Fly with Qatar this evening on an overnight flight to Yangon via Doha.  There’s a quick 2 hour transit before getting underway once again.

You’ll arrive into Yangon airport at around 17:15 today. Welcome to Burma! Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting at arrivals hall,  then you’ll be transferred to your hotel in downtown Yangon, a journey of around 45 minutes. Check in for a 2 night stay at your 5 star hotel.

Overnight: Yangon Excelsior  |   Meals:  –

After leisurely breakfast, your guide will collect you for a morning visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda.   Yangon’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma. Glistening in gold and decorated with diamonds, Shwedagon Pagoda is often referred to as the ‘Crown of Burma’ .  After a break for lunch (own expense) board a ferry at the buzzing Nanthida jetty and cross to Dala. Travel by trishaw through the scenic town, which stands in stark contrast to downtown Yangon with its trees and quiet side streets.  Return by boat to Yangon, observing life along the river.

Overnight: Yangon Excelsior  |   Meals:  B / – / –

After an early airport transfer, fly to Nyaung Oo, the nearest town to Bagan. Start your sightseeing as soon as you land, with a guided visit to two of Bagan’s largest and most famous temples, the golden Shwezigon Pagoda which is said to contain relics of the Gautama Buddha and the cave temple of Wetki-In Gubyaugyi, known for its beautiful murals.  Check in to your boutique hotel and enjoy lunch (own expense) before heading back out again, this time getting away from the well-known temples to discover your own by e-bike.  With your guide you can choose to explore forgotten masterpieces with fine plaster carvings, or crumbling shrines half covered in vegetation.  Return to your hotel to relax for the evening or cool off in the hotel’s inviting pool.

Overnight: Bagan Lodge Hotel  |  Meals: B /  –  /  –

After a leisurely breakfast you’ll check in to your cruise aboard the Sanctuary Ananda, a luxury river cruiser with 21 spacious suites, all with floor to ceiling windows. After lunch on board, with the on-board guide, visit Kayminga pagoda complex to see the different architecture of the stupas first-hand. After, visit the Ananda Temple, regarded by folklore as one of the most beautiful temples in Myanmar. Enjoy the sunset over the Bagan plains and admire the light change on the pagodas as they exude antiquity and mystery.   A welcome briefing and champagne reception will be hosted in the lounge before a candlelit sandbank dinner is served with the backdrop of the twinkling lights of Bagan.

Overnight: Sanctuary Ananda Cruise |  Meals: B / L /  D

This morning, get a bird’s-eye perspective of the iconic temples with a balloon tour over Bagan at sunrise.  Take-off just in time to watch the sun rise over the plains, being mesmerized by the site of thousands of pagodas appearing below. Then start sailing upstream towards Sagaing during which a variety of on board activities will be offered including a longyi (sarong) and thanaka (cosmetic) demonstration, and a talk on Myanmar.

Overnight: Sanctuary Ananda Cruise |  Meals: B, L, D

Enjoy a back of house tour and cooking class with the ship’s Executive Chef as you cruise the Irrawaddy this morning.  In the afternoon, visit the pagoda-sprinkled Sagaing Hill, an important religious and monastic centre, home to some 554 monasteries and 6,000 monks and nuns.  Visit a Monastic school where you will have the opportunity to meet some of the residents and understand the teachings of Buddhism. Afterwards, take in the views from the top of the hill on the terraces of the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda which are truly breath-taking.  Also visit Amarapura, once known as ‘The City of Immortals’.  Today, the leisurely ‘clack-clack’ from the looms of the cotton and silk weavers has replaced the noisy bustle of this former capital. Visit the U Bein Bridge, a spectacular place to enjoy the sunset. This long teak bridge snakes across the Taungthaman Lake.  Return to Sanctuary Ananda for a final night on board.

Overnight: Sanctuary Ananda  |  Meals: B, L, D

After disembarkation this morning, your guide will be waiting at the jetty to transfer you to your hotel to drop your bags.  Bags deposited, you can start your guided sightseeing in Mandalay with a visit to Mahamuni Pagoda, home to one of Myanmar’s most revered Buddha images, forever altered by countless layers of gold leaf which devotees continue to add today.  Next,  visit Kuthodaw Pagoda which consists of a large golden pagoda, hundreds of shrines and several pavilions.  End your day with a visit to Mandalay Hill, which rises 240 metres above the city.

Overnight: Mandalay Hill Resort  |  Meals: B /  –  /  –

This morning, fly from Mandalay to Heho, after which a scenic one-hour drive leads to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway village to Inle Lake.  Along the way, stop at the wooden Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery which features beautiful carvings and a collection of Buddha images. You will also stop in Nyaung Shwe for a short walk around town.   You’ll board a private long-boat and head across the lake to your hotel, the Sanctum Inle, nestled in a quiet inlet on the eastern shore of the lake. Upon checking in, the remainder of the day is leisure to enjoy the hotel pool, spa or grounds.

 

Overnight: Sanctum Inle Resort  |  Meals: B /  – /  –

After breakfast, your guide will collect you for the day’s excursion by motor boat.  Start with a visit the lake’s morning market. The market rotates around the lake’s villages in a 5 day rhythm and is visited by lake inhabitants and surrounding hill tribes who come to sell and trade their wares. Later, take a boat ride down a small scenic canal leading to the village of Indein.  Explore the incredible temple complex at Alaung Sitthou which is filled with picturesque ancient stupas and offers magnificent views of the lake below.  Lunch is included at Inthar Heritage house, before continuing this afternoon to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main sanctuary.  Finally, explore Inle Lake’s local crafts with a stop at the weaving village of Inpawkhone and a cheroot factory where typical Burmese cigars are made by hand.

Overnight: Sanctum Inle Resort  |  Meals: B / L /  –

This morning is spent exploring by bike,  starting with a leisurely ride through Nyaung Shwe, the thriving trading town on the north end of Inle Lake. Pedal around the side streets of town, stopping to see warehouses piled high with tomatoes and to check out the bustling canals, then head into the fields and farms outside town, looking out for people from the Pa-Oh, Shan and Inthar ethnic groups in their traditional dress. Follow the lake’s eastern shoreline south, stopping for photos and to visit villages on the way. Then turn off the main road and climb a short hill to arrive at the entrance of Red Mountain Estate. Take a tour of the winemaking facilities and learn about this joint venture between a French wine expert and the local Pa-Oh people. Take a seat at the hillside restaurant and enjoy the fabulous views over Inle Lake while tasting a selection of wine. Then it’s time to hop back on the bikes and pedal back for a well-deserved afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Sanctum Inle Resort  |  Meals: B / L /  –

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer by boat and road to Heho for a flight to Yangon., arriving late morning.  Transfer to the hotel to check in for lunch (own expense) before heading out on one final excursion this afternoon.  Enjoy a three-hour walking tour through Yangon’s colonial downtown area along a 4-5-km route specially designed to showcase some of the city’s most historic buildings.  Highlights include City Hall, the old railway station, and the former Minister’s office where General Aung San was assassinated.  There are plenty of chances to interact with Yangon residents, including a stop at a popular local tea shop.

Overnight: Excelsior Yangon  |  Meals: B / –  /  –

Today you can enjoy a slow start and time to explore on your own until it’s time to check out of the hotel.  The hotel is only a few blocks from Sule Pagoda and there are numerous eateries to try nearby, like the hip Rangoon Tea House which makes a great stop for coffee or brunch.   Then you’ll be collected for your transfer to the airport to catch your flight home with Qatar via Doha, departing late afternoon/early evening.

Overnight: On Plane |  Meals: B / –  /  –

Arrive back into London early this morning.