Burma holiday, off the beaten track
This classic tailor-made trip will take you from the gilded pagodas of Yangon to the iconic temples of Bagan, with plenty of time to meet the locals, too.
Yangon Mandalay Ayerwaddy River Mingun Amarapura Bagan Kalaw Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery Inle Lake
Price
£2460 excluding flights
Convert currency:
Duration
12 Days
Type
Tailor made
More info
11 night's accommodation, touring with a private guide based on 2 adults sharing.
Full itinerary on request.
This is a suggested itinerary.
Full itinerary on request.
This is a suggested itinerary.
Description of Burma holiday, off the beaten track
Burma is a jewel in South-East Asia, relatively untouched by tourism. This lovely itinerary takes in the highlights of this fascinating country.
Explore historical Yangon and the awe-inspiring Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda and Shwedagon Pagoda, the most revered Buddhist temple in Burma. Wonder at the panoramic view of the famous Plains of Bagan, an area rich in history which includes a special tour by horse cart passing Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan, Dhammayangyi Temple, noted for its remarkable brickwork and Sulamani Temple. Our 'must do' tip is a balloon flight over Bagan at sunrise.
Visit Mandalay and after a full day enjoying the sites, head to the top of Mandalay Hill as the sun sets to enjoy the magnificent views of the city and the Irrawaddy River. This tour also includes a 2 night stay at Inle Lake where you will witness villages built on stilts and the amazing leg-rowing fishermen.
Wander around the lake's morning market, frequented by lake inhabitants and surrounding local hill tribes who come to sell their wares - a fascinating insight into their lives.
This holiday is perfect for those with 2 weeks to explore as you will take in all the 'main' sights of this wonderful country.
We can arrange beach extensions for you. Please ask us for more details.
Itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Yangon (formerly Rangoon). A private 'meet & greet' and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon your guide will collect you for a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda which towers almost 98 metres above the city. Overnight Yangon. |
| Day 2: | A wonderful full day, private orientation tour of Yangon by car and foot. Highlights include the old railway station and former Minister's office, St Mary's Cathedral, Botataung Pagoda, Kandawgyi Park with the glittering Karaweik barge and more. A visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset is highly recommended. Overnight Yangon. |
| Day 3: | Transfer to the airport for your short flight to Mandalay. The remainder of your day will be dedicated to exploring this stunning city including the spiritually important Mahamuni Pagoda and Shwenandaw Kyaung and a scenic evening drive to the top of Mandalay Hill to watch the sun set over the city. Overnight Mandalay. |
| Day 4: | Start your day with a cruise down the Ayerwaddy River to the ancient ruins of Mingun - an unfinished but spectacular stupa towering over 50m high. Followed by a trip to Amarapura, the City of Immortality. Local artisans will inspire you with their silk, cotton and bronze crafts. Sightseeing will also include the iconic U Bien's bridge spanning the Taungthaman Lake. Overnight Mandalay. |
| Day 5: | Embark on a river cruise to travel in colonial luxury on board a ship hand finished in brass and teak. Enjoy the scenery on the riverbank from the open air deck as you travel up river. A sightseeing stop at Sameikkon will let you stretch your legs. Overnight on board. |
| Day 6: | After watching the sunrise from the boat, your guide will escort you to your hotel. From here you will head to Bagan, home to over 2000 temples, pagodas and monasteries and one of Myanmar's most iconic scenes as temples stretch as far as the eye can see. Overnight Bagan. |
| Day 7: | Head back to the river to take a jeep further into rural Bagan, visiting different villages on route to see cotton, cane and basket weaving before finishing at the 11th century Taunt Kyi Taung Pagoda with incredible views of the temples of Bagan. Overnight Bagan. |
| Day 8: | Take an onward flight to Heho followed by a scenic drive to Kalaw - a hill station famous for its fresh mountain air and beautiful countryside. Sightseeing includes Aug Chan Tha Zedi stupa and the central market with its local hill traders. Overnight Kalaw. |
| Day 9: | Drive into the hills to an elephant camp to visit old and convalescing elephants - run by an ex vet dedicated to helping elephants who have spent their lives working in the timber trade. Help feed and bath the elephants and explore the countryside with a local guide. Overnight Kalaw. |
| Day 10: | Take the train from Kalaw to Inle Lake and travel as a local. . Stop en-route at the Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery featuring beautiful carvings, then continue to a vineyard estate for lunch and a tasting. A private boat will take you to your hotel. Overnight Inle Lake. |
| Day 11: | Explore more of the lake today. Board a private motorboat to head out to Inle Lake, observe the leg-rowing fishermen and the famous Daw Oo Pagoda. This afternoon you may visit Nampan Village to see local cigar (cheroot) making, then continue to Inn Paw Khone, a small village that specialises in silk weaving. Overnight Inle Lake. |
| Day 12: | A morning flight back to Yangon. Pick up any final souvenirs from Bogyoke Aung San Market, commonly known by its old British name of Scott Market, before your onwards flight. |
Price information
£2460 excluding flights
Convert currency:
11 night's accommodation, touring with a private guide based on 2 adults sharing.
Full itinerary on request.
This is a suggested itinerary.
Full itinerary on request.
This is a suggested itinerary.
Departure information
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel guides
Myanmar's decades of isolation have meant that its unique ways of life have remained largely intact. Visitors are astounded by what the Myanmars can c...
Asia is massive: a whopping great sprawl of a continent with some 4.5 billion people living across it – that’s more than the population of every other...
Holiday information
Dietary requirements:
We can cater for vegetarian and vegan diets.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet and people
We aim to tread as lightly as possible when organising our tours to Burma. Our travel partners adhere and agree with our responsible travel policies and all our local guides, who know the area like no other, strive to assist travellers in understanding local culture, etiquette and environmental issues.To encourage travellers to act responsibly, all guests on arrival to our destinations will receive a booklet that provides guidelines on cultural and environmental sensitivities in Burma.
Myanmar is a relative newcomer to eco-tourism so we were delighted to discover an elephant camp dedicated to changing the welfare of these majestic animals within the country. Working through education and promoting responsible tourism, they protect not only the animals but also the environment, flora and fauna around them. Local people are employed and they have an on-going project for reforestation and the preservation of indigenous butterflies, orchids and birds.
All the guides that we use are local guides in each different area of Burma that we visit, thus ensuring that each area benefits from tourism. We do appreciate that arranging holidays to Burma/Myanmar is a controversial issue, but we believe that it can be extremely positive for local Burmese people by generating income they would not normally receive.
By touring around the country and visiting local monuments etc., your entrance fees helps to ensure the preservation of historical sites. We arrange visits to local markets where possible throughout - so that local people can directly benefit from tourism. We also advise and recommend that our clients eat in local restaurants throughout their stay. We try where possible to use privately owned hotels rather than government owned
For each of our confirmed holidays to Burma, we make a financial donation on your behalf, in conjunction with our local agents and the monies are distributed equally between the various charities we support. We work with our local agents on an initiative that raises funds for charitable projects and contributes to the development of sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia.
Popular similar holidays
Irrawaddy river cruise, Burma
From £3500 11 days excluding flights
Sail the mighty Ayarwaddy in a unique experience of Myanmar
Myanmar 2 week insight tour
From US $1770 - US $1870 14 days excluding flights
A restorative journey through Myanmar
Bagan hot air balloons and Yangan tour in Myanmar
From US $2999 - US $3499 10 days including domestic flights only
Bagan hot air balloon flight and Yangon exploration
