General Information
Duration: 21 Days/ 20 Nights
Start/End: Mandalay/ Yangon
Tour route: Mandalay – Pyin Oo Lwin – Hsipaw – Mandalay – Pakokku – Bagan – Mindat – Kanpetlet – Bagan – Kalaw – Pindaya – Inle Lake – Yangon
Tour Type: Trekking, Adventure & Discovery, Nature, Landscape, In-depth Cultural
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Mandalay Arrival & Pyin Oo Lwin Sightseeing (B)
Day 2: Pyin Oo Lwin – Hsipaw by Train (B)
Day 3: Hsipaw Sightseeing (B)
Day 4: Hsipaw Boat trip & Village Sightseeing (B, L)
Day 5: Hsipaw – Mandalay by Bus (B)
Day 6: Mandalay Sightseeing by Bike (B)
Day 7: Mandalay – Pakokku – Bagan (B, L)
Day 8: Bagan Sightseeing by Horse Cart & Bike (B)
Day 9: Bagan – Mindat by car (B)
Day 10: Mindat – Kanpetlet (B)
Day 11: Kanpetlet – Mt. Victoria (B)
Day 12: Kanpetlet – Bagan (B)
Day 13: Bagan –Kalaw by Bus (B)
Day 14: Kalaw – Pindaya by Car (B)
Day 15: Pindaya Overnight Trekking (B, L, D)
Day 16: Trekking – Pindaya (B)
Day 17: Pindaya – Inle Lake by car & Kanoo boat (B)
Day 18: Inle Lake Sightseeing (B)
Day 19: Inle – Heho – Yangon by Flight & Sightseeing (B)
Day 20: Yangon Sightseeing (B)
Day 21: Yangon Departure (B)
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Mandalay Arrival & Pyin Oo Lwin Sightseeing (B)
Upon arrival Mandalay by international flight, meeting, and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel. Later, a drive delivers you to Pyin Oo Lwin, the cool hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin at over 1,000 meters above sea level, and pleasant weather all year around. The flower city is famed for its colonial-era buildings, eucalyptus, pine trees, and silver oak abounding in town.
Next, discover National Land Mark and Chinese Temple with ornate stucco dragons, rock gardens, and landscape ponds. Then, head to Pwe Kauk Waterfall and the countryside. Overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin.
Day 2: Pyin Oo Lwin – Hsipaw by Train (B)
After breakfast in the hotel, you will leave for to train station to go to Hsipaw, where once “The Sawbwas” the Shan Chiefs had their own palace here. The old Shan Palace is a huge house, with an architectural design that reminds tourists of the British country home in Hsipaw.
Day 3: Hsipaw Sightseeing (B)
Start the day with a visit to highlights in Hsipaw with the local market before heading to Shan shoulder bag factory. Overnight in Hsipaw.
Day 4: Hsipaw Boat trip & Village Sightseeing (B, L)
In the morning, take a 1-hour boat ride upstream river for exploring the valley, mountain, and fruit plantations along the river. Then, hop on the boat to take a short climb up the hill through the fruit plantation for 45 minutes to discover the old Tai (SHAN) monastery which is 150 years old, sitting alone in the forest.
Afterward, pass through the plantations of pineapple, papaya, and orange which are widely grown along the way to the monastery. Then, explore the monastery before embarking on a boat ride to the river confluence at which swimming is available on the individual wish. On the way back of the boat ride, head to a SHAN village to gaze out at typical houses with small verdant gardens. Leisure at the hotel.
Day 5: Hsipaw – Mandalay by Bus (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Mandalay. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and overnight at the hotel in Mandalay.
Day 6: Mandalay Sightseeing by Bike (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, discover Mandalay – the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Myanmar. Visit Mahamuni Golden Buddha Image, bronze casting, marble stone cutting craftsmen quarters, and gold leaf beaters.
