Myanmar discovery in-depth

Upon arrival in Yangon airport, Authentik Travel’s tour guide and driver will welcome you and transfer to hotel in the city center.
After tour briefing,  enjoy a welcome dinner at a finest local restaurant.
Overnight in Yangon.

Enjoy a full day tour to discover this charming city. 
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.
Enjoy lunch at a recommended local restaurant.

After lunch, 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.
In the late afternoon, visit 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. 

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.
Stay overnight in Yangon.
 

Transfer to airport for morning flight to Bagan.
Arrive in Bagan in the morning and be greeted by our local tour guide and driver at airport, then transfer to your hotel in the area. Leave your luggage at the hotel and enjoy a full day trip to discover this tranquil area.

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.
The next stop is a short visit to discover Nyaung U market. A bustling market where locals meet to exchange fruits,vegetables, lacquerware and  pottery.
After the market, visit Gubyaukgyi Temple, famous for its mural. Our guide will translate the great story from the ancient pictures on the wall.
Enjoy lunch and relax at your hotel.

In the afternoon, visit the 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.
 

In the morning, transfer to Bagan jetty for a 2 hour boat trip up stream on the Ayeyarwaddy River to Pakokku.
This is the bustling Burmese tobacco trading center. Disembark the boat and meet our driver for a 3 hour drive to Monywa.

Close to Monywa, we will visit the cave chambers of Pho Win Daung and Shwe Ba Daung. The Po Win Hills house a system of 500 sandstone caves, including around 450,000 paintings, statues and carvings.
This is an impressive place, worth the long day of driving from Bagan.
After the stop, drive 30km more to Monywa city. Check in at your hotel and relax
Stay overnight in Monywa
 

After breakfast at your hotel, visit Thanbuddhyi Pagoda, the highest and biggest standing Buddha statue in Myanmar, home to more than 500,000 images of Buddha inside. Next, visit the Hiaungdawmu Buddha, the second largest reclining Buddha in Myanmar.
Keep going on the route to Mandalay. Arrive in Mandalay in the afternoon.

Discover 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.
 

Enjoy a 2 hour drive along the scenic road to Pyin Oo Lwin, a scenic hill town at an altitude of 1070m, and where a lot of British Colonial houses remain.
This is a cool region with a 177 hectare botanical garden and a beautiful lake.
Have lunch on  your own in the town before transferring to  Peikchinmyaunge cave to discover the stalactite formations inside the cave as well as a swallow water flow at the entrance of the cave.
Stay overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin.
 

Have breakfast at your hotel then move on to Pwekauk waterfall for swimming and relaxation.
Return to the town for the horse cart ride and explore British Colonial houses.
Check out of your hotel and drive back to Mandalay city.
Stay overnight in Mandalay
 

Take morning 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.
 

Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel then meet our tour guide and driver for one hour drive to Taungyi town. Take a short break to see the local life in this town.

Taungyi town is very famous for the hot air balloon festival in November every year.  Keep driving through the spectacular scenery and arrive in Kakku after 1 hour. Kakku pagoda is the complex of over 2000 stupas packed closely together in ranks and covering an area of approximately a square kilometer dating back many centuries. 
Enjoy lunch on your own at a restaurant by the Kakku railway station.
After lunch, visit Htan Pha Ya village and cave.
Return to Inle Lake and take an easy bike ride from Nyangshwe town to the Red Wine mountain. It is 14km and takes 1 hour of gentle biking to reach the winery on top of the hill. 
At the top, soak up the great panoramic view of the grape garden hills around and the lake in a distance. 
Taste 4 kinds of wines with a sandwich while enjoying the beautiful scenery in a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.  Watching the sunset over the mountains and the valley is the highlight of this trip. Do not forget your camera to capture these unforgettable moments.
Ride back to your hotel and relax.

Stay overnight in Nyangshwe town.
Note: we can replace the bikes with a private car if requested.
 

Relax at your hotel or resort in the morning.
Take an afternoon flight to Yangon.
Transfer to hotel in the city center and free on your own.
Overnight in Yangon.

Take a short flight from Yangon to Sitwe town.
On arrival, our local tour guide will welcome you and take you to the jetty for a 4 hour boat trip along the Kalandan River to Mrauk U, one of the biggest archaeological sites in Myanmar. 
Arrive in Mrauk U in the late afternoon, transfer to your hotel and stay overnight.

Have breakfast at the hotel and spend a full day exploring this mysterious land.
Visit Koethaung temple, a Temple of 90,000 Buddha Images built between 1554 and 1556 by King Dikkha.
Next, visit all the highlights of Mrauk U such as Pitakataik Library, Laungbanpyauk Pagoda, Yadana Mannaung and Sakaya Mannaung Pagodas and Museum, and the Palace site. 
Experience the local life in Mro Tribe Village and stay overnight at the hotel in Mrauk U.

In the morning, after your breakfast, enjoy a boat trip to Chin village, well known for the face-tattooed women.
It seems like time has stood still and you can feel the difference from our world. 

Return to Mrauk U to explore Boundwet Village, 16th century Dutch factory stone buildings, and visit Shakma women's tribe with their big ear-rings and traditional dresses.
Follow this by visiting Mungla Shwegu Pagoda and a small monastery in the forest is also worth a visit.

Finally, visit Loka Manaung Pagoda, Phara Baw Pagoda, and Shwe Kyar Thein Mauktaw Gate before enjoying a beautiful sunset at Shwegudaung Pagoda.
Stay overnight in Mrauk U
 

Transfer to Mrauk U jetty and take a boat back to Sitwe town, then take a short flight to Yangon.
Upon arrival, get a pick up to hotel.
Overnight in Yangon.

Free to enjoy your last minutes in the vibrant city before meeting our driver for a transfer to airportfor your flight home or next destinations.

Tour ends.