Day 1: Yangon

For your added comfort, your guide will be waiting for you outside the customs area with a sign with your name on it. Your guide will assist you to co-ordinate meeting up with your private driver and accompany you to your accommodation.

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

At the end of the day many Yangonites leave work and on the way home they stop for some shopping, catch up with friends at a tea shop, visit a pagoda or go to a beer station. This is exactly what you are going to do. The highlight of the tour will be the evening visit to the illuminated Shwedagon Pagoda – a magic and mystical moment at a time that it’s not very busy on the main platform. After the pagoda visit there will be local snacks to be tasted as well as a local draft beer or a fresh lime juice. The tour includes drinks, a walk over to the night market downtown, tea and snacks as well as a simple local dinner shared with some locals.

Overlooking the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda, The Savoy Hotel is ideally located in a picturesque area of Yangon and is easily accessible from popular regional attractions. The hotel is just a ten minutes’ drive from the city center and 20 minutes to the International Airport. Each guest room is comfortably furnished with colonial-style wooden fittings, traditional Myanmar antiques and beautifully appointed bathrooms. Dine at Kipling's Restaurant where a splendid assortment of Asian flavors are served, or savor traditional Italian cuisines at Rossini. Sip a drink at the Captain's Bar and enjoy refreshments and tea specialties at the Cafe Yangon. Spend a day absorbing the aromas, sights and sensations of a different world, at The Savoy Hotel.

Day 2: Yangon

Yangon is a sprawling city with a relatively small downtown area including several markets, colonial buildings, the Yangon River and a very green area with tree-lined streets and several lakes. During this full day tour we will show you the different faces of Yangon from the landmarks to the hidden markets that have seen only few westerners. During the day you will visit the Sule Pagoda, colonial downtown, the harbour, The Strand and one of the colourful local markets. The reclining Buddha will be visited just before taking a tasteful lunch of typical dishes from tribes from all over the country like Kachin, Shan and Rakhine. A local market will lead us to a small station where we take the famous circular train to bring us right behind Bogyoke Aung San market before heading back to your hotel. The tour includes a drink at the Strand Hotel and a lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Yangon - Bagan

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Fly from Yangon to Bagan. Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Minnanthu is probably the most favorite temple area amongst frequent Bagan visitors and you know why? It’s quiet, it’s a beautiful area, and the temples here are often completely deserted. Your guide will bring you by car to this forgotten part of Bagan and will spread out a blanket and serve you a great picnic lunch in this historical setting before or after visiting 2 or 3 ancient temples ruins in this area.

Perched on the edge of an archaeological wonderland, Bagan Lodge is gateway to some of the world's most magnificent temples and pagodas. The rooms and suites evoke the romance of a storied expedition, albeit in posh, air-conditioned comfort. Their restaurant and bars are fuel to the fire of local adventure, and the swimming pool and spa are an oasis any time of day. The spa features eight private treatment rooms to provide guests with an extensive range of massage and beauty treatments - the perfect way to unwind after a day of discovery.

Day 4: Bagan

A full day tour by car, with an experienced guide through Bagan will show you the best known temples of the area. We start the day climbing a pagoda to get a first impressive view over the whole area. From here the guide plans his way to some of the other amazing temples that have been here for hundreds of years. Places like the Ananda, Dhammayangyi, Sulamani, and Thatbyinnyu will certainly impress you. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant and around 4:00 PM continue the tour by horse cart to Pyathagyi pagoda for sunset with some refreshing drinks served! Oh… we forgot to mention the best part of this tour; whenever you see a temple you like, just ask you guide to stop to have a look at it – simply pick your own favourite temple.

Stay at least 2 nights in Bagan, one to see the sun go down from the top of an ancient temple, the other one to take a boat ride on the mighty Ayeyarwady River and have some sundowners on a sandbank in the middle of the river (if the river is not too high). A private boat tour on the river during sunset time will hopefully show you a spectacular sunset while your guide will be serving cocktails and some snacks.

Day 5: Bagan - Inle Lake

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Fly from Bagan to Inle Lake. Flight time is approximately 40 minutes.

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Villa Inle Resort & Spa is located beside the cultural and natural icon that is Myanmar’s Inle Lake. Spread over more than 20 acres on the eastern fringe of the lake near the village of Maing Tauk, the property features 16 secluded lakeside villas. All villas at Villa Inle Resort & Spa are designed to harmoniously blend in with the natural environment and feature hand-selected local paintings and antiques, high wooden ceilings, spacious living areas and well appointed bathrooms. Rooms include king size beds, air conditioning with heating facility, LCD television, WiFi access and lakefront balconies. Hotel Restaurant serves Western & Shan, Myanmar and Inthar cuisine. The hotel also features a spa services on site.

Day 6: Inle Lake

Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a vast natural lake surrounded by traditional Shan villages. On the lake itself the Intha people have been living for many centuries in village built entirely on stilts on the lake. Today you will take you by private motorboat around the lake to discover the natural beauty of the lake, visit the floating gardens, see some of the famous leg rowers and have some tea at a local family’s house. On and around the lake traditional markets are held in different villages according to a 5-day rotating schedule and today you will take you to visit a colourful market frequented by Shan and PaO people living nearby. You will certainly also visit a local house where cheroot (the Burmese cigars are made), floating tomato gardens, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, an Intha house where a traditional Intha lunch is served and if wanted you will be able to visit a weaving factory.

Day 7: Inle Lake - Mandalay

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Fly from Inle Lake to Mandalay. Flight time is approximately 30 minutes.

This is a fun tour to get to know the real Mandalay, starting with a visit to a viewpoint near the Ayeyarwady River for a cold Mandalay beer during sunset. Continue to the busy Yadanar night market to have some traditional snacks and a walk around before heading to one of the most famous beer stations and BBQ restaurants in Mandalay. Your guide will order the food and make sure you’re satisfied. Continue before 8:30 PM to the excellent Mandalay marionettes theater for a show performed by a mix of traditional dancers, musicians, and puppeteers.

An oasis by the landmark Red Canal in local folklore just minutes from the famed Atumashi Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, and Mandalay Palace.and other attractions, The Hotel by the Red Canal is a convenient sanctuary, with its lush tropical greenery and calming water features, amidst the hustle and bustle of Myanmar's cultural city. The customized guestrooms are categorized into 4 uniquely names and decked in the fineries and cultural adornments of the 4 major ethnic groups in Myanmar: Chin, Kachin, Rakhine and Shan. Hotel by the Red Canala full-service spa, a restaurant, and an outdoor pool. The guestrooms feature complimentary Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service, DVD players, and LED TVs.

Day 8: Mandalay

Mandalay and the other former royal capitals around it have all been capital cities for one major reason: they are all situated on the Ayeyarwady River. Feel the breeze of the river and imagine how it must have been to arrive by boat in Mingun or at the court of Ava. From the jetty in Mandalay you will be taken upstream to Mingun and visit the Mingun Pagoda with the big crack caused by an earthquake and the giant bronze bell. Take a leisurely 3 hour boat cruise downstream to Ava. A simple lunch packed in rattan baskets will be served on the way. Arriving in Ava, horse carts are ready to take you around this magnificent site with various ancient temple ruins that used to be majestic buildings during the 400 years that Ava was the capital. Return to Mandalay by car. 

Day 9: Mandalay

Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.