ARRIVAL & CITY HIGHLIGHT OF YANGON

Yangon (Rangoon) - Depending on your arrival time to Yangon international airport, you will be welcomed by representative of SM Travel and transferred to your hotel. We will start from heart of Yangon which is colonial-style city center of Yangon. One the landmarks; Sule Paya stupa – built over 2,000 years ago and visit Bogyoke (Scotts) Market, to see Myanmar’s wide range of handicrafts and souvenirs Continue to the Chauk That Gyi pagoda to view its magnificent reclining Buddha, and Karaweik Hall to marvel at the uniquely decorated “hamsa-bird-shaped” floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake. We complete the day with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the Swedagon Pagoda, a gleaming bell dome structure that dominates the city’s skyline. Legends state that the sacred hairs of the Buddha are enshrined here. The Shwedagon is an iconic symbol of the country, a sight not to be missed.

FLY TO HEHO AND LAKE EXPLORATION

Inle Lake - After breakfast, transfer to Yangon domestic airport and take the flight to Heho. Upon arrival, private vehicle down into the valley to Nyaungshwe on the edge of Inle Lake, and board your private local boat to take you to your hotel. Inle Lake is simply magical. At 1000 meters elevation, the temperatures are pleasant, and the calm waters are dotted with Intha stilt house villages, floating vegetable gardens and fishing canoes, set against the back drop of the beautiful Shan hills. After checking into the hotel, we embark on afternoon explorations of Inle Lake, populated with floating islands and gardens made from the naturally tangled roots of water hyacinth plants and reeds. Delight in the picturesque sights of fishermen who balance and row with one leg, a technique indigenous to the Inn Thar minority group who do this only on Inle Lake.

INDEIN BOAT TOUR

Indein Village - Today, we If it If it coincides with your visit, you will explore one of the 5-day rotating markets in the area - a fascinating insight into the life-style of the ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha people who visit these markets to buy and sell. Continue to Small River to reach the Inn Thein Pagoda Complex, a site that makes us feel as if we’ve stepped through a forgotten portal in time. Continue to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, home to five gold leaf-covered Buddha figures, and the holiest religious site in southern Shan State. We also visit the boat construction workshop at Nampan village and stop to see some traditional handicrafts - silk weaving on wooden handlooms in Inpawkhon village, a cheroot-maker’s workshop and a blacksmith’s forge. Continue by boat to visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries on the lake, where you can see exquisite Buddha statues which are more than 200 years old. We end our day with magnificent sunset canoe ride with boatmen who gracefully navigate and row perched on one leg.

FLY TO BAGAN & TEMPLE VISITS

Bagan - After breakfast, transfer to Heho and fly to Nyaung U (Bagan).Start your tour to visits to a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples in Bagan. These include the Shwezigon Pagoda, a huge gilded temple built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century and Gubyaukgyi (Wetkyi-Inn), a 13th century temple with exquisite murals of the ‘Jataka Tales’ (scenes from the life of the Buddha). Continue to the eminent Ananda Temple; one of the finest and largest pagodas, with a 51-metre (170-foot) shimmering gold tip plus four huge standing-Buddha images and numerous seated figures arranged around the interior gallery. For sunset, Horse Cart Ride around the temples offers unparalleled photo opportunities of one of the richest archeological treasures in Southeast Asia as the sun dips behind the temple ruins.

BAGAN VILLAGES & SUNSET CRUISE

Bagan - Today the tour starts at 08:00 with a, visit to Bagan’s local villages. Start at the Nyaung Oo Morning Market where locals gather every day to buy and sell everything from fresh produce and meats to flowers and pottery. There are many food stalls and tea shops around, which provide the perfect vantage point for observing local culture. Then learn the interesting process of creating “Poneyay” (pea powder paste) and see how local plum jam is made and packed. In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the beautiful Nat Htaung Kyaung, a monastery famous for wood carvings, built in 1781 by a group of monks. Admire the monastery’s collection of ancient Buddha statues and lacquer boxes. In the late afternoon, we transfer to the Ayeyarwaddy River for a Private Sunset Cruise where local cocktails can be enjoyed on board along with views of the temple silhouettes and bustling shore.

FLY TO MANDALAY & ROYAL CAPITAL VISIT

Mandalay - After breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Mandalay. SM travel guide will welcome you at Mandalay airport and transfer to Mandalay 40km/1hr to your hotel. We transfer 15km to AVA (INWA), the ancient capital of Shan and Burmese Kingdoms for over four centuries. We visit the Bagaya Teak Monastery, over three hundred years old yet well preserved and still in use by local monks; the Nanmyin Watch Tower, the last standing structure of the Ava dynasty palace compound also known as the “Leaning Tower of Ava”; and we continue to the Ancient Kingdom Of Sagaing, located across the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. From the Sagaing Hills, we enjoy views of the hillside dotted with countless pagodas and pay a special visit to a monastery to learn about the life of Buddhist devotees. And visit the Mingun Bell, which at 87 tons is the world’s largest intact bronze bell. Continue to the beautiful Hsinbyume (Ma Thein Tan) Paya and the unfinished, mighty Mingun Pagoda (built to be the world’s biggest). We continue to another beautiful ancient capital, Amarapura, famous for its textile industries. We close our day at Ubein Bridge, a simple yet remarkable teak structure that spans 1,2km over Taungtaman Lake, we have the option to be rowed onto the calm waters. Ubein Bridge, silhouetted by the setting sun, is a magical experience and a photographer’s dream.

CITY HIGHLIGHTS & DEPARTURE

Mandalay - This morning, we visit to the major highlights of the city: the sacred Mahamuni Pagoda, housing one of the most significant Buddha images covered in several tons of gold leaf and the crown prize in wars between competing kingdoms; the Golden Palace Monastery, the sole surviving Royal Palace building in Mandalay, offering a glimpse of the original style and architecture of the Myanmar royals; and lastly, the Kuthodaw Pagoda, a compound housing Buddha’s teachings carved in the sacred Pali script on stone tablets and regarded the world’s largest book in terms of surface area. In the afternoon, transfer to Mandalay Int’l airport for your departure flight.

• All domestic flights included
• Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
• Daily breakfast provided
• All fees and taxes covered

• Visa to Myanmar
• International airfare
• Tips