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| Bur 01 : YANGON ... , 9 days | Bur 02 : YANGON - BAGAN - MANDALAY , 5 days | Bur 03 : YANGON ... , 8 days |
| Bur 03 : YANGON - BAGAN - MANDALAY - PINDAYA - HEHO - INLE LAKE - TAUNGGYI - YANGON, 8 days |
Day 1 Yangon Arrival in Yangon Transfer
Visit Shwedagon Pagoda for sunset SHWEDAGON PAGODA: the highlight of any visit to Yangon, this pagoda dates back about 2500 years and was built to house eight sacred hairs of the Buddha. Its original shape has changed beyond all recognition over the centuries. Its bell-shaped superstructure, resting on a terraced base, is covered in about 60 tons of gold-leaf, which is continuously being replaced. Overnight in Yangon. Day 2 Yangon Sightseeing in Yangon (full day) Visit Sule Pagoda SULE PAGODA: this 48 meter high golden dome was used by the British as the nucleus of their grid pattern for the city when it was rebuilt in the 1880s. The pagoda's peculiarity is its octagonal-shaped stupa, which retains its shape as it tapers to the spire.Visit Botataung Pagoda BOTATAUNG PAGODA: this paya was named after the 1000 military leaders who escorted relics of the Buddha brought from India over 2000 years ago. This ancient monument was completely destroyed during WWII. It was then rebuilt in a very similar style to its predecessor, but the zedi is hollow and one can walk through it.Visit Kyaukhtatkyi Pagoda KYAUKHTATKYI PAGODA: the temple contains a gaudy, modern, 70 meter long reclining Buddha, built in 1966 and housed in an iron pavilion. The temple doubles as a monastery and a center for the study of Buddhist manuscripts.Visit the National Museum NATIONAL MUSEUM: a museum with several interesting exhibits, especially the 8 meter high Sihasana Lion Throne, used by King Thibaw Min, the last Burmese king, and returned to Burma in 1908 by Lord Mountbatten. The main floor contains jewellery, old black and white photos of Mandalay Palace and Yangon, royal relics, Hintha opium weights and inscribed tablets.Visit Bogyoke Aung San Market BOGYOKE AUNG SAN MARKET: also known as Scott Market, this building contains over 2000 stalls and is the best place in Yangon to browse through the complete range of local handicrafts. Overnight in Yangon. Day 3 Yangon - Bagan Transfer Flight from Yangon to Bagan Transfer Sightseeing in Bagan Bagan is a spectacular plain stretching away from the Ayeyarwaddy River, dotted with thousands of 800-year old temple ruins. Although human habitation at Bagan dates back almost to the beginning of the Christian era, Bagan only entered its golden period with the conquest of Thaton in 1057 AD. SHWEZIGON PAYA: King Anawrahta started the construction of the Schwezigon Pagoda to enshrine some relicts of Buddha. The construction was finished by his successor, King Kyansittha between 1086 and1090. Originally the Shwezigon Pagoda marked the northern end of the city of Bagan. The stupa's graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all later stupas over Myanmar. GUBYAUKHYI TEMPLE at Wetkyi-Inn: This Temple was built in the early 13th Century and repaired in 1468. The great colorful painting about the previous life of Buddha and the distinguished architecture make this temple an interesting site for a visit. This temple is not to be confounded with the Gubyaukgyi Temple in Myinkabe. ANANDA PAHTO: one of the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples. Thought to have been built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha, this perfectly proportioned temple heralds the stylistic end of the Early Bagan period and the beginning of the Middle period. GUBYAUKGYI TEMPLE at Myinkaba: Built in 1113 by Kyanzittha's son Rajakumar, this temple is famous for its well-preserved Stuccos from the 12th century on the outside walls. The magnificent paintings date from the original construction of the temple and are considered to be the oldest original paintings in Bagan. MANUHA TEMPLE: The Manuha Temple was built in 1059 by King Manuha, the King of Thaton, who was brought captive to Bagan by King Anawrahta. It enshrines the unusual combination of 3 seated and one reclining image Buddha. It is said that this temple was built by Manuha to express his displeasure about his captivity in Bagan. SHWESANDAW PAYA: In 1057 King Anawrahta built this Pagoda following his conquest of Thaton. This is the first monument in Bagan, which features stairways leading up from the square bottom terraces to the round base of the Stupa. This Pagoda is ideal to watch Bagan's magnificent sunsets. Overnight in Bagan. 
