Excellence Tour

Yangon –Mandalay – Sagaing – Monywa – Bagan – Mt.Popa - Kalaw – Pindaya – Inle lake –
Yangon (15D / 14 N)

Brief Itinerary

Day – 01: Yangon arrival and sightseeing (by car)
Arrive at Yangon International Airport to be welcomed upon arrival by your gracious tour guide. Transfer and check into your hotel. In the afternoon, take a tour of Yangon including a photo stop at Karaweik Hall (named after a sacred mythological bird) which is a royal barge floating in Kandawgyi ("Royal") Lake and then stop at the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda (Reclining Buddha) a colossal reclining Buddha (which is only surpassed in size by the one in Bago). Later that afternoon, visit to the city center and see the gilded 2,500 year-old Sule Pagoda (a magnificent octagonal golden pagoda which is said to enshrine a hair of Buddha). Then, you will visit the beautiful colonial-style buildings surrounding Mahabandula Park, take a tour of the Naga (hand blown) Glass Factory and stroll through the quaint and narrow streets of Chinatown including the short visit to Tao Temple. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.

Day – 02: Yangon full day sightseeing (by car)
After breakfast your at hotel, you will be driven to the Botahtaung Pagoda, to the National Museum and to the Nanthida jetty to watch the traffic on the Yangon River. Luxury cruise liners often come to dock at this jetty. In the afternoon, you will visit the Kaba Aye (World's Peace) Pagoda, the Mahapasana Cave and the Lawka Chanthar Arbayar Laba Muni Buddha Image (Kyauktawgyi), which was carved from the one piece of white is marble rock and which is flawless, and the White Elephant Camp where three white elephants are kept (in Myanmar, the white elephant is regarded with great veneration). Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.

Day – 03: Yangon - Mandalay ( by flight and car )
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to the Yangon airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel where you will check in. Your sightseeing will begin with a visit to the Mahamuni Pagoda (Mandalay’s most fabled pagoda built in 1784 by King Bodawpaya to house the Mahamuni Image). Then, you will visit the tapestry making home cottage, marble carving workshop, gold-leaf pounding workshop and the silk weaving factory. Afterwards, you will be taken to the Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, which has a large Buddha image carved out of a single block of marble, to the Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace) noted for its exquisite woodcarvings, and to the Kuthodaw Pagoda known as the World's Biggest Book for its stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill with the panoramic view of Mandalay below. Spend the night at your hotel in Mandalay.

Day – 04: Mandalay - Monywa ( by car )
After breakfast breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Monywa, an agricultural city in central Myanmar situated on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River. You will visit the sandstone caves of Po Win Daung, which are more than one hundred in number and are named after U Po Win, a famous alchemist who once lived among them. They contain thousands of Buddhist statues and murals, mostly in the Inwa style and which may date as far back as the 14th to 16th centuries. A covered stairway climbs up a hill to a main cave shrine. Nearby, you will visit Shwe Ba Hill, which features unique pavilions cut from the surrounding sandstone and filled with plain Buddha images. Spend the night at your hotel in Monywa.

Day – 05: Monywa - Sagaing - Mandalay ( by car )
After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the local market in Monywa where you will observe the local people and their customs. You will then be driven to Thanbudhay Pagoda. This richly decorated central stupa has more than 845 smaller stupas around it. Inside, you will see thousands of Buddha images decorating every wall, archway and niche. The buildings in the compound have interesting Jatakas reliefs. Nearby, there is a huge Reclining Buddha. Afterwards, you will be driven back to Mandalay. On the way, you will make a stop at Sagaing Hill, which is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar and is home to 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers. The landscape around Sagaing Hill is dotted with numerous white-painted pagodas and monasteries. You will finish your tour with a visit to Kaungmudaw Pagoda, the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, the Pottery Making Village and the Silversmith Workshop. In the evening you will enjoy the sunset from Sagaing Hill before returning to Mandalay. Spend the night at your hotel in Mandalay.

Day – 06: Mandalay free day
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a free day to do as you choose including more sightseeing, shopping or relaxing at your hotel. Spend the night at your hotel in Mandalay.

