Historical and Cultural Heritage Tour

Historical and Cultural Heritage Tour (12D/11N)

Yangon – Bagan – Sittwe – Mrauk U – Inle Lake – Yangon

Day – (1)     Arrival Yangon & Yangon Sightseeing     (-)

Upon arrival, you’ll greet by your guide who will accompany and transfer you to your hotel.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes it one of the most fascinating cities in Southeast Asia.

(Early check-in subjected to room availability)

This afternoon, we’ll take a tour around the city center which is filled various historical and colonial buildings partly by car or partly on foot. We’ll first visit to Sule Pagoda which is a 2200-year-old temple surrounded by government buildings and commercial shop. Then, you’ll pass along the way to Mahabandoola Park where Independent Monument exists. Continue your tour by passing City Hall, a little India and a little china.

From Here, end your day at Shwedagon Pagoda which is one of the wonders of the world. It was built 2500 years ago and enshrined with hair relics of Buddha and a place where to meet devoted Buddhists meditating and praying. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point.

Overnight in Yangon.

Day – (2)    Yangon – Bagan & Bagan Sightseeing    (B)

This morning, you’ll transfer to the airport for the flight to Bagan (Nyaung Oo).

Bagan, located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

On arrival, your journey begins with a visit an elevated temple from where you will have a panoramic view of the magnificent plains of Bagan.

Continue with a visit to the golden Shwezigon Pagoda, first and prototype monument, which was built in Myanmar style in 1087. Then, visit to Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple @ Wetkyi-Inn Village which is well-known for its exquisite jataka mural paintings and the elegant Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations.

This afternoon begin with a visit to a traditional lacquer ware workshop where you can observe the production of one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts. Continue to Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and one of Bagan’s most beautiful temples.  Built in the early Mon-style, Ananda contains two unique Buddha images whose expressions seem to change depending on the distance from which the statue is viewed.

From here, travel by horse cart for a tour passing Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan, massive Dhammayangyi Temple, noted for its remarkable brickwork, and Sulamani Temple.

Enjoy an unforgettable sunset over the plains from the upper terrace of one of the temples.

Overnight in Bagan.

Day – (3)    Bagan Full Day Sightseeing   (B)

 After breakfast at your hotel, we’ll visit Nyaung Oo Market where villagers gather every day to buy and sell their produce and other goods.  Continue to Myinkaba village and take a short walking tour to explore the temples of Manuha and Nan Paya.

Explore more temples in the area, visit more craft shops or return to your hotel for a break to relax from the midday heat.

This afternoon, continue to the rural village of Minnanthu, one of Bagan’s least visited areas.  Here you will explore temples such as Payathonzu, Lemyentha and Nandamannya before heading to the riverside pier.  Board a local boat for a slow cruise down the Irrawaddy River.  As you cruise the waters, observe the lifestyle of the fishermen and riverside villagers as well as enjoying the unique perspective of Bagan’s temples.

Return to your hotel this evening.

Overnight in Bagan.

Day – (4)   Bagan – Heho & Inle Lake Sightseeing   (B)

After breakfast, transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport for a flight to Heho.

From Heho, 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 is an elegant ancient monastery with its oval-shaped windows. We will also stop in Nyaung Shwe for a short walk around town and visit to the colorful market if it is being held that day.

Upon reaching the edges of Inle Lake, board a private motorboat to head out to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar’s most spectacular sights. Pass villages built on stilts over the lake, observe the leg-rowing fishermen and see their floating gardens built up from strips of water. Visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, famous for the 800 years old Five Buddha statues which are covered in gold leaf.

Explore the local crafts of Inle Lake with a stop at the weaving village of Inpawkhone and a cheroot factory, where the typical Burmese cigars are made by hand.

If time permits, there may be time to enjoy a short walk through one of the lakeside villages.

Overnight on Inle Lake.

Day – (5)  Inle Lake – Indein – Inle Lake Sightseeing   (B)

After breakfast, visit the lake’s morning market. The market rotates its location 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. (Note: market is daily except on dark moon day and full moon day).

From the middle of the lake, continue down a small canal leading to Indein populated by ethnic Padaung (“long neck women”). You’ll walk on a covered alley lined on both sides with a thousand pagodas. Continue on foot by a long-covered staircase to discover the magnificent complex of Alaung Sithu in a beautiful scenery of ancient stupas buried in vegetation with a panoramic view of the lake.

This afternoon is your leisure at hotel. Overnight on Inle lake.

