17-day Myanmar Trekking and Hiking Tour

• Welcome to Myanmar! On your arrival, we’ll take you straight to your hotel where the check-in time is 14.00hrs. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing. Your accommodation for the night is at a superior room at the Ibis Style Yangon Hotel or a similar property in the city.

• Your Myanmar trekking tour begins with an introduction to this beautiful country - a heritage walk around the city of Yangon that dips into its rich past through beautiful architecture and majestic landmarks. A transfer to the beautiful Yangon City Hall in the centre of town marks the start of this heritage walk that showcases classic colonial structures. The impressive City Hall structure built by local architect U Tin in 1936 assimilated European style and technology with traditional touches to create a masterpiece of building construction.
• From here, our local guide will lead you to the building that was formerly used by the Irrigation Department, constructed in 1910 to be Myanmar’s most posh department store. An aura of luxury and majesty still emanates from its architectural elements, particularly the corner tower and balconettes. A little further on is John Ransome’s breathtaking design in brick, a 1911 construction that is today the High Court. 
• A spectacular stretch of Ionic columns is the signature of the former New Law Courts on Strand Road which you will pass on your way to the tall, white tower of the Custom House, a 1916 construction with a double-faced clock. Another equally impressive tower is nearby, part of the Myanmar Port Authority building, but this one is square and beautifully offsets the stucco and bas-relief sculptures all around the Art Deco period construction.
• As you continue your heritage walk through the city, you will pass the multiple white columns and building of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, contrasted later by the red brick of the General Post Office before stopping at the famous Strand Hotel, built by the Armenian Sarkies brothers way back in 1901. Enjoy sumptuous non-alcoholic refreshments at its bar before our transfer takes you back to your hotel ahead of lunch at the Linkage Restaurant.
• Things will get a little more leisurely in the afternoon, but you will still enjoy the city trekking tour with a trip to Bogyoke or Scott’s Market. Here you will get an insight into Myanmar’s rich culture of handicrafts before pausing a while at Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake for some photo ops. Our guide will tell you tales of Karaweik Hall on your way to the majestic Shwedagon Temple, a 2500-year-old site that draws hundreds of locals to pray and make offerings. Watch the rays of the setting sun light up the central golden stupa which is considered the heart of Buddhist Myanmar. You can walk around the site to explore the details of the myriad beautiful statues and buildings surrounding it, or simply watch the world go by as dusk turns to night.
• Your accommodation for the night is at a superior room at the Ibis Style Yangon Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Today, our Myanmar trekking and hiking tour will hit the country’s Buddhist epicentre. We save time with a short domestic flight from Yangon to Mandalay airport (transfers included), from where you will head to Amarapura’s famous U Bein Bridge. Built of beautiful Burmese wood, this kilometre-long structure is said to be the world’s longest teak bridge. We will then head to Sagaing, a scenic town of rolling hills where the gold and white tips of a number of pagodas and monasteries peek through the foliage. Daung Lann Gyi restaurant will serve you a delicious traditional lunch.
• The afternoon brings you back in touch with nature and local culture as we drive you along the banks of the Ayeyarwady River where women do laundry the traditional way and riverine commerce sails back and forth. A sparkling treasure awaits at the other end in the form of a gold Buddha image at the Mahamuni Pagoda. Our guide will also take you to watch traditional crafts coming to life at local workshops making Kalaga tapestries of razor-thin gold leaf as well as stone carving and bronze casting.
• See the ‘world’s largest book’ at Kuthodaw Pagoda, a volume of 729 marble slabs engraved with Theravada Buddhist scriptures. In a spectacular end to the day, we stop at the famous Shwenandaw Monastery, a splendid structure carved in teak and the only structure of the Royal Palace that survived the bombings of the Second World War. Climb up Mandalay Hill to watch the sunset caught in the sparkling glass-studded walls of the temple. 
• Your accommodation for the night is at a superior room at Shwe Inn Gyinn Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided 

• Today, you will pedal your way through the gorgeous streets of Mandalay, taking in the sights and sounds of local vegetable markets and neighbourhoods. It’s an early start - 7am - and we will drop you to the starting point where you will meet a knowledgeable local guide. The Mandalay countryside is a trip back in time with farmers and villagers going about their daily routine as they have for decades. The locals are friendly and the leisurely village life is embodied by the lazy water buffalo wallowing in mud or goats foraging for the sweetest leaves.
• Interact with the local farmers at the market with the help of our guide and discover the produce from their fields. There’s a stop at bamboo weaver who makes the ubiquitous rattan mats found in homes across Myanmar, and a maker of delicious bean curd, one of the most sought-after in the area.
• At this point, your Myanmar trekking tour takes you through the village on foot to delve deeper into the lives of the locals and learn about the crops that feed them. A taste of traditional snacks await you at a tea shop on your way back to the starting point, from where we will transfer you to your hotel ahead of lunch at Mingalabar Restaurant.
• At 14.00hrs, head south towards the starting point of your ride along a network of ancient canals that feed the farmed fields. Wave to friendly locals as you discover the beauty of the Mandalay countryside before stopping at the little-known birthplace of local headman U Bein and discovering more about the local Muslim community that has thrived there for more than 200 years.
• Tree-shaded paths take you around the former princely island capital of Innwa, also known as Ava, as you head toward U Bein bridge in Amarapura. The teak of the bridge is said to have come from the royal palace after the capital was moved to Mandalay back in the 1850s. The majestic wooden pillars have stood the test of time and are still a sight to behold.
• With the sunset comes the end of your day, and we transfer you back to Mandalay. Your accommodation for the night is at a superior room at Shwe Inn Gyinn Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided 