Day – 07: Mandalay - Bagan ( by flight and car )
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to the Mandalay airport for your flight to Bagan. You will be transferred to your hotel to check in. You will then have a full day of sightseeing including a visit to the colorful Nyaung U Market, to the Shwezigon Pagoda (with its magnificent golden stupa), to the Htilominlo Temple (noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed stone decoration) and to the Gubyaukgyi Temple (with its superb mural paintings of jataka scenes). Next, you will visit the Myinkaba Village where you will observe the Traditional Lacquer-ware Industry, which is one of Myanmar's best-known handicrafts. Your tour will continue to the Manuha Temple, erected over huge Buddha-images and to the Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and an excellent example of an early-style Myanmar temple with four impressive standing Buddha images. Next, you will be taken to the Thabinnyu Temple, the highest temple in Bagan and, last but not least, to the Dhamayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. Cap off a perfect day by enjoying the dramatic sunset from the terrace of Shwesandaw Pagoda. Spend the night at your hotel in Bagan.

Day – 08: Bagan free day
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a free day to do as you choose including more sightseeing, shopping or relaxing at your hotel. Spend the night at your hotel in Bagan.

Day – 09: Bagan - Mt. Popa - Kalaw ( by car )
After breakfast at your hotel, you will depart for Kalaw, a mountain resort town in the Southern Shan State. On the way, you will visit Mt. Popa, which is an extinct 5,000 ft. high volcano covered with a forest. The name “Popa” is believed to have derived from a pali word meaning “flower”, so Mt. Popa literally means a mountain of flowers. It is to be considered the residence of Myanmar's most powerful nats (spirits), so it is the most important nat worship center. Many pilgrims visit Mt. Popa every year, especially at festival season. You will climb to the summit of Mt. Popa to see the magnificent panoramic view. Afterwards you will continue to Kalaw. Spend the night at your hotel in Kalaw.

Day – 10: Kalaw - Pindaya - Inle ( by car & boat )

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Pindaya which is situated at 1,164 meters above sea level and which is famous for its extensive limestone caves set deep in the hillsides which are full of thousands of Buddha images made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement. These Buddha images have been placed there over the centuries and are arranged to form a labyrinth throughout the various cave chambers. You will visit the 15-meter high Shwe U Min Paya cave, which overlooks the picturesque Boutaloke Lake. Pindaya itself is a center for the Myanmar-speaking Taung-yo people. Local handicrafts in Pindaya include Shan paper and parasols made from mulberry bark. At the end of the day, you will be driven to Inle Lake. Spend the night at your hotel on Inle Lake.

Day – 11: Inle Lake sightseeing (by boat excursion)
After breakfast at your hotel, your Inle Lake sightseeing will begin with a boat excursion on the lake including a tour of a Blacksmith and a Silversmith Workshop, then, you will continue by boat to the floating islands, to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda (where worshippers apply gold leaf to the Buddha), to the floating gardens, to see the unique one-legged rowers (who row with one leg, while standing on the other as they are fishing), to see the "traditional fishing method" and a silk weaving factory. At the end of the day, you will visit the Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, also called "jumping cats monastery" because trained cats stay there with the monks. Spend the night at your hotel on Inle Lake.

Day – 12: Inle Lake free day
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a free day to do as you choose including more sightseeing, shopping or relaxing at your hotel. Spend the night at your hotel in Inle.

Day – 13: Inle - Heho - Yangon ( by flight and car )
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to the Heho airport for your flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel where you will be free to relax. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.

Day – 14: Yangon free day
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a free day to do as you choose including more sightseeing, shopping or relaxing at your hotel. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.

Day – 15: Shopping and departure
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be taken to the Gems Mart and Handicrafts shops for morning shopping. You will also be taken to the Bogyoke Aung San Market (well known for gems & jewelry, arts & crafts, fabrics & fashions and local products) where you can buy you last-minute souvenirs. You will then be transferred to airport for your departure.

.......... End of tours & our services .......... 

Home  |   Welcome to Myanmar  |  Festivals in Myanmar | Myanmar Map  | Tour Programmes | Site Map

Golden Arrowhead Travels & Tours Co., Ltd.

No. 120, 7th Floor, Bogyoke Road, Pazundaung Tap., Yangon 11171, Union of Myanmar,
Tel (off) : 951-292585     Fax : 951-292585
E-mail : ,
Website : http://www.myanmartravelinfo.com , http://www.asiavascodagamatour.com
http://www.garrowhmyanmartravelntour.com

Web Developer: Myanmars.NET, Yangon, Myanmar.
© Copyright 2006-2007 by Golden Arrowhead Travel & Tour Co., Ltd.