Afternoon, Visit Kuthodaw Pagoda is also known as the world’s largest book, surrounded by 729 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist scriptures. Afterward, head to Golden Palace Monastery – part of the palace complex where King Mindon resided. In the evening, marvel at the panorama view from Mandalay Hill. Overnight in Mandalay.
Day 7: Mandalay – Pakokku – Bagan (B, L)
In the morning, a drive delivers you to Pakkoku, a lively small town famed for a tobacco trading center and for its weaving shops. Then, enjoy a stroll in the quiet village through the main street. In the afternoon, take a private boat on the Ayeyarwady River down to Bagan hopefully in time to observe the sunset over the many pagodas. Overnight in Bagan.
Day 8: Bagan Sightseeing by Horse Cart & Bike (B)
Optional: Balloons Over Bagan
Floating over thousand-year-old pagodas and the Ayeyarwady River, gaze over at an idyllic bird’s-eye view. Around 05:30, the Balloon over Bagan shuttle bus will pick you up at your hotel (your guide will tell you the exact pickup time). A drive delivers you to the departure ground of the balloons. While the team makes the Balloon ready to go, you feast on some refreshments, and also take fantastic pictures of this event. Afterward, depending on the wind, you will overfly Bagan for about one hour, and enjoy sensational views of the ancient Kingdom of Bagan in your hot air balloon! The trip ends wherever the wind has brought you. Ends this fantastic event by rewarding yourself with a glass of sparkling wine ….and the shuttle bus then brings you back to your hotel.
Option 1: After breakfast, start with Bagan – on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River is the largest area of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, ramparts in the world, many dating from the 12th century. The shape and the construction of each building have a spiritual meaning and will never stop amazing you.
Option 2: Start with discovering Nyaung Oo Local Market in Bagan. What a great way to get the most interesting ones of the 2800 pagodas and temples in Bagan. Then, enjoy a truly magical experience by going to one of the larger temples to enjoy the magnificent sunset view of the entire area. Overnight in Bagan.
Day 9: Bagan – Mindat by car (B)
Your tour starts with visiting Phontaung Ponnya situated in the forest on the Western Ranges. You will be taken there to Bagan after having breakfast, firstly drive half an hour to Pakukku bridge which joins Bagan and Pakukku towns across the Ayeyarwady River. It is the longest bridge in Myanmar. Cross the bridge and set out on your journey by Jeep. Lunch at Pontaung Ponnya, a famous cultural site.
Then continue to Mindat which is a lovely hill station located 4860 feet above sea level (7 hours). You will observe, feel and appreciate the pleasant forest decorated with natural trees, wild birds, and butterflies while passing through the ranges. Overnight in Mindat.
Day 10: Mindat – Kanpetlet (B)
Start your day with a drive to Mindat, where you can explore Chin Villages (Tattooed Women) by car and take a relaxing walk. Then, witness different patterns of the tattoo on the face attractive amber necklaces. Afterward, look around the villages, chat with the local community and gain insight into their culture, lifestyles, customs, and traditions. Overnight in Mindat.
Day 11: Kanpetlet – Mt. Victoria (B)
In the morning, a drive delivers you to Mt. Victoria – the highest peak in Chin Hills, which is one of the best nature-based tourism destinations in Myanmar, which has a wide range of flora & fauna. Then, get a first-hand look at Myanmar endemic plant Rhododendron & Myanmar endemic bird White-browed Nuthatch.
Afterward, gaze over at the trek jungle in the fantastic landscapes of the Chin hilly region and the villages of the Chin hill tribes in the ecological forests. Overnight in Kanpetlet.
Day 12: Kanpetlet – Bagan (B)
Continue your tour to Bagan, and drive along the road which meanders down to the lower land before you enter into Yaw Region. Pass by “Saw”, “Seik -Phyu” and Chauk towns, finally back to Bagan. Overnight in Bagan.
Day 13: Bagan – Kalaw by Bus (B)
After breakfast, drive to Kalaw. Arrive at Kalaw to check in at the hotel. Overnight in Kalaw.