Day – (6)  Inle Lake – Heho – Yangon   (B)

After breakfast, drive to the Heho Airport for the flight to Yangon and upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. (Early check-in subjected to room availability)

Check-in at your hotel where remainder of the day is your leisure at hotel.

Overnight in Yangon.

Day – (7) Yangon – Sittwe & Sittwe Sightseeing    (B)

After breakfast, you’ll transfer to the airport in Yangon for your flight to Sittwe, the capital of the Rakhine State. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel to check in. Then continue with a leisurely sightseeing tour of Sittwe.

You will visit Rakhine State Cultural Museum (closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays), which houses an extensive collection of displays explaining the culture and history of the Rakhine people. Then you can walk along the strand road where you will see the many activities of life along the dock yards. Then transfer to an elevated viewpoint where you can watch the sunset over the Bay of Bengal.

Overnight in Sittwe.

Day – (8)    Sittwe – Mrauk U & Mrauk U Sightseeing    (B)

This morning, you will start off early to visit Sittwe’s fish market to watch fisherman loading up their fresh catch from the night before.

Then you will be transferred to Sittwe jetty and board a private boat to Mrauk U. The journey takes about 5-6 hours, travelling upstream on the Kaladan River.

Lunch will be served on board.

Mid-day arrive in Mrauk U. Mrauk U was the capital in the 15^th century and at its peak was one of the richest cities in all of Asia. This period was one of prolific building and is, today, a major archeological site. This afternoon, your visit includes Koethaung Temple, the Pitakataik Library, Laungbanpyauk Pagoda, Yadana Mannaung and Sakaya Mannaung Pagodas. These temples and pagodas are in a low-lying area surrounded by hills and are some of the most important religious shrines of the medieval Mrauk U period.

Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant or your hotel. (Client’s own account)

Overnight in Mrauk U.

Day – (9)   Mrauk U Sightseeing        (B)

Awake early and depart the hotel around 06.00 (Note: departure time will depend on the season) to enjoy the sunrise over the misty hills of Mrauk U.

Return to your hotel for breakfast and then continue sightseeing in Mrauk U.  Begin with a visit to the local market and continue to the ruins of the Royal Palace. At the peak of Mrauk U’s power, the Royal Palace loomed high over the city, however today there only remains a small brick platform. Then tour the town’s Archaeological Museum (closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays), where old artifacts and ancient relics are displayed. The museum is a fascinating place to learn about the history and culture of the Rakhine State.

In the afternoon, visit Shitthaung Temple, Mrauk U’s most important monument. Built in 1535 with a labor force of more than 1,000 architects and workmen, Shitthaung Temple contains a remarkable collection of Arakanese Buddha images and reliefs.

Continue to the multi-spire Andawthein Ordination Hall, which is filled with unique stone carvings.  Then visit the circular Ratanabon Pagoda and the fortress-like temple of Dukkhanthein, whose vaulted passages contain interesting stone sculptures. Your last stop of today is at Laymyetnha.  Built in 1430, Laymyethnha was the first pagoda erected in Mrauk U.

Dinner at local restaurant or the hotel. (Client’s own account)

Overnight in Mrauk U.

Day – (10)   Mrauk U – Chin Villages – Mrauk U     (B)

After breakfast, start a scenic journey on a bumpy road by car about 30 minutes to the village.

Then continue by boat up along the Lay Mro River to the Lay Too Chin minority villages for 2-3 hours. Chin people are probably best known for their colorful fabrics, as well as tattooed faces of the women. A legend said that former Burmese Kings considered Chin women to be the most beautiful of all the ethnic tribes. They would travel to the Chin State looking for women to bring back to the capitol as their concubines. Chin girls, from the age of 13, began to tattoo their faces to make them ugly and to prevent them from being taken to the Burmese palace. Though this tattooing practice has mostly stopped, you can see the tattoos on the older generations.

During the day, a picnic lunch will be served. (lunch box)

After visiting 2 to 3 Chin villages, you will return back to Mrauk Oo by boat and car.

Overnight in Mrauk U.

Day – (11)   Mrauk U – Sittwe – Yangon    (B)

After an early breakfast, take a private boat  (5-6 hours) at around 06:00 to travel from Mrauk U to Sittwe. Along the way, you will have an opportunity to enjoy the river lifestyle of the local people in Rakhine State.

Upon arrival in Sittwe, stop for lunch at a local restaurant (own account) before transferring to Sittwe Airport for your flight to Yangon. Arrive in Yangon in the evening and transfer to your hotel for check-in where remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Stay overnight in Yangon.

Day – (12)  Yangon International Departure  (B)

Today is your leisure at hotel before transfer to airport for your departure flight.

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