Myanmar culture exploration

Upon arrival in Yangon airport, Authentik Travel’s tour guide and driver will welcome you and transfer to hotel in the city center.

Leave your luggage at hotel and discover the highlights of the city:
explore the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha temple which houses one of the most revered reclining Buddha images in the country. It is the most well-known Buddhist temple in Bahan township of Yangon and is also one of the biggest Buddhas in Myanmar. The reclining Buddha image is 66 meters long and was built during the 1900's.

Follow this with a visit to the 2500 year old magnificent Shwedagon pagoda, the most famous and sacred place of Myanmar. In the middle is a huge bell shaped stupa, plated with tons of gold and thousands of diamonds and rubies decorating the top of the stupa. The pagoda is surrounded by other shrines, temples and many other religious structures inside it. The sunset from the Pagoda should not be missed.
Enjoy a welcome dinner at a finest local restaurant.
Stay overnight in Yangon.

Meet our tour guide at your hotel and transfer to Twante. Once out of the city, you will feel the contrast with Yangon. There's no noise or traffic, only peaceful rice fields. Sometimes, you will be able to see the local villages and small pagodas along the way.

Make a stop to visit the Paung Taw Choke Pagoda or simply Pythons pagoda, located in the middle of a pond. You will see real pythons sleeping in every corner of pagoda. Enjoy the peaceful moment while feeding the fish in the pond.

The next stop will be Shwe San Daw Pagoda, the biggest in this area, before visiting the traditional handicraft pottery families in Twante. You will see the ancestral way to make pottery. Everything made by hand without machinery or electrical support. 

After that, visit the weaving textile factory at Shan Su village, the ancient moat and the city wall as well as exploring the local Twante market. This is a chance to experience the local life.
Have lunch in Twante town before traveling close to the Yangon river bank to uncover Dala village, near Yangon. Here, you will see the very different life from Yangon.

Take a trishaw to visit the villages and then take a ferry to cross the river to Yangon. 
From the pier, walk through the colonial streets or take  a taxi back to your hotel.
Stay overnight in Yangon.
 

Meet our tour guide and driver at your hotel and transfer for couple of hours through the beautiful, rural landscapes to Kyaikto town.
Turn left to reach Kinpun town. From there, change trucks for a 1 hour transfer to the top of the mountain where the Golden Rock Pagoda is located.  
At the top, you will have time to discover the sacred golden rock covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male devotees.
Take time to relax and enjoy the fantastic views of the splendid mountain ranges before taking a rest in a hotel at the top.
Stay overnight at the Golden Rock.

Get up early to see the sunrise over the mountains and enjoy the fresh air and tranquility before your breakfast.

Transfer back to Kinpun by truck. From there, meet our driver and transfer back to Yangon by car. 
On the way, do not miss the Bago, also known as Pegu. Stop to discover the Reclining Shwethalyaung Buddha, the four seated Buddha at Kyaikpun Pagoda and the old Kambozathadi palace built for King Bayinnaung in 1556, consisting of 76 apartments and halls. Also visit the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, the most beautiful religious monument in Bago. It is located at a higher altitude than the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon and can be seen from 10km away.

Explore the Bago local market before driving back to Yangon.
On arrival, relax at your hotel and stay overnight in Yangon.
 

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to airport for your flight to Heho.

Upon arrival at Heho airport, meet our tour guide and driver for 1 hour transfer to Nyaungshwe town. This drive will offer you delightful scenery of the hill station region, passing by the picturesque landscapes along the way.
Check in at your hotel in the town by the lake and embark on a boat trip in the huge lake to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and see the local Intha people working on the lake. They skillfully stand and row the boat with 1 leg, a truly unique way to row a boat.

Pass the floating gardens on the lake and listen as the guide tells you about the lifestyle, culture and how they cultivate their vegetation as well as the way they catch fish in the lake with their traditional traps.
Explore the Nampan villages at the end of Inle Lake and visit their traditional handicraft villages such as silk weaving lotus, cigarette and boat making as well as the blacksmith village.
Return to Nyaungshwe town and stay overnight.
Note: An overnight stay at the resort on Inle Lake is available on request.
 

Get picked up from your hotel and visit a 5 day rotational local market. This is the most fascinating way to explore the daily life of the ethnic minority groups. Continue the boat trip to Indein Pagoda.
The boat will leave the lake and enter a small canal. After 30 minutes, arrive in Pa O tribe village. From the village, take a walk through the old cover path to hundreds of pagoda ruins. The main stupa on top of the hill offers gorgeous views over the surrounding mountain ranges and the lake in distance.

Walk back to the jetty and embark on the boat to the Lake.  On the way, make stop at the long neck women's village and their silk shop, Phaung Daw OO pagoda (Jumping Cat pagoda) before returning to your hotel in Nyangshwe town.
Stay overnight in Nyangshwe.
 

