TRAIN ODYSSEYS ON THE GOKTEIK VIADUCT (13 Days-12 Nights)
Route: Yangon-Mandalay-Pyin Oo Lwin- Gokteik Viaduct-Amarapura-Mingun-Heho-Pindaya-Kalaw-Inle Lake-Yangon
Day 1 : Yangon Arrival
Upon your arrival at Yangon Airport, our guide will meet you with Welcoming Signage and then escort you to your hotel (if room available).
Yangon (formerly Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma). A mix of colonial architecture, modern high-rises and gilded Buddhist pagodas define its skyline.
The National Museum – with extensive collection of ancient artifacts, art works and historic memorabilia on display in 14 halls in a splendid five-storey building.
In the afternoon, enjoy the water front of busy Yangon River brief public ferry ride and after a stroll at the Maha Bandoola Park to see colonial-style high court and city hall, head to the lively Indian Town and Chinatown.
In the evening, enjoy the sunset to the Great Shwedagone Pagoda built the most prominent monument in Yangon which dominates the sky with golden flash, giant spires and holy relics.
Overnight at Hotel in Yangon.
Meals: Nil
Day 2 : Yangon-Mandalay-Pyin Oo Lwin
Air Transfer RGN-MDL @ 06:15-07:40 (or) similar
After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Airport for flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, drive up into the hills from Mandalay for a full day visit of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) a former British Hill Station. The road winds steeply through flower, fruit and vegetable gardens. Drive through Maymyo on a horse drawn “stage coach”, giving you the chance to admire the brick and timber houses, complete with English style gables.
Then continue visit to Pyin Oo Lwin Botanical Garden and Pyaw Kauk water fall turrets and chimneys for sunset watching at Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda. Then transfer to hotel and leisure.
Overnight at Hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 : Pyin Oo Lwin-Gokteik Viaduct-Mandalay
After breakfast, transfer to Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) Railway station for an adventurous train journey to Naung Pin. The train passes over the amazing Gokteik Railway Viaduct. When the Pennsylvania Steel Company built the viaduct across a 300-meter deep gorge a century ago, it was the second highest bridge in the world. The view from the train is fascinating and the scenery is beautiful. Leave the train at Naung Pin and we back to Mandalay.
Mandalay can always give Myanmar tours’ fans a hint of how the imperial era was like back to the 19th century. In the morning we will fly over Myanmar’s golden land to Mandalay.
Visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, the Golden Palace Monastery, a supered example of traditional wooden building and Kuthodaw Pagoda the world’s largest book, made of marble. Visit a traditional had-woven silk workshop as well as Kalaga Tapestries craftsmen’s shop.
Our last stop will be the Mandalay Hill. Atop the hill, Buddha once prophesied that a grand city, that is Mandalay of present day, would rise in the 2400th year of his faith. Taking in a panoramic view of the whole city, you might find yes sometimes prophecy does come true.
Overnight at Hotel in Mandalay.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 : Mandalay-Mingun-Sagaing-Mandalay
After breakfast, morning excursion to Amarapura;11km from Mandalay to visit Mahagandayon Monastery where more than a thousand monks live and study the Buddha scripture. If time permits, you will have the opportunity to observe the monks having their last meal of the day in total silence.
Then continue to 11km up-river from Mandalay. Cross Ayeyarwaddy River by boat nearly one hour. Visit around Mingun especially for well-known Mingun Bell; 90 tons in weight, the largest ringing bell in the world, unfinished huge Mingun Pagoda, Settawya Pagoda and Hsinbyume Pagoda.
In the afternoon, visit a special place where hundreds nuns live and study the Buddha scripture before continue to the temple-filled Sagaing Hill and put a perfect end to today’s trip with a sunset boat excursion around the world’s longest teak bridge at U Bein Bridge.
Overnight at Hotel in Mandalay.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 : Mandalay-Monywa
This morning, depart Mandalay for a 3-hour drive to Monywa, a typical Burmese town on the banks of the Chindwin River. Upon arrival at Monywa, visit Thanboddhay Pagoda, a huge Buddhist temple covered with more than 500,000 Buddha images. Also stop at Boditahtaung Pagoda which houses the largest reclining Buddha image in Myanmar, at 100m long and 27m high.
This afternoon, cross the Chindwin River by ferry and proceed to Po Win Taung by local open-air jeeps. This extraordinary complex consists of 947 sandstone caves dug out of the hills and contains what is considered by archaeologists to be the richest collection of mural paintings and Buddhist statues in Southeast Asia.
After visiting Po Win Taung, continue a few hundred meters away to Shwe Ba Taung. Spend time exploring this interesting site where monasteries and temples are carved out rocky narrow cliffs. Come back to Monywa and overnight.
Overnight at Hotel in Monywa.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 : Monywa-Pakokku-Bagan
After breakfast, we long drive to Pakokku. On the way, you see the farmers, while they climb-up the high palms, in order to make palm sugars. They hold the possibility at the small village Ma U Ma Le and have more over the way of life and the lived culture of the land inhabitants to experience here.
