13 Day Spectacular Myanmar Holiday

Breakfast and then you will be picked up from your hotel this morning by private transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Sittwe – the capital city of Rakhine State in the western part of the Myanmar. On arrival, you’re met by your guide and private driver. After checking in to your hotel and having time to relax. Here you’ll enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour, including a visit to Rakhine State Cultural Museum with its Rakhine-style Buddha statues and cultural relics from the Mrauk U historic period. You’ll also see the stunning Payagyi Temple and tour the city’s various mosques. At sunset, you’ll enjoy the best views in the city at a place called “the point”, a platform overlooking the mouth of the Kaladan River where it merges with the sea. Check into your hotel in Sittwe for the night.

Enjoy your early breakfast at your hotel before embarking upon a luxury cruise up Kaladan River to Mrauk U, the exotic one-time capital of the powerful Mrauk U Kingdom. From here, you’ll be transferred to the Sittwe jetty where you’ll board a private boat to Mrauk U. Sit back and relax as you travel leisurely upstream on the Kaladan River. On this 5- to 6-hour river journey, lunch will be served onboard, and along the way, you’ll pass through quiet scenery and sleepy fishing villages, spotting golden spires piercing the treeline here and there. You’ll arrive at the ancient merchant city of Mrauk U at around midday. Once the wealthiest city in all of Asia, Mrauk U served as the capital of the Mrauk U Kingdom from the 15th to 18th century. Located strategically on the Bay of Bengal, the city was a major port facilitating trade among Asian nations and also Europe. Today, the remarkable buildings that remain from this prolific period make Mrauk U a major archeological site. This afternoon, you’ll take a tour of some of the most important religious monuments of medieval Mrauk U, such as Laungbanpyauk, Yadana Mannaung and Sakaya Mannaung, as well as the remarkable sites of Koethaung Temple and Pitakataik Library. Located in a low-lying area, these sites also offer great views of the surrounding hilly landscape. For sunset vistas, you’ll head to Haritaung Pagoda hill, where you can enjoy amazing views over the city. In Mrauk U, we recommend staying at the Mrauk Oo Princess, a luxurious resort built in traditional Rakhine style.

If you do not mind, wake up early and head out of the town at 05:45 to drive uphills to catch the incredible sunrise then return to your hotel to have breakfast. Your Mrauk U tour today is spent with a visit to the local market, where you can see local vendors hawking their wares and even pick up a souvenir or two. Next, continue to the ruins of the Royal Palace. In Mrauk U’s heyday, the palace loomed high over the city. You’ll visit the Archaeological Museum next (open Wednesday through Sunday), which houses an intriguing collection of artifacts and relics from ancient Rakhine. Break time for lunch and then you will head to Mrauk U’s most important religious structure, the Shitthaung Temple, which was built in 1535 by more than 1,000 laborers and architects, the temple houses remarkable examples of Arakanese Buddhist images and reliefs. Next we’ll visit the Andawthein Ordination Hall and view its unique stone carvings. Continue to the circular Ratanabon Pagoda and the temple of Dukkhanthein, which resembles a fortress. The vaulted passages here house intriguing stone sculptures. Finally, make a stop at Laymyetnha, the first pagoda built in Mrauk U, dating back to 1430. Overnight in Mrauk U for your second night. 

Breakfast at the hotel and today you’ll take 2.5 hour cruise away along the Lay Myo River to visit a few different Chin villages. There are some 50 Chin villages in the southern Rakhine region, maintaining a distinct culture and traditional lifestyle. Today, you can meet the infamous tattooed-face Chin ladies and visit local weavers keeping this ancient tradition flourishing. After arriving back in Mrauk U via boat, you have the rest of the day free to spend at your leisure. Take a boat cruise back to your hotel. Overnight in Mrauk U for the 3rd night.

You’ll rise early today to have breakfast and take a boat back to Sittwe (appx 5-6 hours). En route, take advantage of the chance to sit back and observe the unique lifestyles along the river. Upon arrival you will be taken back to the airport to take a flight to Yangon. Check in to your accommodation and remainder of the day will be at your leisure. Overnight in Yangon.

After breakfast you will be taken to the airport to fly to Bagan, the former royal capital in northern Myanmar. Bagan is the country’s spiritual center. Over 2,000 pagodas, stupas and temples dot the golden plains of Bagan. Met by a local representative and you are taken to check in to your luxurious accommodation in Bagan. Relax for a while before a very interesting tour to visit incredible Bagan temples. You will first visit Ananda Temple, one of the most surviving masterpiece of the Mon architecture and also known as the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples. Continue to shwezigon Pagoda, with its gilded stupa, followed by Ananda Temple with its four standing Buddha images. You will also visit Anauk Pwa Saw Village where you can see cotton weaving, and Minanthu Village which produces cooking oil from peanuts. You will continue with a visit the largest and best preserved 12th century Dhammayangyi Pagoda. End your day savoring a beautiful sunset view from one of the most scenic spots as you look out over the plains of Bagan. Return to your hotel and relax. Overnight in Bagan.

Breakfast at hotel and you will take a morning flight to Heho and after one-hour scenic drive will take you to Inle Lake – another must-see location in Myanmar. This is the site of floating farms and stilt-house villages where more than 70,000 people of different ethnicities call home. Checking in to your accommodation and you relax for the rest of morning. After lunch time, we will spend the rest half day to visit villages and sample the spectacular array of traditional handicrafts. You will see the unique method locals use to row their boats, fishermen with their own style of fishing, floating farms and gardens and a handloom weaving cottage with its own showroom. Next stop to visit Phaungdawoo Pagoda which houses the five most revered Buddha Images in the southern Shan State. Overnight in Inle Lake.

Breakfast at hotel and you will enjoy your full day at explore the floating market. Next, visit Indein pagoda complex. You’ll discover hundreds of pagodas, most of them hidden under vegetation and standing in provocative states of ruin. After lunch on the shore you explore the other side of the lake, starting the journey at the Pa O tribal village. Meet friendly locals and share a greeting with the locals is a huge part of the experience and always provides a longstanding memory. Return to your hotel and remainder of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Inle Lake.

Breakfast at the hotel and you will fly to Thandwe. Enjoy 30-minute drive to Ngapali beach. Checking in to your accommodation and you will be at leisure to enjoy your resort and the beach. Ngapali Beach is a perfect, quiet place to relax. The three kilometers of white sand is lined with coconut palms, and the crystal clear waters are perfect for swimming or snorkeling. Overnight at beach resort in Ngapali.

Balance of the days at your leisure to relax and indulge on the white sandt beaches or participate in a variety of activities on resort ground such as snorkeling, boat trips or bike rides. Overnight in Ngapali

Enjoy yet another day of leisure, relaxing beachside or exploring town. The stunning beach makes the perfect spot to while away some time with a good book, listening to the waves lapping onto the white, powdery sand. Overnight in Ngapali.