Day 4 Bagan - Mandalay Transfer Flight from Bagan to Mandalay
Transfer Sightseeing in Mandalay Mandalay was the last capital of Myanmar before the British took over so it still has great importance as a cultural center and historically it's the most Burmese of the country's large cities. Mandalay's Buddhist monasteries are among the most important in the country about 60% of all the monks in Myanmar reside in the Mandalay area. The city takes its name from Mandalay Hill, the 236m-high bluff that rises just to the north-east of Mandalay Fort and its royal palace. KYAUKTAWGYI PAGODA: built between 1853 and 1878 and chiefly interesting for the huge seated image of the Buddha carved from a single block of marble. The marble block from the mines of nearby Sagyin was so colossal that it required 10,000 men laboring for 13 days to transport it from a canal to the current site. SANDAMANI PAYA: a cluster of slender whitewashed stupas built on the site of King Mindon's temporary palace used while the new Mandalay Palace was under construction. The Paya enshrines an iron image of the Buddha cast in 1802 by Bodawpaya and transported here from Amarapura in 1874. MAHAMUNI PAYA: originally built by King Bodawpaya in 1784 when a road paved with bricks was constructed from his palace to the paya's eastern gate. The centerpiece of the shrine is the highly venerated Mahamuni image that was transported to Myanmar from Mrauk U in Rakhaing in 1784. KUTHODAW PAYA: the central stupa here was modeled on the Shwezigon Paya at Nyaung U near Bagan. Building commenced in 1857, at the same time as the royal palace. The paya has been dubbed 'the world's biggest book', for standing around the central stupa are 729 marble slabs on which are inscribed the entire Tripitaka.Visit Mandalay Hill MANDALAY HILL: an easy climb up the sheltered steps bring one to a panoramic view over the palace, Mandalay and the paya-studded countryside. The famous hermit monk, U Khanti, is credited with inspiring the construction of many of the buildings on and around the hill in the years after the founding of the city. Overnight in Mandalay. Day 5 Mandalay - Heho - Pindaya Transfer Flight from Mandalay to Heho By vehicle from Heho to Pindaya Journey west on Highway 4 and then due north from Aungban on Highway 41 past Pwehla.Visit the Pindaya Caves PINDAYA CAVES: these caves are ensconced in a limestone ridge overlooking the lake. Inside the cavern there are more than 8000 Buddha images - made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement - and are arranged in such a way as to form a labyrinth throughout the various cave chambers. SHWE U MIN PAYA: this is a cluster of low stupas just below the ridge near the Pindaya Caves. Beginning on the full moon of Tabaung (February/March), Pindaya hosts a colourful pagoda festival at Shwe U Min. Overnight in Pindaya. 
Day 6 Pindaya - Taunggyi - Inle Lake By vehicle from Pindaya to Taunggyi Sightseeing in Taunggyi Taunggyi is a pine-clad hill station which provides a cool break from the heat of the plains. CENTRAL MARKET: located in the centre of town, it is a good place to see colourful hill tribe people and the popular local handicraft of basket making. GEM MARKET: market where jade, rubies and sapphires are bought and sold. SHAN STATE MUSEUM & LIBRARY: items include local native costume, musical instruments, ceramics and weapons. There is also a display of royal Shan regalia and an exhibit of religious art that includes Buddhist sculpture in Shan and Mandalay styles. PA-O CULTURAL CENTRE: small but well laid-out museum contains musical instruments, including a typical Po-O accordian, banknotes and costumes. FLYING TIGER MASHUA (CHEROOT FACTORY): the handrolling technique is impressive, and cheroot bundlers are able to bunch 50 cheroots in bundles without counting the individual cigars-they judge simply by feel.By vehicle from Taunggyi to Inle Lake Journey west along highway 4 to Shwenyaung and then south to Inle Lake. Overnight in Inle Lake. Day 7 Inle Lake - Heho - Yangon Boat trip on the Inle Lake Inle Lake, located in Shan State, is beautiful, with very calm waters dotted with patches of floating vegetation and busy fishing canoes. High hills rim the lake on all sides. The lakes shore and islands bear 17 villages on stilts, mostly inhabited by the Intha people. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and observe the skilled fisherman using their "leg-rowing" technique to propel themselves around the lake. Visit a local market and a Intha village around the lake.By vehicle from the Inle Lake to Heho Journey north to Shwenyaung and continue west on highway 4 to Heho.Flight from Heho to Yangon Transfer Overnight in Yangon. Day 8 Yangon Transfer |
ATTA Registration No.01168