General Information
Tour Highlights
- Get into a cruise in luxury for 3 nights on the legendary Irrawaddy River aboard all-balcony ‘Sanctuary Ananda’
- Experience floating gardens & private viewing of a traditional Intha boat race on tranquil Inle Lake
- Soar above thousands of pagodas & capture the photographs of a lifetime on a magical hot air balloon ride
- Experience the ceremonial lighting of a thousand oil lamps at the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda
- Enjoy privileged access to a local celebration of a young monk’s first entry to the monastery
Tour Details
Duration: 11 days/ 10 nights
Start/ End: Yangon/ Yangon
Tour Route: Yangon – Bagan – Irrawaddy – Mandalay – Inle Lake – Yangon
Date: No Fixed Departure – Anytime You Wish
Tour Customizable: Definitely! Tell us your interests in the inquiry form
Tour Guide: Private local guide (English speaking guide or other languages as you want)
Transportation: Private first-class air-conditioned vehicles
Brief Itinerary
Day 01: Yangon
Day 02: Yangon
Day 03: Bagan
Day 04: Bagan
Day 05: Cruise the Irrawaddy
Day 06: Cruise the Irrawaddy
Day 07: Mandalay
Day 08: Inle Lake
Day 09: Inle Lake
Day 10: Yangon
Day 11: Departure
Full Itinerary
Day 01: Yangon
Upon arrival, you will be warmly greeted by Luxury Asia Trips’ private guide & driver. They then escort you to the hotel and the rest of the day will be yours. Relax at leisure.
- Accommodation: Belmond Governor's Residence
Day 02: Yangon
Today, get into your first taste of Myanmar which is a profoundly Buddhist country, where many old-aged traditions still flourish. Head to Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) to observe where locals gather, socialize and shop. After lunch, see the Reclining Buddha at Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, a 213-foot-long statue with an expressive enamel face. This evening, we drive to Shwedagon Pagoda which is the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar, for a sunset oil-lamp lighting ceremony. Standing nearly 330 feet tall, the venerated stupa is covered in gold leaf and topped by a finial encrusted with thousands of precious gems. Marvel at this mesmerizing wonder firsthand, as your guide, will explain the history behind the sacred relics it enshrines, which consist of strands of hair from the head of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Tonight, gather for a special welcome dinner.
- Accommodation: Belmond Governor's Residence
Day 03: Bagan
Today, fly to Bagan, a city with over 2,000 Buddhist pagodas & temples, the first of which was constructed by King Anawrahta in 1044. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch before continuing to your hotel. After a short rest, head to a local lacquerware workshop. This evening, get into a Scenic Sundowner from a special scenery platform overlooking Bagan’s temple-dotted landscape.
- Accommodation: Aureum Palace Hotel & Resort, Bagan
Day 04: Bagan
This morning, witness a shinbyu (novitiate ceremony), a coming-of-age ritual celebrating an aspiring young monk’s first entry to the monastery. Enjoy privileged access to this time-honored tradition and the village festivities. Visit the well-preserved Ananda Temple, built-in 1090. Next, traverse to the village of Wetkyi-In to admire the wonderful Kubyaukgyi Temple, famous for its old-aged murals. Board luxurious all-balcony ‘Sanctuary Ananda,’ your home for a 3-night cruise on the timeless Irrawaddy River.
- Accommodation: Aureum Palace Hotel & Resort, Bagan
Day 05: Cruise the Irrawaddy
Rise early for an exhilarating hot air balloon ride (weather permitting) over Bagan, as dawn illuminates the gold- and sand-colored stupas. After breakfast on board, explore Nyaung Oo Market and observe locals selling and bartering for goods. Return to the ship for lunch, and listen to a special onboard talk about Myanmar’s history and vision for the future, followed by demonstrations of the longyi - the traditional Burmese cloth that is worn by men and women and thanakha, which is a white cosmetic paste made from ground bark.
- Accommodation: Sanctuary Ananda
Day 06: Cruise the Irrawaddy
Today, learn the secrets of Burmese cuisine during a cooking demonstration at a delightful Chef ’s Table experience. After lunch, head to Sagaing, a former royal city renowned for its monasteries, pagodas & stupas. Traverse to Amarapura, where you embark by boat to witness the picturesque U Bein Bridge — the oldest as well as the longest teakwood bridge in the world. Observe the locals riding bikes, carrying crops and chitchatting from work cross this tall, iconic landmark for an insight into daily life here as well as an ideal sunset photo opportunity.
- Accommodation: Sanctuary Ananda
Day 07: Mandalay
After breakfast on board, discover a gold-leaf workshop, where the metal is hammered paper-thin & prepared for use in some of Myanmar’s most sacred sites. In the afternoon, visit the Shwenandaw Monastery as well as marvel at the over 700 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist religious texts at Kuthodaw Pagoda, which is referred to as the biggest book in the world. Later, observe evening prayers at Shwe Kyin Monastery.
- Accommodation: Rupar Mandalar Resort
Day 08: Inle Lake
Today, fly to Heho and take a drive to Nyaung Shwe to head to a Shan paper workshop. Get into a firsthand look at the artisans who produce this distinctive paper, using fibers from the mulberry tree, and craft a wide range of items from it, most notably Burmese parasols. This afternoon, aboard a boat and explore the ingenious floating gardens of Inle Lake. In order to create these gardens, used for growing fruit & vegetables, fishermen have to gather together lake plants like water hyacinths as well as seagrass and anchor them with bamboo poles embedded in the lake bottom. Layers of mud, ash, plus more vegetation are then applied to form a farmable surface strong enough to stand upon. Then, transfer to your lakeside boutique hotel.
- Accommodation: Aureum Palace Hotel & Resort, Inle
Day 09: Inle Lake
Today, in the morning, get into one of these Design Your Day activities:
- Enjoy an Artisan Visit, to see cigar-like cheroots hand made at a local workshop, and tour a weaving factory.
- Bicycle Through the Countryside in the company of a local guide, taking in the lush surroundings and local life.
- Attend a Cooking Class led by a local chef, for the hands-on opportunity to prepare traditional Burmese dishes.
After lunch, privately witness an Intha boat race with afternoon tea. Witness the coordinated effort required by the 20 participants/ boat, each using the traditional single-leg rowing technique in which local fishermen still employ.
- Accommodation: Aureum Palace Hotel & Resort, Inle
Day 10: Yangon
Fly to Yangon and transfer to your hotel. Later, savor afternoon tea with a local writer, artist, and intellectual who shares her insight into contemporary Burmese culture and politics. Tonight, enjoy your time in Myanmar with a special farewell dinner.
- Accommodation: Belmond Governor's Residence
Day 11: Departure
Farewell to you. Breakfast and relax at leisure until getting escorted to the airport for a flight coming home. The trip ends. Hope you enjoyed it and wish that when it comes to other luxury Asia holiday, you will choose us.
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