In the later afternoon, you reach in Pakokku. In this small town many steeped in tradition arts and crafts enterprises reside, which woven covers, toys color-glad in manual work of stick Marché and typical Myanmar Joss Stick make. The way continues to lead you to the port of Pakkoku. Here you transfer into a typically engine boat and travel on the Ayeyarwady River completely relaxed approx. 2.5 h until Bagan. After arrival in Bagan in the afternoon the transfer to the hotel takes place.
Overnight at Hotel in Bagan.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 : Bagan
In the morning visit to the market in Nyaung U. Then full day sightseeing tour of Bagan with a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples, such as Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; the Wetkyiin Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, as well as the elegant Htilominlo temple, a temple with exquisite murals of Jataka scenes; the Ananda Temple, with four huge standing Buddha images and Ananda Okkyaung, a small red brick monastery, one of the few received plants is next door from the time of the early Bagan. At the inner walls are designs from that 18. Continue to famous Dhammayangyi Temple and Sula Mani Temples. After lunch, short take a rest at hotel and in the afternoon visit Myinkaba, two km south of Bagan. This village is well known for its lacquerware workshops and has also a number of interesting temples, as Nanphaya Temple, said to have once been the residence of King Manuha and Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, which has very nice frescoes inside. Enjoy your soothing sunset at Shwesandaw Pagoda.
Overnight at Hotel in Bagan.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 : Bagan-Mt. Popa-Bagan
After Breakfast, you will visit one of local village to discover the real life, how much different compare to other side of the world. Some candies or small gifts would be a great thing for local children. Then driving excursion to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano with its shrines dedicated to animist spirits known as “Nats”. For the energetic, time to climb up the 777 steps to the shrine at the top of the volcanic plug. Lunch would be served on the hill resort overlooked Mt. Popa. On the way back, visit palm sugar workshop.
Overnight at Hotel in Bagan.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 : Bagan-Heho-Pindaya-Kalaw
Air Transfer BGN-HEH @ 07:35-08:50 (or) Similar
After breakfast, morning transfer to the airport to take the flight to Heho. Arrival at Heho airport the weather is little cold in order to 3858feet higher of sea level. Our representative will wait you with name board first at the arrival lodge. Our guide and driver will wait at the outside of airport as policy of Heho airport.
Then we drive to PINDAYA, which is located 40 km north of AUNGBAN and noted for its extensive limestone caves and picturesque lake. We will be passing through the pa o and Danu villages of Pwehla endless fields of dry cultivated mountain rice and potato. Pindaya cave thousand of Buddha image placed there by pilgrimages over many centuries and paper making and umbrella making home cottage workshops.
In Pindaya, sightseeing, shopping and you will see the Shan people who own fair and soft skin. And then proceed to Kalaw, a fresh and delightful hill station, on the rim of the Shan Plateau, which is a market center for ethnic picturesque old houses and the view of hte surrounding regions. Sightseeing around Kalaw. Int eh eveing sunset at local monastery on the hill top.
Overnight at Hotel in Kalaw.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 : Kalaw-Red Mountain-Inle Lake
Today, we go to Nyaung Shwe about 3 hours, the gate way of Inle Lake. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Shan Plateau, the vegetation and the Tribal people at work. Visit Red Mountain Estate Vineyards & Winery to understand about wine making process and the grape varieties. You may want to taste one of the best wine in the country during viewing over Inle Lake region.
In Nyaungshwe , transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Hotel in Nyaung Shwe.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 : Inle Lake sightseeing
Inle Lake is often called the “Venice of the East.” Take some time to see the floating gardens and observe the lifestyle of the local people. Watch carefully and you can see boatmen paddle their craft with an oar using their foot.
After breakfast, morning explore around the Inle lake and 5th day local market in the lake. Then go to Indein Village, the western end of the Lake. The boat takes you through a long channel where you watch the farmers cultivate their produce. This ride is one of the most scenic boat tours on Lake Inle.
In the afternoon, visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda and its 5 holy Buddha images, Inn Paw Khone weaving village and Floating gardens of Hydroponics system (especially tomato, others vegetables).
Finally visit Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, one of the most impressive of the many monasteries on the lake with its 150-200 pillars with elaborate wooden carvings. Then back to hotel in Nyaung Shwe
Overnight at Hotel in Nyaung Shwe
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 : Indein-Heho-Yangon
Air Transfer HEH-RGN @ 16:25-19:15 (or) similar
After breakfast, go to Indein Village, the western end of the Lake.
The boat takes you through a long channel where you watch the farmers cultivate their produce. This ride is one of the most scenic boat tours on Lake Inle.
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for the flight to Yangon. Upon arrival to Yangon, leisure at hotel.
Overnight at Hotel in Yangon
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 : Yangon departure
Enjoy your free time until flight out of Myanmar. Today we will say goodbye to you at the airport.
Meals: Breakfast