Myanmar
Classic Myanmar tour

Classic Myanmar – a 10 day Private Tailormade Tour from £2099 per person based on 2 people travelling sharing a room. 


Watch amazing sunsets over the ancient temples of Bagan and marvel at these centuries old monuments. Discover the palaces and monuments of royal Mandalay.

Meet local fishermen on picturesque Inle Lake and stroll along the pretty teak bridge at Amarapura. This tailor-made private tour of Myanmar is a great introduction to one of Asia’s most intriguing countries, perfectly tailored to your needs.

Myanmar’s long period of inaccessibility has left it relatively untouched by the outside world, with its landscapes, colourful cultures and strong beliefs all refreshingly unspoiled.

Our Classic Myanmar tour delves into the history of this exciting part of Asia, starting in the capital Yangon with its delightful mix of British colonial architecture and ancient Buddhist monuments. Fly to the last royal capital of Mandalay to explore its superb palaces and monasteries and take a day cruise along the Ayeyarwaddy River.

Travel by public bus to Bagan – surely one of the most visually stunning sites to be found anywhere in the world, a collection of centuries old temples lying on a vast plain and witness to the glories of a past civilisation. Finally you head to the gorgeous Inle Lake with its charming villages and unusual leg rowing fishermen, before heading back to Yangon.

This trip is ideal for those wanting to pack the highlights of Myanmar into a limited space of time.

Tour ratings.

  • Fitness
  • Off the beaten track 
  • Culture
  • History
  • Wildlife

Tour pace

Busy

Tour style

Traveller

Relaxed Pace

Relaxed tours are easy paced with plenty of leisure time built in. The tour will in all probability still be off the beaten track, with the occasional early start and there may still be occasional long drives. In general on a relaxed pace tour you can enjoy easy-going activities and experiences with opportunities to absorb the sights and immerse yourself in the local surroundings.

Moderate Pace

Moderate pace tours are ideal if you want a tour experience that combines activities and experiences with some time to relax. Typically you will be active and busy for part of the day but then also have time to rest and recharge your batteries. In general on a moderate paced tour there may be some long journeys involved but the tour is not an expedition or a road trip. On a moderate paced tour it will be necessary to have some early starts.

Busy Pace

A busy paced tour means that you can expect to be doing, seeing or experiencing something new almost every day, and moving on from place to place to pack in as much as possible. There may be early starts, long journeys and tiring days along the way, but you’ll return home feeling you’ve really experienced as much as you possibly could.

Pioneer Class Tours

On our Pioneer tours, you will be amongst an elite group of intrepid travellers and some of the first to explore a country that few have been privileged enough to discover. Of course, exploring such areas of the world will come with its challenges; it may mean several nights camping, long journeys by 4WD and the need to maintain a degree of flexibility for when carefully laid plans change. These are challenging tours in countries and areas that may have poor infrastructure, high levels of poverty and illiteracy. This can translate in to low standards in hotels, bad roads and poor driving standards among other issues. We try and smooth out as much of these issues as we can but you should be prepared to experience the bad with the good.

Traveller Class Tours

Our Traveller itineraries are at the core of our programme. These journeys are designed for travellers who still want to discover a land away from the tourist crowds but expect minimum standards. Accommodation will be primarily hotel based, although you could still find yourself camping, or the guest of a local family. Depending on the destination and itinerary, you’ll likely be travelling in a private vehicle, with occasional use of public transport. This is adventure travel with some of the rough edges smoothed out.

Itinerary.

After arrival meet your driver and transfer to hotel accommodation. This afternoon visit Yangon’s downtown on foot. A walking tour reveals a city that maintains one of Asia’s most impressive collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century colonial buildings. A leisurely stroll through Yangon’s back streets allows time to interpret the history of the architecture, some buildings are empty, some are being restored, many are now used for different purposes. The tour ends at Rangoon Tea House, a restaurant on lower Pansodan Street where many of Yangon’s expatriates meet up. Overnight Eastern Hotel or similar.