• Today is a leisurely day as you sail from Mandalay to carry on with your Myanmar trekking tour in ancient Bagan. A transfer brings you to the public Malikha 3 ferry, from where you enjoy a tranquil trip down the River Irrawaddy passing life as it goes by on the banks. This day-long journey with lunch on board gives you a beautiful glimpse of life in Myanmar, and you have the opportunity to chat with locals also making the trip.
• At Bagan, we transfer you to your hotel for the next 3 nights. Your accommodation for the night is at the Bagan room at Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• On Day 6, your Myanmar trekking tour brings you in close contact with changing temple architecture, ancient ruins and panoramic views of surrounding countrysides that have remained unchanged for centuries.
• A car will take you to Old Bagan, where the 2-3 hour walking tour begins. Don’t miss the two statues guardian spirits at the Tharabar Gate ruins, the only standing entrance structure to Old Bagan. From the old Buddhist library at Pitaka Taik, head on to Bagan’s tallest temple Thatbyinnyu. Our guide will point out the only Hindu temple in the area - Nat Htaung Kyaung - and the 10th century Nga Kwe Nadaung. It is one of the oldest stupas in Bagan and a close inspection reveals its peculiar glazed green bricks. Finally, you will discover Pahto Tha Mya, an 11th century temple that uses its abundance of natural light to showcase a Buddha statue and some beautiful frescoes.
• At Mee Nyein Gon, take in the stunning views of greenery and pagodas from atop the temple platform. The local guide will then take you to Myinkaba village, famous for its lacquer work. A bit of refreshment at a local tea stall is available before you head on to discover the imposing reclining Buddha at back of the Manuha temple, built in the Mon period. Stop at the Nanpaya workshop where you can watch the deft hands of lacquer craftsmen at work.
• We then drop you back to your hotel ahead of lunch at the Sunset Garden Restaurant.
• The afternoon includes a two-hour ride around Bagan in a carriage drawn by oxen or horse ending at sunset. From here, a car will take you to Dhammayazika, Bagan’s largest stupa in the shape of a pentagon built in 1196. A few more temples await, chosen carefully by our guide for their distinctiveness. There’s Lemyethna temple with its Indian-style apex, Payathonzu Complex with its shrines connected by passageways and Tantric murals, as the stunning frescoes and erotic mural of the Nandamannya Temple.
• Get up close and personal with local culture in the village of Minnanthu. From here, you can pick a temple to climb and enjoy the sunset from and we’ll drop you there by horse carriage or car depending on the distance.
• Your accommodation for the night is the Bagan room at Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• You have the morning at your disposal to do as you please. If you are int erested, we can arrange an optional hot air balloon ride over Bagan which offers a breathtaking view of the ancient city from above.
• You will be able to see over a thousand Buddhist temples dotting the green landscape as the sun rises over the Ayeyarwady River. The one-hour flight leaves at dawn, so you will have a light breakfast and safety briefing as the balloons inflate. Flights operate every day from October to March. You will be provided transfers from and to your hotel.
• In the afternoon, enjoy one of the best Myanmar hiking tours with our climb up Mount Popa. The steep steps and path lead you to the home of ‘nats’ or guardian spirits and exquisite views from the summit. Dinner will be at Mount Popa Resort.
• Your accommodation for the night is the superior room at Mount Popa Resort or a similar property in the vicinity.
• Meals: Breakfast and dinner are provided

• Our Myanmar trekking and hiking tour engages closely with the locals in conservation and caring for the environment. Today, you will learn more about The Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp and see the important work they do preserving the ecosystem.
• We head on flatlands to Thazi from where the altitude increases to hit the hillstations in Shan Country. At the hour-long visit to Magwe’s elephant camp, the friendly team will help you understand more about the project while you enjoy some refreshments. Take a short walk down to the river to get closely connected with the elephants here who love being fed and bathed. You can join in and splash them with water! The camp also has a forest conservation programme which you can support by planting a teak tree.
• Your walk back to the camp lodge is rewarded with a scrumptious lunch overlooking the green valley below as birds and butterflies flit about in the orchids.
• After your meal, we head to Kalaw for the night. Your accommodation is the deluxe room at Kalaw Princess Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Today begins a highlight of our Myanmar trekking and hiking tour. We start early in the morning where you walk to the market to meet your local trekking guide and shop for any requirements you may need for the trek over the next three days.
• It’s hilly terrain for the first three hours over rolling hills to Myin Daik where you will have lunch. From there, a 30-minute trek takes you to a bustling railway station where hawkers sell their fruit, flowers and vegetables. You will continue on for about 40 minutes to Ywar Pu, and then for another hour to Sha Pin village. A 60-minute trek later brings you to Laming Village where you will put up for the night at a local house.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided

