfast, transfer to the Heho airport for the flight to Yangon. Transfer to hotel. Afternoon shopping to the Bogyoke Market (Scotts market ) with hundreds of food, clothes, handicrafts and gems store. Then visit to the 2,500 years old magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda. At sunset, the Shwedagon offers visitors a spectacular show of lights and shadows.  Overnight in Yangon.

After breakfast, pick up from your hotel and proceed to Bago by road (84 km – 1 ½ hrs). You will start visiting to Bago Market. After seeing over a thousand years old Shwemawdaw Pagoda which is higher than the Shwedagon Pagoda, you will proceed to the Kin Pun ‘base camp’ (110 km – 3 ½ hrs).  The tour will continue to one of Myanmar’s landmarks which is famous for its precarious position and religious importance: Kyaikhtiyo the ‘Golden Rock ‘. To reach the pagoda from Kin Pun Camp a steep 11 km long road leads to the upper staging point.  The journey is made in open trucks which are very crowded. The ‘upper area’ must be traveled by foot, and the walk is approximately 4km (1 hour) up a steep path which ascends some 500 m to the Golden Rock. On arrival you can enjoy the beautiful sunset. Over night at the hotel.

After breakfast you will return to Yangon by road (194 km – 5 hrs).  After lunch in Bago, continue sightseeing with the 55 m long reclining Shwe Tha Layaung Buddha which is one of the most impressive Buddha images in Myanmar and the four giant Buddha images at Kyaik Pun Pagoda.  On the way back to Yangon, visit to an Allied War Graves Cemetery near Htauk Kyant.  Overnight at the hotel in Yangon.

Leisure time till transfer to Yangon international airport for departure flight.

Tour price per person:

Use Hotel (Superior)

Tour Price validity:  Up to 31st March 2018

Tour price includes:

• Private transfer and sightseeing with air-conditioned car/micro van/mini bus as per itinerary
• Open truck fees in Kyaikhtiyo trip
• Accommodation with daily breakfast as per itinerary
• Private boat trip in Inle Lake as per itinerary
• Domestic Air tickets / economy class (Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay – Heho - Yangon)
• Domestic Airport Services charges included
• English language speaking station guide in each destination
• All entrance fees as per itinerary
• Daily bottle of mineral water
• All activities mentioned
• All service charge and government tax 

Tour price excludes:

• International Air-ticket to/from Myanmar
• Insurance (Highly recommend to take your own insurance on or before your departure)
• Meals (Lunch & Dinner)
• International Airport Departure Tax
• Visa fee
• Personal expenses
• Tips to tour guide and driver
• Others not mentioned in the program