EXCURSION MON STATE (15 Days-14 Nights)
Route: Yangon-Bago-Golden Rock-Mawlamyaing-Hpa An-Yangon-Bagan-Mandalay-Amarapura-Mingun-Heho-Inle Lake-Yangon
Day 1 : Yangon Arrival
Upon your arrival at Yangon Airport, car driver pick up you with Welcoming Signage and then send you to your hotel free and leisure.
Overnight at Hotel in Yangon
Meals: Nil
Day 2 : Yangon sightseeing
After breakfast, start out for a short walk around colorful downtown in Yangon and drive to visit Chaukhtatkyi pagoda – with a 70-metres reclining Buddha statue, 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 head for the Bogyoke Aung San Market to find exotic souvenirs. Then, enjoy the water front of busy Yangon River brief public ferry ride and the octagonal-shaped golden Sule Pagoda. 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.
Overnight at Hotel in Yangon
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 : Yangon-Bago-Golden Rock
Today, we excursion to Kyaikhtiyo (185 km, 4 hours drive). En route visit at Bago, 28 meter high huge Buddha Image of Kyaikpun Pagoda, the Kanbawzathardi palace of King Bayinnaung are some of the places of interests and then proceed to Kyaikhtiyo. Kyaikhtiyo is a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists. From the base camp (Kinpun Sakan) take a car ride up to Rathedaung (45 minutes) and then walk up to the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda (45 minutes). This is where you will find the famous “; Golden Rock”;, a huge boulder precariously perched on the edge of a cliff face seemingly defying gravity. It is believed that Buddha’s hair is precisely placed on the Golden Rock stupa thereby keeping its fine balance. Enjoy the panoramic view and walk back from the top of the hill to the base camp
Overnight at Hotel in Golden Rock
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 : Golden Rock-Mawlamyaing
Today, we leave from Kyaikhto about 8am and drive to Mawlamyaing about 5hours Mon State capital is the third largest city in Myanmar and has long been an important port. The Strand is a pleasant place to stroll with beautiful colonial buildings facing the river. Some old colonial buildings are still in evidence. Upon arrival, check in hotel and refreshment. After refreshment, enjoy sunset from KyaikThanLan Pagoda dominating a ridge overlooking Mawlamyine
Overnight at Hotle in Mawlamyine
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 : Mawlamyaing-Mudon-Mawlamyaing
After having breakfast at hotel, visit to Mawlamyaing local Market and the small town of Mudon (20km -1hour). A newly built huge reclining Buddha can be seen en route. Stop at Kyaukdalone, a Buddhist stupa and a Hindu temple facing each other. Sightseeing continues with the Seindon Mibaya Kyaung, where King Mindon’s wife sought refuge. These religious buildings are all situated on a mountain range from where beautiful sunsets can be observed.
Overnight at Hotle in Mawlamyine
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 : Mawlamyaing-Hpa An (by boat)
Breakfast at Hotel. After meet with your guide and driver, we drive to jetty where the boat will be waiting. It is a small long tailed boat with seats and life jacket. Ther is a roof that kept the sun off with toilet. Then start the amazing 5hrs boat trip to Hpa An.
The scenery is great, especially as you near Hpa-An. Mountain tops dotted with golden pagodas, small villages with waving children and big limestone cliffs. The long slog up the river doesn’t seem that laborious as there’s always something to see and take a photo of. The boat trip made up for the mediocre visit to Mawlamyaing and was a relaxing, scenic way to travel.
Upon arrival, our car waits you at the jetty and pick up and transfer to hotel. Before go to hotel, enjoy walk along the jetty.
In the afternoon, visit Zwekapin Hill, the tallest of a chain of lime Stone Mountain, 2372 feet Mt. Zwekabin is crowned by a stupa said to contain a hair of the Buddha. The mountain boasts fantastic views over the Kayin countryside. Then we visit to Kawgun Cave the main attraction of this sacred site, eight miles south of Hpa-An is the hidden gallery of 7the Century artwork within by a Mon Queen. Thousands of Buddha images and carvings line the walls and roof of the cavern. Then back to hotel.
Overnight at Hotle in Hpa An
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 : Hpa An-Thaton-Yangon
Morning drive to Thaton, on the way visit Bayin Nyi cave and then drive to Thaton, former capital of the Mon Kingdom. Then we continue drive to Yangon about 7 hours.
Overnight at Hotle in Yangon
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 : Yangon-Bagan
Air Transfer RGN-BGN @ 06:00-07:50 (or) similar
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 9 : 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 10 : Bagan-Mandalay-Ava
Air Transfer BGN-MDL @ 08:05-08:35 (or) Similar
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. Check in upon arrival. Take a short break to rejuvenate before we start our city tour.
On arrival to Mandalay, proceed to Ava, the capital from 14th to 18th centuries. Explore by horse cart to Bagaya Monastery and the remains of the Royal Palace and fort.
In the afternoon, come back to Mandalay and we go to Mandalay’s major attractions of Mahamuni Pagoda, inside of which the bronze Buddha statue is all yet monks and pilgrims are still applying gold layers everyday. Next, we will visit Golden Palace Monastery, which is famous for its intricate woodcarvings. Continue our trip to the world-known Kuthodaw Pagoda, holding the world’s largest book carved Buddhism scriptures on 729 marble slabs.
After lunch, we will take a short break and then continue the tour visiting the Mandalay Palace & Fort, which best portrays the golden days of Mandalay Kingdom. Later, we will visit Shwenandaw Kyaung, a traditional modern monastery with carved panels telling the past-life stories of the Buddha. The friendly monks in the monastery will leave you a lifetime memory for your surprise-full Myanmar tours.
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. At around 11am just when the sun rise.
Overnight at Hotel in Mandalay
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 : 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 12 : Mandalay-Heho-Pindaya-Inle Lake
Air Transfer MDL-HEH @ 08:50-09:20 (or) similar
Morning transfer to the airport to take the flight to Heho. Arrival at Heho airport, 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. After that, proceed to Nyaung Shwe the gate way of Inle Lake about 2 hours. On arrival Nyaung Shwe and transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Hotel in Nyaung Shwe
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 : 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 visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda and its 5 holy Buddha images.
In the afternoon, visit to 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 14 : 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 15 : Yangon departure
Enjoy your free time until flight out of Myanmar. Today we will say goodbye to you at the airport.
Meals: Breakfast