• The second day of the Myanmar hiking tour is filled with challenging ascents, starting from a three-hour trek from Laming to the villages of Paw Kai and Pa O. Another hour of walking brings you to Kone Hla and Da Nu villages, but the route is spellbinding with views of fields where locals grow chilli, potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower. At Kone Hla, you will enjoy a traditional lunch.
• Later, an hour and a half trek brings you to Pattu Pauk village where you can stop for a short rest and watch the locals weave various types of baskets in intricate patterns. The next 40-minute leg brings you to Hti Taing where you can observe village life before spending the night at the Hti Taing monastery.

• Today will be less demanding, and your Myanmar trekking tour will take you to Kyaung Su village after an hour, and then Than Kha Mauk, another 60-minute walk. From here, a leisurely stroll brings you down to Indaing, at the western end of Lake Inle. On the way, you will enjoy a light lunch.
• You will then be taken to your hotel on the lake by boat and car. Your accommodation is the superior room at Golden Island Cottages or a similar property in the vicinity.

• Connect with heritage with a visit (if it coincides with the schedule) to the five- day rotating market where ethnic Pa O, Danu and Intha people conduct their trade. Close by is Lake Inle with lush hills in the distance, a glassy surface through which vegetation peeks and the peculiar skill of Intha fishermen who row with one leg. Lunch is served at Mr Toe’s Restaurant after a visit to the holiest pagoda in the region - Phaung Daw Oo.
• The boat trip continues after a stop a silk-weaving workshop and a blacksmith’s forge that take you back to simpler times. Back on the boat, you will see how the Intha grow fruit and vegetables on floating gardens and stop by the oldest monastery on the lake with statues that are hundreds of years old.
• Your accommodation is the superior room at Golden Island Cottages, Nampan or a similar property on Lake Inle.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Today we take you on a trip to the southern edge of Lake Inle, to Sagar, where the village has stood the test of time and locals continue to make wagon wheels and live as they have for decades. The two-hour boat ride offers picturesque views of the lake and at the village you can engage with the friendly Pa O, Shan and Intha people to learn more about how they live.
• Nearby are beautiful stupas and other ancient monuments at the Tha Gaung Relic Pagoda. Enjoy a typical Burmese lunch at Little Lodge in Samkar.
• Your accommodation is at A Little Lodge of Samkar (Sagar House) or a similar property in the vicinity.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Your Myanmar trekking and hiking tour takes it down a notch today with a quiet morning in the village before sailing back to Inle. Your afternoon visit to Pwe Za Kong Monastery is the start of an easy two-hour trek to meet the monks at May Nigon Monastery giving you a peek into village life and its rice mills and rice paper workshops. After lunch at Golden Kite, Nampan, you will return to your deluxe room at Hotel Nyaung Shwe or a similar property in Nyaung Shwe.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Today, you will discover the lost site of Kakku where myriad tiny stupas surround the main pagoda that the local Pa O believe is more than 2000 years old. To get here, you will be driven from your hotel first to Taunggyi along roads bordered by evergreen pines. Up in the hills, Taunggyi was previously used by the British as a summer getaway and till today is the site of a local market filled with ethnic minorities selling their wares and young women deftly producing hundreds of cheroots every day. It takes another two hours across the pristine countryside by car to Kakku where you can walk around the site and marvel at the detailed stucco and Buddha images at the ancient temple. After lunch at Hlaing Khone Restaurant, our guide will take you to a Pa O village and monastery before you head back to your deluxe room at Hotel Nyaung Shwe or a similar property in Nyaung Shwe.
• Meals: Breakfast and lunch are provided

• It’s now time to head back to Yangon, so we transfer you from your hotel to Heho airport for a domestic flight back to the city. You can spend the last day of your Myanmar trekking tour as you please.
• Your accommodation for the night is a superior room at Ibis Style Yangon Stadium Hotel or a similar property in the city.
• Meals: Breakfast is provided

• You have the day at leisure before your transfer to the international airport for your flight home.
• Meals: Breakfast is provided

Points to note

• December 15 - January 15, and April 13-17 is peak season. There may be additional charges during Christmas, New Year and the Water Festival
• You will be notified of compulsory gala dinner charges when booking
• Hotel prices can be adjusted for higher or lower categories on request. Featured hotels are subject to availability during booking, and you will be notified of any deposits when booking
• Domestic airfares quoted based on averages and are subject to change. The most convenient flight is booked and final price confirmed once tickets are issued based on class of seat and availability

What to bring on your Myanmar trekking and hiking tour

• Sleeping bag
• Sturdy walking shoes
• Warm clothes for chilly nights
• Sarong and towels
• First aid kit
• Cotton trousers and long-sleeve shirt / blouse
• Insect repellent
• Daypack

We provide blankets