17-Day Roaming Central Myanmar for Hidden Treasures

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You'll start the day with a private boat tour to Mingun, which is just outside of Mandalay. You'll witness colourful local life on the boat journey. In Mingun, you'll visit Mingun Pagoda, the largest unfinished pagoda in the world, once commissioned by King Bodawpaya. Afterwards, you'll pay a visit to the world's largest intact hanging bronze bell, Mingun Bell. In the afternoon, you'll visit Shwenandaw Monastery and Kuthodaw Pagoda, before making your way up Mandalay Hill to watch the sunset.

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You'll start the day with a visit to Maha Muni Pagoda to see Mandalay's most revered Buddha image. Then, you'll head towards Sagaing Hill, the beating heart of the Buddhist faith in Myanmar. By road, you'll continue to Monywa. In the afternoon, you'll enjoy the sights of this small city including Thanboddhay Pagoda and the spectacular Boddhi Tahtuang, home to the second-largest Buddha statue in the world. An awe-inspiring sight! In the evening, you'll have dinner in the hotel in Monywa.

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After breakfast, you'll cross the Chindwin River to visit the Hpo Win Taung Caves, a series of peculiar caves set in the hillside along a meandering path. You'll then continue southwards to Pakokku. On the way, you'll visit a village where you can see how incense sticks are made. In Pakokku, the private boat awaits you to take you to Bagan. You'll arrive in this extraordinary city and at the hotel for the night just in time for sunset.

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Today, a full day of sightseeing will take you to the most famous and most beautiful sights Bagan has to offer. You'll visit a local market to catch a glimpse of local life before continuing to Shwezigon Pagoda. You'll then have some time in the village of West Pwa Saw to learn more about the life of villagers in Myanmar. After visiting several more temples, you'll take a horse and cart ride around Bagan and enjoy the sunset over Bagan's ancient sites.

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After breakfast, you'll drive towards Mount Popa. On the way, you'll observe how traditional wood slippers are made and get a chance to visit a hidden village where children wear a very particular, authentic Burmese hair-style. You'll then continue to Mount Popa and Popa Taungkalat, the home of Myanmar’s 37 most important Nats, housed in a shrine at the foot of Taungkalat. On the way back to Bagan, you'll stop to see how the toddy trees are harvested to produce toddy juice.

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Your overland journey to Aung Ban will take the larger part of the day, around 6-7 hours. You'll pass by small towns and villages and you will get a glimpse at what life is like away from the main cities and tourist destinations. Shortly before reaching your final destination of Aung Ban, you'll stop briefly at Kalaw, a popular hill station in the British days. It sits high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau and is a peaceful place with an atmosphere reminiscent of the colonial era.

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Today's light trekking tour will take you to four villages where you'll experience the local way of life. Along the way, you'll see rice paddies, vegetable fields, pottery and bamboo basket making. This tour takes between three and five hours. Depending on your wishes, the driver can pick you up anywhere along the route when you want to finish the hike. The afternoon can be spent at your leisure in Aung Ban.

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After breakfast, you'll head to Nyaung Shwe, at the entrance of Inle Lake. Today, you'll tour the most beautiful areas of this magnificent lake and see why so many people come to visit every year. You'll start at Ywama village, then continue to the Nga Phe Monastery, where you'll find an extensive collection of Buddha images. Next, you'll explore Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Kaylar Village and various workshops around the lake. You'll also see the local fisherman and their memorable fishing technique.

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This morning, you'll visit the five-day rotating market that is held in different areas of the lake on different days. You'll then continue by boat to the southern part of Inle Lake, where you will reach Shwe Indein Pagoda and Indein Village. This small village is famous for its ruined clusters of pagodas dating back to the 16th-century. Afterwards, you'll visit Maing Thouk where you can explore the 450-metre wooden bridge and enjoy the afternoon views across the lake.

Today is a travelling day to Mawlamyine. After breakfast, you'll head to Heho airport, where you'll catch a short flight to Yangon. Upon arrival in Yangon, you'll continue your journey to Mawlamyine by car, which is estimated to take around five to six hours. Once you reach Mawlamyine, you'll be able to relax and check into your four-star luxury hotel for the evening.

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Today is all about exploring the small town of Mawlamyine. You will visit the local markets and interact with the friendly locals. Afterwards, you'll also pay a visit to Win Sein Taw Ya Reclining Buddha, Seindon Mibaya Monastery and two pagodas. The day finishes with a stop at a local viewpoint that allows you to enjoy the sweeping views over Mawlamyine and surrounding areas at sunset.

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Today's overland drive takes you from Hpa-An via Kado and Kaw Nyat. On the way, you'll stop several times to observe local farming villages and a monastery donated by U Nar Auk. Once in Hpa-An, you'll be able to explore Lumbini Gardens and also check out Kawgun Cave, a limestone cave with thousands of Buddha images. You'll finish the day at Water Lake Monastery, also known as Kyaut Ka Latt Pagoda, that sits amidst an artificial lake to enjoy the sunset.

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Today's journey takes you from Hpa-An to the small town of Kyaikhtiyo where the famous Golden Rock is located. First, you'll visit Hpa-An's morning market and a viewpoint of Mount Zwekabin before continuing your journey towards Kyaikhtiyo. From the base camp in Kinpun, you'll take an open truck up to the top of the mountain where you can see the Golden Rock Pagoda in all its glory. You'll enjoy the sunset from the top of the mountain and stay at a nearby hotel for the night.

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Descending from the Golden Rock, you'll stop at the ancient capital of Bago to explore some of the city's major sights such as Shwemawdaw Pagoda, Kanbawza Thadi Golden Palace and the Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha before continuing your journey to Yangon. Upon reaching Yangon late afternoon, you'll check in to your four-star hotel and enjoy some free time to explore or relax as you wish.

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Today is all about exploring the bustling city of Yangon. You'll start off with a visit to a huge reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi Temple. You'll then move on to snap pictures of the great royal lake before discovering the downtown area of Yangon and the colonial-style architecture it has to offer. To finish the day, you'll enjoy sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda, the world-famous Golden Pagoda of Myanmar and the heart of Buddhist Myanmar.