Myanmar Express Tour

Mingalabar! Soon after your arrival, you will be welcomed by our guide and driver before heading to your hotel for check-in and refreshments. 

When the right time comes in the afternoon, we will start our Yangon exploration at the Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda where you soon find yourself dwarfed by the enormous 65 meters long reclining Buddha Statue – one of the most religiously significant images in Yangon and in Myanmar generally.  Next up, we head to a pleasant stop named Kandawgyi Park – enjoyed not only by tourists but also by many local residents. There we will find the magnificent gold Karaweik Barge looking like a giant bird majestically perching on the serene Kandawgyi Lake. The park is ideal for a leisurely stroll and its deep sense of lovely surroundings. Soon enough, just when the sun is ready to set. the awe-inspiring, golden Shwedagon Pagoda will catch your eye. Savor the last moments of the afternoon and feel all the blessings mixed with the sounds of prayer bells and chanting. Lunch and dinner are on your own account. Overnight stay in Yangon.

After having breakfast, we transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Bagan – the glorious ancient capital city where the legacy of Myanmar’s Buddhist beliefs still exists in the area’s well-preserved, beautiful red-brick temples that date back to the 11th century.  

Upon your arrival in Bagan, our station guide and driver will welcome you,  and along the way to your first destination, Ananda Temple, the guide will  tell you of the history and significance of the area, best known for the most beautiful temples in Bagan with their elegant,  symmetrical structures and their picturesque stone exteriors.

After lunch and a short break, we continue our travels to visit the Bagan House of lacquerware to see how this interesting, delicate process using bamboo, eggshells, and lacquer enables artists to make both beautiful artwork and useful, everyday products. 

Afterwards, more temple visitations await as we take you to Gubyaukgyi Temple, also known as the “cave temple” outstanding in its own right because of its Indian-influenced architecture.  To conclude the fascinating first day trip in Bagan we will explore Htilominlo Temple – a majestic 46-meter high temple, richly decorated with beautiful mural paintings inside which date back to the  13th century. When the sun is hiding behind ancient temples, take your time to relish the best moments of the day while temple bells and gongs surround you like magic.            

OPTIONAL: USD12/PAX FOR SUNSET CRUISE

When dusk is coming, if you wish, we will transfer to a nearby river jetty and embark on a private riverboat for a spectacular sunset moment over the gently flowing Irrawaddy River. This is an ideal way for you to relax and chill-out after a strenuous day of traveling around Bagan.  Stretching out in a lounge chair, looking over the sky dotted with small groups of cranes flying home to roost before, dark or just watching the fishermen on their bamboo rafts trying to catch the last luck of the day are simple ways to end a lovely day.

After an early breakfast, you will be picked up by our guide and driver to start off on a fun-filled exploration of Bagan. As morning is the best time to visit the market, we will first head to Nyaung Oo Market and witness how local residents trade goods for their daily living. 

After time mingling with local shoppers in the market, we will move to Old Bagan and commence our journey to a series of major religious sites,  with the first stop being at Shwedagon Pagoda – one of the oldest and most impressive golden pagodas in Bagan,  built by the former founder of Bagan empire. Cars continue to pass us along the small dusty roads as we walk under shady trees in between a number of smaller,  less known temples, to be taken on foot to visit a small, nearby village. Walking through this quiet village you can see and feel the simple way of life the local people experience and you can observe how Bagan farmers live in harmony among thousands of ruins.

Afternoon comes, and we will enjoy a  journey by horse cart – an old way to travel through ancient time. We will pass by the tallest temple in Bagan, Thatbyinnyu,  and the largest temple, Dhammayangyi,  built in the shape of an Egyptian Pyramid, as we learn about the ancient methods of construction. Finally, we will stop to savor a breath-taking sunset from the upper terrace of the elegant, multi-storey  Sulamani Temple.

Optional Myanmar Express Tour 6 Day: HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE OVER BAGAN– USD285/PAX FOR STANDARD SERVICE; USD330/PAX FOR PREMIUM SERVICE

Start off your morning with a fantastic hot air balloon flight over the vast plains of Bagan. From a perfect height, you will witness from above the once-in-a-lifetime vision of the sun rising behind the jungle of red-brick ruined monuments to wake up the land with its glorious sunshine. (Only available from October/November through March).

This morning we will head off to the airport for a short flight to Heho (the gateway to Inle Lake). Landing at Heho, you will receive a warm welcome from our station guide and driver before enjoying a scenic drive to Inle Lake. En-route, there will be a chance to stop at a traditional Shan paper and umbrella workshop to get a closer look at how these beautiful items are made by skillful hands. When you arrive at Nyaung Shwe Jetty (a ferry town to begin any boat journey), you will take a private boat for an exciting excursion around this huge, beautiful lake. On the surface of the serene water are floating villages housing thousands of Intha people who live by fishing and gardening. Along the way, our guide will give you an enlightening explanation of how tomato, potato, and many other agricultural products are cleverly planted on the thin layer of floating soil. 

We will stop at Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, an attractive wooden monastery largely known in the past for its big collection of beautiful Buddha images and jumping cats. Let’s go inside and learn about all the workings of this oldest monastery on Inle Lake. Leaving the Monastery, we continue to the Ywama Village and visit Phaung DawOo Pagoda –a most revered place housing five golden images of the Buddha covered by thick layers of gold leaf from one of the most important historical events since the very old days of Burma. 

The pagoda is always a busy place for many locals to show their great respect to their highest guardian. Around the lake, to see more of local working life, we will stop to visit some specialized traditional workshops such as lotus weaving, cigar making or silversmithing,  in which every single item is made completely by hand. Our guide will explain the processes to you while skillful workers focus on their mission. When the sun is going down, we return to the hotel for relaxation after a fascinating boat trip.   

Lunch and Dinner on own account. Overnight stay in Inle Lake.

After breakfast, we will continue our boat trip on the lake to visit Indein Village, a one hour trip from Nyaung Shwe Village. On the way, there is a good chance to drop into a 5-day floating market held in selected villages around the lake. The market is not merely famous as the biggest and most anticipated event for the lakeside inhabitants - the natives from surrounding mountains in the Shan state also come to this colorful gathering where multiples cultures mingle and exchange their homemade products with each other. 

After a long but scenic ride, in the second half of the morning, we will reach Indein Village – on the westernmost shore of Inle Lake. Walking through a dirt track under a shady bamboo forest to the hilltop, your eyes soon see an amazing huge jungle of ancient stupas embracing a quiet and calm pagoda set in the middle. While some of the stupas are well restored, many are still in their original states, untouched from the 12th century with overgrown small bushes and trees. The antique landscape will generously offer breath-taking photos for your Myanmar collection. Later on, en-route back to your hotel for a relaxed afternoon, if you wish, we will stop for a while at Inthar Heritage House to get to know more about traditional lake architecture and local artist’s work, while enjoying local coffee and tasty cakes (optional, not included).

Lunch and dinner on own account. Overnight stay in Inle Lake.

After the last breakfast in your Inle Lake Hotel, pack your luggage and your drop-off guide and driver will take you to Heho Airport for a morning flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival at Yangon Airport, reunite with your Yangon guide again who will support you to connect to your departure flight home, later on.

Lunch and dinner own account. Our Myanmar Express Tour 6 Day ends! See you again.