Myanmar: The Big Roundtrip

Active, relaxed, heritage; a tour with highlights and special places in Myanmar

About this tour

In a pleasant pace you will travel Myanmar by car with driver, train and boat. Take a heritage walk and visit the golden pagoda Swedagon in Yangon. From here, you will travel to the southeast, to Mawlamyine. Discover remains of the old colonial world where writers such as Orwell and Kipling lived in. Then take a boat trip on the Thanlwin River to the city of Hpa An. Here you'll meet the Kayin people. The Golden Rock is visited when you return to Yangon. From Yangon you will travel by night bus to the north, to Hsipaw, a small town in a beautiful green, mountainous area. Continue by train to cross the famous Gokteik Viaduct and arrive at Mandalay. It is a wonderful experience to spend a night on a boat at the local fishing community outside Mandalay. From here travel to Bagan, where you will discover the numerous stupas and temples of this UNESCO World Heritage Site by bike. After Bagan you will travel to Kalaw, up in the mountains. You will make a 2-day trekking in the area of the local Danu tribe where you will spend the night in a monastery. The end of this amazing trip is at Lake Inle. Here you make a detour with overnight stay to Phayartaung.

From Inle you will fly via Yangon to your next destination.

What will you do
  • Take a heritage walk in Yangon
  • Visit Mawlamyine, the city where Orwell and Kipling once lived
  • Cruise the Thanlwin River to Hpa An
  • Visit the Golden Rock at Kyaikto
  • Discover the green, mountainous surroundings of Hsipaw by boat
  • Cycling the countryside near Mandalay
  • Find out how fishermen live, not far from Mandalay. Overnight stay on a boat.
  • By bicycle to the temples and stupas of Bagan.
  • 2-day trekking in the Shan Mountains, overnight stay in a monastery
  • Discover Lake Inle and its surroundings by boat, with an overnight stay in Phayartaung
Where

Myanmar is a fascinating country. The large number of different minority groups, influences from India, China and from the English colonial period create a mixture of styles in architecture, clothing and cuisine. Geographically Myanmar has well-known names such as the Irrawaddy River, the Shan Mountains and the Andaman Sea. There are thousands of monasteries and pagodas still in use in the predominantly Buddhist country, but there is also the historic site of Bagan! There is no lack of variety in Myanmar!

Itinerary

Day 1

Yangon | arrival in Yangon, transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon take a guided heritage walk

Day 2

Yangon | In the morning you visit Myanmar's most famous pagoda, Shwedagon. You will do this with a local guide and discover special stories about this sanctuary. The rest of the day at leisure

Day 3

Yangon to Mawlamyine | Today, the first ride to Thaton is by train. Here the driver will pick you up for the part to Mawlamyine. In the afternoon you will walk along old colonial buildings

Day 4

Mawlamyine to Hpa An | By private boat you will cruise on the Thanwlin River today. During the trip you will visit the village of U Na Auk, with its beautiful decorated temples. Further down the river you will see beautiful limestone cliffs and green rice fields

Day 5

Hpa An | An adventurous day. Kayak over small streams to the area of the vegatarian Kayin tribe. There you walk through the forest to various local villages

Day 6

Hpa An to Kyaikto | Start the day with a bike ride through villages and rice fields at Hpa An. Afterwards you will travel by public bus to Kyaikto. At the end of the afternoon you will be at your destination

Day 7

Kyaikto to Yangon | Visit Golden Rock by yourself in the morning. Onwards you go to the bus station, for the bus to Yangon. In the evening you reach the city

Day 8

Yangon to Hsipaw | There is some time to explore Yangon. In the afternoon we will take you to the night bus, for the ride to the north of Myanmar, to Hsipaw

Day 9

Hsipaw | Arrive in Hsipaw early morning. Have a look at the local market. It is at its best in the morning. Then breakfast at the hotel and relax. In the afternoon you will walk through Shan villages, where you will visit a school, a small nunnery and where you will catch up on local Shan life

Day 10

Hsipaw | Enjoy the mountain scenery during a boat trip this morning and visit a Shan monastery along the way. Take a refreshing dip in the river if you want

Day 11

Hsipaw to Mandalay | The first part today is by train, so you will cross the 102-meter high Gokteik Viaduct. In Pyin Oo Lwin our car is there to pick you up for the journey to Mandalay

Day 12

Mandalay | In the morning you'll get on a bike for a scenic drive across the countryside. Water buffalos, markets, bamboo weaving and local village life will be part of this trip. The rest of this afternoon is at leisure

Day 13

Mandalay | Set out to explore the city. Visit Mahamuni Pagoda, the royal palace, Mandalay Hill or the wooden Shwenandaw monastery

Day 14

Mandalay | 2-day boat trip | Next 2 days you will be cruising the Irrawaddy River where it is possible to spot Irrawaddy dolphins. Local fishermen tell you about their lives and you will sleep on board at the boat

Day 15

Mandalay | 2-day boat trip | Today you sail back to Mandalay. On the way you will stop at the former hunting forest of King Mindon and you will visit the pagodas at Mingun

Day 16

Mandalay to Bagan | Today you will travel to Bagan by car and boat. Along the way you will visit a cave temple and you will get to know Myanmar's protected star turtle

Day 17

Bagan | Together with your local guide you will cycle from pagoda to pagoda. You will get to places where you otherwise might not come

Day 18

Bagan | Today you have some more time for the Unesco World Heritage at Bagan. Make sure you experience a sunrise or sunset

Day 19

Bagan to Kalaw | This is a long travel day. You will arrive to the hillstation Kalaw by public bus

Day 20

Kalaw | 2-day trekking | The first day you will hike about 6 hours through fields and villages. The climate is very pleasant at an altitude of 1200 meters. You spend the night in a local monastery

Day 21

2-day trekking | Then from Pindaya to Lake Inle | In the morning you walk another 3 hours mainly through tea plantations. At the end we supply local transportation to Pindaya and from here you will travel to Nyaung Shwe at Lake Inle

Day 22

Lake Inle to Phayataung | An early start brings you to Phayataung. Here you will make a lovely walk to the village of Nam Tok. Different minorities live here together, including Shan, Intha and Pa O. Overnight stay in a waterfront accommodation

Day 23

Phayataung to Lake Inle | You will start the day with a visit to a special monastery in the neighbourhood. The trip back to Nyaung Shwe is by boat on Lake Inle. Here you will see floating gardens, stilt villages and the Hmawbi ruins

Day 24

Lake Inle | Free at leisure. Maybe you want to visit one of the wine producers in the area. Tasting is possible

Day 25

Lake Inle to Yangon | We take care of the transfer to the airport. From here you will fly to Yangon and on to your next destination

Additional info

The price of this trip is based on 2 travellers, low season, subject to availability of scheduled hotels and including CO2 compensation.

We have based ourselves on standard hotels. But it is also possible to choose more luxurious hotels. The trip can always be adjusted in many ways.

This trip connects to a roundtrip over