Day 14: Kalaw – Pindaya by Car (B)
Start your day by arriving at Kalaw, which was formerly a British Hill Station. In the afternoon, explore the Local Market and climb to the hill to see the Old Catholic Church, Kalaw Railway Station (built-in 1918), the colonial buildings on East Circular Road, Nee Paya, woven with bamboo strips and covered with cloth dipped in lacquer.
Then, drive to Pindaya followed by discovering Pindaya Cave, which is full of more than 8000 Buddha Images of all sizes, and caved in stone, wood, marble, and covered by bronze. Continue on to Shan papers production cottages where handmade papers are made from the pulp of mulberry bark dried in the sun. Overnight in Pindaya.
Day 15: Pindaya Overnight Trekking (B, L, D)
We start early by taking a relaxing walk to the village (Htut Ni, Danu) and seeing how they produce the tea. Next, explore Hsee Kya Inn Monastery, which is located at one of the Danu Villages 6 km away from the Pindaya.
Lunch at Hsee Kya Monastery or in the village. After lunch, head to Yazakyi typical Palung village. Then, continue on to the monastery for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Trekking – Pindaya (B)
After breakfast at Monastery, trek to Pindaya on a different route. Then, stroll through the Maene Taung, Pa-O village where you can get a first-hand look at how cheroot leaves are cultivated. Continue on to Hti Shuu Gone and Danu Village, and walks down the hill by enjoying breathtaking scenery on the way.
Afterward, visit Taung Paw Gyi Village, a big village where people make their living from growing tea and coffee before walking along the way back to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Pindaya.
Day 17: Pindaya – Inle Lake by car & Kanoo boat (B)
In the morning, a drive delivers us to Inle Lake. Then, drive down into the valley to Nyaungshwe on the edge of Inle Lake, where is a photo stop of Shwe Yan Pyay’s ancient wooden monastery, and pagoda. In the evening, get entertained by Kanoo Boat ride on Inle Lake. Overnight at the hotel in Nyaung Shwe.
Day 18: Inle Lake Sightseeing (B)
Today, sightseeing by boat on the Inle Lake – the second largest lake in Myanmar, the home to residents who live in stilted houses built over the water, called “floating villages”, witness floating gardens and lotus stems weaving. Continue on to see the Inthar technique of leg-rowing where one leg is wrapped around the paddle to drive the boat and the traditional way of fishing.
Then, visit the majestic Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda before taking an enjoyable boat ride through canals to Indein pagoda complex – the must-visit archaeological landmark with hundreds of Shan-style ruined pagodas dotted along a slope of the hill. Some of them dated back to the 18th century. Overnight at Hotel in Inle Lake.
Day 19: Inle – Heho – Yangon by Flight & Sightseeing (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart for Yangon by scheduled flight before check-in hotel. In the evening, head to Shwedagon Pagoda height 326ft (99.3m), where enshrined 8 hairs of Buddha are placed in the underground treasure chamber which is also the highest symbol of the people’s devotion to Buddha. Then, back to the hotel and overnight in Yangon.
Day 20: Yangon Sightseeing (B)
In the early morning, stroll through Strand Road Yangon River to see the exuberant harbor area, from where ferries leave for Pathein in the Delta and for upcountry towns along the Ayeyarwady River.
Photo stop around old colonial buildings district and City Centre. Stop at Chaukhtatkyi Reclining Buddha Image, Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) is closed Every Monday and gazette holidays. Then, wander around the lively streets of downtown. In the evening, witness “the real Yangon”, where the pavement turns into a night market with many kinds of goods on display. Overnight at the hotel in Yangon.
Day 21: Yangon Departure (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, it is free for you to relax until departure. Transfer to Yangon airport to board the international flight. Trip ends. We hope that you would love the trip we design for Myanmar itinerary 3 weeks. Thank you for making your trip with Go Myanmar Tours!