Meet our driver and tour guide for transfer to Heho for boarding flight to Mandalay.

Upon arrival in Mandalay in the morning, meet our tour guide at the airport and enjoy a full day tour of the city before check in at your hotel.
On the way from airport, we will turn left over a bridge and head to Sagaing hill where a lot of Buddhist monasteries are situated. Sagaing is a hill terrace, so from this site you can view the great Ayeyarwaddy River, and Mandalay city with its numerous temples and monasteries. The major attraction on Sagaing hill is U Min Thoze pagoda.

The next stop will be Inwa, separated by a small river. It is necessary to take a ferry across the river then on arrival, take a horse-drawn cart to enjoy the beautiful rural scenery. The horse-drawn cart will take you to Bagaya wooden monastery, Nanmyint watch tower (a leaning tower) and the brick Aungmyaybonza monastery.
Transfer back to Amarapura to visit the silk weaving village and enjoy a gentle walk along Ubein Bridge, the longest teakwood bridge in the world, to capture the awesome sunset. 
Transfer to your hotel in the late afternoon and stay overnight in Mandalay.
 

Have breakfast at your hotel and meet our tour guide for a transfer to Mandalay jetty and take a boat trip along the Ayeyarwaddy River up to Mingun in the North.  After a 1 hour journey, arrive in Mingun and enjoy a short walk to visit the must-see highlights of the region: 

First, Pahtodawgyi temple, a gigantic, uncompleted monument. You can climb up one hundred steps to the top of the temple and get a great view of  the Ayeyarwaddy River and the surrounding area.The next destination, Mingun bell, is just a couple of minutes walk away. This is a huge bell weighing 90 tons and is currently the second biggest ringing bell in the world.
Next, a short walk will lead us to Hsinbyume Pagoda, built in 1816 by King Bagyidaw, and dedicated to his wife. He named the pagoda following his wife’s name.

Return to the boat and head back to the city for lunch and explore some of the most outstanding cultural and historical sites. Visit Mahamuni Pagoda, a marble sculpture, to see how local people make Buddha statues from marble, the gold leaf making center, and the Shwenandaw monastery, or Golden Monastery, well known for its great wood carvings. Also, visit Kuthodaw pagoda, known as the biggest book in the world, with 729 marble slabs inscribed with the Buddha’s doctrine. Take in the beautiful sunset from the top of Mandalay hill and stay overnight in Mandalay.
 

Meet our driver after your breakfast for a 3.5 hour transfer on the beautiful tranquil road to Bagan.

On arrival, check in hotel and take a rest.
In the afternoon, visit Gubyaukgyi Temple, famous for its mural. Our guide will translate the great story from the ancient pictures on the wall.
Enjoy your own lunch and relax at your hotel.

the next is Ananda temples built in 1105 AD, home to four standing Buddhas, each one facing the cardinal directions of North, West, East and South.  Then visit Htilominlo temple to admire the four Buddhas that face each direction. 
End of the day at Shwesandaw temple and enjoy the sunset over the mountains.
Stay overnight in Bagan

Have breakfast at your hotel and spend a whole day exploring this mysterious region. 

Begin the day with a journey on a horse cart to Manuha temple, which contains three images of seated Buddhas and an image of Buddha entering Nirvana.  This is one of the oldest temples in Bagan.
Discover the famous traditional handicraft lacquerware in the Myinkabar village then move to Dhamayangyi Pagoda, the biggest temple in Bagan, before continuing to Myauk Guni, Sulamani temple.

In the afternoon, observe the local way of life in the West Pwazaw and Minnanthu village to see how Burmese people live their daily lives. It is a real exploration into the local rural life.
Finally, enjoy a boat trip on the Ayeyarwaddy River to capture the great sunset.
Return to you hotel to enjoy your evening.  We recommend visiting the Sunset Garden Restaurant to feel the peaceful atmosphere by the river.
Stay overnight in Bagan.
 

Breakfast at your hotel and

Head to Swhezigon pagoda before the hottest part of the day. This is the gold plated pagoda built to house the Buddhist relic brought from India a thousand years ago.
Then, take a flight to Yangon.

Starting from your hotel, visit the colonial style buildings. Walk along the streets to enjoy the beauty of these historic buildings, built last century and following British architecture. Then, visit the famous landmarks in the city such as Sule Pagoda, built in the 3rd century and located right in the city center.

The next landmark is Botahtaung pagoda by the grand Yangon River. According to the locals, the pagoda was built over 2000 years ago and enshrined by the sacred relics of the Buddha.
 Explore the Scott market or Bogyoke market (closed on Monday) selling the medicines, foodstuffs, garments, electrics, souvenirs, jewelry, and art to witness the local way of life.
Overnight in Yangon.

Transfer to airport for your flight home or next destinations.

Tour ends.