This morning we visit the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda and learn about its history and the daily lives of people living in its vicinity. We’ll pass workshops, markets and monasteries along the way, hoping to gain a deeper insight into the Buddhist religion, and how spiritual belief is mixed with belief in nats – Myanmar spirits. The tour includes a traditional Burmese breakfast, offerings to monks and the pagoda, and a visit to a fortune teller. The afternoon is free to further explore downtown Yangon. A visit to Shwedagon in the evening when the pagoda is illuminated is highly recommended. Overnight at Hotel 51 or similar. (BL)

After breakfast head to the airport for a short domestic flight to Mandalay. On arrival go first to the snake pagoda in Paleik, known for three pythons that sleep by the Buddah statue and are fed and washed by local worshippers. Nearby, visit ancient temples, some over 200-years-old and partly overgrown, which receive few Western visitors. Later, check-in to hotel accommodation before exploring Mandalay itself, visiting Mandalay Hill, Atumashi and Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite wood carvings. The day ends with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda where giant white marble slabs represent the world’s largest book. Overnight at Ayeyarwaddy River View Hotel or similar. (B)

After breakfast take to the Ayeyarwaddy River for a leisurely day cruise. Sailing past hills dotted with temples, the boat stops at Sagaing to visit the Setkyar Thida Nunnery before continuing to Ava. The former capital’s magnificent site is explored by horse drawn buggy – no tourist affectation, it’s just the way it’s done. After lunch, continue to Amarapura by road, taking the opportunity to walk across the U-Bein Bridge, believed to be the world’s oldest and longest teakwood bridge. Return to Mandalay for the evening. Overnight at Ayeyarwaddy River View Hotel or similar. (BL)

This morning we take the public bus to Bagan. After checking-in to hotel accommodation head to Minnanthu Temples, visit two or three of the temples and take a picnic lunch nearby. Overnight at Zfreeti Hotel or similar. (BL)

Today is dedicated to exploring the area’s most interesting temples, starting by climbing a pagoda to gain an impressive view over the whole plain. Many of the structures are hundreds of years old, and the Ananda, Dhammayangyi and Thatbyinnyu being among the most impressive. After lunch in a local restaurant, continue by horse drawn buggy Pyathagyi Pagoda for atmospheric sunset views. Overnight at Zfreeti Hotel or similar. (BL)

Today starts with a visit to Kyauk Gu Ohnmin cave temple, little-visited by westerners. We continue to Pakkoku, known for its characteristic blankets. Later, board a private boat and travel downriver and enjoy lunch served aboard. There’s a visit to Myinkaba village and its lacquer workshop before returning to your hotel. Overnight Zfreeti Hotel or similar. (BL).

A short domestic flight to Heho precedes a road transfer to Inle Lake. Here, visit Indein village for its picturesque 16th century pagodas. Walk along the shores of the lake and take lunch in a local house, before heading onto the water and exploring by canoe. Overnight Thanakha Hotel or similar. (BL)

An early morning start sees a long-tailed boat tour of this shallow and magical lake. Highlights include the boatmen – masters of ‘one-legged’ rowing style, floating gardens and a local market. Overnight at Thanakha Hotel or similar. (BL)

After breakfast fly back to Yangon and spend the rest of the day exploring the city. Visit the Indian quarter, Chinatown, a Sikh temple, mosque and synagogue, all examples of the cultural influences shaping today’s city. The tour ends with a transfer to the airport for onward flights. (B)

Dates & Price.

We offer this tour for private departures only. Prices start from £2099 per person, based on two people travelling. Please contact us for further details.

Tour Notes

Return flights from London to Yangon start at £600. Contact us for a quotation.

Airport transfers are included if you are booking pre and/or post tour accommodation at the hotel mentioned in our tour dossier.

Mapped itinerary.

Want to see details of your itinerary on a map?

Download PDF.

Download the full tour dossier for this trip here.

For expert advice get in touch now with our passionate,
well-travelled team.

+44(0) 191 296 2674 from THE UK
1-800-614-2967 from THE US & CANADA
1-300-956-415 from AUSTRALIA

Tour inclusions.

  • Arrival and departure transfers
  • Domestic flights
  • All accommodation
  • Ground transportation with services of a driver
  • Services of English-speaking station guides
  • Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
  • Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary

Tour exclusions.

  • International flights
  • Any airport taxes
  • Travel Insurance
  • Visas
  • Drinks

A very enjoyable time. We feel we have a much better understanding of Myanmar: it’s people, culture and politics as a result of this trip. We have seen many wonderful sights ( not all pagodas though they are varied and amazing!). This trip is marketed as beyond the tourist trail. Mostly we were firmly on it but the local variations such as village walks and meals, train and bus rides helped us feel we were seeing a bit more and you could not have missed out on the main tourist areas of Bagan and Inle. We also did the Mon extension. The Golden Rock was a great experience.

 

Name withheld at clients request

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